The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association has released its “Stopper of the Year” midseason watch list, and eight former Valley Leaguers are being watched!
Here they are, in alphabetical order:
- Trey Braithwaite, West Virginia (Winchester 2019): 2-0, 1.38, six saves, 14 walks, 27 K’s in 26 innings
- Will Brian, Eastern Kentucky (Harrisonburg 2019): 1-0, 1.53, 13 saves, 11 walks, 40 K’s in 29 1/3 innings
- Holden Christian, Arizona (Winchester 2019): 2-2, 4.07, five saves, 19 walks, 28 K’s in 24 1/3 innings
- Stephen Halstead, North Florida (Winchester 2019): 2-3, 4.01, five saves, eight walks, 33 K’s in 24 2/3 innings
- Cade Hungate, Liberty (New Market, Charlottesville 2019): 2-0, 3.77, six saves, three walks, 11 K’s in 14 1/3 innings
- Hunter Mink, South Florida (Covington 2021): 2-1, 3.86, eight saves, 13 walks, 33 K’s in 30 1/3 innings
- Carter Spivey, East Carolina (Charlottesville 2021): 4-0, 2.55, three saves, 10 walks, 54 K’s in 49 1/3 innings
- Jay Thompson, Georgia Southern (Waynesboro 2018): 4-2, 3.44, six saves, 15 walks, 41 K’s in 52 1/3 innings
Finalists will be announced on June 8, and the winner will be named on June 17.
By the way, did you notice, Brilliant Reader, that three of these players were teammates in 2019? Amazing.