Matt Antonelli Named To 2006 Wallace Watch List
11/22/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Nov. 22, 2005
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest junior third basemen Matt Antonelli was named to the 2006 Wallace Award Watch List, which is presented to the nation's top baseball player by the College Baseball Foundation.
Antonelli, a native of Peabody, Mass, led Wake Forest in batting average (.332), walks (57), on-base percentage (.475) and runs scored (68) in 2005. The 57 walks set a new single-season school record surpassing the previous mark of 55 held by Billy Masse (1988). Antonelli also tied Dave Lardieri for 10th all-time in single-season school history for runs scored. He was second on the squad in hits (77), doubles (22) and triples (2),
The Wallace Watch will be trimmed to 12 semifinalists by late May. The selection committee will narrow the list to three finalists following the NCAA Super Regionals at a press conference in Omaha. The finalists, their head coaches and their parents will be invited to Lubbock, TX, for a schedule of special events tied to the award banquet, which will again be nationally televised by Fox Sports Network.
Dedicated to the memory of former Texas Tech shortstop and assistant coach, Wallace was a slick-fielding shortstop at Texas Tech from 1977 to 1980. A 4-year starter, he was named All-Southwest Conference and All-District Six his senior year when he led the Red Raiders to their first-ever appearance in the Southwest Conference Tournament. After playing two years in the Texas Rangers organization, he returned to Texas Tech and served as a graduate assistant and later as an assistant coach. In the summer of 1984 he was diagnosed with cancer and fought the disease courageously until his death on March 24, 1985, at age 27. The Plano, Texas, native was married to the former Sandy Arnold and they had one daughter, Lindsay Ryan.
The selection committee for the Wallace Award is comprised of a national panel of preeminent coaches, sports information directors, former winners and beat media who most closely follow the sport. Screening Committee members will evaluate the candidates and will continue their review throughout the entire baseball season. The list will expand and contract during the regular season and additional Wallace Watch candidates may be added as the season progresses. Voting for the three finalists and the Wallace Award winner will be conducted by confidential balloting, with totals tabulated by the J.W.Anderson & Associates accounting firm in Lubbock, TX.
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