DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, working in conjunction with the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, has released the five finalists for the 2006 Dick Howser Trophy, given to the top player in collegiate baseball. The membership of the NCBWA will choose the Dick Howser Trophy based on three rounds of voting. The 2006 winner will be announced at the College World Series in Omaha on Friday, June 16 at 10 a.m. CDT.

Rice right-handed pitcher Eddie Degerman, James Madison outfielder Kellen Kulbacki, Washington right-hander Tim Lincecum, Houston pitcher/designated hitter Brad Lincoln and Cal State Fullerton right-hander Wes Roemer are the finalists for this year's award.

Degerman is among the nation's leaders in wins (12), ERA (1.67) and strikeouts (150). He was named the Most Outstanding Player in Rice's NCAA Regional last weekend after fanning a season-high 14 in a 7-2 win over Baylor. The standout from Granada Hills, Calif., was taken by the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth round of the major league draft earlier this week.

Kulbacki, the 2006 Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year is the national home run (24 total and 0.45 per game) and slugging percentage (.943) leader. His season batting average of .464 ranks second nationally and his 1.42 RBI per game (75 total) stands tied for fourth across the nation. Kulbacki set James Madison single-season records for
homers, batting average, slugging percentage, total bases (183) and tied the record for RBIs. He also tied the CAA record for home runs.

The national leader with 199 strikeouts, the hard-throwing Lincecum was named the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year for the second time in three seasons. He set school season marks for strikeouts and wins (12) and set career marks for wins (30), innings (342) and strikeouts (491). His career strikeout total also set a new Pac-10 mark. He became the highest
drafted player in UW history when the San Francisco Giants took him with the 10th overall selection on Tuesday.

Lincoln earned Pitcher of the Year honors from Conference USA, posting a 12-2 record with a 1.69 ERA and 152 strikeouts, which ranked third in the nation. His season strikeout mark was third-best in Cougar history, as was his career total (293). Lincoln was also one of the Cougars' leading hitters all season, compiling a .295 batting average with 14 home runs and a team-leading 53 RBIs. With his pitching and offensive numbers, Lincoln ranked among the Top 10 C-USA individual leaders in five of the six top statistical categories for the majority of the 2006 season. On Tuesday, he became the highest drafted UH baseball player in school history when he was taken with the fourth overall selection by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

After earning 2005 Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year accolades, Roemer returned to the mound this season and continued to showcase his talent, earning Big West Pitcher of the Year honors. During the 2006 season, the sophomore right-hander tossed three complete games, two of which where shutouts, while posting a 12-1 record. The Glendora, Calif., native has pitched 133.0 innings and has only given up six walks, while striking out 125. He received Big West Pitcher of the Week honors four times this season.

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 for 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 a two-time All-America shortstop at Florida State University (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 permanently displayed at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, home of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the 1999 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four. Both the winner and his school receive a special trophy to keep.

The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce is in its 107th year of existence in 2006. The organization has long been a vital force in the baseball affairs of the city, both in spring training and during the pursuit of a major league baseball franchise for the Tampa Bay area, and continues its solid role in the 21st century.

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.

The Howser Trophy was created in 1987, shortly after Howser's death. Previous winners of the Howser Trophy are Mike Fiore, Miami, 1987; Robin Ventura, Oklahoma State, 1988; Scott Bryant, Texas, 1989; Alex Fernandez, Miami-Dade Community College South, 1990; Frank Rodriguez, Howard College (Texas), 1991; Brooks Kieschnick, Texas, 1992 and 1993; Jason Varitek, Georgia Tech, 1994; Todd Helton, Tennessee, 1995; Kris Benson, Clemson, 1996; J. D. Drew, Florida State, 1997; Eddy Furniss, LSU, 1998; Jason Jennings, Baylor, 1999; Mark Teixeira, Georgia Tech, 2000; Mark Prior, P, USC, 2001, Khalil Greene, SS, Clemson, 2002; Rickey Weeks, 2B, Southern U., 2003; Jered Weaver, RHP, Long Beach State, 2004; and Alex Gordon, 3B, Nebraska, 2005.