Tennessee Pitcher Wins Pitcher of the Year Award

[duckman398686]

Hochevar Wins 2005 Roger Clemens Award as Nation's Top Pitcher

Hochevar finished his junior season with a 15-3 record and a 2.26 ERA

July 14, 2005

HOUSTON, Texas -- Tennessee baseball pitcher Luke Hochevar was named the winner of the 2005 Roger Clemens Award Thursday night by the Greater Houston Baseball Association, which presents the honor annually to the top pitcher in college baseball. Hochevar earned more votes than fellow finalists Lance Broadway of TCU and Cesar Carrillo of Miami (Fla.).

The Clemens Award caps a season which saw Hochevar become one of the most decorated pitchers in UT history. A consensus first-team All-America, the Fowler, Colo., native was also tabbed as an All-SEC first-teamer and the SEC Pitcher of the Year. Hochevar finished his junior season with a 15-3 record and a 2.26 ERA. He led all SEC pitchers with 154 strikeouts, 50 batters struck out looking and 139.2 innings pitched.

Hochevar's 15 wins in 2005 tied for the most in the NCAA and also tied for first in UT's single-season record book. He also helped lead the Volunteers to the NCAA College World Series.

Hochevar, Broadway and Carillo -- along with their respective families and head coaches -- gathered in Houston for Thursday's Roger Clemens Award Dinner at the Marriott Westchase Hotel.

The winner of the Roger Clemens Award was selected in a final round of voting by all Division I head baseball coaches, a selection of national college baseball media, the16 winners of the R.E. Bob Smith Award (which preceded the Clemens Award) and last year's three finalists. Former Long Beach State pitcher Jered Weaver won the inaugural Clemens Award last summer.

The award presentation event was administered by the Greater Houston Baseball Association, which donated $80,000 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 annual dinner in 2004. The GHBA is a non-profit 501.3 © organization dedicated to the growth of amateur baseball in the Houston area.

[CrystalEHS07]

It's always great when the hometown boys when a National Award. In my opinion, we should have had the Pitcher of the Year Award for softball, too. But maybe I'm just biased.


~*Crystal*~