Hernandez on Wallace Award Watch list

Junior shortstop Bryant Hernandez was named by the College Baseball Foundation and Mizuno to the watch list for the 2009 Brooks Wallace Award.

The Wallace Award, which was created in 2004, had been presented annually to the national player of the year.

This season, for the first time ever, to award will be presented to the country’s top shortstop.

Hernandez has led the Sooners in many offensive categories this season, hitting .372 with nine home runs and 51 RBIs heading into Monday night’s game.

Hernandez also has a .923 fielding percentage on the season.

Both the Wallace Award and the Howser Trophy, which has recognized the best player in college baseball for 23 years, will be presented at the College Baseball Awards Show on July 2 in Lubbock, Texas.

Wise added to Johnny Bench Watch List

Senior catcher J.T. Wise was added to the official watch list for the 2009 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award. The award has been presented since 2000 to the country’s top catcher.

Last season, Florida State catcher Buster Posey took home the award.

Wise is one of only two Big 12 representatives on the list along with Kansas’ Buck Afenir.

On May 14, the list will be narrowed down to ten finalists. At the end of May, a national voting panel will vote to decide on three finalists, which will be announced on June 3.

A final vote from the national committee will take place during the College World Series. The finalists will be brought to Wichita and announced at the Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 26.

Prior to Monday night’s game, Wise had a .392 batting average with 15 home runs and 47 RBIs.

Senior Dye named to All-Big 12 team

Senior woman’s golfer Kendall Dye was named to the All-Big 12 team late last week.

The team is made up of the 10 highest-ranked golfers in the Golfweek/Sagarin ratings after the Big 12 tournament last weekend.

Dye was named to the All-Big 12 team for the second straight season.

She recently tied for first place in the Big 12 Championships in Lubbock, Texas.

Dye will be the Sooners’ lone representative at this week’s NCAA Central Regional in Columbus, Ohio, which begins Thursday.

Oklahoma State, who easily won the Big 12 tournament, dominated the conference honors. Four of the 10-person All-Big 12 team come from OSU.

The Cowgirls also took the Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, both given to Caroline Hedwall.

Softball Big 12 Tourney brackets set

The Sooners, who won the outright Big 12 regular season title and already knew their seeding for this weekend’s Big 12 tournament, learned their draw for this weekend.

OU will play at 1:30 p.m. Saturday on the main field at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

The Sooners will face the winner of Friday’s matchup between the No. 8 seed Iowa State and the No. 9 seed Kansas.

If the Sooners win their Sunday afternoon game, they will advance to the semifinals, to be played at 7:30 p.m. on the main field.

The championship game is slated for 11:30 a.m.

Tickets can be purchased from the Oklahoma City All Sports Commission.

Session booklets are $40.

Single session tickets will be available at the stadium on game day.

Bradford, Paris Scholar Finalists

Sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford and senior forward Ashley Paris have both been named finalists for the 2009 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar award.

Twenty student athletes, 10 male and 10 female, were named finalists.

The winners will be announced in the May 28 issue of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine.

The nominees must keep a grade point average of 3.2 and remain active in the community and on campus.

About 600 student athletes were nominated for this year’s award.

The Asche Sports Scholar award was established in 1992 to honor minority undergraduate students.

— Daily Staff