LUBBOCK, Texas — The newest watch list for the Pitcher of the Year Award features two hurlers with sub-1.00 earned run averages and five with triple-digit strikeout totals.
The Pitcher of the Year Award, sponsored by Diamond, will be presented during the National College Baseball Hall of Fame’s annual Night of Champions on June 28 in Lubbock, Texas.
Oklahoma State’s Brendan McCurry leads the watch list in lowest ERA, with a miniscule 0.45 ERA in 40 innings pitched. Close on his heals is Oregon State’s Ben Wetzler, who has a 0.94 ERA in 77 innings. McCurry has given up only seven walks and has 16 saves.
“To have come through the regular season and have an ERA below [1.00] is very impressive,” said Chris Snead, Pitcher of the Year Award co-chair. “Of course, that’s only one category we look at, but that’s a great accomplishment.”
The five pitchers with triple-digit strikeouts are Evansville’s Kyle Freeland, who has 122 strikeouts in 94 2/3 innings; LSU’s Aaron Nola, who has 120 strikeouts in 101 2/3 innings; UC Irvine’s Andrew Morales, who has 111 strikeouts in 101 2/3 innings; Florida International’s Mike Franco with 107 strikeouts in 95 2/3 innings; and Seton Hall’s Josh Prevost, who has 104 strikeouts in 107 1/3 innings.
“Those five guys have tallied remarkably high strikeout totals and have eaten up a lot of innings for their teams,” said Raymond Richardson, Pitcher of the Year Award co-chair. “Their inning totals speak to their durability, and their strikeout totals speak to their dominance of hitters.”
For more information on the Pitcher of the Year Award of the College Baseball Hall of Fame’s Night of Champions, visit www.collegebaseballhall.org.
PITCHER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
NAME TEAM CONFERENCE
Nick Howard Virginia ACC
Nathan Kirby Virginia ACC
Michael Murray Florida Gulf Coast Atlantic Sun
Brendan McCurry Oklahoma State Big 12
Josh Prevost Seton Hall Big East
Casey Bloomquist Cal Poly Big West
Sam Moore UC Irvine Big West
Andrew Morales UC Irvine Big West
Mike Franco Florida International Conference USA
Blake Fox Rice Conference USA
Kyle Freeland Evansville Missouri Valley
Jace Fry Oregon State Pac-12
Ben Wetzler Oregon State Pac-12
Tyler Davis Washington Pac-12
Aaron Nola LSU SEC
Carson Baranik Louisiana – Lafayette Sun Belt
Sam Street UT-Pan American WAC
Aaron Brown Pepperdine West Coast
