Maddox Named To Wallace Watch List

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The College Baseball Foundation of Lubbock, Texas, has announced that Southern Miss junior first baseman Marc Maddox is one of 58 players from across the nation to be named to the watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award, presented annually to the national college baseball player of the year.

Maddox hit .317 with 11 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs and 60 RBIs as a sophomore last season. He finished with a .991 fielding percentage, committing only five errors in 584 chances and took part in a conference-leading 62 double plays. He finished with 147 total bases for a .555 slugging percentage and had a .397 on-base percentage.

The Wallace Watch List will be trimmed to 12 semifinalists by Tuesday, May 24, 2005. Then the selection committee will narrow the list to three finalists following the NCAA Super Regionals at a press conference in Omaha on Thursday, June 16, 2005. The finalists, their head coaches, and their parents will be invited to Lubbock, TX, for a golf tournament, a welcome dinner and the award banquet.

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 lead 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 mostly closely follow the sport. Screening Committee members will evaluate the candidates and will continue their review throughout the entire baseball season. Additional Watch List candidates may be added as the season progresses. Voting for the three Wallace Award 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.