LUBBOCK, Texas – Reigning Southeastern Conference batting champion Warner Jones of Vanderbilt (.414) and 14-game winning pitcher Ricky Romero of defending national champion Cal State Fullerton are two of 65 baseball student-athletes on the 2005 Wallace Watch revised Tuesday by the College Baseball Foundation in Lubbock, Texas.

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.

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 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 most closely follow the sport. Screening Committee members will evaluate the candidates and will continue their review throughout the entire baseball season. 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.

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, 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
Lance Pendleton, OF, Rice
Kris Harvey, DH/ATH, Clemson
Warner Jones, 2B, Vanderbilt
Dan Stovall, 1B, New Mexico
Wade LeBlanc, P, Alabama
Zeke Parraz, SS, UNLV
Seth Johnston, SS, 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
Stephen Kahn, P, Loyola Marymount
Erik Lis, 1B, Evansville
Chris Getz, 2B, Michigan
Caleb Moore, C, East Tennessee St.
Cliff Pennington, SS, Texas A&M
Craig Hansen, P, St. John’s
Josh Ford, C, Baylor