RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Manhattan junior outfielder Kevin Nieto was recently named to the preseason 2009 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Watch List. The two-time All-MAAC selection is a candidate for this annual award which is presented to the top collegiate baseball player. Florida State standout Buster Posey was the 2008 recipient of The Wallace Award.
“Kevin is very deserving of this preseason list,” stated Jaspers head baseball coach Kevin Leighton. “He is the type of player who can really have an impact with his bat, defense and speed.”
Nieto was named to the First Team All-MAAC last season after ranking atop the conference in several statistical categories. He led the league in batting average (.386) and triples (6), while also finishing in the top-5 in stolen bases (3rd, 21-21), slugging percentage (4th, .595), on base percentage (4th, .467) and RBI (5th, 47). Nieto had 59 hits, including 14 doubles and scored 50 runs. He was also named to the ECAC Division I All-Star Second Team and American Baseball Coaches Association Northeast Region First Team.
The Wallace Award is dedicated to the memory of former Texas Tech player and assistant coach Brooks Wallace. Wallace was a slick-fielding shortstop at Texas Tech from 1977-1980. A four year starter, he was named All-Southwest Conference and All-District his senior year. He led the Red Raiders to their first-ever appearance in the Southwest Conference Tournament in 1980.
After playing two years in the Texas Rangers organization, he returned to Texas Tech and served as a graduate assistant and later as an assistant coach. In the summer of 1984, he was diagnosed with cancer and fought the disease courageously until his death on March 24, 1985, at age 27. The Plano, Texas, native was married to the former Sandy Arnold and they had one daughter, Lindsay Ryan.
Previous Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year Award Winners
2008 Buster Posey, Catcher, Florida State
2007 David Price, Pitcher, Vanderbilt
2006 Brad Lincoln, Pitcher/DH, Houston
2005 Alex Gordon, Third Baseman, Nebraska
2004 Kurt Suzuki, Catcher, Cal State Fullerton
