WACO, Texas -- Baylor baseball sophomore closer Troy Montemayor was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award midseason watch list, the association announced Thursday.
The 12th annual award is given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball, and Montemayor is one of 40 players on the midseason list. He's one of two players representing the Big 12 Conference (Tyler Buffett, Oklahoma State).
The NCBWA will announce five finalists for the 2016 Stopper of the Year – the Division I national saves leader and four other relief pitching standouts – on Wednesday, June 8, prior to the start of NCAA Super Regional competition. The NCBWA's All-America Committee will select the winner, with this year's recipient to be announced during the 2016 College World Series.
The San Antonio native is enjoying a career year as he leads the Big 12 and ranks 20th in the NCAA with nine saves in 10 attempts. Montemayor is 1-1 on the year with a 0.95 ERA in 19 appearances as he's given up four runs (two earned) on 14 hits and eight walks with 16 strikeouts in 19 innings while holding opponents to a .209 batting average. He entered the season with zero save attempts in his career and converted his first eight saves.
