North Carolina hurler Andrew Miller was presented with the 2006 Roger Clemens Award Wednesday.

July 12, 2006

HOUSTON (AP) -North Carolina left-hander Andrew Miller, who led his team to the championship round of the College World Series, won the third annual Roger Clemens Award on Wednesday night.

The Houston Astros pitcher presented Miller the award that honors the top pitcher in college baseball during a sold-out banquet.

"I was almost certain it would be somebody else," Miller said. "I didn't think I had a chance with the numbers the others guys put up. I would never have thought this could happen.

"To win an award with Roger's name on it is special. He talked to us all about baseball earlier and it was really an honor to talk with him."

The 6-foot-6, 210-pound Miller was the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year with a 13-2 record and 2.48 ERA. The Tar Heels lost to Oregon State in the best-of-three final at the College World Series.

He set school records for season strikeouts with 133 and career strikeouts with 325. He was taken by the Detroit Tigers with the sixth overall pick in last month's draft.

Other finalists were Houston right-hander Brad Lincoln, Rice right-hander Eddie Degerman and Washington right-hander Tim Lincecum.

Lincoln was 12-2 with a 1.69 ERA for the Cougars and struck out 152. The No. 4 overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates, he had 293 career strikeouts.

Degerman was 13-2 with a 2.00 ERA while Lincecum was 12-4 with a 1.94 ERA while leading the nation in strikeouts with 199.