EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, working in conjunction with the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce and the College Baseball Foundation, has released the list of semifinalists for the 2011 Dick Howser Trophy, given to the top player in collegiate baseball. Senior Cody Fick of the University of Evansville baseball team is a part of that list.

Fick leads Evansville in a number of offensive categories, including batting average (.409), slugging percentage (.657), hits (81), RBI (71), doubles (20), home runs (9), and total bases (130) through 49 games. He tops the Missouri Valley Conference in batting average and runs batted in, and also ranks second nationally in RBI per game. In less than three seasons, Fick has recorded 230 hits in his career, 182 RBI, and 37 home runs. Fick has also developed into Evansville’s ace, starting the year with a perfect 5-0 record on the mound, including a complete game shutout with nine strikeouts over Jacksonville. The Freeburg, Mo. native led UE to its first Valley series win of the season, hurling a complete game shutout with seven strikeouts at Bradley on April 24th. Fick is also on the watch list for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, presented by the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

The membership of the NCBWA will choose the Dick Howser Trophy Award recipient based on two rounds of national voting. This year’s 25th anniversary of the Dick Howser Trophy presented by Easton Foundations will be made even more special by the awarding of this year’s honor at TD Ameritrade Stadium in downtown Omaha, the new home of the College World Series.  The award will be presented on Tuesday, June 21 at 10 a.m. CT, prior to the fourth day of the 2011 CWS.

The candidates hail from 17 different conferences and 28 different schools. The Southeastern Conference leads the way with six semifinalists, followed by the ACC with four and the Big XII, Conference USA, Missouri Valley and the Southern Conference with three. Every position on the diamond is represented, including eight starting pitchers, four outfielders, utility players and three catchers, first basemen, relief pitchers and shortstop, among this diversified group.

The Dick Howser Trophy, given in memory of the former Florida State University All-America shortstop and major league player and manager, who died of brain cancer in 1987, is regarded by many as college baseball's most prestigious award.  Criteria for consideration of the trophy include performance on the field, leadership, moral character and courage, qualities that were exemplified by Dick Howser's life.

A Florida native, Howser was twice an All-America shortstop at Florida State (1957-58), then coached the Seminoles in 1979, after a career as a major league player and coach. After one year in the college ranks, Howser returned to the majors to manage the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals and won the World Series with the Royals in 1985. The baseball stadium on the Florida State campus is named for Howser.

The winner's name is inscribed on the permanent trophy, a bronze bust of Howser displayed at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg - home of the defending American League champion Tampa Bay Rays and the 1999 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four – along with several other locations. Both the winner and his school receive a special trophy to keep.

NCBWA membership includes writers, broadcasters and publicists. Designed to promote and publicize college baseball, it is the sport's only college media-related organization, founded in 1962.

Trever Adams, OF, Creighton

Daniel Aldrich, OF, College of Charleston

James Allen, RP, Kansas State

Trevor Bauer, SP, UCLA

C.J. Cron, 1B, Utah

Grayson Garvin, SP, Vanderbilt

Sean Gilmartin, SP, Florida State

Sonny Gray, SP, Vanderbilt

David Herbek, SS, James Madison

D.J. Hicks, DH, UCF

Jeff Holm, 1B, Michigan State

Danny Hultzen, UT, Virginia

Brian Johnson, UT, Florida

Taylor Jungmann, SP, Texas

Cory Knebel, RP, Texas

Jason Krizan, OF, Dallas Baptist

Tommy La Stella, 2B, Coastal Carolina

Matt Leeds, 3B, College of Charleston

Jake Lowery, C, James Madison

Mikie Mahtook, OF, LSU

Brad Miller, SS, Clemson

Chris O’Brien, C, Wichita State

Dan Paolini, 2B, Siena

Tyler Pill, UT, Cal State Fullerton

Matt Price, RP, South Carolina

Tyler Ray, SP, Troy

Anthony Rendon, DH, Rice

Victor Roache, OF, Georgia Southern

Will Roberts, SP, Virginia

Michael Roth, SP, South Carolina

George Springer, OF, Connecticut

Adam Brett Walker, 1B, Jacksonville

Brad Zebedis, DH, Presbyterian

Mike Zunino, C, Florida

Chad Zurcher, SS, Memphis