Baseball America Names Howard Freshman Of The Year
June 22, 2000
Coral Gables, FL (www.hurricanesports.com) – University of Miami third baseman Kevin Howard was named the 2000 College Freshman of the Year by Baseball America. Additionally, Howard earned a spot on the Freshman All-America First Team, while teammate Danny Matienzo was placed on the Second Team.
Howard, out of Thousand Oaks, CA and Westlake High School, was the spark in UM’s offense during the 2000 season. He led the team in batting average (.413), hits (90), doubles (22) and total bases (128) in 2000, while placing among the top five in slugging percentage (.587), on-base percentage (.478), runs scored (50), RBI (52), triples (2), walks (29) and sacrifice bunts (4).
Also impressive defensively, Howard was featured on ESPN and CNNSI Plays of the Week earlier in the season for a double play he turned at Florida International on March 28. As UM was clinging to a 5-2 lead over cross-town rival FIU in the bottom of the eighth and runners on first and second, Howard dove towards the third-base line to snag a line drive earmarked for extra bases by right-fielder Hector Nunez. While on his back, Howard threw across his body back to second base to finish off the double play.
Howard, a 22nd-round draft pick by the San Diego Padres in 1999, also established several new freshman records at Miami during his rookie season. He set freshman season records in doubles (22), consecutive times on base (14) and set new single-game records in at bats (8, twice), runs scored (5), doubles (3), home runs (2), total bases (11) and RBI (7).
Additionally, Howard picked up numerous team awards in 2000. He was awarded the team’s Most Valuable Player Trophy and Rookie of the Year. In a fan vote during the entire weekend series against New York Tech, Howard was also named the Arnold Novins Memorial Award recipient, for the most popular player.
Earlier in the postseason, Howard was named the 2000 Co-Freshman of the Year by Collegiate Baseball newspaper, along with Baylor reliever Zane Carlson and LSU second baseman Mike Fontenot. Howard was also named to the ESPN/Baseball Weekly and Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American First Teams, as well.
Freshman first baseman/designated hitter Danny Matienzo was named to Baseball America’s Freshman All-America Second Team. A Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American as well, Matienzo finished third on the team with a .348 batting average. He also placed among the top five in runs scored (45), hits (72), RBI (58), home runs (9) and total bases (110). He tied a freshman season record with two grand slams, against Michigan and FIU.
Matienzo, a graduate of Miami’s Columbus School and a 24th-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins in 1999, was named the 2000 NCAA Coral Gable Regional Most Outstanding Performer as well as All-Tournament. Matienzo assured UM of its seventh consecutive regional championship as he went 3-5 in the championship against FIU with a grand slam, a double, two runs scored and six RBI. For the three regional games against Wagner, FAU and FIU, Matienzo batted .438 with six runs scored, seven hits, one double, two home runs, one grand slam, nine RBI and 14 total bases.
Past Freshmen of the Year winners from the University of Miami were Pat Burrell (1996) and Alex Fernandez (1989). Stanford is the only other program to produce three Freshmen of the Year.
