The Fresno State baseball team’s sophomore left-handed pitcher Nikoh Mitchell was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List, the association announced on Monday.
According to a Fresno State Athletics news release, Mitchell joins a list of 75 players from across the nation that have been added to the initial watch list for the 15th annual Stopper of the Year award that is given to the nation’s top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball.
Mitchell had a superb freshman season in 2018, making 24 appearances including seven starts while posting a 4-3 record and a 3.28 ERA, good enough for second in the MW. He pitched 57.2 innings, striking out 53 batters.
The standout lefty held opponents to a .197 batting average against while allowing the fewest hits in the MW with 40, runs allowed with 23 and earned runs allowed with a paltry 21. Mitchell gave up only one run in 8 of his 24 appearances, according to the release.
San Jose State senior Fineas Bonta-Smith joined Mitchell as the only two Mountain West pitchers that were added to the list.
The award’s Midseason watch list will be announced April 24 with the finalists named on June 5 and the winner revealed on June 15.
