DALLAS (NCBWA) The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association
(NCBWA) has selected its nine NCAA Division I District Baseball Players
of the Year for the sixth time since 2000. This all-star squad is led
by the four finalists for the Xanthus-Dick Howser Trophy · TCU's Lance Broadway,
Miami's Cesar Carrillo, Nebraska's Alex Gordon and Florida State's Shane
Robinson.
District I winner, pitcher Josh Sowers of Yale had a senior season
to remember for the Elis. The 2005 Ivy League Pitcher of the Year had a
6-1 record and 2.10 earned run average in nine starts. He averaged better
than one strikeout per inning with 63 in 60 frames, while walking just 11
hitters for an average of 1.65 walks per nine innings. Sowers was a nominee
for both the NCBWA 2005 preseason and '05 regular-season All-America teams
and the Xanthus Dick Howser Trophy.
First baseman Matt Rizzotti of Manhattan earned the District II
honor after hitting a sizzling .416 to pace the Jaspers and the Metro Atlantic
Athletic Conference as just a freshman. The All-MAAC standout and Player
of the Year in his first varsity season posted excellent power numbers with
nine home runs and 57 RBI in 173 trips to the plate. He kept the Jaspers
in contention for postseason play throughout the 2005 season with a 27-21
overall mark.
In District III, two student-athletes shared the honor. Florida State
sophomore OF Shane Robinson enters the NCAA Super Regionals with
a .434 average (fourth nationally) in 279 at-bats and national-high 121
total hits to compliment 48 stolen bases (55 attempts), six home runs, 43
RBI, and a .538 on-base percentage. Miami (Fla.) right-hander Cesar
Carrillo notched a 13-2 record for the Top 10-ranked Hurricanes, while
striking out 120 hitters in 117 2/3 innings of work. His 2.22 earned run
average is among the best in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
South Carolina 1B Steve Pearce is the District IV NCBWA recipient
after he led the Southeastern Conference in home runs for much of the 2005
campaign. Pearce paced the Gamecocks of Coach Ray Tanner to another spot
in the NCAA Regionals and a Top 10 ranking for part of the '05 campaign.
He blasted 21 homers to pace South Carolina while driving in 63 runs and
producing a .700-plus (.703) slugging percentage.
District V featured its usual batch of nationally-contending teams, and
All-Big Ten 2B Chris Getz of Michigan walked away with that Player
of the Year laurel. He batted near .400 (.389) throughout the campaign and
helped the Wolverines join Ohio State as 2005 NCAA Regional entries. Getz's
ability to get on base made Michigan one of the Big Ten Conference's toughest
teams to beat this year.
From District VI the writers chose Nebraska 3B and 2005 Big 12 Conference
Player of the Year junior Alex Gordon for the second year in succession.
Gordon, displayed his skills in several areas besides slugging 18 home runs
and driving in 62 runs for the winningest team (already) in Nebraska history
at 54-13. He was among the Top 10 nationally in walks
with 58 and slugging percentage at .735 both tops in the Big 12.
TCU pitcher Lance Broadway is the NCBWA's District VII choice.
Broadway leads the nation in wins with 15 (along with Tennessee's Luke Hochevar
at 15-2) while the Horned Frogs' ace allowed just two earned runs in his
final 43 1/3 innings pitched in 2005. He finished 15-1 with a 1.62 ERA,
151 strikeouts (highest gross total in NCAA Division I), and just two home
runs allowed in 117 innings.
Third baseman Brandon Taylor of Brigham Young is the District
VIII Player of the Year. The junior has some of the best power numbers in
the country as the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year. He hit .356
with BYU team highs of 20 home runs, 83 RBI, 85 hits, and 170 total bases
as the Cougars' first All-America choice since Dave Jensen in 2002.
The District IX selection is Southern California pitcher Ian Kennedy.
He enters the NCAA Corvallis Super Regional with one of the top pitching
seasons since USC's Mark Prior won the Xanthus-Dick Howser Trophy in 2001.
Kennedy had a 12-2 mark through games of June 9 with 150 strikeouts-one
off of national leader Broadway with 151-in 111-plus innings of work, just
36 walks, a mere five wild pitches, and 2.58 earned run average against
one of the nation's top hitting arrays in the Pacific-10 Conference.
California, Oregon, Washington, Hawai'i, Arizona, Alaska
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college
baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of
the sport. For more information about the NCBWA, visit the association's
official website, www.ncbwa.com.