Russell D. Anderson/Wilbur Snypp Award

NCBWA Russell D. Anderson/Wilbur Snypp Award

The plaque memorializes longtime Ohio State Sports Information Director and NCBWA founder, the late Wilbur (Bill) Snypp. Snypp was a noted contributor to the writers' organization, which was initiated in 1962, as well as an officer in the group. Since 1975, the Wilbur Snypp Award has honored a professional for contributions to the sport of college baseball. As of 2021, the award also memorializes the cherished Russell D. Anderson – treasurer and associate executive director for the NCBWA for three decades from 1996-2021 before passing away April 5, 2021. Anderson was awarded the top honor given by the NCBWA in 2002 for his sterling efforts.

Voting is conducted by a panel of previous winners, who include past NCAA College World Series directors, College Sports Information Directors of America Hall of Fame members, decorated media members, and others.

April 15, 2021: NCBWA honors the late Russ Anderson by adding his name to its service award

2023 Recipient: Ryan Bomberger
Bomberger has been the baseball SID at Liberty since 2004 and has put in countless hours towards publicizing and advancing college baseball. He has volunteered his time with the NCBWA since 2005 before earning a spot on the board of directors in 2007.

2022 Recipient: John Cox
Cox has been director of sports broadcasting at USM since 1979 and is a legend in the world of college broadcasting. He started his career at USM as play-by-play broadcaster for Golden Eagles football, basketball and baseball along with duties as assistant media relations director in athletics to the late Ace Cleveland.

2021 Recipient: Kevin Kugler
The Nebraska native has been busy year round with NCAA football and basketball telecasts as well as the Westwood One Radio Game of the Week in the National Football League. He began daily coverage in broadcasts and sports talk for the NCAA World Series in 2000 and has been part of dozens of historic contests since the series moved to Omaha, Neb., in 1950 – actually before his birth. During his days with SportsTalk Radio 1620 in Omaha, he was onsite virtually every day with live remote coverage and guests from all walks of college baseball life.

2020 Recipient: Malcolm Gray
Malcolm Gray, a regular staff member at the NCAA Baseball World Series, longtime NCBWA officer/board member and president of NCBWA in 2016-17, has been chosen as the 46th recipient of the prestigious Wilbur Snypp Award, presented annually by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association for outstanding contributions to college baseball. Vital to the organization as co-editor of the annual NCBWA directory with Liberty's Ryan Bomberger, compiler of all-star teams and NCBWA Top 30 poll voter, Gray is a 1996 graduate of East Carolina and has worked as baseball publicist for the Pirates, secondary football media contact and ECU golf contact for 21 years.

ALL-TIME RUSSELL D. ANDERSON/WILBUR SNYPP AWARD WINNERS
1975 Wilbur Snypp, Ohio State
1976 Bill Esposito, St. John's
1977 Phil Langan, Cornell
1978 John Geis, Southern Conference
1979 Hank Schomber, Georgia Southern
1980 Bob Culp, Western Michigan
1981 Lou Pavlovich Sr., Collegiate Baseball
1982 Tom Price, South Carolina
1983 Bob Bradley, Clemson
1984 Robert Williams, Omaha World-Herald
1985 Jerry Miles, NCAA
1986 Larry Keefe, Seton Hall
1987 Tom Rowen, San Jose Mercury-News
1988 Fred Gerardi, KESY Radio, Omaha
1989 Jim Wright, NCAA
1990 Steve Weller, SIU-Edwardsville
1991 Bill Little, Texas
1992 Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman
1993 Bo Carter, Southwest Conference
1994 Lou Pavlovich Jr., Collegiate Baseball
1995 Steve Pivovar, Omaha World-Herald
1996 Gary Johnson, NCAA
1997 Dave Wohlhueter, Cornell
1998 Allen Simpson, Baseball America
1999 Alan Cannon, Texas A&M
2000 Jim Callis, Baseball America
2001 Dick Case, USA Baseball
2002 Russ Anderson, Conference USA
2003 John Manuel, Baseball America
2004 Dana Heiss Grodin, USA Today Sports Weekly
2005 Dennis Poppe, NCAA
2006 Mike Montoro, Southern Miss
2007 Barry Allen, Alabama
2008 Mike Patrick, ESPN
2009 Al Chase, Honolulu Star-Bulletin
2010 Lou Spry, NCAA
2011 Jeremy Mills, ESPN/D1Baseball.com
2012 Eric Olson, Omaha World Herald
2013 J.D. Hamilton, NCAA
2014 John Sullivan, Rice
2015 David Feaster, Dick Howser Trophy
2016 Ralph Zobell, BYU
2017 Aaron Fitt, D1Baseball.com
2018 Kyle Peterson, ESPN
2019 Jim Ellis, Mississippi State
2020 Malcolm Gray, East Carolina
2021 Kevin Kugler, Broadcaster
2022 John Cox, Voice of Southern Miss
2023 Ryan Bomberger, Liberty