Price Leads CSTV.com Player Of The Year Watch

Vanderbilt's David Price is on top for second straight week

April 4, 2007

Compiled by CSTV.com Staff

 

For the second straight week, Vanderbilt's David Price leads the CSTV.com Player of the Year Watch. The Commodores' junior lefty received 53 of a possible 100 points from our eight-member voting panel, narrowly beating out Florida senior slugger Matt LaPorta (50 points). Florida State second baseman Tony Thomas, Jr. finished in third with 48 points.

 

Price is 5-0 this season with a 2.88 ERA, and has 89 strikeouts in 59.1 innings pitched for the top-ranked `Dores. 

 

"In the preseason, I said Nick Schmidt was better. As Michael Scott says, it takes a big man to admit he's wrong, and I am that big man. 89 K's and 43 hits? Holy smokes!" -Glenn Tanner

 

"Forget trying to get past him to the bullpen, he's there for the duration." -Paul Kislanko

 

LaPorta is hitting .433 with 15 homeruns and 33 RBI in 30 games this season, and is one of the main reasons why the Gators have gotten off to a 7-2 start in the SEC.

 

"Why teams are pitching to LaPorta I don't know. The senior Gator had a pair of home runs both Friday and Saturday against Georgia." -Mark Etheridge

 

"Matt LaPorta has gotten hot, and has carried Florida to the SEC eastern division lead along with him." -Rick Rollins

 

Thomas, Jr. has fallen under .500 but is still hitting an incredible .496 with seven homeruns and 30 RBIs. The junior hit five homeruns last week and has led the Seminoles to a 29-3 record, including 26-0 in Tallahassee.

 

"His stats have dipped from .537 down to .496. Before I put him in the Top 5 here, let's see what he does against a team NOT considered a Spider Rico ($10 to whoever figures out that reference)." -Eric Sorenson

 

"I can't wait to see if this guy's actually any good against better competition." -Boyd Nation

 

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

 

1. David Price, P, Jr., Vanderbilt

2. Matt LaPorta, 1B, Sr., Florida

3. Tony Thomas Jr., 2B, Jr., Florida St.

4. Kyle Russell, OF, Jr., Texas

5. Brett Wallace, 1B, So., Arizona St.

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

7. Kyle Nicholson, P, Sr., Texas A&M

8. Harris Honeycutt, P, Jr., South Carolina

9. Nick Schmidt, P, Jr., Arkansas

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