GAINESVILLE, Fla. (NCBWA) – Five of college
baseball's top relief specialists have been selected as finalists
for the 12th annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers
Association Stopper of the Year Award as announced by the
NCBWA on Wednesday. Two of the honorees are semifinalists for the
Dick Howser Trophy, the award presented by the NCBWA to the nation’s
top player, and three have been named All-Americans.
This year's finalists are NCAA saves leader Sam Donko
of VCU, along with Shaun Anderson of Florida,
Zack Burdi of Louisville, Bryan Garcia
of Miami (Fla.) and Troy Rallings of Washington.
Donko, who occupies the national lead in saves with 20, garnered
All-Atlantic 10 first-team honors this year, helping the Rams to
a 38-19 overall record and a semifinal appearance at the Atlantic
10 Tournament. The junior right-hander appeared in 30 games, recording
53 strikeouts with 16 earned runs and 14 walks allowed in 54.2 innings
of work. Donko was 3-2 with a 2.63 ERA and an opponent batting average
of .233 as VCU secured a runner-up finish in the A-10 standings.
Anderson was named a Louisville Slugger second-team All-American
and first-team All-Southeastern Conference recipient and has matched
Florida’s single-season school record for saves with 13. The junior
right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.05 ERA in 43 innings over 33 appearances,
allowing 30 hits and six walks while striking out 56 and holding
opponents to a .195 batting average. Anderson and the Gators (50-13)
earned the No. 1 national seed in the 2016 NCAA Tournament and UF
swept through the Gainesville Regional with a 3-0 mark, setting
up another Super Regional showdown versus Florida State.
Burdi, a second-team Louisville Slugger All-American and first-team
All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, has helped Louisville to
a 50-12 campaign and the Cardinals’ fourth straight NCAA Super Regional
appearance. He has 11 saves and is 1-2 with a 2.20 ERA in 26 appearances
and has been part of seven shutouts. Burdi has thrown 28.2 innings,
allowing eight hits and walking seven batters, while striking out
46 and holding opponents to a .155 batting average. The junior right-hander
will be in action this weekend as the No. 2 national seed Cardinals
host UCSB for a berth in the NCAA College World Series.
Garcia was named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and
earned third-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors after helping
Miami earn the|ACC|regular-season championship and the No. 3 national
seed in the NCAA Tournament. The junior right-hander has 16 saves,
tied for third in the nation, and a 2-0 record with a 2.04 ERA in
35.1 innings over 32 appearances. He has allowed 25 hits and 17
walks while striking out 52, holding opponents to a .191 batting
average. Garcia established the school’s career saves record on
May 26 at the|ACC|Championship against NC State with his 40th save
and the Hurricanes (48-11) will face Boston College in a Super Regional
matchup looking for a return trip to Omaha.
A semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes
Award, Rallings earned Louisville Slugger first-team All-American
honors and was named the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year. He collected
16 saves and posted a 4-1 record in 28 appearances, notching a 0.89
ERA and allowing 32 hits and 12 walks over 61 innings, while striking
out 65 batters and holding foes to a .155 clip. The senior right-hander
became the third Husky hurler ever to earn first-team All-American
honors and the first since Tim Lincecum in 2006. Among Rallings’
16 saves, tied for third-most in the country, only one fit the conventions
of what a typical closer records – three outs or less. He had eight
saves that were four to six outs and six saves that were seven to
nine outs. He leads the nation in WHIP (0.72) and ranks second in
ERA (0.89). Rallings helped Washington to a 33-23 overall record,
a second-place showing in the Pac-12 and an appearance at the NCAA
Nashville Regional.
The NCBWA's All-America Committee will select the winner, with
this year's recipient to be announced Saturday morning, June 18,
at a news conference at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha 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 earned the
honor in 2010. The Longhorns’ Corey Knebel won in 2011, with Southeastern
Louisiana's Stefan Lopez picking up the honor in 2012. UCLA’s Berg
was crowned the winner in 2013, Louisville’s Nick Burdi took home
the 2014 honor and Berg became the award's first two-time winner
in 2015.
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,
II and III Players of the Week and Division I, II and III Players
of the Year.
2016 NCBWA Stopper of the Year key dates:
• Mon., Feb. 15: Preseason Watch List
• Thu., April 28: Midseason Watch List
• Wed., June 8: Stopper of the Year finalists announced
• Sat., June 18: Stopper of the Year winner announced
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