FAYETTEVILLE — Three Arkansas baseball players are semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy that is given to college baseball’s national player of the year.
Pitcher Kevin Kopps, outfielder Christian Franklin and first baseman Brady Slavens are among 41 semifinalists for the award. Finalists will be announced June 8 and the winner will be announced during the College World Series.
Arkansas and Vanderbilt are tied for the most semifinalists. Vanderbilt’s semifinalists are pitchers Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter, and outfielder Enrique Bradfield.
Other SEC players on the list of semifinalists include: Auburn shortstop Ryan Bliss, South Carolina designated hitter Wes Clarke, LSU third baseman Cade Doughty, Florida outfielder Jud Fabian, Texas A&M outfielder Will Frizzell, Tennessee third baseman Jake Rucker, and Mississippi State outfielder Tanner Allen and relief pitcher Landon Sims.
Ethan Long, a freshman outfielder who committed to Arkansas before signing with Arizona State, is also on the list.
Kopps, a right-handed reliever, is one of the favorites to win this year’s award. He is the nation’s ERA leader (0.76) and ranks third nationally in victories (9), seventh in WHIP (0.83) and ninth in strikeouts per nine innings (14.22).
Kopps has factored into 17 decisions this season for the top-ranked Razorbacks — nine wins and eight saves. In recent weeks he has given Arkansas starter innings out of the bullpen over the course of multiple weekend outings.
Kopps pitched 6 2/3 innings at Tennessee last week and 7 1/3 innings against Georgia two weeks ago. Kopps allowed a two-out run in the ninth inning of last Sunday’s finale at Tennessee, which snapped a consecutive scoreless innings streak of 28, one inning shy of the program record.
Kopps also had a separate streak of 19 2/3 innings of scoreless relief earlier this season.
Kopps retired nine of 10 batters in a three-inning save Thursday against Florida.
In 17 appearances against SEC teams, Kopps has an ERA of 0.54 and has 6 wins and 7 saves. Kopps has struck out 76 and walked 10 in 49 2/3 innings against SEC teams, which are batting .153 against him.
The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association named Kopps its national pitcher of the month for April.
Slavens and Franklin have contributed 11 home runs apiece to Arkansas’ team total of 85 home runs this season. Franklin has also been one of college baseball’s top defensive center fielders with a number of highlight-reel plays, including a diving catch to rob Tennessee of a hit and run during the first game of last week’s series.
Franklin and Slavens are each batting .300. Franklin has an OPS of 1.009 and Slavens has an OPS of .923.
Franklin has 15 doubles and 1 triple, and Slavens has 11 doubles and 3 triples. Slavens leads the Razorbacks with 54 RBI and Franklin is second on the team with 49.
Arkansas’ trio is believed to double the number of Razorbacks who have been named a semifinalist for the award, which is in its 34th season. Past Arkansas semifinalists have included Zack Cox (2010), Andrew Benintendi (2015) and Casey Martin (2019).
Benintendi won the Howser Trophy and Golden Spikes Award in 2015.
The Howser Trophy is presented by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. The Golden Spikes Award is presented by USA Baseball to the best amateur baseball player, regardless of level.
USA Baseball did not include any Arkansas players among 45 on its midseason watch list in April. Semifinalists for the Golden Spikes Award will be announced June 8.
2021 Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalists
Name, Position, School
Jacob Berry, DH, Arizona
Ryan Bliss, SS, Auburn
Enrique Bradfield, OF, Vanderbilt
Wes Clarke, DH, South Carolina
Henry Davis, C, Louisville
Cade Doughty, 3B, LSU
Christian Encarnacion-Strand, 3B, Oklahoma State
Judd Fabian, OF, Florida
Jaden Fein, OF, San Diego State
Jonathan Fincher, SP, Louisiana Tech
Christian Franklin, OF, Arkansas
Will Frizzell, OF, Texas A&M
Dominic Hamel, SP, Dallas Baptist
Tyler Hardman, 1B, Oklahoma
Nick Jones, RP, Georgia Southern
Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech
Niko Kavadas, 1B, Notre Dame
Austin Knight, 3B, Charlotte
Kevin Kopps, RP, Arkansas
Bennett Lee, C, Tulane
Jack Leiter, SP, Vanderbilt
Tyler Locklear, 3B, VCU
Ethan Long, OF, Arizona State
Ty Madden, SP, Texas
Mason McWhorter, OF, Georgia Southern
Ivan Melendez, DH, Texas
Matt Mikulski, SP, Fordham
Ryan Miller, SP, NC Central
Matheu Nelson, C, Florida State
Connor Norby, 2B, East Carolina
Carson Palmquist, RP, Miami
Kumar Rocker, SP, Vanderbilt
Jake Rucker, 3B, Tennessee
Phillip Sikes, OF, TCU
Landon Sims, RP, Mississippi State
Brady Slavens, 1B, Arkansas
Trey Sweeney, SS, Eastern Illinois
Trenton Jamison, 3B, Alabama State
Carter Trice, 2B, Old Dominion
Gavin Williams, SP, East Carolina
Aaron Zavala, OF, Oregon