May 15, 2000
Arizona State outfielder Mitch Jones (Orem, Utah) was named one of 12 semifinalist for the 2000 Rotary Smith Award.
Jones, who leads the nation with 25 homeruns this year, has also tied Bob Horner's 1978 school record for homeruns in a single season.
Now in its 13th year, the Rotary Smith Award is awarded each summer to the nation's top college baseball player. The Award, a national project of the Rotary Club of Houston, raises money for Rotary national charities, Texas Children's Hospital and the Karl Young League. Six previous winners of the award are currently playing major league baseball: 1988 winner Andy Benes of Evansville (St. Louis Cardinals), 1991 winner Bobby Jones of Fresno State (New York Mets), 1993 winner Darren Dreifort of Wichita State (Los Angeles Dodgers), 1994 winner Jason Varitek of Georgia Tech (Boston Red Sox), 1995 winner Mark Kotsay of Cal.-State Fullerton (Florida Marlins), 1996 winner Kris Benson of Clemson (Pittsburgh) and 1997 winner Tim Hudson of Auburn (Oakland Athletics).
SID's will now cut the list from the 12 semifinalists to 3 finalists in the next stage of balloting within the next month. The final voting stage, to pick the 2000 winner, will end following the conclusion of this year's College World Series (June 9-17). The winner will be named at a dinner at the Doubletree-Post Oak Hotel in Houston the evening of Monday, June 19.
For more information on this year's award, call Twin Spin Design at (713) 659-5251 or check out the award's website at http://www.smithaward.com. For ticketing information, please call the Rotary Club of Houston at (713) 973-9936.
2000 ROTARY SMITH AWARD SEMIFINALISTS PLAYER SCHOOL POS. YR HOMETOWN Kip Boutknight South Carolina RHP Jr. Gaston, SC Taggart Bozied San Francisco 1B Jr. Denver, CO Brad Cresse LSU C Sr. Seal Beach, CA Kyle Crowell Houston RHP Jr. Friendswood, TX Ben Diggins Arizona P/1B Jr. Prescott Valley, AZ Todd Faulkner Auburn 1B Jr. Powder Springs, GA Tyrell Godwin North Carolina OF Jr. Council, NC Gabe Gross Auburn OF So. Dothan, AL Mitch Jones Arizona State OF Sr. Orem, UT Xavier Nady California 3B Jr. Salinas, CA Mark Teixeira Georgia Tech 3B So. Severna Park , MD Justin Wayne Stanford RHP Jr. Honolulu, HI