Rooker Named a Finalist for National Player of the Year Award

(Photo Courtesy: Kelly Price, MSU Athletics)

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI/MSU Athletics) – Having already collected two First Team All-American honors and National Player of the Year recognition, the list of awards for Brent Rooker keeps growing as the Mississippi State Bulldog has been named a Dick Howser Trophy Finalist.

As the baseball equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, the Dick Howser Trophy is the annual national award for the outstanding collegiate baseball player. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) votes for the recipient based on nominees’ performance, character, leadership and courage – all features to be emulated in memory of the late Dick Howser.

The 2017 Dick Howser Trophy will be presented on Saturday, June 17 at the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

In addition to National Player of the Year and First Team All-American honors, Rooker was named the school’s first-ever Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, in addition to First Team All-SEC accolades in May.

Rooker’s season has been one of the best in Mississippi State baseball history. The Germantown, Tennessee native has slugged 23 home runs and a program-record 30 doubles in addition to driving in 82 runs so far on the year. He also currently owns a .395 batting average and his 96 hits is the most by a Bulldog since Adam Frazier tallied an NCAA-best and school-record 107 hits in 2013.

In addition to being named a Golden Spikes Semifinalist and Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalist, Rooker was awarded the C Spire Ferriss Trophy as the best player in the state of Mississippi.

Rooker and the rest of the Diamond Dawgs will be back in action in the Baton Rouge Super Regional in this weekend. The best-of-three series between MSU and LSU will open Saturday with an 8 p.m. CT first pitch on ESPN2.

Brent Rooker 2017 Honors:
– Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year
– SEC Player of the Year
– Baseball America First Team All-American
– Collegiate Baseball First Team All-American
– Dick Howser Trophy Finalist
– Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist
– First Team All-SEC
– Ferriss Trophy Winner (Best amateur baseball player in the state of Mississippi)
– SEC Player of the Week – Feb. 27, April 3 & April 10
– NCBWA National Hitter of the Week – Feb. 28 & April 11
– NCBWA Player of the Month (March)
– National Player of the Week – Feb. 27 & April 10 (Collegiate Baseball)
– Perfect Game/Rawlings Player of the Week – April 11