GAINESVILLE, Fla. (NCBWA) – Seventy players have been named to the initial 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 Monday.
Missouri State junior Bryan Young, one of the five finalists for the 2015 Stopper of the Year Award, as well as George Washington junior Eddie Muhl, who tied for the national lead in saves last season, headline this year's list of preseason nominees. Young was a 2015 NCBWA first-team All-American after posting a single-season school-record 16 saves, a perfect 7-0 record and a 1.30 ERA in 41.2 innings as the Bears advanced to Super Regionals, while Muhl set an Atlantic 10 Conference single-season record with 17 saves and had a 2.13 ERA for the Colonials.
Fifteen of the players on the Watch List notched double-digit saves last season, while a total of 10 individuals also earned NCBWA Preseason All-America honors: Nolan Blackwood (Memphis), Zack Burdi (Louisville), Bryan Garcia (Miami), Thomas Hackimer (St. John's), Zach Jackson (Arkansas), Dylan Moore (Louisiana), Stephen Nogosek (Oregon), Conner O'Neil (CSUN), Wyatt Short (Ole Miss) and Young.
The Atlantic Coast Conference led the way with 10 players on this year's Watch List, while the Big Ten and Pacific-12 each had eight honorees and the Southeastern Conferences had seven. The Big South, Colonial and Sun Belt each had four and a total of 18 different conferences were represented.
Nominations for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award were made by baseball sports information/media relations contacts. The 2016 Stopper of the Year Watch List will be updated with a midseason release on Wednesday, April 27, including the national saves leaders. At the conclusion of the regular season, the Division I national saves leader and four other relief pitching standouts will be selected as finalists and released Wednesday, June 8, prior to start of NCAA Super Regional competition.
The NCBWA's All-America Committee will select the winner, with this year's recipient to be announced at 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.