Thompson Named Finalist for Roger Clemens Award

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June 7, 2007

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia sophomore starting pitcher Jacob Thompson (Danville, Va.) has been selected as a finalist for the Roger Clemens Award, college baseball’s equivalent to the Cy Young Award. The right-hander joins Charlotte’s Adam Mills and Vanderbilt’s David Price as finalists for the award, which will be presented July 11 at the Roger Clemens Award Dinner in Houston.

Thompson recorded one of the finest seasons ever for a Virginia pitcher, going 11-0 with a 1.50 ERA. In 114 innings, he surrendered just 79 hits and 23 runs (19 earned). He walked 32 and struck out 101. He also recorded two shutouts while allowing just 13 extra-base hits all season. Thompson has raked in several awards already, earning first-team All-America honors from Louisville Slugger and Rivals.com as well as first-team All-ACC laurels. He is just the fourth Virginia baseball player to earn first-team All-America distinction, joining Brian Buchanan (1994), Seth Greisinger (1996) and Joe Koshansky (2004).

The finalists for the 2007 Roger Clemens Award were selected after a second round of voting by all Division I head baseball coaches, a selection of national media who cover collegiate baseball, the 16 winners of the R. E. “Bob” Smith Award, which was presented to the top player in the country in Houston from 1988-2003, and the 10 previous finalists for the Clemens Award. Jered Weaver of Long Beach State (2004), Luke Hochevar of Tennessee (2005), and Andrew Miller of North Carolina (2006) are previous winners of the Clemens Award.