December 13, 2007 - Rider’s Hayes on Player of Year Watch
December 13, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Baseball
Rider’s Hayes on Player of Year Watch
Lubbock, Texas – Jamie Hayes of Rider University, Pedro Alvarez of Vanderbilt, Ryan Lavarnway of Yale, Kyle Russell of Texas and Brett Wallace of Arizona State highlight the list of players named to the pre-season release of the 2008 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award Watch List. “This is great recognition for Jamie and our baseball program,” said Rider head coach Barry Davis. “He continues to work hard to develop his game and others are noticing. It is well deserved.”
“After a great fall baseball season, we can see that the talent level in college baseball will once again be great. We have several from last year's Wallace Watch that we will continue to follow, and we look forward to tracking the new additions as well,” said Raymond Richardson, Chair of the Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year Award Committee.
The Wallace Award is presented to the nation's top collegiate baseball player in conjunction with the College Baseball Hall of Fame's annual induction festivities. The 2008 award banquet will be held Thursday, July 3, in the United Spirit Arena on the campus of Texas Tech University.
Hayes (Sunrise, Florida/Piper) was a second team All-State selection by the NJCBA and a second team All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference pick. He batted .281 with 53 hits and 33 runs scored as a sophomore in 2007, and was second on the Rider team in doubles with 11. Hayes stole 15 bases in 16 attempts, and when he moved from his shortstop position to the mound in the late innings compiled a Rider-record 11 saves. His 11 saves ranked among the top 15 in the nation.
Hayes has 123 career hits in 102 Rider games and 33 stolen bases in just 40 attempts. On the mound he has 31 career strikeouts in 36 innings, with 15 saves and a 2-2 career record.
Last year's Brooks Wallace award went to Vanderbilt pitcher David Price. Price was the first overall pick in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft and is currently pitching in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. The 2006 winner was standout pitcher/designated hitter Brad Lincoln of Houston. Nebraska's Alex Gordon, now with the Kansas City Royals, took home the 2005 trophy. The inaugural award was given in 2004 to Kurt Suzuki of Cal State Fullerton, who is now catching for the Oakland A's.
The Wallace Award is a dedication to the memory of the former Texas Tech player and assistant coach Brooks Wallace. Wallace was a slick-fielding shortstop at Texas Tech from 1977 to 1980. A four-year starter, he was named All-Southwest Conference and All-District his senior year. He led the Red Raiders to their first-ever appearance in the Southwest Conference Tournament in 1980. 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, TX, native was married to the former Sandy Arnold and they had one daughter, Lindsay Ryan.
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