Jan. 22, 2007
For Immediate Release
Contact: Bo Carter
214-418-6132
Southern Miss associate AD given association's annual service honor
MONTORO WINS WILBUR SNYPP AWARD

DALLAS (NCBWA)Mike Montoro, Assistant Executive Director of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers and Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations at Southern Miss, is the winner of the 32nd annual Wilbur Snypp Award, presented annually by the NCBWA for outstanding contributions to college baseball.

"Mike Montoro is one of the outstanding college baseball people nationally," said NCBWA Executive Director Bo Carter. "Together with Southern Miss Head Baseball Coach Corky Palmer, the Golden Eagles are blessed with two of the most talented individuals in their professions in the sport. The NCBWA is very proud and thankful to Mike for his wonderful contributions to college baseball."

Montoro, also past president of the college baseball writers' organization, has been directing the media relations department at Southern Miss since August, 2000. He has composed the NCBWA Directory, worked closely with several preseason and postseason NCBWA All-America squads as well as the prestigious Dick Howser Trophy, served as chief football and baseball contact at Southern Miss, and has been an integral part of the Pro-Line NCBWA Players of the Week selections.

"Mike is one of the hardest-working people in this business, and he is extremely worthy of receiving this honor," said NCBWA Associate Executive Director Russell Anderson, Assistant Commissioner of Conference USA.

The 1990 Liberty University graduate with a master's degree in sport management (1994) from West Virginia University, also has been a long-time member of the ESPN the Magazine College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America Committee. Before coming to USM, he was Assistant Media Relations Director at Virginia Tech and Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations director at Liberty.

Montoro has been active in the NCAA World Series at Omaha, Neb., with NCBWA and is regarded as one of the top publicists in Conference USA.

"I am honored to be selected for such a prestigious award as the Wilbur Snypp," said Montoro. "College baseball is a great American past time, and it truly has been a privilege to work with the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association in promoting such a great game and its outstanding student-athletes, as well. I would like to thank the NCBWA for allowing me to serve the organization and for honoring me in this way."

The Southern Miss Associate AD follows a long line of illustrious persons in gaining the award, given in memory of longtime Ohio State Sports Information Director and NCBWA founder the late Wilbur (Bill) Snypp since 1975. Snypp was a noted contributor to the writers' organization, which was initiated in 1962 (and celebrating its 46th year in 2007), as well as an officer in the group. The NCBWA/Wilbur Snypp Award yearly honors a professional for contributions to the sport of collegiate baseball. Voting is done by a panel of previous winners, who include past NCAA World Series directors, College Sports Information Directors of America Hall of Fame members, decorated media members and others.

ALL-TIME WILBUR SNYPP AWARD WINNERS
1975 Wilbur Snypp, Ohio State
1976 Bill Esposito, St. John's
1977 Phil Langan, Cornell
1978 John Geis, Southern Conference
1979 Hank Schomber, Georgia Southern
1980 Bob Culp, Western Michigan
1981 Lou Pavlovich Sr., Collegiate Baseball
1982 Tom Price, South Carolina
1983 Bob Bradley, Clemson
1984 Robert Williams, Omaha World-Herald
1985 Jerry Miles, NCAA
1986 Larry Keefe, Seton Hall
1987 Tom Rowen, San Jose Mercury-News
1988 Fred Gerardi, KESY Radio, Omaha
1989 Jim Wright, NCAA
1990 Steve Weller, SIU-Edwardsville
1991 Bill Little, Texas
1992 Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman
1993 Bo Carter, Southwest Conference
1994 Lou Pavlovich Jr., Collegiate Baseball
1995 Steve Pivovar, Omaha World-Herald
1996 Gary Johnson, NCAA
1997 Dave Wohlhueter, Cornell
1998 Allen Simpson, Baseball America
1999 Alan Cannon, Texas A&M
2000 Jim Callis, Baseball America
2001 Dick Case, USA Baseball
2002 Russ Anderson, Conference USA
2003 John Manuel, Baseball America
2004 Dana Heiss Grodin, USA Today Sports Weekly
2005 Dennis Poppe, NCAA
2006 Mike Montoro, Southern Miss
2007 Barry Allen, Alabama
2008 Mike Patrick, ESPN
2009 Al Chase, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
2010 Lou Spry, NCAA
2011 Jeremy Mills, ESPN/D1Baseball.com
2012 Eric Olson, Omaha World Herald
2013 J.D. Hamilton, NCAA
2014 John Sullivan, Rice
2015 David Feaster, Dick Howser Trophy
2016 Ralph Zobell, BYU
2017 Aaron Fitt, D1Baseball.com