Kentucky Baseball: A.J. Reed Wins the Dick Howser National Player of the Year Trophy

I've been touting A.J. Reed for a long time, as has JLevenz. Reed is perhaps the best 2-way player in college baseball in many, many years, and today, the NCAA announced that Reed has won the Howser Trophy:

Congrats to @UKBaseball Pitcher A.J. Reed for winning the 28th Dick Howser Trophy! #CWS pic.twitter.com/Fs49hmYggF

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 14, 2014

The Howser Trophy is the National Player of the Year award voted on by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. From their website:

About the Dick Howser Trophy
The Dick Howser Trophy is a national sponsorship that was created on behalf of Dick Howser to promote baseball excellence and scholastic achievement for collegiate baseball. Education is one of the country's biggest concerns and through sports will bring an enhanced national focus. As the baseball equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, the Dick Howser Trophy is the annual national award for the outstanding collegiate baseball player. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) votes for the recipient based on nominees' performance, character, leadership and courage – all features to be emulated in memory of the late Dick Howser. The trophy, a bronze bust of the late Dick Howser, is permanently displayed at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, home of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Also from the NCBWA, you can see the particulars of Reed's victory. This is a momentous achievement for any college baseball player, and it really reflects well on Gary Henderson and Kentucky baseball to have recruited a Howser Trophy winner. Reed beat out players like the LSU Tigers' Aaron Nola, the best pitcher in college baseball this season, for the award, as well as Oregon State's Michael Conforto and Ben Wetzler.

Congratulations, A.J. You definitely deserve this, and I expect you'll be needing a bigger trophy case for all the accolades you are yet to receive.