Three Huskers Named to Clemens Award Watch List

HOUSTON ? Thee University of Nebraska pitchers are among the 40 college pitchers named to the 2006 Roger Clemens Award Watch List released Friday morning.

                                                  

The trio of Joba Chamberlain (Lincoln, Neb.), Johnny Dorn (Grand Island, Neb.) and Brett Jensen (Eagle Grove, Iowa) makes Nebraska one of only three schools in the country with three Clemens Watch List members, joining defending NCAA champion Texas and fellow 2005 College World Series qualifier Oregon State.

                                                  

Chamberlain, who was also chosen as a preseason All-American by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, RosenblattReport.Com and the NCBWA, turned in an impressive first season at NU, going 10-2 with a 2.81 ERA to earn first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2005. A projected first-round pick in next June’s draft, Chamberlain struck out 130 in 118.2 innings in 2005, including a 13-strikeout effort against Miami. He also picked up the Huskers’ first-ever CWS win with a victory over Arizona State in Omaha.

                                                  

Dorn enjoyed the finest freshman pitching season in school history, going 12-2 with a 2.16 ERA in 104 innings of work. Dorn led all freshmen nationally in wins and ranked among the Big 12 leaders in ERA and opponent batting average (.199), as he earned third-team All-America honors in 2005. A third-team AVCA and Collegiate Baseball All-American in 2005, Dorn has earned preseason All-America recognition from Collegiate Baseball, RosenblattReport.Com and the NCBWA.

                                                  

Jensen, who garnered preseason acclaim by Collegiate Baseball, Rosenblatt Report.com and the NCBWA, is one of the nation’s top closers after saving a school-record 16 games in 2005. He posted a 2-5 record and a 1.96 ERA in 33 games. He was 16-of-17 in save chances, ranked third nationally in saves in 2005 and is the nation’s top returnee in saves from a year ago.

                                                  

The Big 12 combined for seven of the 40 Watch List members, including Missouri right-hander Max Scherzer, the second-most of any conference.

                                                  

The list is comprised of all Division I pitchers who were named as pre-season All-Americans by either Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball or the National College Baseball Writers Association. Additional pitchers will be added each week when honored as National Pitchers of the Week by the NCBW and after the NCAA releases its statistical rankings during the college baseball season.

                                                  

The third Clemens Award will be presented to the nation's top college pitcher at the conclusion of a gala dinner in Houston in July. All Division I head baseball coaches will take part in voting for the honor, in addition to a selected panel of national media and all past winners of the Rotary Smith Award, which was retired after the 2003 dinner by the committee that is sponsoring the Clemens Award.

                                                  

The event is administered by the Greater Houston Baseball Association, which has donated $200,000 to the designated beneficiaries (The Roger Clemens Foundation, The Karl Young Summer College Baseball League and Baseball USA) from the net proceeds from the first two dinners. The GHBA is a non-profit 501.3 (C) organization dedicated to the growth of amateur baseball in the Houston area.

                                                  

Tickets for the 2006 Roger Clemens Award are now on sale. For more information, please call the Greater Houston Baseball Association at (713) 739-0505 or write to The Roger Clemens Award, 2550 S. Sam Houston Parkway West, Houston, TX 77047.

 

2006 ROGER CLEMENS AWARD PRELIMINARY WATCH LIST (as of 1/20/06)

? Adkins, James , Tennessee, LHP, So.

? Alaniz, Adrian, Texas, RHP, So.

? Bard, Daniel, North Carolina, RHP, Jr.

? Bascom, Tim, Central Florida, RHP, Jr.

? Best, Daniel, Southern Mississippi, RHP. Sr.

? Brackman, Andrew, N.C. State, RHP, So.

? Buck, Dallas, Oregon State, RHP, Jr.

? Chamberlain, Joba , Nebraska, RHP, Jr.

? Chambliss, Tyler, Florida State, RHP, Jr.

? Degerman, Eddie, Rice, RHP, Sr.

? Dirks, Clay, Louisiana State, LHP, Jr.

? Doolittle, Sean, Virginia, LHP, So.

? Dorn, Johnny, Nebraska, RHP, So.

? Ely, John, Miami (Ohio), RHP, So.

? Erickson, Blair, CalIrvine, RHP, Jr.

? Gunderson, Kevin, Oregon State, LHP, Jr.

? Hill, Nick, Army, LHP, Jr.

? Hughes, Jared, Long BeachState, RHP, Jr.

? Jensen, Brett, Nebraska, RHP Sr.

? Kasparek, Kenn, Texas, RHP, So.

?  Kennedy, Ian, Southern California, RHP, Jr.

?  Koss, Paul, Southern California, RHP, Jr.

?  Lincecum, Tim, Washington, RHP, Jr.

?  Lincoln, Brad, Houston, RHP, Jr.

?  McCulloch, Kyle, Texas, RHP, Jr.

?  Melancon, Mark, Arizona, RHP, Jr.

?  Miller, Andrew, North Carolina, LHP, Jr.

?  Morrow, Brandon, California, RHP, Jr.

?  Nickerson, Jonah, OregonState, RHP, Jr.

?  Pestano, Vinnie, Cal. State Fullerton, RHP, Jr.

?  Price, David, Vanderbilt, LHP, So.

?  O'Day, Darren, Florida, RHP, Sr.

?  Reese, Scott, Creighton, LHP, So.

?  Savery, Joe, Rice, LHP, So.

?  Scherzer, Max, Missouri, RHP, Jr.

?  Storey, Mickey, FloridaAtlantic, RHP, So.

?  Trubee, Luke, Dayton, RHP, Sr.

?  Weiser, Keith, Miami (Ohio), RHP, Jr.

?  Wieters, Matt, Georgia Tech, RHP, So.

?  Wood, Blake, Georgia Tech, RHP, Jr.