June 6, 2013
Nashville, Tenn. – Tony Kemp and Tyler Beede have been named two of the five finalists for the Dick Howser Trophy.
For Beede is the second time this week he has been named a finalist for a national player of the year award. The right-hander was tabbed as one of three finalists for the Golden Spikes Award earlier this week. Beede’s 2013 season has been remarkable with the Auburn, Mass. native going 14-0 with a 2.20 ERA in his 16 starts. He won his first 13 starts of the season and turned in 10 straight quality starts at one point. Vanderbilt is undefeated at 16-0 with Beede on the mound.
Kemp became the second Commodore to ever be named Southeastern Conference Player of the Year joining Hunter Bledsoe (1999). Kemp has produced one of the most exciting and productive seasons in Vanderbilt history. The Franklin, Tenn. native led the SEC in hitting, on-base percentage, runs and stolen bases during the regular season. He became only the fourth Commodore to eclipse the 100-hit mark and first Dore to do it since Pedro Alvarez and Ryan Flaherty both did in 2007. Kemp enters the weekend nine hits shy of Warner Jones’ single-season school record of 111 hits.
San Diego’s Kris Bryant, North Carolina’s Colin Moran and Stanford’s Mark Appel join the two Commodores as finalists. Bryant broke the NCAA single-season BBCOR record with 31 home runs this season while leading all of Division I in runs (80), walks (66) and slugging percentage (.820). Moran leads all of Division I with 88 RBI while hitting .351 with 13 home runs for the top-ranked Tar Heels. Bryant and Moran were also named Golden Spikes Award finalists along with Beede. Appel wrapped up a storied career for the Cardinal going 10-4 with 130 strikeouts in 106.1 innings.
Former Commodore David Price is the only Vanderbilt player to ever win the Dick Howser Trophy, winning the trophy in 2007.
The winner will be announced Saturday, June 15 at 10 a.m. at TD Ameritrade Park.