National Collegiate Baseball Writers Newsletter - Sportswriters.net

Prior Chosen in Nationwide Ballot for 2001 Dick Howser Trophy
Mark Prior, who dominated NCAA Division I pitching statistics and who led Southern California to the
2001 NCAA World Series, has been named as 15th recipient of the prestigious Dick Howser Trophy as
college baseball player of the year.
In voting by members of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association in conjunction with
the sponsoring Greater St. Petersburg (Fla.) Chamber of Commerce, Prior was an overwhelming choice for
the honor among a field of seven finalists and an original list of 80-plus nominees nationwide.
The 6-5, 220-pound junior righthander from Bonita, Calif., was Pacific-10 Conference Player of
the Year and consensus All-America. He dominated Pac-10 pitching statistics while running up national
numbers unequalled among Division I moundmen. The junior standout also topped the conference in
pitching victories, ERA, strikeouts, and opponents' batting average (.167).
Prior enters the 2001 NCAA World Series as the top total strikeouts' man in NCAA Division I
with 189 in 131 2/3 innings along with 14-1 record. His 1.50 earned run average is third in the country in
June 4 statistics while the Trojans' standout also is third nationally with 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
He paced coach Mike Gillespie's to a 44-17 overall record and 5-0 mark in the NCAA Los
Angeles Regional as well as the Los Angeles Super Regional where USC swept Florida International to
make the school's 21st trip to the NCAA World Series. The Trojans seek their NCAA-most 13th national
baseball championship and second in four seasons after the 1998 squad under Gillespie captured the
crown.
Prior also helped pitch the 1999 and '00 teams to the NCAA Regionals and the 2000 squad to the
third round of the NCAA World Series. The California resident has recorded 10 or more strikeouts in a
game 12 times this year.
He recently eclipsed both the Pacific-10 and Southern California school records for strikeouts in
one season with 189. All-America Seth Etherton had 182 whiffs for the previous co-marks for the 1998
Trojans.
The All-America junior had a season-high 15 strikeouts against Arizona in a March 23 win over
the Wildcats while he dominated Pac-10 hitters throughout the 2001 campaign. In his first six conference
starts he fired five complete games, had a 6-0 record, 76 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched, walked only four
hitters, and allowed just over four total hits a game with 25 by opponents.
His only loss of the year was a 2-0 setback at Stanford as he worked 7 1/3 innings, struck out 13,
and walked only one Cardinal. Since that time he Is 10-0, including one span in which he allowed only
three earned runs over 59 innings and did not allow a home run in eight consecutive starts.
Prior was chosen Player of the Year by Collegiate Baseball magazine on its Louisville Slugger
All-America team and was the second player selected in the June 5, 2001, Major League Baseball draft by
the Chicago Cubs. The junior business major with a cumulative 3.18 grade point average on a 4.0 scale
follows in the footsteps of several Trojans' national player of the year choices, but he is the first Southern
California star to win the Howser Trophy.
Some of the other greats from USC with All-America credentials included Etherton (1998), 1B
Mark McGwire (1984), IF Roy Smalley (1973),OF Fred Lynn (1972), and P Steve Busby (1971), among
others.
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.
"We're extremely proud for our 2001 Dick Howser Trophy recipient Mark Prior," said David
Feaster, Chairman of the Chamber's Howser Trophy Committee. "and for coach Gillespie and his USC
teammates. We realize the hard work, perseverance, teamwork, and dedication that go into a performance
such as Mark had this season, and I am certain it was the result of a total team effort.
In addition to Friday's presentation by NCBWA President Russell Anderson of Conference USA,
Howser Tropy committee member George Elbe and Feaster, the Greater St. Pete Chamber will have a
special presentation to Prior at a football game this autumn in Los Angeles.
Criteria for consideration for the trophy include performance on the field, leadership, moral
character and courage, qualities that were exemplified by Dick Howser's life.