DALLAS, Texas — Clemson outfielder Seth Beer was named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Award on Friday.

The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association has released the list of semifinalists for the 2016 Dick Howser Trophy, presented by Easton Foundations. The award, given to the top player in collegiate baseball, is based on two rounds of national voting.

Beer currently leads the Tigers with a .392 batting average. The freshmen has played in 52 games this season and has a slug percentage of .725. He leads the club with 15 home runs and is second in RBIs with 57 and has 12 doubles, which is also second on the team.

He also has a team-high .542 on base percentage, thanks to the 51 times he has drawn a walk this season. He has struck out just 19 times, 15 less than the next closest Tiger.

This is the 30th year of the Dick Howser Trophy, presented by Easton Foundations. The finalists will be announced on Thursday, June 9. The 2016 award will be presented at TD Ameritrade Stadium in downtown Omaha, the home of the College World Series for the sixth year. The winner will be unveiled on MLB Network on Friday, June 17 and then a press conference with the winner will be held on Saturday, June 18 at 10 a.m. (CDT), the opening day of the 2016 CWS.

The candidates hail from 17 different conferences and 34 different schools. The Atlantic Coast Conference leads the way with 13 semifinalists, followed by the Southeastern Conference with eight, Big 12 with three, Sun Belt with three, Atlantic Sun, Colonial, Missouri Valley with two and Big South, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, Pac-12, Southland, Southwestern Athletic and West Coast Conferences with one each. Every position on the diamond is represented, including eight starting pitchers, five third basemen, five outfielders, four shortstops, four first basemen, four catchers, four relief pitchers, three second basemen, three utility players and three designated hitters, among this diversified group.

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 of the trophy include performance on the field, leadership, moral character and courage, qualities that were exemplified by Dick Howser’s life.

The winner’s name is inscribed on the permanent trophy, a bronze bust of Howser displayed at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg – home of the Tampa Bay Rays. Both the winner and his school receive a special trophy to keep.

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.

–Staff Report