Home 2010 Season Coverage2010 Top Players NCBWA Names Preseason Stopper of the Year Watch List

FROM NCBWA RELEASE

STOPPEROFTHEYEAR Irvine, Calif. (NCBWA) — Forty players have been named to the initial watch list for the sixth annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball, as announced by the association Thursday.

Last year’s Stopper of the Year winner, Addison Reed of San Diego State, headlines the list of preseason nominees for the 2010 award. Reed recorded a nation-leading 20 saves in 20 opportunities last season, finished the year with a microscopic 0.65 earned run average and 38 strikeouts over his 27.2 innings of work. He allowed only seven walks, with two of those being intentional passes and his save total was a new San Diego State and Mountain West Conference season record.

Reed is joined by two of the five finalists for last season’s award in LSU’s Matty Ott and two-time finalist Eric Pettis of UC Irvine, both NCBWA first-team preseason All-Americans. Ott burst onto the national scene as a freshman in 2009, establishing an LSU school-record with 16 saves. He struck out 69 and walked just six in 50.1 innings of work. Pettis had a strong 2009 season where he had a 5-2 record with a 3.86 ERA and 17 saves, while  striking out 37 batters in 42 innings.  He walked just seven, while allowing 18 earned runs.

Among the other most notable nominees are the three relief pitching members of the NCBWA preseason All-American second team (Ryan Duke of Oklahoma, Chris Franklin of Southeastern Louisiana and Tyler Mizenko of Winthrop), along with all four members of the third team (Mitchell Lambson of Arizona State, Colin Bates of North Carolina, Collin Cargill of Southern Miss and Michael Schum of Wright State).

The Big 12 Conference led the way with five players named to the preseason watch list. The ACC, Conference USA and the SEC had four pitchers each on this year’s watch list, while the Pacific-10 Conference is represented by three players.

Nominations for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award were made by baseball sports information/media relation contacts. The initial list will be updated with a mid-season release the week of April 19, 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 2, prior to start of NCAA regional tournament competition.

The NCBWA’s All-America Committee then will select the winner, with this year’s recipient to be announced on the opening day of the College World Series on June 19.

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, Luke Prihoda of Sam Houston State winning it in 2007, Georgia’s Joshua Fields topping the field in 2008 and San Diego State’s Addison Reed grabbing the honor last season.

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.

For more information on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year, contact Julie St. Cyr at the Big West Conference at 949-261-2525 or Russ Anderson at Conference USA at 214-774-1300.

2010 NCBWA STOPPER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST

PITCHER                                  SCHOOL                              YR

Steve Arico                               Virginia                                Jr.

Chris Bassit                               Akron                                   So.

Colin Bates                                North Carolina                       Jr.

Chad Bettis                                Texas Tech                            Sr.

Mike Bolsinger                          Arkansas                               Sr.

Collin Cargill                             Southern Miss                        Jr.

Andrew Chafin                          Kent State                             So.

Chase Dempsay                          Houston                                Jr.

Ryan Duke                                Oklahoma                              Jr.

Chris Enourato                           West Virginia                        Sr.

Nick Fleece                               Texas A&M                           Jr.

Chris Franklin                            SE Louisiana                         Sr.

Drew Gagnier                            Oregon                                  Jr.

Tim Girdwood                           Elon                                     Jr.

Cole Green                                Texas                                    Jr.

Austin Hubbard                          Auburn                                 Sr.

Mitchell Lambson                       Arizona State                         So.

Justin Malone                            Georgia State                         So.

Eric Marshall                             TCU                                     Sr.

Cody Martin                              Gonzaga                                Jr.

Scott Matyas                              Minnesota                              Jr.

Randy McCurry                         Oklahoma State                      Jr.

Kevin McKague                         Army                                    Jr.

Jarad Miller                               Valparaiso                             Jr.

Tyler Mizenko                           Winthrop                               So.

Kevin Moran                             Boston College                       Jr.

Jake Morgan                              Mississippi                             Jr.

Kevin Munson                           James Madison                       Jr.

Matty Ott                                  LSU                                      So.

Nick Pepitone                            Tulane                                   Jr.

Eric Pettis                                 UC Irvine                              Sr.

Mark Pope                                 Georgia Tech                         So.

Nick Ramirez                             Cal State Fullerton                 So.

Addison Reed                            San Diego State                     So.

Kevin Rhoderick                        Oregon State                          Jr.

Michael Schum                          Wright State                          So.

Gabriel Shaw                             Louisville                              Jr.

Chad Sheppard                           Northwestern State                 So.

Seth Simmons                            East Carolina                         Jr.

Zach Varce                                Portland                                So.

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2 comments

pokie January 29, 2010 - 1:35 am

Is there a reason why the NCBWA does not select All-America Teams for Division II?

Brian Foley January 29, 2010 - 1:22 pm

I never got the D-2 team this year which is odd..I usually do get one.

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