LUBBOCK, Texas -- Five players from the Southeastern Conference are featured on the initial watch list for the 2012 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award.

The award, named for the Washington State star who achieved success as both a first baseman and a right-handed pitcher, will be presented as part of the annual College Baseball Night of Champions on June 30 in Lubbock, Texas. The event features the presentation of numerous awards and the induction ceremony for this year’s Hall of Fame class.

“The SEC is one of the strongest baseball conferences year in and year out,” said Olerud Award co-chair Aaron Thomas. “So it’s only natural that a number of players from that conference made the watch list. But, we’re excited to see how players from some of the other conferences continue to perform as the season winds down.”

The ACC, Big 10, Big West, Southland and West Coast Conferences all have more than one representative on the list. Two schools -- Georgia Tech and Florida -- have two representatives on the list.

Kevin McKague, a first baseman and right-handed pitcher from Army, leads the watch list honorees with a .382 batting average. He also has four home runs and 12 doubles to go with his 1.46 ERA in 12 1/3 innings. He has five saves on the season. Drew Steckenrider, a right-handed pitcher and outfielder from Tennessee, has 66 strikeouts in 50 innings pitched. He also has a 1.62 ERA and is batting .221 with five home runs and eight doubles.

“The numbers these players are putting up this season are all the more impressive when you consider they’re doing double-duty as both position players and pitchers,” said co-chair Randy Norman. “Each of these guys has numbers that live up to the legacy of John Olerud.”

JOHN OLERUD TWO-WAY PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD WATCH LIST