Nov. 30, 2006
LAS VEGAS - UNLV senior outfielder Keith Smith was named to the initial Wallace Watch for the 2007 Brooks Wallace Award, which is awarded annually to the national college baseball player of the year, the College Baseball Foundation recently announced.
Smith is one of 148 student-athletes who made the list, and he was one of just six Mountain West Conference players eligible for the prestigious award.
Smith became an offensive force for the Rebels last year, hitting .359 and leading the squad in home runs (14), RBI (71) and doubles (18) while playing a variety of positions defensively for UNLV. Smith was named to the MWC All-Conference squad for his strong season last year. The native of Anaheim, Calif., played two years at Irvine Valley College before transferring to UNLV in 2006.
Smith hit one of the most dramatic home runs in recent Rebel history last season, a pinch-hit grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning against defending national champion Texas at home. The round tripper propelled UNLV to a 13-12 win over Texas.
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.
