Wake Forest Athletics
Bush Named Smith Award Semifinalist
5/25/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 25, 2002
HOUSTON - Wake Forest senior closer Dave Bush was one of 12 players selected on Tuesday as a semifinalist for the 15th annual Rotary Smith Award.
The 12 include Bush, Clemson's Khalil Greene and Jeff Baker, Nate Gold of Gonzaga, Ryan Barthelemy of Florida State, Ryan Kenning of New Mexico State, starting pitchers Justin Simmons of Texas, Brad Sullivan of Houston and Shane Komine of Nebraska, infielders Russ Adams of North Carolina and Rickie Weeks of Southern, Rice's Vincent Sinisi.
The 12 semifinalists were selected in a national round of voting by college baseball publicists. Voting to determine the three finalists who will be invited to the gala Rotary Smith Award Dinner will begin on Wednesday, with the results announced June 6. The winner will be announced on June 24 at the conclusion of the dinner, which will be held this year at the Hotel Inter-Continental in Houston.
Now in its 15th year, the Rotary Smith Award is awarded each summer to the nation's top college baseball player. Once again this year, the gala award dinner will be held at the Doubletree-Post Oak Hotel in Houston. The award, a national project of the Rotary Club of Houston, raises money for Rotary charities, Texas Children's Hospital and the Karl Young League. Eight previous winners have been active in major league baseball during the 2002 campaign - 1988 winner Andy Benes of Evansville (St. Louis Cardinals), 1991 winner Bobby Jones of Fresno State (San Diego Padres), 1994 winner Jason Varitek of Georgia Tech (Boston Red Sox), Mark Kotsay (San Diego), Kris Benson (Pittsburgh Pirates), 1997 winner Tim Hudson of Auburn (Oakland Athletics), 1999 winner Jason Jennings of Baylor (Colorado Rockies) and 2001 winner Mark Prior of Southern California (Chicago Cubs).
Bush and the Demon Deacons are competing in the ACC Tournament in St. Petersburg, Fla., looking for their fourth title in five years.
For all media inquiries regarding the Rotary Smith Award, please call Chuck Pool at (281) 485-1589, or For information regarding tickets, table sales or donations to our charities, please call the Rotary Office at (713) 973-9936.
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