Key facts
- Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson has won the Dick Howser Trophy as college baseball's player of the year.
- Jackson is the second Georgia player in three years to win the award, following Charlie Condon in 2024.
- He leads the SEC in batting average (.396), home runs (31), and RBIs (86), and has 26 stolen bases.
- Jackson is also a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award.
- Texas freshman Sam Cozart was named Stopper of the Year, and West Virginia's Steve Sabins was national coach of the year.
Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson has been awarded the Dick Howser Trophy as the national player of the year in college baseball, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association announced Friday. Jackson is the second Georgia player in three years to win the honor, following Charlie Condon in 2024, and the fifth from the Southeastern Conference in six years.
Jackson, a junior from Sandy Springs, led the SEC in batting average (.396), home runs (31), and RBIs (86), and also recorded 26 stolen bases. He is tied for third nationally in home runs and fourth in slugging percentage (.837). He is also a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, given to the top amateur baseball player in the country.
During the award ceremony, Jackson expressed gratitude to his family, coaches, and teammates. He specifically thanked his father, stepmother Brandi, and sister Alex. He also acknowledged his head coach Wes Johnson and teammate Kolby Branch.
The NCBWA also announced that Texas freshman Sam Cozart was selected as the Stopper of the Year, and West Virginia's Steve Sabins was named the national coach of the year. The Dick Howser Trophy is named for the former Florida State All-American, MLB All-Star, and World Series-winning manager who died in 1987.