Taylor Added to Wallace Watch List

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma junior Heath Taylor was added to the field of candidates aiming for the 2007 Brooks Wallace College Player of the Year Award, as announced by the College Baseball Foundation in Lubbock, Texas on Wednesday, May 2. The list was reduced to the top 112 NCAA players and included the Sooners' left-handed hurler, who is 7-2 this season with 62 strikeouts and a 3.61 ERA.

A native of Bowie, Texas, Taylor joined OU for the 2007 season after pitching at Vernon Junior College. Taylor began this season in the Sooners' pen but has settled into the No. 2 spot in the starting rotation. Taylor and the rest of the Sooners will be in action this weekend against Oklahoma State for a three-game series.

The selection committee will narrow the list to 30 semifinalists toward the end of May. Following the NCAA Super Regionals, the three finalists will be announced during the College World Series in Omaha. The three finalists, their head coaches and parents will be invited to Lubbock where they will participate in a three-day celebration of college baseball on July 2-4. The Wallace Trophy and winners will become a part of the permanent display in the new College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock. The three finalists will participate in activities with the 2007 Hall of Fame Inductees as part of the “Past Meets Present” theme and will receive special recognition during the official induction ceremony.

The 2007 award banquet will be held Tuesday, July 3, at 7 p.m. in the United Spirit Arena on the campus of Texas Tech University. Information regarding the sale of individual tickets, as well as group and corporate tables, is available by calling (806) 777 8277 or through the College Baseball Foundation Web site at www.collegebaseballfoundation.org. The event will be nationally televised on Fox Sports Network.

The Wallace Award is a dedication to the memory of the former Texas Tech player and assistant coach Brooks Wallace. 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 his senior year. He led the Red Raiders to their first-ever appearance in the Southwest Conference Tournament in 1980. 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.

Kurt Suzuki of Cal State Fullerton won the 2004 Brooks Wallace Award and Alex Gordon of Nebraska took home the 2005 trophy. Last year's Wallace winner was standout pitcher/designated hitter Brad Lincoln of Houston.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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