2024 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award list: Complete list of baseball players ft. LSU's Griffin Herring
The National College Baseball Writers Association announced the finalists for its Stopper of the Year Award on Wednesday. The award, now in its 19th year, honors college baseball's top relief pitcher. The NCBWA announced ten finalists for the award. The winner will be announced on Friday, June 14th.
Here are the details on the finalists.
2024 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Finalist List
Ben Abeldt, TCU
The sophomore lefty from TCU had a big 2024 season. Abeldt, who stands 6-foot-3, was 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA and eight saves for the Horned Frogs. Abeldt fanned 54 batters in 44 1/3 innings.
Evan Aschenbeck, Texas A&M
Aschenbeck has been an elite stopper for the Aggies and, will be active in this weekend's super-regional action. The 6-foot-2 lefty is 6-1 with a 1.64 ERA and seven saves for A&M. Aschenbeck has struck out 65 hitters in 60 1/3 innings pitched.
Ethan Bates, Louisiana Tech
A senior for Louisiana Tech, Bates led with 17 saves this year. He was 2-1 with a 3.43 ERA. The 6-foot righty whiffted 52 batters in 44 2/3 innings of work. Bates also hit .337 with 15 homers for Louisiana Tech. He began his career as a hitter at Arkansas but ended up as a top reliever.
Charlie Beilenson, Duke
A transfer from Brown before the 2023 season, Beilenson was a relief ace for the Blue Devils. He went 7-3 with a 2.01 ERA in 2024. He also struck out a whopping 92 hitters in 62 2/3 innings pitched while recording a dozen saves.
Mason Burns, Western Kentucky
A transfer from Illinois State, the 6-foot-3 senior was among the national leaders with 15 saves on the year. Burns went 3-3 with a 4.00 ERA and had 52 strikeouts in just 36 innings of pitching work.
Griffin Herring, LSU
A 6-foot-2 lefty, Herring had a brilliant sophomore season for the Tigers. He finished 6-1 with a 1.79 ERA and six saves. Herring struck out 67 hitters in 50 1/3 innings pitched. He had an impressive regional Tournament outing, but saw LSU fall to North Carolina.
Bridger Holmes, Oregon State
The 6-foot-4 junior is also still active in the NCAA Tournament, as Oregon State prepares to face Kentucky this weekend. Holmes is 3-4 with a 1.97 ERA on the year. He struck out 46 batters in 32 innings pitched.
Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman, East Carolina
One of the most electric relievers in the country, this 6-foot-2 right-handed junior starred for ECU, who lost to No. 4 seed Evansville in their regional final. Lunsford-Shenkman has posted a 3-2 record with a 1.55 ERA. He has also fanned an astonishing 79 batters in 46 1/3 innings pitched.
Izaak Martinez, UC-San Diego
This 5-foot-10 lefty is the only stopper on this list who did not top one strikeout per inning on average. He was still very effective, with a 4-3 record, 1.85 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 63 1/3 innings pitched. Martinez also allowed just one home run all season.
Conner Thurman, San Diego
Thurman posted a 4-0 record and a 1.40 ERA for San Diego. He worked 38 2/3 innings, picking up five saves and striking out 47 hitters. A graduate senior, Thurman pitched five years for San Diego, finishing his career 18-4 with 13 saves.
Which stopper do you think will win the award? We'd love to hear your thoughts below!