Dec. 22, 2006
LUBBOCK, Texas – Senior first baseman Daniel Stovall (Midland, Texas/Midland HS) was the only Lobo and one of six Mountain West Conference athletes to be recognized on the 2007 Wallace Watch list released by the College Baseball Foundation. The list, featuring 148 of the nation’s best, is presented annually to the national college baseball player of the year.
Stovall was named to the all-MWC second team as a first baseman last season, hitting .323 (86-for-266) with 51 runs, 75 RBI, 10 homers, two triples, 25 doubles and 17 walks while starting all 59 games. He turned 57 of UNM’s nation-leading 75 double plays, ranked 13th nationally in doubles per game (0.42) and 16th in RBI (1.27 pg). Stovall led the MWC in putouts (483), fielding double plays, doubles, at bats (266) and double play groundouts (9) while ranking second in the MWC in RBI, third in chances (511) and hits, fourth in plate appearances (288) and fielding percentage (.994), fifth in strikeouts (46) and seventh in total bases(145).
The Wallace Watch will be trimmed to 12 semi-finalist in 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, Texas 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 4-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.