OMAHA, Nebraska — It was announced Friday that Texas Aggie relief pitcher Evan Aschenbeck won the Stopper of the Year Award which is given to the best reliever in College Baseball.
“It’s something that you work for from day one and having the opportunity to come here and play at Texas A&M it's a blessing to me and a blessing to my family just because I'm so close to home,” Aschenbeck said. “But having them here, having them up here for the College World Series is something that guys like me only dream of. We play from when we're three years old to now and having my family here to support me all along the way. It's awesome.”
The Brenham native is the fourth consecutive Texan to receive the award and the 1st Aggie in program history to earn the honor since it was founded in 2005.
“To pitch In those moments,” head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “You got to be one heck of a guy and one heck of a competitor and a guy that can handle his emotions and, make pitches. Make pitches behind in the count. Especially those times when we're the visiting team where, one bad pitch can end the game and for the other team. So super happy for him.”
Aschenbeck has posted incredible numbers in his second season as an Aggie compiling a 6-1 record with 9 saves in 28 appearances. He leads the nation with a 1.66 ERA and 0.80 WHIP while limiting opponents to a .185 batting average. The senior who spent two seasons at Blinn College was almost cut from the A&M roster last fall but now head coach Jim Schlossnagle said he’s one of his all-time pitchers.
“He’s probably first, Trey Teakell at TCU did that a lot for us, I think if [Jacob] Palisch would’ve had two years with us, he might’ve been that but yeah, you’d have to say he’s the best one.”
Coach Schloss also suggested they put up a statue of Aschenbeck in Brenham and Evan’s got some thoughts about what it should look like, and where it should go.
Aschenbeck was also named to the ABCA-Rawlings All-American team alongside teammates Braden Montgomery, Jace LaViolette, and Gavin Grahovac. The Aggies will take the field Saturday evening against the Florida Gators, first pitch is set for 6pm.
