Aggie first baseman Chris Auten was named to the 2009 Preseason Watch list for the Brooks Wallace Player of the Year. Auten is a senior and finished the season hitting .365 in 60 games. Auten drove in 56 runs and hit 10 home runs, 24 doubles in 252 at bats. Auten was a solid defender for the Aggies as he recorded a .986 fielding percentage with just eight errors on the season.

Auten was second on the team in hitting percentage and fourth in slugging percentage (.579) and second on the team in on base percentage at .452. His 62 runs scored were tied for third on the team. His 92 hits and 24 doubles were both team highs. He was also second on the team in walks drawn with 39.

Chris appeared in 60 of the Aggies' 61 games and he started in all 60 of his appearances last season.

About the Brooks Wallace Award
LUBBOCK, TX - –The College Baseball Foundation is proud to announce its partnership with Mizuno to bring you the pre-season release of the 2009 Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Watch List. The Wallace Award is presented annually to the nation’'s top collegiate baseball player in conjunction with the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. The 2009 award banquet will be at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 2, in the United Spirit Arena on the campus of Texas Tech University.

There are a dozen players returning to the “Wallace Watch List” who were a part of the 2008 Brooks Wallace Watch List of 64. The list includes Josh Phegley (Indiana), Chris Dominguez (Louisville) and Stephen Strasburg (San Diego). The University of North Carolina has returners: Alex White, Kyle Seager and 2008 Brooks Wallace Award semi-finalist Dustin Ackley.

“We look forward to another great year of college baseball. The College Baseball Foundation continues to expand in many areas and we are excited to acknowledge and award achievements and outstanding character on and off the diamond,” said Raymond Richardson, chairman of Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year Award.

The Wallace Award is dedicated to the memory of former Texas Tech player and assistant coach Brooks Wallace. Wallace was a slick-fielding shortstop at Texas Tech from 1977 to 1980. A four-year starter, he was named All-Southwest Conference and All-District his senior year. He led the Red Raiders to their first-ever appearance in the Southwest Conference Tournament in 1980.

After playing two years in the Texas Rangers organization, he returned to Texas Tech and served as a graduate assistant and later as an assistant coach. In the summer of 1984, he was diagnosed with cancer and fought the disease courageously until his death on March 24, 1985, at age 27. The Plano, Texas, native was married to the former Sandy Arnold and they had one daughter, Lindsay Ryan.

Brooks Wallace National Player of the Year Award –Past Winners
2008 Buster Posey, Catcher, Florida State
2007 David Price, Pitcher, Vanderbilt
2006 Brad Lincoln, Pitcher/DH, Houston
2005 Alex Gordon, 3B, Nebraska
2004 Kurt Suzuki, Catcher, Cal State Fullerton