On the heels of the best regular season in program history (42-12 overall, 18-4 in the Big 12), Baylor Baseball has started receiving an avalanche of postseason honors and awards in the last few days.
On Friday, Baylor seniors Trent Blank and Josh Ludy were selected as semifinalists for the 26th Dick Howser Trophy, an award given each year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Jason Jennings (1999) is the only Bear to win the award previously.
The Oklahoman honored Josh Ludy yesterday by naming him its Big 12 Player of the Year. Ludy's spectacular season came only two years after he was unable to break Baylor's two-deep at catcher. His is truly a remarkable story. Steve Smith received similar honors as the Oklahoman's Coach of the Year.
The biggest news came today with the announcement by the conference of the individual awards and all-conference teams. Baylor, led by Josh Ludy once again, took three of the four major conference awards (Ludy- POY, Nathan Orf- Newcomer of the Year, Smith- COY), and 11 players received some form of individual recognition. 5 Baylor position players (including Orf as the DH) and 2 pitchers (Blank and Max Garner) made the All-Big 12 First Team.
Baylor's involvement in the Big 12 Tournament starts tomorrow at 12:30 against Kansas State, and either Miles or I will have a post up previewing the field. Here's the short version: it contains everyone that plays baseball in the Big 12 except Texas Tech.
Congratulations, gentlemen!