April 17, 2009
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Junior All-American AJ Griffin of the University of San Diego baseball team has been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Midseason Stopper of the Year Watch List.
Forty-five relief pitchers are included on the midseason watch list for the fifth annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, the association announced Thursday. The award is given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I college baseball.
Griffin owns a 2.23 ERA with a 6-1 record and three saves in 2009. He has posted 49 strikeouts in 44.1 innings and has held hitters to a .214 batting average in 11 appearances. The junior right-hander out of El Cajon, Calif. already owns the USD career saves record at 28 and single-season record of 14 set last season.
The West Coast Conference had four players on the list along with the SEC and Pac-10, which was the third most of any conference in the country. The ACC had seven while the Big 12 put five players on the list. Making the list from the WCC along with Griffin was SR Nick Gaudi (PEP), SO Cody Martin (GON) and SO Thain Simon (SCU).
The watch list was compiled from nominations submitted by sports information contacts and conference media relations offices nationwide. 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 3, prior to start of NCAA Super Regional play. The NCBWA's All-America Committee then will select the winner, with this year's recipient to be announced Saturday, June 13, before the opening of NCAA 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 and Georgia's Joshua Fields topping the field in 2008.
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The NCBWA, founded in 1962, presents the Dick Howser Trophy to the nation's top player. It also selects a Division I All-America Team, Division I Freshman All-Americans, Division I and III Players of the Week, Division I District Players of the Year and Division II and III Players of the Year.
