LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Louisville sophomore pitcher/first baseman Brendan McKay was selected on Thursday as one of five finalists for the 2016 Dick Howser Trophy, presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate baseball player.
Named as an All-ACC First Team honoree as both a starting pitcher and utility player, McKay has a 12-3 record on the mound with a 2.12 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 16 starts and 101.2 innings pitched. A native of Darlington, Pennsylvania, McKay has a .336 batting average with five home runs, 40 RBI and 19 doubles in 59 starts as a hitter. On Sunday, he was chosen as the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Louisville Regional after hitting .455 with a home run and three RBI in three games at the plate while finishing with 10 strikeouts in a victorious outing on the mound.
McKay, who was selected as a First Team All-American by Baseball America on Tuesday, is joined as a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy by Clemson outfielder Seth Beer, Wake Forest third baseman Will Craig, Kent State pitcher Eric Lauer and Texas A&M third baseman Boomer White. The winner will be unveiled on MLB Network on Friday, June 17, and then a press conference with the winner will be held in Omaha, Nebraska, on Saturday, June 18 at 10 a.m. (CDT), the opening day of the 2016 College World Series.
Voting for the Dick Howser Trophy has been conducted by the NCBWA membership since 1999 after the American Baseball Coaches Association selected the recipient from 1987-1998. The NCBWA also selects the Stopper of the Year, the Division I National Coach of the Year and National Freshman Hitter and Pitcher of the Year, along with NCAA Division II and III All-America teams, Players and Coaches of the Year.
The No.2 national seeded Cardinals (50-12) open the 2016 NCAA Louisville Super Regional against UC Santa Barbara on Saturday at noon ET at Jim Patterson Stadium and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
Fans can follow Louisville baseball on Twitter (@UofLBaseball) at http://twitter.com/uoflbaseball and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ulbaseball.
