Henry and Tucker on Clemens Award watch list

Seminole pitchers listed among the nation's best to start the 2007 season.

With the start of the 2007 baseball season less than two months away, Florida State players continue to garner pre-season award honors. Seminole pitchers Bryan Henry and Luke Tucker were once again singled out as two of the nation’s best. After being named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association preseason All-America team, Tucker and Henry were named to the watch list for the Clemens Award last week.

Florida State is one of just two ACC schools with two pitchers on the Clemens Award Watch List and one of only 14 schools in the nation with multiple players on the initial watch list. The ACC is tied with the SEC with 10 pitchers each on the list.

The finalists for the 2007 Roger Clemens Award will be selected in voting by a national panel that includes: all Division 1 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 in 1988-2003. In addition, the 10 previous finalists for the Clemens Award are also issued ballots. The 2007 award will be presented at a gala dinner next July.

The Roger Clemens Award was named after future Hall of Famer Roger Clemens, who began his march to stardom while leading the University of Texas to the College World Series title in 1983. As a major leaguer, Clemens has won 348 games (eighth best in history), fanned more than 4,600 hitters and won seven Cy Young Awards, emblematic as the top pitcher in his league. The Roger Clemens Award is the only award of its kind, honoring the finest pitchers in college baseball.