Feb. 23, 2007

Compiled by CSTV.com Staff

For the second consecutive year, Cal State Fullerton pitcher Wes Roemer leads CSTV.com's first Player of the Year Watch of the season. The Titans junior received 66 out of a possible 100 points from CSTV.com's 10-member voting panel, narrowly beating out Virginia's two-way star, junior pitcher/first baseman Sean Doolittle, who amassed 65 points. Vanderbilt sophomore third baseman Pedro Alvarez finished is third with 62 points.

Roemer is 2-1 this season with a 3.27 ERA, and has 24 strikeouts and only one walk in the 22 innings he's pitched for the Titans.  This follows on the heels of a sophomore season that saw Roemer issue only seven walks to 145 strikeouts while going 13-2 with a 2.38 ERA. 

"It says a lot about a pitcher if you can look at a 2-1 record, 3.27 ERA and 24/1 strikeout to walk ratio and say "ho, hum" - Jeremy Mills

"A great competitor with stuff, Roemer is a special pitcher." - Mark Etheridge

Doolittle is 2-0 in his two mound appearances for the Cavaliers with a 0.82 ERA with 11 strikeouts and two walks in 11 innings. At the plate, he's batting .375 with a homerun and 11 runs batted in.

"Doolittle is one of those elite two-way guys that make college baseball special." - Mark Etheridge

"Like a lot of southeastern teams, Virginia has played absolutely nobody, but he has torched nobody for a thousand-plus OPS and a 0.82 ERA, so that has to count for something." - Glenn Tanner

Alvarez is batting .419 for the Commodores with four homeruns and 10 runs batted in. He's also been successful in both of his stolen base attempts this season. Alvarez was particularly effective as Vanderbilt opened its season at the Houston College Classic, when he went 7 for 14 at the plate with a homerun and five runs batted in wins over Rice, Arizona State and Baylor.

"In the Houston College Classic he seemed to get better with each at-bat." - Eric Sorenson

"Alvarez has that sweet lefty power stroke. He is the most ready for pro ball of any of the college players I've seen." - Mark Etheridge

The Top 10 in the CSTV.com Player of the Year Watch are:

1. Wes Roemer, P, Jr., Cal State Fullerton

2. Sean Doolittle, P/1B, Jr., Virginia

3. Pedro Alvarez, 3B, So., Vanderbilt

4. Kellen Kulbacki, OF, Jr., James Madison

5. Jake Arrieta, P, Jr., TCU

6. Joe Savery, P/1B, Jr., Rice

7. Matt Wieters, C/P, Jr., Georgia Tech

8. David Price, P, Jr., Vanderbilt

9. Yonder Alonso, 1B, So., Miami

T-10. Jemile Weeks, 2B, So., Miami

T-10. Nick Schmidt, P, So., Arkansas