Mottern Named to Wallace Watch List

NORMAN, Okla. --Junior hurler Ryan Mottern (RHP) was named to the watch list for the 2007 Brooks Wallace Award, presented annually to the national college baseball player of the year. Mottern, a 2007 captain, is the third Sooner to make the list since it originated after the 2004 season. Former Sooners Eric Thornton and Steven Guerra were part of the watch lists in 2005 and 2006, respectively.

Mottern is one of two pitchers that return this season with prior starting experience for the Sooners. After the entire weekend rotation was lost to graduation, Mottern (RHP) is poised to lead the staff as the No. 1 starter in 2007. Last season, the Palestine, Texas, native finished with a 4-2 mark in eight starts (13 appearances) scattered across 37 2/3 innings pitched. In that span, the right-hander struck out 36 batters and walked 22. Additionally, Mottern saw time as the Sooners' designated hitter and as an outfielder a year ago. In 62 at-bats, the junior recorded a .323 clip and drove in 16 runs.

Mottern Bio | OU Names 2007 Captains | 2007 Schedule

“The coaching staff is proud of Ryan for making this list and he will be a team leader for us on and off the mound this season,” said OU head coach Sunny Golloway. “He had a strong showing during the summer in Alaska and during our fall practices and we are confident that his recent success will carry over into the spring.”

The Wallace Watch will be trimmed to 12 semi-finalists by 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, TX, 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 four-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, Texas.

2007 Wallace Watch
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Wes Roemer, P, Cal State Fullerton
Sean Doolittle, P-1B, Virginia
Kellen Kulbacki, OF, James Madison
Nick Schmidt, P, Arkansas
Matt Dobbins, P-DH, Jacksonville
Emeel Salem, OF, Alabama
J. P. Arencibia, C, Tennessee
Andy D'Alessio, 1B, Clemson
Damon Sublett, 2B-P, Wichita State
Brian Friday, SS, Rice
Matt Wieters, Ath-C-P, Georgia Tech
Tyler Mach, 3B, Oklahoma State
Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Vanderbilt
Wrandel Taylor, P, Prairie View A&M
Jake Arrieta, P, TCU
Zack Cowart, SS, Ole Miss
Darwin Barney, SS, Oregon State
Chad Flack, 1B, North Carolina
Shane Jordan, OF, Stetson
Ryan Wherle, SS, Nebraska
Matt LaPorta, 1B, Florida
Taylor Harbin, 2B, Clemson
Kevin Koski, OF, Southern Illinois
Kyle Russell, OF, Texas
Curt Smith, 3B, Maine
Alex Wilson, P, Winthrop
Milan Dinga, Ath-P, Army
Kevin Coughlin, C, Kentucky
Jemile Weeks, 2B, Miami
Roger Kieschnick, OF, Texas Tech
Jared Prince, OF, Washington State
David Price, P, Vanderbilt
Chris Ashman, P, Oral Roberts
Nick Chigges, P, College of Charleston
Barry Enright, P, Pepperdine
Eric Sogard, 2B, Arizona State
Steven Strausbaugh, OF, Western Carolina
Blair Erickson, P, UC Irvine
Eric Rose, OF, Michigan
Mitch Harris, P, Navy
Hunter Moody, P, Louisiana Lafayette
Charlie Kingrey, OF, McNeese State
J. B. Shuck, UT-P, Ohio State
Luis Flores, C-P, Houston
Justin Smoak, 1B, South Carolina
Aaron Shafer, P, Wichita State
Charlie Gamble, 3B, North Carolina A&T
Tony Watson, P, Nebraska
Adrian Alaniz, P, Texas
Joe Savery, P-1B, Rice
Corey Brown, OF, Oklahoma State
J. T. Wise, OF, LSU
Michael Taylor, OF, Stanford
Justin Frash, UT, Hawai'i
Brandon Menchaca, OF, Delaware
Blake Stouffer, 3B, Texas A&M
Ramon Corona, 2B, NC State
Matt Rizzotti, 1B, Manhattan
Matt Hague, OF, Washington
Bill Rhinehart, OF, Arizona
Jay Brossman, OF, Utah
Jericho Jones, P-OF, Louisiana Tech
Ryan Angel, OF, San Jose State
Tyson Ross, P, California
Christian Friedrich, P, Eastern Kentucky
Josh Dew, UT-P, Troy
Josh Horton, SS, North Carolina
Matt Smith, C, Texas Tech
Beau Mills, 3B, Fresno State
Dennis Guinn, 1B, Florida State
Justin Rogers, 1B, Ball State
Christian Staehely, P, Princeton
Ike Davis, P-Ath, Arizona State
Brian Matusz, P, San Diego
Tim Haines, P, UT-Pan American
Marcus Cortes, P-ATH, Savannah State
Steve Blevins, P, UCINN
Addison Maruszak, SS, USF
Mike Bianucci, DH-INF, Auburn
Kevin Sandberg, 3B-1B, Northern Colorado
Brian McCullough, P, Longwood
Danny Hamblin, 1B-3B, Arkansas
Ryan Mottern, Ath-P, Oklahoma
Jordan Muir, P, BYU
Chris Joachim, 1B, St. John's
Nick Hill, P, Army
Dustin Pease, P, Mount St. Mary's
Erik Morrison, INF, Kansas
Justin Baum, INF, Pacific
Sergio Miranda, SS, VCU
Logan Johnson, 2B-UT, Louisville
Jared McGuire, LF, Boston College
Wade Korpi, P, Notre Dame
David Doss, INF-P, South Alabama
Joe Esposito, DH-P, NY Tech
Austin Krum, OF, Dallas Baptist
Warren McFadden, OF, Tulane
Pat Tumilty, 1B-UT, Evansville
Matt Cusick, 3B, Southern California
Joe Mahoney, 1B, Richmond
Beamer Weems, SS, Baylor
Jeffrey Rea, 2B, Mississippi State
Keith Smith, DH-INF, UNLV
Matt Bowman, OF, Nevada
Brian Pellegrini, 1B-P, St. Bonaventure
Bobby Blevins, P, Le Moyne
Daniel Stovall, 1B, New Mexico
Brandon Crawford, SS, UCLA
Todd Frazier, SS, Rutgers
Allan Dykstra, 1B, Wake Forest
Adam Harvey, INF, New Mexico State
Robert Perry, OF, Long Beach State
Julio Borbon, OF, Tennessee
Collin Cowgill, OF, Kentucky
Jonathan Wyatt, OF, Georgia
Joe Spiers, SS, San Diego State
Dan McDonald, P-DH, Seton Hall
Danny Payne, OF-P, Georgia Tech
Josh Ehmke, P, Samford
Ryan Bird, P, St. Louis
Nick Cleckler, OF, Jacksonville State
James Simmons, P, UC Riverside
Mark Mangini, INF, Oklahoma State
Jacob Priday, OF, Missouri
Dan Bulow, 1B, UVSC
Steve Bradshaw, 1B, Eastern Michigan
John Ely, P, Miami (OH)
Brandon Douglas, SS, Northern Iowa
Aaron Poreda, P, San Francisco
Dan DeLucia, P, Ohio State
Brad Meyers, P, LMU
Matt Nohelty, OF, Minnesota
Ross Oeder, 2B, Wright State
Scott Simon, OF, Northern Illinois
Antonio Mule, DH, Northwestern
Aaron Bray, 3B, Charlotte
Larry Gempp, Jr., OF, Illinois-Chicago
Trey Sutton, 2B, Southern Miss
Adam Amar, 1B, Memphis
Marcus Davis, OF, Alcorn State
Brad Emaus, 2B, Tulane
Cody Satterwhite, P, Ole Miss
Bryan Cryer, P, New Orleans
Chris Wall, P, Texas A&M-CC
Brendan Murphy, 1B-DH, Marshall
Bryan Mitzel, OF, Central Michigan
Robert Rodebaugh, DH, Elon
Nolan Keene, OF, Missouri State

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