Arrieta named to the Wallace Award Watch List
11/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Nov. 21, 2006
LUBBOCK, Texas - Junior right-handed pitcher Jake Arrieta has been named to the watch list for the 2006 Brooks Wallace Award, which is presented annually to the national college baseball player of the year. He is one of just five student-athletes from the Mountain West to be named to the watch list. This is the third straight season the Frogs have been represented on the preseason watch list.Arrieta had an outstanding first season in Division I baseball, tying for the nation's lead in wins with 14. The Mountain West Conference Co-Pitcher of the Year was 14-4 with a 2.35 ERA in 2006. In 111 innings pitched, he fanned 111 batters while walking just 37. He was responsible for two of the Frogs three shutouts in 2006 as he twirled a complete-game shutout against Utah on May 5 and combined to shutout UT-Pan American on May 12.
Over the summer, Arrieta became the first Horned Frog to earn a spot on the 22-man Team USA Roster. He made six starts for the National Team and finished the summer 4-0 with a miniscule 0.27 ERA. In 33.2 innings pitched, the right-hander struck out 34 batters and allowed just one earned run to cross the plate. He gave up just 11 base hits and combined to shut out three opponents.
Joining Arrieta on the watch list from the Mountain West are New Mexico first baseman, Daniel Stovall, an infielder from UNLV, Keith Smith, outfielder Jay Brossman from Utah and pitcher Jordan Muir of BYU.
The Wallace Watch will be trimmed to 12 semi-finalists by late May. Then the selection committee will narrow the list to three finalists following the NCAA Super Regionals, prior to the College World Series. The finalists, their head coaches, and their parents will be invited to Lubbock, TX, for a schedule of special events tied to the award banquet, which will again be nationally televised by Fox Sports Network and Fox College Sports.
Dedicated to the memory of former Texas Tech shortstop and assistant coach, 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 Six his senior year when he led the Red Raiders to their first-ever appearance in the Southwest Conference Tournament. 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, Texas, native was married to the former Sandy Arnold and they had one daughter, Lindsay Ryan.
The selection committee for the Wallace Award is comprised of a national panel of preeminent coaches, sports information directors, former winners and beat media who most closely follow the sport. Screening Committee members will evaluate the candidates and will continue their review throughout the entire baseball season. The list will expand and contract during the regular season and additional Wallace Watch candidates may be added as the season progresses. Voting for the three finalists and the Wallace Award winner will be conducted by confidential balloting, with totals tabulated by the J.W.Anderson & Associates accounting firm in Lubbock, TX.
