THE FLATS – Georgia Tech baseball junior Kyle McCann was named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, the NCBWA announced on Thursday.
One of the most prestigious collegiate baseball awards, the Dick Howser Trophy is awarded to the nation’s top baseball player based on the cornerstones of courage, character, leadership and performance, both on and off the field.
McCann currently ranks in the top five of eight offensive categories in the Atlantic Coast Conference, highlighted by leading in home runs (21) and ranking second in slugging percentage (.692). He also ranks in the top 25 in four offensive categories, including walks (53) and RBI (61).
His 21 home runs currently rank tied-for-sixth in Georgia Tech history for a single season, needing just five for the record. Over just the last 10 games alone, McCann has six home runs and 15 RBI, scoring 17 times himself. Entering the season, only two catchers returned with a higher weighted runs created+ rating* than McCann’s 164 – Oregon State’s Adley Rutschman (196) and Jacksonville State’s Nic Gaddis (166).
One of just two catchers on the list and one of four overall from the ACC, McCann has made his mark in both defensive prowess and pure offensive power this season. Catching all but two games this year, the Suwanee, Ga. native has posted an impressive .993 fielding percentage through 419 chances during the season. Offensively, McCann had his 24-game reached-base streak snapped against Duke, despite helping Tech secure its eighth-straight conference series win.
The nomination marks the second-straight year that Georgia Tech has been represented on award’s semifinalist watch list. Eventual No. 2-overall MLB Draft pick Joey Bart finished as a finalist for the award last year.
The finalists for the award will be announced on June 6 and the winner will be unveiled on June 15 in Omaha on the opening day of the College World Series.
* Weighted Runs Created (wRC) attempts to quantify a player’s total offensive value and measure it by runs. + compares it with league averages after considering park effects.
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