Tankersley Added to Roger Clemens Award Watch List
5/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- University of Alabama junior left-hand pitcher Taylor Tankersley has been added to ballot for the inaugural 2004 Roger Clemens Award, presented by the Rotary Club of Houston to the top pitcher in collegiate baseball.
The award is named after former Texas All-American and Cy Young Award winner, Roger Clemens, who just recently passed Nolan Ryan for second place on Major League Baseball's All-Time strikeout list, with 4,317 career punchouts.
A native of Vicksburg, Miss., Tankersley has had a solid junior season at Alabama. In 16 games, including seven starts, Tankersley has compiled a 2-3 record and 1.61 ERA, second-best in the SEC this season. On May 3rd, he ranked in the nation among Division I hurlers with a 1.40 ERA this season.
He has worked 61 1/3 innings and allowed 45 hits, 13 runs, 11 earned runs, with 22 walks and 67 strikeouts. Opposing teams are hitting just .211 this year.
Tankersley began the season in the Alabama bullpen and made nine relief appearances for the Crimson Tide and compiled a 1-0 record with three saves and did not allow a run in 16 2/3 innings. He also allowed only 10 hits, with one walk and 21 strikeouts out of the pen.
He has been just as dominating since returning to the starting rotation on April 4, despite pitching for a team that ranks 11th in the SEC in hitting (.280) and has lost nine one-run games this season.
In his seven starts this season, Tankersley is 1-3 with a 2.22 ERA for the Crimson Tide. Alabama has scored a total of 34 runs, with 19 of those runs coming in a rout of arch-rival Auburn on April 18, in his seven starts this year. The junior has suffered losses to Kansas State (2-1), No. 25 Vanderbilt (3-2) and No. 6 LSU (2-1, 8). He pitched seven scoreless innings against No. 9 South Carolina on April 25, only to watch his team drop a 1-0 game in 10 innings.
In 43 2/3 innings, Tankersley has allowed 35 hits, 13 runs and 11 earned runs, with 21 walks and 46 strikeouts as a starter.
The voting for the 2004 Roger Clemens Award begins Wednesday, May 19 when the ballot will be trimmed to the 10 semi finalists. The results of the first round will be announced on May 21 and second round voting will be the following week. The final round of voting will begin on June 21 and run through July 6th.
The 2004 Roger Clemens award will be presented on Wednesday, July 15th in Houston.
