DALLAS, Texas (May 27, 2025) – ETSU's Cooper Torres was recently named one of 67 players in Division I baseball to be tabbed a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy. This prestigious award in college baseball has been given to the top player based on two rounds of national voting by NCBWA members since 1987.
 
Torres is having one of the best offensive seasons in Buccaneer baseball history. Currently, Torres is hitting .378 with 23 home runs and 72 RBI in 56 games. Torres was named the SoCon Player of the Year last week and then followed that by being named the SoCon Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after hitting over .500 with six RBI to help the Bucs win their first SoCon Tournament championship over the weekend.
 
As the Bucs enter the NCAA Tournament later this week, Torres leads ETSU in batting average (.378), slugging percentage (.783), runs scored (69), hits (82), RBI (72), doubles (15), home runs (23), and total bases (170). His 23 home runs are tied for the second-most in the history of ETSU baseball trailing only Paul Hoilman's 25 in 2010. His 72 RBI are the fourth-most, 69 runs scored are the fifth-most, and his slugging percentage is the third-highest trailing only Mike Nipper's .897 in 1983 and Hoilman's .860 in 2010. Finally, his 170 total bases trails only Hoilman's 202 total bases in 2010 in ETSU history.
 
The Dick Howser Trophy, presented by The Game Headwear, 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. The trophy is regarded as baseball's most prestigious award. Criteria for consideration of the trophy include performance on the field, leadership, moral character, and courage – all qualities that were exemplified by Dick Howser's life.

A Florida native, Howser was twice an All-America shortstop at FSU (1957-58), then coached the Seminoles in 1979, after a career as a major league player and coach. After one year coaching in the college ranks, Howser returned to the majors to manage the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals and won the World Series with the Royals in 1985. The baseball stadium on the Florida State campus is named for Howser.
 
2025 DICK HOWSER TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS (Alphabetically)
Pos. Name, School
DH         Kuhio Aloy, Arkansas
SS          Wehiwa Aloy, Arkansas
SP          Kade Anderson, LSU
SP          Jamie Arnold, Florida State
SS          Aiva Arquette, Oregon State
1B          Brady Ballinger, Kansas
SP          Tyler Bremer, UC Santa Barbara
SP          Harrison Bodendorf, Oklahoma State
RP          Kade Brown, Sacramento State
OF          Drew Burress, Georgia Tech
OF          Robbie Burnett, Georgia
UT          Bryce Calloway, New Orleans
SS          Roch Cholowsky, UCLA
3B          Kerrington Cross, Cincinnati
OF          Charles Davalan, Arkansas
2B          Ryan Daniels, UConn
SP          Liam Doyle, Tennessee
SP          Joseph Dzierwa, Michigan State
1B          Andrew Fischer, Tennessee
C            Ryan Galvan, Texas
SP          Trevor Hansen, UC Irvine
3B          Ethan Hedges, USC
OF          Ike Irish, Auburn
C            Grant Jay, DBU
1B          Jared Jones, LSU
2B          Gavin Kilen, Tennessee
SS          Matt King, Arizona State
SP          Jake Knapp, North Carolina
SS          Justin Lebron, Alabama
3B          Kade Lewis, Wake Forest
SP          Tommy LaPour, TCU
OF          Jace LaViolette, Texas A&M
SS          Alex Lodise, Florida State
RP          Lucas Mahlstedt, Clemson
SP          JB Middleton, Southern Miss
3B          Ben Miller, Duke
2B          Nick Monistere, Southern Miss
SP          Jacob Morrison, Coastal Carolina
OF          Mason Neville, Oregon
OF          Cameron Nickens, Austin Peay
3B          Brady O'Brien, Richmond
SP          Jack Ohman, Yale
DH         Jordy Oriach, New Mexico
DH         Armani Raygoza, UTRGV
3B          Ace Reese, Mississippi State
OF          Jace Rinehart, West Virginia
SP          Ruger Riojas, Texas
2B          Nick Rodriguez, Missouri State
C            Luke Stevenson, North Carolina
UT          Noah Sullivan, Mississippi State
DH         Johnny Sweeney, USC Upstate
OF          Devin Taylor, Indiana
SP          Zane Taylor, UNCW
OF          Cardell Thibodeaux, Southern
C            Carson Tinney, Notre Dame
2B          Cooper Torres, ETSU
OF          Gavin Turley, Oregon State
2B          Mitch Voit, Michigan
RP          Dylan Volantis, Texas
SP          Joey Volini, Florida State
2B          Kyle Walker, Arizona State
SP          Kyson Witherspoon, Oklahoma
1B          Jacob Walsh, Oregon
SS          Colin Yeaman, UC Irvine
DH         Ryland Zaborowski, Georgia

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