Baseball:  Sanford - Stopper of Year?

[Brad]

Courtesy USF SID

Sanford Placed On NCBWA Stopper Of The Year Midseason Watch List

TAMPA, Fla. (April 20, 2007) –  University of South Florida freshman right handed closer Shawn Sanford has earned a spot on the third annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award Midseason Watch list, announced by the association on Thursday.

Sanford is one of 40 players to be selected to the watch list for the award recognizing the top relief pitcher in Division I college baseball. The native of Cinnaminson, N.J. is one of five freshmen on the list.

Sanford has made 10 saves this season, and posted a 1-1 record, while registering a 3.05 ERA. In 38.1 innings, Sanford has 29 strikeouts and allowed 28 hits and 13 runs. He has only recorded three extra-base hits in 23 appearances.  

Of the 40 pitchers who make up the midseason watch list, nine have already reached double figures in saves, including VMI's Kevin Crum, who leads the country with 14 saves in 18 appearances this season. Sam Houston State's Luke Prihoda and USC's Paul Koss have already collected 12 saves apiece to rank second nationally, while seven other pitchers, including Sanford, have at least 10 saves.

The 40 pitchers on the mid-season watch list have combined to save more than 300 games during the first half of the 2007 season (through games of April 15) and have converted 89 percent of their save chances as a group. Prihoda, Richmond's Brian Alas and UC Irvine's Blair Erickson are all perfect on the 2007 season in save chances while recording at least 10 saves. Erickson already earned a spot in the NCAA record books earlier this month, breaking the previous mark of 49 career saves set by USC's Jack Krawczyk's in the late 1990s.

The list features players from 20 conferences, including five each from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big 12. The Pacific-10 and Conference USA also have four closers on the list, while the Atlantic Sun, Big South, Mid-American, Missouri Valley and Sun Belt Conference all had multiple members of the watch list.

"This is a truly outstanding group of pitchers that cover the landscape of college baseball," said NCBWA 1st Vice-President Shamus McKnight, Assistant Media Relations Director at the University of Nebraska. "The recognition for this award over the last two years has grown immensely as we have seen the increased emphasis on having strong relief pitching in the college game."

Nominations were made by each school's baseball sports information contact and more than 80 pitchers were nominated from around the country. A preliminary preseason watch list was released in February. At the end the regular season, the Division I leader in saves and four other relief pitching standouts will be selected as the award's finalists. These finalists will be released on Wednesday, May 30, just prior to the beginning of NCAA regional play.

From the list of finalists, the NCBWA's All-America Committee will select a winner. The third annual winner will be announced on Wednesday, June 6, two days prior to the beginning of NCAA super regional action. Last year's winner was Don Czyz from Kansas. J. Brent Cox of Texas won the inaugural award in 2005.

The NCBWA, founded in 1962, presents the **** Howser Trophy to the nation's top player. It also selects a Division I All-America Team, Division I and III Players of the Week, Division I District Players of the Year and Division III Players of the Year.

For more information on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year, contact Shamus McKnight at the University of Nebraska at 402-472-7772 (Ext. 210).

NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award Midseason Watch List

Brian Alas                                  Richmond                      Jr.         Port Washington, N.Y.

David Anderson                          Coastal Carolina             So.       Lexington, S.C.

Randy Boone                              Texas                            Sr.        Yoakum, Texas

Matt Brinkmann                          Evansville                      Se.       Newburgh, Ind.

Andrew Carignan                       North Carolina                Jr.         Norwich, Conn.

Nick Cassavechia                        Baylor                           Jr.         Dallas, Texas

Chance Chapman                       Oral Roberts                  Sr.        Paso Robles, Calif.

Kevin Crum                                VMI                               So.       Fairfax, Va.

Sam Demel                                TCU                              Jr.         Spring, Texas

Josh Dew                                   Troy                              Sr.        Montgomery, Ala.

Jason Dominguez                       Pepperdine                    Jr.         Lake Balboa, Calif.

Daniel Edwards                          Kansas State                  Jr.         Kingwood, Texas

Josh Ellis                                   Wake Forest                  Fr.        Loveland, Ohio

Robbie Elsemiller                        Stetson                         Jr.         Okeechobee, Fla.

Blair Erickson                             UC Irvine                       Sr.        Fair Oaks, Calif.

Patrick Ezell                               Southern Miss                Sr.        Petal, Miss.

Cory Gearrin                              Mercer                          Jr.         Dayton, Tenn.

Matt German (L)                         Northern Illinois              Sr.        Aurora, Ill.

Matt Gorgen                               California                       So.       Clayton, Calif.

Nick Hagadone (L)                      Washington                   Jr.         Sumner, Wash.

James Hayes                              Rider                             So.       Sunrise, Fla.

Kyle Heyne                                 Ball State                       Jr.         Coldwater, Ohio

Paul Koss                                   USC                              Sr.        Orange, Calif.

Noah Krol                                  Wichita State                 Sr.        Nickerson, Kan.

Casey Lambert (L)                      Virginia                         Sr.        Harrisonburg, Va.

Daniel Latham                            Tulane                          Sr.        Covington, La.

Andy Masten                              Creighton                      Sr.        Omaha, Neb.

Shane Mathews                         East Carolina                 Jr.         Conover, N.C.

Eryk McConnell                           N.C. State                      Jr.         Waynesville, N.C.

JD Melton                                  Navy                             Fr.        Myrtle Beach , S.C.

David Mixon                               Louisiana-Monroe           Sr.        Americus, Ga.

Kyle Nicholson                            Texas A&M                    Sr.        College Station, Texas

Luke Pisker                                VCU                              Jr.         Oley, Pa.

Luke Prihoda                              Sam Houston State         Sr.        Weimar, Texas

Garrett Richards                         Oklahoma                      Fr.        Edmond, Okla.

Shawn Sanford                        USF                               Fr.        Cinnaminson, N.J.

Link Saunders                            The Citadel                    Sr.        Irmo, S.C.

Daniel Schlereth (L)                    Arizona                         So.       Lone Tree, Colo.

Michael Seander                        Duke                             Fr.        Pawtucket, R.I.

Casey Weathers                         Vanderbilt                      Sr.        Elk Grove, Calif.

[JoeB]

Great job by Shawn.  I don't recall when he blew one.  His loss came last week at 'Nova.  Maybe it was FAMU.  I recall we did need to win in the ninth in one of those games, so maybe that is his win.

[JoeB]

Confirmed, it was the second FAMU game.  We blew a lead late, but ended up winning the game 11-10 in the bottom of the ninth.  So, he has only 'blown' one save, but we won the game anyway.