Allen, Sims mark second Diamond Dawg duo to earn semifinalist honors in the same season
STARKVILLE – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) has released the list of semifinalists for the 2021 Dick Howser Trophy, which honors the national player of the yearin college baseball, and it includes a pair of Mississippi State baseball student-athletes in Tanner Allen and Landon Sims.
Allen and Sims selection as semifinalists for the award marks just the second time in program history MSU has produced a duo on the awards semifinal list. They join Jake Mangum and Ethan Small as the who were both semifinalists in 2019.
Allen has been at his best against the best in college baseball this season, as the left-handed hitter leads the SEC in batting average overall (.390) and in SEC games only (.417). Allen has produced 24 multi-hit games and 16 multi-RBI contests this season and has reached base multiple times in 35 games. Allen is currently the only SEC student-athlete to rank among the top-10 in average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage – overall and SEC only – and also sits among the top 10 in the conference in runs scored, RBIs, total bases and hits.
On the season, Allen has hit .300-or-better against seven of nine SEC opponents, including a .400 average against Auburn, Vanderbilt and Texas A&M. He hit .500 against Missouri and .615 in three games at South Carolina. In conference play, Allen has been on base in 27 of 28 games with 15 multi-hit contests and 11 multi-RBI games. Entering the final weekend of the regular season, Allen leads the SEC in conference-only average (.417), hits (48), RBIs (tied; 31) and total bases (83).
Allen is the only Power 5 hitter – and one of four nationally – with at least 50 runs scored, 70 hits and 45 RBIs on the season.
Sims started the season with a monster outing against No. 9 Texas in the season opener with four perfect innings of relief and 10 strikeouts and has not slowed down as one of the dominant bullpen aces in the nation. Overall, Sims owns a .050 ERA, 0.69 WHIP and 72 strikeouts in 36 innings of work with a .116 batting average against. His 3-0 record is bolstered by eight saves, with two wins and five saves coming against ranked opponents. Of his 108 outs recorded, 67% have come via strikeout and he has not hit a batter and thrown only two wild pitches all season.
Of his 16 appearances, Sims has not allowed a run of his own in 14 of those, has stranded five of eight inherited runners on the season and held opponents to one-or-fewer base runners in nine of the appearances. He has factored into 11 decisions in his 16 appearances and Mississippi State has won 15 games he has pitched in.
In SEC play, Sims owns 11 appearances with a 0.37 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings of work. He has allowed only one run on eight hits with eight walks in SEC appearances and holds hitters to a .101 batting average. Only one hit has gone for extra bases in SEC play, and he is 2-0 with seven saves against conference opponents.
This marks the 34th year of the Dick Howser Trophy and finalists will be announced on Thursday, June 10. The winner will be unveiled on MLB Network and then, a press conference with the winner will be held after the announcement is made. The date and time for the announcement will be released in the near future.
The Dick Howser Trophy is regarded by many as college baseball’s most prestigious award and is given in memory of the former Florida State University All-America shortstop and major league player and manager, who died of brain cancer in 1987. Criteria for consideration of the trophy include performance on the field, leadership, moral character and courage, qualities that were exemplified by Dick Howser’s life.