Scherzer, Mense Named to Wallace Award Watch List
11/22/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Nov. 22, 2005
Missouri junior pitcher Max Scherzer and junior outfielder Hunter Mense have been named to the 2006 Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, which is awarded by the College Baseball Foundation to the national college baseball player of the year.
Scherzer, the 2005 Big 12 Conference pitcher of the year and a second team All-American, led the Tigers and the Big 12 Conference with a school record 131 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.86 last year. Mense, an All-Big 12 selection in 2005, hit .327 last year for Mizzou with three home runs and 43 RBI.
Both Scherzer and Mense spent the past summer traveling with Team USA, helping the National team to a 16-4 record against teams from around the world.
The watch list of 120 for the Wallace Award will be trimmed to 12 semi-finalists in late May. The selection committee will then narrow the list to three finalists following the NCAA Super Regionals. The finalists will be invited to Lubbock, Texas for an awards banquet, which will be televised by Fox Sports Net.
Dedicated to the memory of former Texas Tech shortstop and assistant coach, Wallace was a slick-fielding shortstop at Texas Tech from 1977 to 1980. A 4-year starter, he was named All-Southwest Conference and All-District Six his senior year when he led the Red Raiders to their first-ever appearance in the Southwest Conference Tournament. After playing two years in the Texas Rangers organization, he returned to Texas Tech and served as a graduate assistant and later as an assistant coach. In the summer of 1984 he was diagnosed with cancer and fought the disease courageously until his death on March 24, 1985, at age 27.
The selection committee for the Wallace Award is comprised of a national panel of preeminent coaches, sports information directors, former winners and beat media who most closely follow the sport. Screening Committee members will evaluate the candidates and will continue their review throughout the entire baseball season. The list will expand and contract during the regular season and additional Wallace Watch candidates may be added as the season progresses. Voting for the three finalists and the Wallace Award winner will be conducted by confidential balloting, with totals tabulated by the J.W.Anderson & Associates accounting firm in Lubbock, TX.
Last year's winner was Alex Gordon of Nebraska, who was drafted by and signed with the Kansas City Royals.
