SU’s Weeks Among Semifinalist for 15th Rotary Smith Award

HOUSTON – Players representing the finest hitters and pitchers in the college game, in addition to representatives from each year of eligibility, make up the 12 semifinalists for the 15th Rotary Smith Award it was announced today in Houston.
The 12 include a pair of Clemson Tigers, Khalil Greene and Jeff Baker, Wake Forest senior closer Dave Bush, sluggers Nate Gold of Gonzaga, Brian Barthelemy of Florida State and Ryan Kenning of New Mexico State, starting pitchers Justin Simmons of Texas, Brad Sullivan of Houston and Shane Komine of Nebraska, infielders Russ Adams of North Carolina and Rickie Weeks of Southern, and Rice’s freshman hitting machine, Vincent Sinisi.
Weeks, a sophomore at Southern is the leading hitter in the country with a .503 average, to go along with 19 homers and 91 RBI as a middle infielder.
Greene and Baker have combined to hit 44 homers for the Tigers this season. A shortstop, Greene is the ACC career leader in both hits (378) and doubles (95) and is second all time in RBI (260). Baker, a third baseman, is the Tigers career leader with 55 homers.
Bush, a senior who was drafted in the fourth round last spring by the D-Rays, but elected to return to school, has 13 saves for the Deacons and is considered one of the hardest throwers in the college game. Gold smashed 33 homers for Gonzaga, who ended their season.
Barthelemy sparked the Seminoles to the regular season ACC crown by hitting .372 with 16 homers and 84 RBI. Kenning has set a school and Sun Belt Conference season record with 93 RBI, tops in the nation this year.
Simmons leads the nation with a 14-0 record, the first Longhorn since 1975 to start the year 14-0. He has a 1.83 ERA and held opponents to a .185 batting average.
Sullivan is 10-1 as the sophomore ace of the Cougars. His 134 strikeouts are third best in the country.
Komine is a two-time Big 12 Pitcher of the Year who has been slowed by injuries this season, but posts a 6-0 mark and 1.84 ERA in his starts.
Adams has led the 13th rated Tar Heels with a .371 average and 44 steals.
Sinisi, who was a red-shirt last season at the University of Texas, is hitting .434 this season, which set a Rice single season record.
The 12 semifinalists were selected in a national round of voting by college baseball publicists. Voting to determine the three finalists who will be invited to the gala Rotary Smith Award Dinner will begin tomorrow, with the results announced June 6. The winner will be announced on June 24 at the conclusion of the dinner, which will be held this year at the Hotel Inter-Continental in Houston.
Now in its 15th year, the Rotary Smith Award is awarded each summer to the nation’s top college baseball player. Once again this year, the gala award dinner will be held at the Doubletree-Post Oak Hotel in Houston.
The award, a national project of the Rotary Club of Houston, raises money for Rotary charities, Texas Children’s Hospital and the Karl Young League. Eight previous winners have been active in major league baseball during the 2002 campaign – 1988 winner Andy Benes of Evansville (St. Louis Cardinals), 1991 winner Bobby Jones of Fresno State (San Diego Padres), 1994 winner Jason Varitek of Georgia Tech (Boston Red Sox), Mark Kotsay (San Diego), Kris Benson (Pittsburgh Pirates), 1997 winner Tim Hudson of Auburn (Oakland Athletics), 1999 winner Jason Jennings of Baylor (Colorado Rockies) and 2001 winner Mark Prior of Southern California (Chicago Cubs).
For all media inquiries regarding the Rotary Smith Award, please call Chuck Pool at (281) 485-1589, or For information regarding tickets, table sales or donations to our charities, please call the Rotary Office at (713) 973-9936 .
Chuck Pool
Rotary Smith Award
2710 Glendale Drive
Pearland, TX 77584
(281) 485-1589