COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (NCBWA) – Five of college baseball's
top relief specialists have been selected as finalists for the ninth
annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper
of the Year Award, the NCBWA announced Wednesday.
This year's finalists include NCAA saves leader Tyler Rogers
of Austin Peay along with David Berg of UCLA,
Jonathan Holder of
Mississippi State, Michael Lorenzen of Cal State Fullerton, and
Jimmie Sherfy of Oregon.
Rogers, with an NCAA-leading and single-season record-tying 23
saves, was named the Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year
this season. The Governors finished the season in the finals of
the Bloomington Regional on June 2. Rogers, a senior from Littleton,
Colo., finished 7-2 with a 1.63 earned run average. In 49.2 innings
pitched and 41 appearances, he recorded 41 strikeouts and allowed
just nine earned runs and a .169 opponent batting average.
Berg, a sophomore from Covina, Calif., has 20 saves with a 6-0
record and earned Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year honors this season,
while helping the Bruins advance to the NCAA Super Regional at Cal
State Fullerton later this week. In 67 innings pitched and 44 appearances,
Berg has allowed just six earned runs and seven walks with 69 strikeouts.
He has an 0.81 ERA and an opponent batting average of .190.
Holder earned first team All-SEC honors this season while posting
a 2-0 record with 17 saves. He has a 1.17 earned run average and
81 strikeouts over his 46 innings of work in 29 appearances. The
sophomore from Gulfport, Miss., has allowed just six earned runs,
while holding opponents to a .149 batting average. The Bulldogs
will face Virginia in this week’s NCAA Super Regionals.
Lorenzen, also one of the top utility players in the nation,
earned first team All-Big West honors as an outfielder and closer
for the second season in a row. The junior from Anaheim, Calif.,
owns a 3-0 record and 19 saves in 22 appearances. He has led the
Titans to NCAA Super Regionals this season with a 1.99 earned run
average and an opponent batting average of .205. He made allowed
just five earned runs and has struck out 20 batters in 33.3 innings
pitched.
Sherfy, a finalist for the second year in a row, helped Oregon
to a school record 48 wins and NCAA Regionals. The junior from Camarillo,
Calif., native earned first team All-Pac-12 honors. In 40.0 innings
of work, he was 2-0 and owned a 2.25 ERA with 21 saves and 55 strikeouts.
Opponents hit .229 off of Sherfy in 38 appearances.
More than 90 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.
The NCBWA's All-America Committee will select the winner, with
this year's recipient to be announced Saturday morning, June 15,
at a news conference at TD Ameritrade Park at 10 a.m. CT.
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
and Luke Prihoda of Sam Houston State winning it in 2007. Georgia’s
Joshua Fields topped the field in 2008, San Diego State’s Addison
Reed grabbed the honor in 2009 and Texas’ Chance Ruffin took the
honor in 2010. Corey Knebel of Texas won in 2011, with Southeastern
Louisiana's Stefan Lopez picking up the honor in 2012.
The NCBWA, founded in 1962, presents the Dick Howser Trophy to
the nation's top player. It also selects All-America Teams for all
Divisions, a Division I Freshman All-American team, Division I and
III Players of the Week, Division I District Players of the Year
and Division III Players of the Year.
For more information on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year, contact
Judy Willson at the Mountain West Conference at 719-488-4052 or
Russ Anderson at Conference USA at 214-774-1300.
2013 NCBWA Stopper of the Year key dates:
• Thurs., Feb. 7: Preseason Watch List
• Tues., April 23: Midseason Watch List
• Wed., June 5: Stopper of the Year finalists announced
• Sat., June 15: NCBWA Stopper of the Year announced (Omaha, Neb.)
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