OMAHA, NEBRASKA (NCBWA) – Texas A&M reliever Evan Aschenbeck has been announced as the 2024 Stopper of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA), the organization announced Friday. Aschenbeck is the fourth player from the Southeastern Conference to earn this prestigious honor, joining Georgia’s Joshua Fields (2008), Florida’s Michael Byrne (2018) and Arkansas’ Kevin Kopps (2021).
The senior southpaw boasts a 6-1 record and nine saves in 28 appearances. Leading the nation with a 1.66 ERA and 0.80 WHIP, Aschenbeck also ranks fourth nationally with a 9.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has allowed just 12 earned runs on 44 hits in 65 innings of work, striking out 72 batters while issuing only eight walks and limiting opponents to a .185 batting average.
Aschenbeck has been instrumental in Texas A&M’s postseason run. In the College Station Regional, he allowed no runs and no hits in 4 2/3 innings, leading the Aggies to a 4-2 victory in 11 innings over Texas. He followed that performance in the College Station Super Regional with two saves, holding Oregon scoreless and hitless in 1 2/3 innings on June 8 and allowing just one run on two hits over three innings the following evening to secure Texas A&M’s eighth berth to the College World Series. Aschenbeck was also named a first-team All-SEC selection by the league’s head coaches.
A native of Brenham, Texas, Aschenbeck is the fourth consecutive player from the Lone Star State to win the Stopper of the Year award, joining Arkansas’ Kopps (Sugar Land), Texas State’s Tristan Stivors (Castroville) and Oral Roberts’ Cade Denton (Rowlett).
The remaining finalists for the 2024 Stopper of the Year Award were Ben Abeldt (TCU), Ethan Bates (Louisiana Tech), Charlie Beilenson (Duke), Mason Burns (Western Kentucky), Griffin Herring (LSU), Bridger Holmes (Oregon State), Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman (East Carolina), Izaak Martinez (UC San Diego) and Conner Thurman (San Diego).
Aschenbeck joins an elite list of past NCBWA Stoppers of the Year: Texas' J. Brent Cox, 2005; Kansas' Don Czyz, 2006; Luke Prihoda of Sam Houston State, 2007; Georgia's Joshua Fields, 2008; San Diego State's Addison Reed, 2009; Texas' Chance Ruffin, 2010; Texas' Corey Knebel, 2011; Southeastern Louisiana's Stefan Lopez, 2012; UCLA's David Berg, 2013 and 2015; Louisville's Nick Burdi, 2014; Miami (Fla.)'s Bryan Garcia, 2016; Louisville's Lincoln Henzman, 2017; Florida's Michael Byrne, 2018; UCLA's Holden Powell, 2019; Arkansas' Kevin Kopps, 2021; Texas State’s Tristan Stivors, 2022 and Oral Roberts’ Cade Denton in 2023. The award was not presented in 2020 due to the COVID-19-shortened season.
The NCBWA, founded in 1962, presents the Dick Howser Trophy presented by The Game Headwear to the nation's top player and the Mike Martin National Coach of the Year to the nation's top coach. It also selects All-America Teams for all divisions, a Division I Freshman All-American team, Division I, II and III Players of the Week and Division I, II and III Players of the Year.