April 24, 2008

LAS VEGAS - The honors keep coming in for UNLV baseball junior Xavier Scruggs, as he was named CollegeBaseballInsider.com's National Player of the Week for his strong play last week. This is the second honor so far this season that Scruggs has earned from the organization, as he was named the West Region Player of the Week on April 7.

Last week Scruggs led UNLV to a 4-1 home record last week, including a 2-1 series win over then-first place San Diego State by drilling five home runs and hitting .471 (8-for-17) with 12 RBI and 14 runs scored. In the second game of the SDSU series, Scruggs hit three home runs, including a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings.

Scruggs' outstanding production this season has also earned him a spot on the Dick Howser Trophy Watch List, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, working in conjunction with the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, announced today.

The membership of the NCBWA will choose the Dick Howser Trophy recipient based on three rounds of voting. The 2008 winner will be announced at the College World Series in Omaha on Saturday, June 14, at 8:00 a.m. PDT. 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.

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.