DALLAS, Texas - Eagles pitcher
Jay Thompson has been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List, the organization announced late on Wednesday.
Thompson is having a great season for the Eagles, leading the Sun Belt Conference in saves with seven at this point of the season. Thompson is tied for 27th in the nation with 21 appearances on the season and is tied at the top of the SBC in the same category, along with Texas State's Triston Dixon and Troy's Noah Manning. This year, Thompson currently holds a 3-2 record with his seven saves, pitching 32 innings in 21 appearances. This is Thompson's second-straight year being named to the NCBWA's Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List.
Eighteen of the 56 players were on the preseason watch list, released in February, including Ryan Brown (Oregon State, 8 saves), Jack Collins (Binghamton, 5), Cade Denton (Oral Roberts, 9), Triston Dixon (Texas State, 5), Stephen Halstead (North Florida, 6), Will Johnston (Texas A&M, 4), Jacob King (UC Irvine, 6), Trevor Long (Arizona, 4), Nick Maldonado (Vanderbilt, 4), Nolan McLean (Oklahoma State, 6), Simon Miller (UTSA, 8), Camden Minnaci (Wake Forest, 8), Josh Mollerus (Oregon, 4), William Privette (Charleston, 5), Jay Thompson (Georgia Southern, 7), Andrew Walters (Miami, Fla., 5), Jay Woolfork (Virginia, 5) and Jack Zalasky (Sacramento State, 8). Denton, Privette and Walters were finalists for the honor in 2022.
There are 24 conferences on the list with the Southeastern Conference leading the way with eight relief pitchers. The Atlantic Coast Conference and the Pac-12 Conference follow with seven selections. The Big 12 and Conference USA each have four apiece. In all, 10 of the 24 conferences have multiple selections.
The Sun Belt Conference has three selections, with Texas State's Dixon and Coastal Carolina's Teddy Sharkey joining Thompson on the list.
The NCBWA will announce the finalists on Wednesday, June 7 with the winner being named on Friday, June 16 at the 2023 College World Series.
