GREEENVILLE, N.C. (NCBWA) – As the calendar
gets ready to turn to May for the 2019 collegiate baseball season,
45 of the sports top relief pitchers have been named to the Midseason
Update for the 15th annual National Collegiate Baseball
Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, members
of the association announced Wednesday.
Five of the 45 players were on the preseason watch list released
in February, including Stanford's Jake Little, who is the only returner
among last year's five finalists for an award given annually to
the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball. After registering
16 saves as a freshman in 2018, Little has eight on the year in
15 appearances.
Among the newcomers to the watch list are the nation's top three
saves leaders. UT Arlington's Andrew Gross has a NCAA-best 16 saves
as senior, while Illinois' Garrett Action (13) and Harvard's Kieran
Shaw (12) round out the Top 3. Twelve players on the list have already
registered double-digit saves, according to the latest NCAA stats.
There are 23 conferences represented on the list with the Southeastern
Conference leading the way with seven relief pitchers. The Big Ten,
Mountain West Conference and Pac-12 each have three on the list,
while 30 of the 45 on the watch list are upperclassmen.
2019 NCBWA STOPPER OF THE YEAR MIDSEASON WATCH LIST |
Garrett Action |
Illinois |
Jr. |
Big Ten |
Jaime Arias |
Fresno State |
So. |
Mountain West |
Evan Brabrand |
Liberty |
Sr. |
A-Sun |
Trey Braithwaite |
Navy |
So. |
Patriot |
Tyler Brown |
Vanderbilt |
So. |
SEC |
Parker Caracci |
Ole Miss |
R-Jr. |
SEC |
Jackson Cofer |
UNLV |
Sr. |
Mountain West |
Matt Cronin |
Arkansas |
Jr. |
SEC |
Fineas Del Bonta-Smith |
San Jose State |
Sr. |
Mountain West |
J.C. Flowers |
Florida State |
Jr. |
ACC |
Jacob Gilmore |
Illinois State |
So. |
Missouri Valley |
Cole Gordon |
Mississippi State |
Sr. |
SEC |
Nick Grabek |
Fairfield |
So. |
MAAC |
Zack Greene |
South Alabama |
Sr. |
Sun Belt |
Cody Greenhill |
Auburn |
So. |
SEC |
Andrew Gross |
UT Arlington |
Sr. |
Sun Belt |
Connor Hinchiffe |
La Salle |
Sr. |
Atlantic 10 |
Alek Jacob |
Gonzaga |
So. |
West Coast |
Stephen Jones |
Samford |
Sr. |
Southern |
Kasey Kalich |
Texas A&M |
So. |
SEC |
Connor Knutson |
Portland |
Jr. |
West Coast |
Jack Little |
Stanford |
So. |
Pac-12 |
Grant Leonard |
Iowa |
Jr. |
Big Ten |
Brandon Lewis |
Abilene Christian |
Sr. |
Southland |
Chris Lincoln |
UC Santa Barbara |
Jr. |
Big West |
Reeves Martin |
New Orleans |
Jr. |
Southland |
Jeremiah McCollum |
Florida A&M |
So. |
MEAC |
Hunter McGarry |
FGCU |
Jr. |
A-Sun |
Jack Mulholland |
Oregon State |
Jr. |
Pac-12 |
Nathan Ocker |
Charleston |
Sr. |
Colonial |
Holden Powell |
UCLA |
So. |
Pac-12 |
Taylor Rashi |
UC Irvine |
Sr. |
Big West |
Jason Ruffcorn |
Oklahoma |
Jr. |
Big 12 |
Kieran Shaw |
Harvard |
Jr. |
Ivy League |
Zach Schneider |
FAU |
Sr. |
Conference USA |
Aaron Schunk |
Georgia |
Jr. |
SEC |
Braxton Smith |
Louisiana Tech |
Sr. |
Conference USA |
Carson Spiers |
Clemson |
Jr. |
ACC |
Chad Sykes |
UNC Greensboro |
Sr. |
Southern |
Jonah Ulane |
Kansas |
So. |
Big 12 |
Fred Villarreal |
Houston |
Jr. |
American |
Jacob Wallace |
UConn |
Jr. |
American |
Willie Weiss |
Michigan |
Fr. |
Big Ten |
Connor Whalen |
Southern |
Sr. |
SWAC |
Chris Wright |
Bryant |
Jr. |
Northeast |
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 David 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. Miami
(Fla.)’s Bryan Garcia was honored as the 2016 recipient followed
by Louisville’s Lincoln Henzman in 2017 and Florida’s Michael
Byrne last year.
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.
2019 NCBWA Stopper of the Year key dates:
• Mon., Feb. 11: Preseason Watch List
• Wed., April 24: Midseason Watch List
• Thu., June 6: Stopper of the Year finalists announced
• Sat., June 15: Stopper of the Year winner announced
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