OMAHA, Neb. (NCBWA) San Diego State relief pitcher
Addison Reed is the 2009 recipient of the National Collegiate
Baseball Writers Association's Stopper of the Year Award, the
NCBWA announced Saturday in Omaha on the opening day of the College
World Series.
Reed recorded a nation-leading 20 saves in 20 opportunities this
season. He finished the season with a microscopic 0.65 earned run
average and 38 strikeouts over his 27.2 innings of work. Reed has
allowed only seven walks, with two of those being intentional passes.
Only one of the 20 hits he allowed in 2009 went for extra bases
(a double vs. Nevada on Feb. 26).
His save total is a new San Diego State and Mountain West Conference
season record, breaking the old mark record of 17 set by Royce Ring
during the 2002 season. The Aztec and conference career marks of
26 are held by Ring as well.
"It's a great honor and I'm very excited to win this award,"
said Reed. "It's a good ending to what was a good season for our
team and the SDSU program."
In being named to the All-Mountain West Conference first team,
he finished league play with six saves and in his nine appearances
in MWC action he allowed only one unearned run on two hits with
four walks (two intentional) and 14 strikeouts. Conference opponents
hit just .065 against him.
Reed, just a sophomore, has received an invitation to the 2009
USA Baseball National Team Trials to be held at the USA Baseball
National Training Complex in Cary, N.C., June 15-24. The National
Team Trials will be comprised of 36 collegiate players vying for
a spot on the final 22-man roster to be announced on June 24.
"We took it for granted that every time we'd send him to the
mound he would get the job done and he did, San Diego State head
coach Tony Gwynn stated. He was perfect in his save opportunities
and was involved in almost half of our 43 wins this past season.
Even when he wasn't at his best he was able to close it out and
help deliver the win."
This year's finalists also included Kyle Bellamy of Miami (Fla.),
Jake Hale of Ohio State , Matty Ott of LSU and Eric Pettis of UC
Irvine. All five relief aces helped their respective teams advance
to the 64-team field of the 2009 NCAA Baseball Tournament.
More than 45 of the nation's top collegiate relief pitchers were
included in the selection process for this year's NCBWA Stopper
of the Year Award, beginning with initial preseason nominations
by baseball contacts at NCAA Division I schools.
Texas hurler J. Brent Cox won the inaugural Stopper of the Year
Award in 2005, with Don Czyz of Kansas claiming the honor in 2006,
Luke Prihoda of Sam Houston State in 2007 and Georgia's Joshua Fields
topping the field last season.
The NCBWA, founded in 1962, presents the Dick Howser Trophy to
the nation's top player. It also selects a Division I All-America
Team, Division I Coach of the Year, Division I and III Players of
the Week, Division I District Players of the Year and Division II
and III Players of the Year.
The Stopper of the Year will also be recognized on the College
Baseball Awards show, July 2 in Lubbock, Texas. This event will
feature the presentation of the Dick Howser Trophy to the National
Player of the Year. Other awards scheduled to be presented during
the show include the Brooks Wallace Award, honoring the nation's
best shortstop, and the Pitcher of the Year Award. All of the NCBWA
season awards will be recognized during the show.
For more information on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year, contact
Chuck Dunlap at the Southeastern Conference at 205-458-3000 or Russ
Anderson at Conference USA at 214-774-1351.
2009 NCBWA Stopper of the Year key dates:
Tues., Feb. 17: Preseason Watch List
Thurs., April 16: Midseason Watch List
Wed., June 3: Stopper of the Year finalists announced
Sat., June 13: NCBWA Stopper of the Year announced
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