/cdn.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/718631/taylor-jungmann1.jpeg)
Every year, college baseball gives out the Dick Howser Trophy to the nation's best player. A year ago Rice's Anthony Rendon won it. Before that it was Stephen Strasburg. Thanks to drastic bat changes, 2011 has been a year of great pitching, so shouldn't the award go to a pitcher? With two weekends left in the 2011 regular season, isn't Taylor Jungmann the frontrunner? Consider the following:
- Jungmann has 11 wins on the season (the most in the country).
- Texas is 12-0 on Fridays this year, with Jungmann's lone no-decision coming on a day when he pitched a full nine innings (the 1-0 15-inning slugfest win over Okie State).
- His 0.92 ERA is tops among college starters. Jungmann is the only starter in the country with an ERA under 1.00.
- His three complete game shutouts is tied for tops in the country.
- His opponent batting average is .160, tied for second in the country.
- His hits-per-game is third in the country.
- The nation's second best starter this year, Virginia's Danny Hultzen, is 9-1 with a 1.19 ERA. Moreover, Hultzen on average has received 9.7 runs of support from the Cavaliers offense. Jungmann, by comparison has gotten a measly 5.4 runs per start.
Just some points to think about as you fill out your Dick Howser ballot.