GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Forty players have been named to the Midseason Watch List for the 12th annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball, the association announced Thursday.
VCU junior Sam Donko, the national saves leader with 15, highlights the 2016 Midseason Watch List, while seven players have 11 saves with four weeks left in the regular season. Penn State senior Jack Anderson has 10 saves and a 0.65 ERA in 41.1 innings, Washington senior Troy Rallings has 11 saves and a 0.78 ERA in 21 appearances spanning 46 innings, while Clemson junior Pat Krall is 6-1 with a 0.79 ERA in 45.2 innings across 19 appearances, UCSB sophomore Kyle Nelson is a perfect 6-0 with a 1.07 ERA and Jacksonville State redshirt sophomore Justin Hoyt has 10 saves and has not yielded any earned runs in 17 appearances.
The Southeastern Conference led the way with five players on this year’s Midseason Watch List, Conference USA and the Pacific-12 each had four honorees and the Atlantic Coast Conference had three. A total of 20 different conferences were represented.
The NCBWA will announce five finalists for the 2016 Stopper of the Year – the Division I national saves leader and four other relief pitching standouts – on Wednesday, June 8, prior to the start of NCAA Super Regional competition. The NCBWA’s All-America Committee will select the winner, with this year’s recipient to be announced during the 2016 College World Series.
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 and III Players of the Week, Division I District Players of the Year and Division III Players of the Year.
2016 NCBWA MIDSEASON STOPPER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST
Pitcher School Class Conference
Jack Anderson Penn State Sr. Big Ten
Shaun Anderson Florida Jr. Southeastern
Adam Atkins Louisiana Tech Sr. Conference USA
Tyler Beardsley Sacramento State Sr. Western Athletic
Andrew Beckwith Coastal Carolina Jr. Big South
Ben Bowden Vanderbilt Jr. Southeastern
Tyler Buffett Oklahoma State Jr. Big 12
Thomas Burrows Alabama Jr. Southeastern
Bobby Dalbec Arizona Jr. Pacific-12
Sam Donko VCU Jr. Atlantic 10
Seth Elledge Dallas Baptist So. Missouri Valley
Max Engelbrekt Oregon State R.-Jr. Pacific-12
Bryan Garcia Miami (FL) Jr. Atlantic Coast
David Gerber Creighton Jr. Big East
Matthew Gorst Georgia Tech Jr. Atlantic Coast
Kade Granier Southeastern Louisiana So. Southland
Thomas Hackimer St. John’s Sr. Big East
Justin Hoyt Jacksonville State R-So. Ohio Valley
Jimmy Johnson Lamar Jr. Southland
Pat Krall Clemson Jr. Atlantic Coast
Max Kuhns Santa Clara Jr. West Coast
Troy Montemayor Baylor So. Big 12
Dylan Moore Louisiana So. Sun Belt
Eddie Muhl George Washington Jr. Atlantic 10
Kyle Nelson Cal Santa Barbara So. Big West
Stephen Nogosek Oregon Jr. Pacific-12
Conner O’Neil CSUN Jr. Big West
Glenn Otto Rice So. Conference USA
Cameron Ragsdale Florida Atlantic Jr. Conference USA
Troy Rallings Washington Sr. Pacific-12
Iannick Remillard Canisius Sr. Metro Atlantic Athletic
Josh Reagan South Carolina Jr. Southeastern
Chris Rivera Long Beach State Fr. Big West
Nick Sandlin Southern Miss Fr. Conference USA
Wil Sellers Gardner-Webb R-So. Big South
Walker Sheller Stetson Jr. Atlantic Sun
Wyatt Short Ole Miss Jr. Southeastern
Will Stillman Wofford Sr. Southern
Ryan Thomas Marist Jr. Metro Atlantic Athletic
Brady Womacks Oral Roberts Jr. Summit
Bryan Young Missouri State Jr. Missouri Valley
