DALLAS (NCBWA) – Seventy-six players have been named to the initial 2025 Watch List for the 20th 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 Wednesday. The institution or conference sports information directors submitted nominees.
TCU’s Ben Abeldt, the lone finalist from 2024 and a 2025 NCBWA First-Team All-America selection, held a 1.83 earned run average with eight saves and a 3-0 record in 26 appearances. Thirteen preseason NCBWA All-America selections made the list. The first teamers include Abeldt (TCU), Brian Curley (Georgia), Stone Cushing (BYU), Matthew Matthijs (North Carolina) and Nate Snead (Tennessee). Cushing collected 10 saves in 34.1 innings pitched, while striking out 46 and walking just 25 in 29 appearances. Curley, who played at VCU in 2024, went 6-0 with a 2.87 ERA and three saves in 78.1 innings pitched. Matthijs, a junior at UNC, went 12-4 last season, allowing just 24 earned runs on 49 hits in 36 appearances. Snead registered six saves with a 10-2 record in 75.1 innings of work, allowing 26 earned runs on 71 hits and notching 61 strikeouts.
Second teamers include Kade Brown (Sacramento State), Reece Lawler (Illinois-Chicago), Ruger Riojas (Texas) and Cole Tryba (UC Santa Barbara). Third-team selections include David Boisvert (Duke), Christian Foutch (Arkansas), Ethan Norby (East Carolina) and Gavin Van Kempen (West Virginia).
The Atlantic Coast Conference led the way with the most representatives with 11 players followed by the Southeastern Conference with nine. The Big 12 Conference and Mid-American Conference followed with six players each, while the American Athletic Conference and Sun Belt Conference each had five.Of the initial 76 members, eight were featured on last year's midseason watch list. In total, 19 conferences are represented on this list, with at least two players coming from 13 different leagues.
Following is the complete 2025 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List:
| 2025 STOPPER OF THE YEAR PRESEASON WATCH LIST (FEB. 12) | ||
| Ben Abeldt, TCU, Jr. | Simon Gregersen, Kentucky, Sr. | Will Parkinson, Columbia, Sr. |
| Davis Aiken, College of Charleston, Sr. | Miller Green, Vanderbilt, So. | Erik Paulsen, Stony Brook, So. |
| Matt Alduino, Quinnipiac, Jr. | Gavin Guidry, LSU, Jr. | Kyle Percival, North Carolina, Jr. |
| Cam Allen, Wright State, So. | Brock Hill, UAB, Sr. | Garrett Peters, Wright State, Sr. |
| John Armstrong, Auburn, Sr. | Cal Higgins, WKU, Sr. | Owen Pierce, William & Mary, Jr. |
| Max Bayles, Santa Clara, So. | Casey Hintz, Arizona, Jr. | Tony Pluta, Arizona, Jr. |
| Andrew Behnke, Tennessee, Jr. | Robert Hogan, Kentucky, Sr. | Devin Pressley, Gardner-Webb, R-Jr. |
| Tucker Biven, Louisville, Jr. | Sean Hollister, Presbyterian, Sr. | Owen Proksch, Duke, Jr. |
| David Boisvert, Duke, Sr. | Chase Hungate, Mississippi State, Sr. | Walter Quinn, Grand Canyon, R-Jr. |
| Luke Broderick, Nebraska, Jr. | Joe Husak, Illinois State, Sr. | Hunter Royal, Little Rock, Sr. |
| Kade Brown, Sacramento State, R-So. | Chase Ingram, UAB, Jr. | Ruger Riojas, Texas, Jr. |
| Drew Buhr, Indiana, Gr. | Landon Kruer, Navy, Sr. | Andrew Rubayo, Quinnipiac, Jr. |
| Carson Byers, Miami (Ohio), Jr. | Max Kuhle, James Madison, Jr. | Brayden Sanders, Memphis, Sr. |
| Peyton Cariaco, Kent State, Sr. | Tommy Lamar, Lehigh, Jr. | Dalton Smith, Kansas, Jr. |
| Dominick Carbone, Coastal Carolina, So. | Reece Lawler, UIC, R-Sr. | Derrick Smith, NC State, Jr. |
| Dominic Castellano, UCF, Sr. | Caden Leonard, Kent State, Sr. | Nate Snead, Tennessee, Jr. |
| Brian Curley, Georgia, Jr. | Lucas Litteral, WKU, Jr. | Kris Sosnowski, UCF, R-Jr. |
| Stone Cushing, BYU, Sr. | Carter Lovasz, William & Mary, Sr. | Anthony Steele, Penn State, Sr. |
| Spencer Dessart, California, Jr. | Matthew Matthijs, North Carolina, Jr. | Jacob Tabor, Toledo, So. |
| Turner Doran, Western Michigan, Sr. | Jacob Moore, Tulane, R-Jr. | Dylan Theut, Louisiana, R-Sr. |
| Jacob Dudan, NC State, So. | Trevor Moore, Stanford, Jr. | Drew Titsworth, Clemson, So. |
| Tate Evans, Yale, Jr. | Hayden Murphy, Auburn, Jr. | Cole Tryba, UC Santa Barbara, So. |
| Jacob Faulkner, Princeton, Sr. | Austin Newton, USF, Jr. | Gavin Van Kempen, West Virginia, Jr. |
| Christian Foutch, Arkansas, Jr. | Ethan Norby, East Carolina, So. | Jaden Varner, Kent State, R-Jr. |
| Luke Gainer, Omaha, Sr. | Toran O’Harran, Stanford, Jr. | Harrison Wilson, Winthrop , Jr. |
| John Gillis, South Alabama, Gr. | ||
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 the Cardinal's Lincoln Henzman in 2017, Florida's Michael Byrne in 2018, UCLA's Holden Powell in 2019, Arkansas' Kevin Kopps in 2021, Texas State's Tristan Stivors in 2022 and Oral Roberts’ Cade Denton in 2023. Texas A&M closer Evan Aschenbeck won the award in 2024.
The NCBWA, founded in 1962, presents the Dick Howser Trophy to the nation's top player and the Mike Martin National Coach of the Year to the nation's top coach. A new award is being introduced this year, the Tony Gwynn Community Service Award, recognizing the college player who makes an impact on and off the field with their work in the community. 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.