Jacksonville State senior Todd Hornsby and Morehead State junior Matt Duncan have been named to the initial watch list for the eighth 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 Wednesday.
Hornsby, a native of Clay, Ala., was a first-team All-OVC selection after a record-breaking junior season that saw him set JSU's and the Ohio Valley Conference's single-season record for saves with 15. He was a four-time OVC Pitcher of the Week, the most by any player in the league, and made 30 appearances in relief during the 2011 season. The right-hander posted a 5-4 overall record with a 2.01 earned run average. He struck out 45 batters and held the opponents to just a .232 batting average. Hornsby was also selected as a Louisville Slugger Pre-season All-American by Collegiate Baseball.
Duncan is in his first season with Morehead State after playing two seasons at Southeastern Community College in Iowa where he was selected as a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) second-team All-America a season ago. The Brownsburg, Ind. native earned 13 saves and held a 3-4 record with a 0.83 ERA. The 13 saves ranked him second in the NJCAA. As a freshman Duncan won three games, notched 12 saves and had a 2.10 ERA and was a second-team All-Region selection.
Nominations for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award were made by baseball sports information/media relations contacts. The initial list will be updated with a mid-season release the week of April 16, 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 6, prior to start of NCAA Super Regional tournament competition.
The NCBWA's All-America Committee will select the winner, with this year's recipient to be announced during the 2012 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, Luke Prihoda of Sam Houston State winning it in 2007, Georgia's Joshua Fields topping the field in 2008, San Diego State's Addison Reed grabbing the honor in 2009, Texas' Chance Ruffin earning the honor in 2010 and Texas freshman Corey Knebel winning it 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.