Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University (APSU) baseball two-way player Lyle Miller-Green and shortstop Jon Jon Gazdar continued to receive national accolades this week with three award semifinalist lists announced.
The Dick Howser Trophy Committee, in conjunction with the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, named Miller-Green among its list of 68 semifinalists for the 2024 Dick Howser Trophy presented by The Game Headwear on Thursday. Among the top awards in college baseball is given to the top player based on two rounds of national voting by NCBWA members.
Earlier this week, Miller-Green also advanced as one of 10 semifinalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, presented by the College Baseball Foundation. The Govs’ outfielder, designated hitter, and starting pitcher also was named to USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award Watch List earlier this season.
The College Baseball Foundation also named Gazdar to its list of 29 semifinalists for the Brooks Wallace Award, presented to the nation’s top shortstop.
Miller-Green, a Burke, Virginia native, is the second Austin Peay State University baseball player to be named a Howser Trophy semifinalist, joining Logan Gray (2015). Miller-Green is putting together a fantastic season, having already broken the Governors single-season home run, RBI, and runs scored records in fewer than 51 games. He leads all Division I batters in RBI (86) and runs scored (86) and ranks fourth in home runs (27). Miller-Green is also among Division I’s top 60 in batting average (52nd, .383), on-base percentage (18th, .515), and slugging percentage (4th, .874), all while reaching base safely in 50 of 51 games this season.
On the mound, Miller-Green has a 4-1 record after picking up a victory at Central Arkansas last weekend to help the Govs enter the regular season’s final weekend atop the Atlantic Sun Conference standings. He has 42 strikeouts in 47.1 innings on the mound and, earlier this season, recorded a win at Mississippi State.
Gazdar has been flirting with .400 batting average the past two weeks and is batting .396 entering this weekend’s action. He leads the ASUN and ranks 22nd nationally in batting average. Gazdar also ranks among the Division I leaders in doubles (20th), on-base percentage (102nd), and runs scored (38th). He is one of two Governors hitters attempting to record 100 hits in a season, which has only been accomplished once in program history.
The 2024 Dick Howser Award will be presented at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, the home of the College World Series, for the 12th year. The winner will also be unveiled on MLB Network on Thursday, June 13th, at 9:00am CT highlight show hour. A Friday, June 14th, news conference with the winner will be held at 10:00am, the opening day just prior to the first game of the 77th NCAA College World Series, in the Schwab Stadium Media Room.
The five finalists for the Olerud Award will be announced during the NCAA tournament, and the winner will be announced on June 17th. The Wallace Award also will be presented by the College Baseball Foundation later this year.
