Nov. 24, 2004
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina senior pitcher Aaron Rawl and senior infielder Steve Pearce are two of 58 players to be named to the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List presented to the national baseball player of the year by the College Baseball Foundation in Lubbock, Texas.
Rawl finished his junior season as the team’s leading pitcher with a 13-4 record including 98 strikeouts and just 17 walks allowed in 122 innings pitched with a 4.28 ERA. Rawl was a third team All-American selection by the NCBWA last year. The senior from Lexington, S.C. earned SEC Pitcher of the Week honors last season as well after hurling his first career complete game shutout in a 2-0 win over Tennessee on May 15. In his first three seasons as a member of the Carolina baseball team, Rawl has compiled 26 wins as well as eight saves. He is currently 10th on the All-Time Carolina Wins List.
Pearce was last year’s triple crown winner for the Gamecocks leading the team with a .346 batting average, 21 HR and 70 RBI. Pearce was named to the College World Series All-Tournament Team and was the 2004 Columbia Regional MVP following USC’s wins over The Citadel and North Carolina. Pearce had two home runs and four RBI in the first win over the Tar Heels and then went 3-for-4 with another homer as South Carolina clinched its fifth consecutive regional championship.
The Wallace Watch will be trimmed to 12 semi-finalists by Tuesday, May 24, 2005. Then the selection committee will narrow the list to three finalists following the NCAA Super Regionals at a press conference in Omaha on Thursday, June 16, 2005. The finalists, their head coaches, and their parents will be invited to Lubbock, TX, for a golf tournament, a welcome dinner and the award banquet.
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 lead 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 mostly closely follow the sport. Screening Committee members will evaluate the candidates and will continue their review throughout the entire baseball season. Additional Watch List candidates may be added as the season progresses. Voting for the three Wallace Award 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.
Over the last five seasons South Carolina has won more games than any other Division I baseball team in the nation with 260 victories. South Carolina has made three consecutive trips to the College World Series (2002, 2003, 2004), won two SEC championships (2000, 2002) and earned a SEC Tournament title (2004).
2005 Wallace Watch
Byron Barber, OF, College of Charleston
Ryne Malone, 1B, Florida State
Dennis Bigley, DH/P, Oral Roberts
Ian Kennedy, P, USC
Cameron Blair, SS, Texas Tech
Ryan Patterson, OF, LSU
Travis Buck, OF, Arizona State
Matthew Iouye, OF, Hawaii
Steve Caravati, OF, Ohio State
Christian Vitters, 2B, Fresno State
Cesar Carillo, P, Miami
Ryan Chambers, OF, BYU
Brad Corley, OF, Mississippi State
Jeff Corsaletti, OF, Florida
Trevor Crowe, OF, Arizona
Andy Hunter, 1B, Minnesota
Ryan Doherty, P, Notre Dame
Shelby Ford, SS, TCU
Michael Faulk, 1B, Cal State Northridge
Jack McLintock, OF, SDSU
Michael Gardner, P, Texas-Arlington
Matt McHargue, 1B, USF
Jim Geldhof, 3B, Central Michigan
Marc Maddox, 1B, Southern Miss
Danny Gil, P, Miami
Ty Wright, DH/ATH, Oklahoma St.
Alex Gordon, 3B, Nebraska
Brian Bogusevic, DH/ATH, Tulane
Stephen Head, DH/P, Mississippi
Eric Thornton, DH/ATH, Oklahoma
Paul Janish, SS, Rice
Kris Harvey, DH/ATH, Clemson
Warner Jones, 2B, Vanderbilt
Dan Stovall, 1B, New Mexico
Wade LeBlanc, P, Alabama
Zeke Parraz, SS, UNLV
Sam LeCure, P, Texas
Zach Zuercher, P, Rhode Island
Jeff Lincecum, P, Washington
Steven Blackwood, OF, Geo.Tech
Jed Lowrie, 2B, Stanford
Jacob Butler, OF, Nevada
Tim Mascia, OF, Florida Atlantic
Dallas Morris, 3B, UL Lafayette
John Mayberry, 1B, Stanford
Jason Meyer, P, Texas A&M
Jim Negrych, 2B, Pittsburgh
Steve Pearce, 3B, South Carolina
Mike Pelfrey, P, Wichita State
Chris Rahl, OF, William and Mary
Cesar Ramos, P, Long Beach State
Aaron Rawl, P, South Carolina
Anthony Rea, P, Santa Clara
Ricky Romero, P, Cal State Fullerton
Will Startup, P, Georgia
Nate Stone, 2B, Army
Kiel Thibault, C, Gonzaga
Derrick Gordon, P, Lamar
