J.P. Arencibia (Photo by USA Baseball)

Jan. 29, 2007

DURHAM, N.C. -- USA Baseball announced Monday that Tennessee catcher J.P. Arencibia has been named the Richard W. "Dick" Case Award winner for his play during the 2006 USA Baseball National Team season. The award recognizes USA Baseball's Athlete of the Year and honors the organization's founding Executive Director/CEO.

Arencibia becomes the first USA Baseball Athlete of the Year winner from the University of Tennessee. A two-time USA Baseball National Team alumnus, he was named the MVP of the 2006 FISU World Championships last August after leading Team USA to a Gold Medal at the event in Havana, Cuba.

The Miami, Fla., native wrapped up the World Championships with a .412 batting average (14-for-34), including three doubles, two triples, four home runs, and a tournament-best 23 RBIs in eight games. Over the course of the entire season, he hit .306 and led the team with nine home runs to go with his 40 RBIs.

"Over the past two summers, J.P. Arencibia has come to represent the best of USA Baseball -- both on and off the field," USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul V. Seiler said. "His leadership and play at the World Championships set the pace for the team's Gold Medal and we are proud to honor J.P. with the Richard W. Case Award."

Arencibia is coming off back-to-back All-America seasons with the Vols, having garnered Freshman All-America honors in 2005 and first-team acclaim from the College Baseball Foundation in 2006.

The 2007 National Player of the Year candidate sports a .335 career batting average with 167 hits, 123 RBIs and 25 home runs. He has played in all 122 of UT's games over the past two seasons and ranks tied for 10th on the school's career home runs list.

"It's a great honor to be considered as USA Baseball's Athlete of the Year," Arencibia said. "I credit my teammates and coaches, as well as the entire Team USA staff, for making the summer baseball experience as wonderful as it was."

USA Baseball National Teams General Manager Eric Campbell will travel to Knoxville Feb. 6 for the formal, on-campus presentation of the Dick Case Award. Campbell will present Arencibia with a framed Team USA jersey during a timeout of the men's basketball game between Tennessee and LSU at Thompson-Boling Arena. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Arencibia joins past winners Huston Street (2003), Ryan Zimmerman (2004), and Ryan Shealy (2005) as recipients of the award.

USA Baseball is the National Governing Body of amateur baseball in the United States and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). The organization selects and trains the USA Baseball National Team, the USA Baseball Junior National Team (18-under), the USA Baseball Youth National Team (16-under), the USA Baseball 14-U National Team (14-under), and the USA Baseball Women's National Team which participate in various international competitions each year.