DALLAS (NCBWA) – Howard Borden, who began attending the NCAA World Series as a youngster in 1956 in Omaha, is the recipient of the 51st annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Russell D. Anderson/Wilbur Snypp Award for national contributions to college baseball.
The award, first given in 1975 to NCBWA founder Wilbur (Bill) Snypp of Ohio State, also memorializes the cherished Russell D. Anderson – treasurer and associate executive director for the NCBWA for 25-plus years from 1996-2021 before his passing on April 5, 2021. Anderson was awarded the top honor given by the NCBWA in 2002 for his sterling efforts in the college baseball realm.
“Howard Borden has been a great friend and promoter of college baseball and the NCBWA for so many years,” NCBWA executive director Bo Carter said. “I cannot think of a more deserving recipient of the award, as he has devoted his time and energy to coverage of hundreds of college baseball events on the local and national levels. It is a pleasure to name him as the 51st annual Anderson/Snypp Award winner.”
Borden has been a leading local media member in coverage of the College World Series, which celebrates its 76th year in Omaha, first at Rosenblatt Stadium and currently at Charles Schwab Park, for five decades.
"I am very grateful, and it is very humbling to be the recipient of the 2026 Russell D. Anderson/Wilbur Snypp Award,” Borden said. “I am also grateful for my wonderful association with the Dick Howser Trophy Committee. I also want to thank the NCAA, NCAA Division I Baseball Committee, the working media, the participating universities and their teams, and all the fans who make the College World Series ‘A Brilliant Shining Diamond!’“
His coverage of college baseball goes back 40 years as play-by-play voice of Nebraska and Creighton baseball and before that to extensive broadcasting of Omaha area high school football, baseball and basketball for decades. The Omaha native attended Central High School, graduated from the University of Nebraska with degrees in broadcast journalism and marketing and received his juris doctor degree from Creighton University. He also was part of the NCAA World Series Radio Network, providing color analysis and play-by-play for a number of years.
He also hosts multiple Omaha radio talk shows leading up to the College Football Playoff in January and the NCAA World Series in June on the Boomer Radio Sports Network on a weekly basis.
The longtime Omaha sportscaster has been master of ceremonies for the Dick Howser Trophy presented by The Game Headwear since 1999 when the NCBWA became the voting body for the national award. In addition, he has helped NCAA Yes Baseball Clinics for Omaha area youngsters prior to the CWS for several seasons.
He is active in the community with the Jewish Sports Federation of Omaha and its annual Campaign Rally Dinner, which has featured such sports personalities as National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame QB and retired NFL great Peyton Manning, award-winning ESPN sportscaster Linda Cohn, FOX Sports and baseball guru Ken Rosenthal, and late Los Angeles Dodgers manager and National Baseball Hall of Fame member Tom Lasorda.
All-Time Russell D. Anderson/Wilbur Snypp Award Winners
1975 Wilbur Snypp, Ohio State
1976 Bill Esposito, St. John's
1977 Phil Langan, Cornell
1978 John Geis, Southern Conference
1979 Hank Schomber, Georgia Southern
1980 Bob Culp, Western Michigan
1981 Lou Pavlovich, Sr., Collegiate Baseball
1982 Tom Price, South Carolina
1983 Bob Bradley, Clemson
1984 Robert Williams, Omaha World-Herald
1985 Jerry Miles, NCAA
1986 Larry Keefe, Seton Hall
1987 Tom Rowen, San Jose Mercury-News
1988 Fred Gerardi, KESY Radio, Omaha
1989 Jim Wright, NCAA
1990 Steve Weller, SIU-Edwardsville
1991 Bill Little, University of Texas
1992 Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman
1993 Bo Carter, Southwest Conference
1994 Lou Pavlovich, Jr., Collegiate Baseball
1995 Steve Pivovar, Omaha World-Herald
1996 Gary Johnson, NCAA
1997 Dave Wohlhueter, Cornell
1998 Allan Simpson, Baseball America
1999 Alan Cannon, Texas A&M
2000 Jim Callis, Baseball America
2001 Dick Case, USA Baseball
2002 Russell D. Anderson, Conference USA
2003 John Manuel, Baseball America
2004 Dana Heiss Grodin, USA TODAY Sports Weekly
2005 Dennis Poppe, NCAA
2006 Mike Montoro, Southern Miss
2007 Barry Allen, Alabama
2008 Mike Patrick, ESPN
2009 Al Chase, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
2010 Lou Spry, NCAA
2011 Jeremy Mills, ESPN/D1Baseball.com
2012 Eric Olson, Associated Press
2013 J.D. Hamilton, NCAA
2014 John Sullivan, Rice
2015 David Feaster, Dick Howser Trophy
2016 Ralph Zobell, BYU
2017 Aaron Fitt, D1Baseball.com/Baseball America
2018 Kyle Peterson, ESPN
2019 Jim Ellis, Mississippi State Radio
2020 Malcolm Gray, East Carolina
2021 Kevin Kugler, Westwood One/Fox Sports
2022 John Cox, Southern Miss
2023 Ryan Bomberger, Liberty
2024 Craig Way, Texas Longhorns Radio
2025 Howard Borden, Sportscaster