LSU report: Gausman among finalists for award
LUBBOCK, Texas — LSU right-hander Kevin Gausman was named Friday as one of three finalists for The College Baseball Hall of Fame’s National Pitcher of the Year Award.
The other finalists are Stanford’s Mark Appel and North Carolina State’s Carlos Rodon.
Gausman, a sophomore from Centennial, Colo., finished with a 12-2 record and a 2.77 ERA. In 18 appearances and 17 starts, he pitched 123.2 innings, with 135 striekouts and 28 walks.
He was selected 4th overall by the Baltimore Orioles in the MLB draft.
Gausman was named a first-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball newspaper and first-team All-Southeastern Conference by the league coaches.
Appel, a junior from Danville, Calif., finished the season with a 10-2 record and a 2.56 ERA. In 16 starts, the right-hander pitched 123 innings, striking 130 while walking only 30. He was taken eighth overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the draft.
Rodon, a freshman from Holly Springs, N.C., was 9-0 with a 1.57 ERA. The left-hander had 135 strikeouts and 41 walks in 114.2 innings.
The winner of the National Pitcher of the Year Award will be named June 30 in Lubbock as part of College Baseball’s Night of Champions.
The event also features the announcement of winners of the John Olerud Award and Brooks Wallace Award. The Johnny Bench Award, the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award and Dick Howser Trophy are also presented, as well as the 2012 National College Baseball Hall of Fame inductions.
Track and field
ERNEST QUALIFIES FOR WORLD JUNIORS: In Bloomington, Ind., LSU freshman sprinter Aaron Ernest earned the right to represent the United States at next month’s World Junior Championships after claiming the silver medal in the 100-meter dash during Friday’s opener at the 2012 USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
After winning his preliminary heat in 10.32 seconds, Ernest crossed the finish line in 10.46 in the final for the silver medal in his USA Junior Championships debut at E.C. Billy Hayes Track. Ernest was runner-up to gold medalist Tyreek Hill (10.28) in a race run into a headwind of 1.8 meters per second. By earning one of the top two spots in Friday’s 100-meter final, Ernest earned his spot in the event’s field at the IAAF World Junior Championships, which happen next month in Barcelona, Spain.
The action continues Saturday at the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships as four freshmen are slated to compete. Ernest will run in the prelims of the 200-meter dash, while Rodney Brown will start in the shot put and Quincy Downing and Kendra White will each line up in the 400-meter dash.