CWS Legends Team Voting Underway

FROM NCAA RELEASE

INDIANAPOLIS—To commemorate the final Series being played in Omaha’s Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium during the 2010 Men’s College World Series, the NCAA is asking baseball fans to  help select the College World Series Legends Team.

The Legends Team will represent those student-athletes who had the best CWS performances throughout the 60 years the event has been played at Rosenblatt Stadium.

The team will consist of 27 members: two former student-athletes per fielding position, four pitchers, two designated hitters, three head coaches and two “utility players”. The utility players will be determined after fan voting has completed, and will represent those student-athletes deserving recognition who may not have been selected by fans, media and coaches at a particular position.

“We could not think of a better way to celebrate the rich history of Rosenblatt Stadium and the fans that have made the NCAA College World Series the signature event it is than providing those who have long-supported the Series with the opportunity to select the College World Series Legends Team,” said Dennis Poppe, NCAA vice president for baseball and football.

The 95 nominees include every former student-athlete who was voted onto a previous CWS anniversary team (25th, 50th and all-decade teams), as well as individuals who played in the last 14 years as determined by a blue-ribbon panel from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, the Omaha World-Herald and NCAA staff.

“It’s really remarkable when you stop and think about all of the great student-athletes who have participated in the College World Series for the past 60 years at Omaha’s Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium,” said Jack Diesing Jr., president of College World Series of Omaha, Inc. “CWS fans have come to love and appreciate the passion these student-athletes brought to the Series, so it is appropriate that the fans have this opportunity to help select the CWS Legends Team.”

The nominees and how to vote can be found by logging on to NCAA.com/cws, and each person logging on to vote will only be able to submit their votes one time. Voting for the team is to be based solely on the former student-athletes’ performance when they were competing in the NCAA College World Series, and not for any regular season or post-collegiate performances.

The final CWS Legends Team roster will be announced in early May.

Those CWS Legends Team members will be invited to attend the final College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium as guests of the NCAA. The members will be formally honored during the CWS Opening Ceremonies on Friday, June 18, and invited to attend the first day of CWS competition on
Saturday, June 19.

Tickets for the 2010 NCAA Men’s College World Series go on sale April 3 and can be purchased by calling or logging on to www.ticketmaster.com. For more information on the Legends Team and the 2010 Men’s College World Series, log on NCAA.com/cws.