Two Blue Devils baseball players named semifinalists for Dick Howser Trophy

The Dick Howser Trophy is awarded to the nation’s best college baseball player every year, and two Blue Devils are among the players still in contention.

The Dick Howser Trophy Committee revealed its 68 semifinalists for the award on Thursday, and two Duke Blue Devils made the cut.

The award is given to the nation’s best baseball player every year, as voted on by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and Duke reliever Charlie Beilenson and third baseman Ben Miller both appeared on the trimmed list.

Beilenson leads the Blue Devils with 27 appearances on the mound so far this season. His 2.01 ERA is the second-lowest on the team among pitchers with 10 trips to the mound, and he’s racked up a 5-2 record with 11 saves.

Across 49.1 innings pitched this season, the Duke closer has allowed 31 hits against 72 strikeouts. He’s only allowed a run in five of his 27 appearances.

At the plate, Miller has batted .410 for the season. He’s hit 17 doubles, 13 home runs, and batted in 42 runs, adding up to a slugging percentage of 0.727. He’s also drawn 15 walks, meaning he gets on base in 49.1% of his at-bats.

The two get a chance to make more of a statement for the award over the weekend with a three-game series against North Carolina at home.