Cal State Fullerton sophomore Michael Lorenzen appeared on the latest watch lists for two of the premier awards in college baseball, the
Dick Howser Trophy and the
College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year Award.
He is one of 35 semifinalists for the 26th annual Dick Howser Trophy, an award given to the top player in collegiate baseball. He is one of 25 hurlers under consideration for the CBF's Pitcher of the Year award.
Lorenzen, an outfielder/pitcher from Anaheim, Calif., has played a crucial role in his team's success as the Titans enter this weekend's play 32-16 overall and in first place in the Big West with a 14-4 mark.
He is hitting .313 with a team-leading 35 runs scored, 36 RBI, 19 doubles and 13 stolen bases. Among the conference leaders, Lorenzen is tops in doubles, ranks third in RBI, seventh in hits (62) and is tied for fourth in runs scored.
Lorenzen also has developed into one of the nation's premier closers despite not having pitched a single inning his freshman season. The right-hander owns a 2-0 record with a 1.35 ERA and a Big West-leading 15 saves. He has fanned 17 batters in 20.0 innings pitched and opponents are batting only .219 against him.
In addition to being tied for fifth nationally with 15 saves, Lorenzen ranks No. 3 on the Cal State Fullerton single-season list and trails Nick Ramirez (2011) by one for second all-time. Lorenzen is tied for sixth with two others on the Big West single-season saves list.
Lorenzen is up for a number of national awards in addition to the Dick Howser Trophy and College Baseball Hall of Fame Pitcher of the Year. He was listed on both the initial and midseason USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Watch List. He also appears on watch lists for Stopper of the Year (NCBWA) and John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year.
The Dick Howser Trophy, given in memory of the former Florida Staet 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. The award will be presented at TD Ameritrade Stadium in downtown Omaha, the home of the College World Series for the second year. The announcement of this year's winner will be made on Friday, June 15 at 11:00 a.m. CT, the opening day of the 2012 CWS.
The Big West is one of 17 different conferences with at least one candidate on the list.
The winner of the Pitcher of the Year Award, sponsored by Diamond Sports, will be announced on June 30 in Lubbock, Texas, as part of the annual College Baseball Night of Champions. The Big West is one of 12 conferences with a representative on the 25-player list.