May 10, 2002

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest pitchers Dave Bush and Kyle Sleeth were tabbed as two of 40 national semifinalists for the Dick Howser Award, the award given annually to college baseball's top players as voted by the membership of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

Bush, a senior relief pitcher from Devon, Pa., is the NCAA leader in appearances with 33. He owns a 6-1 record with a 1.83 ERA and 10 saves. Bush has struck out 38 batters in 39.1 innings with just seven walks. He was an NCBWA preseason All-American and has been called the best closer in college baseball by several national publications including Baseball America.

Sleeth, a sophomore right-hander from Westminster, Colo., is the ace of the Deacon rotation, sporting a 10-0 record with a 2.72 ERA, 85 strikeouts with 89.1 innings. He was the first ACC pitcher to reach the 10-win plateau and earlier this spring, was chosen to be one of 19 prelimimary invitees to USA Baseball's National Team tryouts. Sleeth has defeated four nationally-ranked teams as a sophmore and already has 20 career wins as a Deacon.

Bush and Sleeth are two of 16 players from around the country on Baseball America's Louisville Slugger Player of the Year Watch List. No school has more than two players on the list.

The Howser Trophy was created in 1987, shortly after Howser's death. Previous winners of the Howser Trophy are Mike Fiore, Miami, 1987; Robin Ventura, Oklahoma State, 1988; Scott Bryant, Texas, 1989; Alex Fernandez, Miami-Dade Community College South, 1990; Frank Rodriguez, Howard College (Texas), 1991; Brooks Kieschnick, Texas, 1992 and 1993; Jason Varitek, Georgia Tech, 1994; Todd Helton, Tennessee, 1995; Kris Benson, Clemson, 1996; J. D. Drew, Florida State, 1997; Eddy Furniss, LSU, 1998; Jason Jennings, Baylor, 1999; Mark Teixeira, Georgia Tech, 2000; and Mark Prior, P, USC, 2001.