May 18, 2012

OXFORD, Miss. – Junior second baseman Alex Yarbrough has been named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, presented by Easton Foundation, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association announced on Friday.

The Howser Trophy is presented annually to the top collegiate baseball player and is based on two rounds of national voting. It is in its 26th year will be presented at TD Ameritrade Stadium in downtown Omaha, the home of the College World Series for the second year.  The award will be presented on Friday, June 15 at 11 a.m. CT, the opening day of the 2012 CWS.

Yarbrough is one of five players from the Southeastern Conference to make the list and is the first for the Rebels since left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz was a finalist for the award in the 2010 season. There are a total of 35 players named to the list of semifinalists from across the nation.

“We’re really proud of Alex,” said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. “This is a great honor to be a candidate for the Dick Howser Trophy, but it is one that he is very deserving of with the season he has had for us.”

Yarbrough has been the top hitter for the Rebels this season and is second in the Southeastern Conference with a .399 batting average heading into the final week of the regular season. He has posted 25 multiple-hit games and 11 multiple-RBI games while scoring a team-leading 39 runs and tallying 41 RBI.

Named to the midseason Golden Spikes Award watch list for the top player in collegiate baseball earlier this season by the College Baseball Hall of Fame, Yarbrough ranks in the top 10 in the SEC in seven offensive categories including, batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, hits, RBI, doubles and total bases.

The second baseman has been outstanding defensively for the Rebels, fielding at a .992 clip with only two errors through 54 games this season. The first error came in the first inning of the second game of the season and was followed by 456.0 consecutive innings of errorless baseball before he committed his second error of the season this past Tuesday night.

Yarbrough has helped Ole Miss post series wins over Alabama, No. 1 Florida, No. 15 Arkansas and Tennessee in Southeastern Conference play as the Rebels have compiled a 34-20 record this season.

The Rebels return to action tonight with game two of the final weekend series of the regular series at Vanderbilt. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at Hawkins Field.

The Dick Howser Trophy, given in memory of the former Florida State University All-America shortstop and major league player and manager, who died of brain cancer in 1987, is regarded by many as college baseball's most prestigious award.  Criteria for consideration of the trophy include performance on the field, leadership, moral character and courage, qualities that were exemplified by Dick Howser's life.