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Sophomore shortstop Cole Figueroa (Tallahassee, Fla.) of the Gator baseball team was named to the 2008 Wallace Watch List released on Tuesday by the College Baseball Foundation in Lubbock, Texas. The Brooks Wallace Award is presented annually to the National College Baseball Player of the Year. Figueroa's former teammate, Matt LaPorta, the seventh overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft, was one of three finalists for the accolade last season. Pitcher David Price of Vanderbilt, the top overall pick by the Tampa Bay Rays, took home the prize.
As a rookie, Figueroa was named a first-team Freshman All-American by Baseball America and Rivals.com and was also named to Louisville Slugger's Freshman All-American Team by Collegiate Baseball. He was one of three Gators on the SEC All-Freshman Team, joining outfielders Matt den Dekker (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) and Jonathan Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.). Figueroa sported a .332 batting average with 50 RBI, 48 runs and belted 11 homers, seven of which were solo shots.
He held the team lead with 30 multiple-hit games and matched All-American LaPorta with 13 multiple-RBI games. Figueroa started the first 17 games of the year at second base and shifted to shortstop for game three at Texas A&M, a spot he held for the final 41 games. He was third on Florida with a .338 SEC average, driving in 29 runs and scoring 26 times against league foes. Figueroa powered the Gators at the SEC Tourney with a sizzling .538 (7-for-13) performance and three-consecutive multi-hit outings.
Before returning to Gainesville, Figueroa played in the Cape Cod League for the Harwich Mariners. He earned the starting nod at second base for the East in the league's All-Star game but played shortstop throughout the summer. He led the team's starters with a .281 average and was among the club leaders in total bases (49), hits (41), walks (18), runs (14) and RBI (13).
The Brooks Wallace Award is presented to the nation’s top collegiate baseball player in conjunction with the College Baseball Hall of Fame’s annual induction festivities. The 2008 award banquet will be held Thursday, July 3, in the United Spirit Arena on the campus of Texas Tech University.
http://gatorzone.com/story.php?id=13111&html=baseball/news/20071211024300.html&sport=baseb
As a rookie, Figueroa was named a first-team Freshman All-American by Baseball America and Rivals.com and was also named to Louisville Slugger's Freshman All-American Team by Collegiate Baseball. He was one of three Gators on the SEC All-Freshman Team, joining outfielders Matt den Dekker (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) and Jonathan Pigott (Ormond Beach, Fla.). Figueroa sported a .332 batting average with 50 RBI, 48 runs and belted 11 homers, seven of which were solo shots.
He held the team lead with 30 multiple-hit games and matched All-American LaPorta with 13 multiple-RBI games. Figueroa started the first 17 games of the year at second base and shifted to shortstop for game three at Texas A&M, a spot he held for the final 41 games. He was third on Florida with a .338 SEC average, driving in 29 runs and scoring 26 times against league foes. Figueroa powered the Gators at the SEC Tourney with a sizzling .538 (7-for-13) performance and three-consecutive multi-hit outings.
Before returning to Gainesville, Figueroa played in the Cape Cod League for the Harwich Mariners. He earned the starting nod at second base for the East in the league's All-Star game but played shortstop throughout the summer. He led the team's starters with a .281 average and was among the club leaders in total bases (49), hits (41), walks (18), runs (14) and RBI (13).
The Brooks Wallace Award is presented to the nation’s top collegiate baseball player in conjunction with the College Baseball Hall of Fame’s annual induction festivities. The 2008 award banquet will be held Thursday, July 3, in the United Spirit Arena on the campus of Texas Tech University.
http://gatorzone.com/story.php?id=13111&html=baseball/news/20071211024300.html&sport=baseb
