Texas Tech University Athletics
Blair Named To Brooks Wallace Award Watch List
November 24, 2004 | Baseball
Nov. 24, 2004
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech senior shortstop Cameron Blair is one of 58 student-athletes to be named to the 2005 Brooks Wallace Award Watch List. The Brooks Wallace Award is presented annually to the national college baseball player of the year. Kurt Suzuki of Cal State Fullerton was the winner of the 2004 Brooks Wallace Award.
Blair ended the 2004 season as one of the country's most prolific hitters as he finished with a .371 batting average along with 23 doubles, 14 home runs and 81 RBI. His 81 RBI was the fifth highest mark in the nation in 2004. Blair joins five other Big 12 players that were named to one of the three preseason teams. He is a preseason candidate for Big 12 Player of the Year honors and has already been tabbed by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers as Preseason Second-Team All-American.
The Wallace Watch will be trimmed to 12 semi-finalists by Tuesday, May 24, 2005. 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 Plano, Texas, native was married to the former Sandy Arnold and they had one daughter, Lindsay Ryan.
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.
2005 Brooks Wallace Award "Watch List" (as of Nov. 23, 2004)
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, Hawai'i
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
