April 27, 2001
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State senior All-American catcher Casey Myers has been named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy as the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association National Player of the Year Award.
Myers is enjoying a banner senior season with a .421 batting average, 54 RBI and six home runs while starting all 43 of ASU's games this year. Leading the Devils to a 28-14-1 record and a consistent Top 20 ranking, Myers is nearing the end of a career that has ranked him as one of the best players to ever wear the Maroon and Gold. With a .389 career batting average he currently ranks fourth in school history and is now just three hits short of becoming only the third Sun Devil in history to reach 300 in a career. With 260 RBI in his illustrious career, he is now just 23 short of matching the school and Pac-10 career records set by former Sun Devil Andrew Beinbrink (1996-1999).
The Case Grande native was the 2000 Academic All-American of the Year in 2000 and is just a week away from receiving his diploma with a near 4.0 GPA in mathematics and accounting. He was the 2000 Pac-10 Player of the Year and is making a run at a repeat of that award with the third best batting average in the league.
Twenty collegiate standouts were named as the semifinalists for the 2001 Dick Howser Trophy. The award is presented by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, in conjunction with the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Chamber of Commerce and goes to the top college baseball player. Voting on the award is done by the more than 200-person membership of the NCBWA. Past winners of the award include current Major Leaguers Todd Helton (1995), Kris Benson (1996), Jason Varitek (1993), Robin Ventura (1988) and J.D. Drew (1997).
2001 DICK HOWSER TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS Jeff Baker, 3B, Clemson Brian Baron, OF, UCLA Kenny Baugh, P, Rice Dewon Brazelton, P, Middle Tennessee Jeff Bruksch, P, Stanford Chris Burke, SS, Tennessee Frank Corr, OF, Stetson Nate Fernley, P, Brigham Young Jake Gautreau, 3B, Tulane John-Ford Griffin, OF, Florida State Aaron Heilman, P, Notre Dame Dan Johnson, 1B, Nebraska Richard Lewis, 2B, Georgia Tech Casey Myers, C, Arizona State Mark Prior, P, Southern California Kirk Saarloos, P, Cal State Fullerton Kelly Shoppach, C, Baylor Cory Sullivan, OF, Wake Forest Daniel Uggla, 2B, Memphis John Vanbenschoten, DH/ATH, Kent State
Copy By Jeff R. Evans
ASU Media Relations