C-USA Has Two of 12 Semifinalists for the Smith Award

Brad Sullivan

CHICAGO – Houston junior righthander Brad Sullivan and Tulane junior first baseman Michael Aubrey have been named as two of the 12 semifinalists for the 2003 Rotary Smith Award, given annually to the NCAA Division I college baseball player of the year.

Three times this season Sullivan has been named Conference USA Pitcher of the Week, while earning Collegiate Baseball’s National Player of the Week honor once. He has ranked among national leaders in both ERA and strikeouts per nine innings all season long, currently ranking 30th with a 2.16 ERA and 10th with 12.0 strikeouts per nine innings. In nine C-USA starts, he has recorded 11 or more strikeouts on eight occasions, giving him 14 career game with double-figure punchouts. Sullivan also recorded a string of 30 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings earlier this season.

In last Friday’s start at Memphis he became the University of Houston’s all-time leader in strikeouts, finishing the evening with 395 career K’s. The 395 strikeouts rank third on C-USA’s career chart, just 14 shy of the record. Plus, the 2002 C-USA Pitcher of the Year is the only hurler ranked among the top seven of the league’s all-time strikeouts leaders that has pitched less than four seasons. Sullivan’s 140 strikeouts this year is just 17 short of the Conference USA single-season record that he established in 2002.

Aubrey continues to hit at a blistering pace, leading Conference USA with a .433 batting average while tallying 14 home runs, 17 doubles, a triple, 72 RBI and 15 stolen bases. His .726 slugging percentage and .506 on-base percentage leads the team and he is fielding at a .993 mark with 495 putouts and 43 assists while helping turn 47 double plays. Aubrey leads Tulane with 29 multiple hit games, including two four-hit contests, as well as multiple-RBI games with 19, including a five-RBI game. He has hit safely in 50 of 56 games, including 17 straight at one stretch.

The 2001 National Freshman of the Year, Aubrey was honored by USA Baseball as its 2002 Athlete of the Year after helping the U.S. National Team to a silver medal at the inaugural FISU World University Baseball Championships last summer. He led that squad in the triple crown categories, becoming the first player in Team USA history to bat .400 with wooden bats. In addition to leading the squad with a .405 batting average, he led the National Team in hits (45), home runs (6), RBI (26) and runs scored (25).

Now in its 16th year, the Rotary Smith Award honors college baseball's player of the year, as voted upon by college baseball publicists, former winners and the coaches of those former winners. This year's award will be presented June 26 at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Houston. A total of 16 finalists of the award appeared on opening day rosters in Major League Baseball in 2003.

The Award pays tribute to Houston's original baseball ambassador, R.E. 'Bob' Smith and his wife Vivian. It rewards the winner's character and leadership as well as his talent on the field of play. The Award benefits the Rotary Charities, Texas Children's Hospital and the Karl Young League.

2003 Rotary Smith Award Semifinalists
John Anderson Eastern Kentucky
Michael Aubrey Tulane
Bill Becher New Mexico State
Jamie D'Antona Wake Forest
Scott Lewis Ohio State
Jeff Niemann Rice
Carlos Quentin Stanford
Kyle Sleeth Wake Forest
Tim Stauffer Richmond
Brad Sullivan Houston
Wade Townsend Rice
Rickie Weeks Southern