OMAHA, Neb. — Georgia's Charlie Condon was selected Saturday as the winner of the Dick Howser Trophy as the national player of the year in college baseball after leading the country in home runs and batting average.
Condon hit .433 and hit 37 home runs, the most by a Division I player since Rice's Lance Berkman had 41 in 1997. Condon played first base, third base and the outfield and committed only four errors in 163 opportunities. He is projected to be a top pick in next month's amateur draft.
The consensus first-team All-American and Southeastern Conference player of the year became the first player from Georgia to win the Howser Trophy, which is awarded based on voting by members of the National Baseball Writers Association Academic.
Other Howser Trophy finalists were Oregon State second baseman Travis Bazzana, Wake Forest pitcher Chase Burns, first baseman and pitcher Jac Caglianone of Florida and pitcher Hagen Smith of Arkansas.
The Howser Trophy honors the memory of Dick Howser, a two-time All-America shortstop for Florida State (1957-58) and later coach of the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals. The award has been given since 1987, shortly after Howser's death.
