Baker, Doyle on Preseason List

Dec. 6, 2008

NORMAN, Okla. -- University of Oklahoma juniors Aaron Baker and Andrew Doyle were named to the 2009 Preseason Brooks Wallace Award as announced by the College Baseball Foundation.

The Wallace Award is presented annually to the nation's top collegiate baseball player in conjunction with the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. The 2009 award banquet will be at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 2, in the United Spirit Arena on the campus of Texas Tech University.

The recognition marks the fifth consecutive year that a Sooner was named to the preseason list and the second consecutive season for Baker.

Baker and Doyle helped lead the Sooners to their third NCAA Regional final appearance in 2008, where OU fell to then-No. 4 Arizona State.

Baker, a career .319 hitter with 111 RBIs, returns to start his third consecutive season at first base for the Sooners. Following a Freshman All-American season, the Denton, Texas, native led the Sooners as a sophomore in home runs (9) and RBIs (61). Baker put together a strong finish to the season that saw him hit .545 in the Big 12 Championship and .500 in the NCAA tourney. In the Tempe Regional, Baker hit three home runs, including the game winner to advance the Sooners to the championship game en route to earning All-Tournament honors.

Doyle finished his second season on OU's mound with a team-leading nine victories, a mark that ranked third in the Big 12. One of the Sooners' top relievers in 2007, Doyle moved to the starting rotation last season and lasted five-plus innings in 12 of his 15 starts, including six outings with seven or more innings. Doyle led OU with 72 strikeouts and was named to the All-Big 12 Tournament Team after tossing a complete game, 12-strikeout performance against then-No. 9 Texas A&M in the first round. The Rock Island, Ill., native earned his ninth win in the NCAA Tournament opener against then-No. 22 Vanderbilt.

The Wallace Award is dedicated to the memory of 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.

The Sooners will begin team practices on Feb. 1 in preparation for the 2009 season, which begins at home on Feb. 20 against Western Illinois.

Including Doyle and Baker, OU returns an experienced group of 18 letterwinners from last year's team that finished 36-26-1 and made the program's 31 appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Seven position starters and 10 pitchers will be joined by a talented recruiting class that features nine position players and six hurlers.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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