2021 Pitcher of the Year Award semifinalists announced

LUBBOCK, Texas – The wealth of talent on the mound across the country thanks to the expanded rosters also is leading to a wealth of talent on the 2021 Pitcher of the Year Award semifinalist list.

There are the well-known names like Leiter, Rocker and Nikhazy. And there is a slew of newcomers who have stepped up to make a name for themselves and put their teams in contention for a national championship. And, up and down the list, schools of all sizes and all conferences are represented.

“This list of pitchers is a great collection of young men having exceptional seasons from all over the country,” said Brian Melakian, co-chair of the Pitcher of the Year Award. “We are seeing historical performances from pitchers stretching literally from Maine to California. As we look forward to the upcoming conference tournaments and regionals, we can’t wait to see what these pitchers have in store.”

The award, sponsored by Diamond, will be presented later this summer by the College Baseball Foundation.

Eleven different conferences have a pitcher on the semifinalist list. And only two pitchers have racked up double-digit wins so far this season – Vanderbilt’s Kumar Rocker and Ryan Miller from North Carolina Central.

Rocker continues to be the ace of the Commodores staff with a 2.31 ERA and 110 strikeouts to go with 11 wins and a 0.89 WHIP. Miller, though, has been just as impressive in his own right, with 10 wins, a 2.24 ERA and 1.02 WHIP to go with 71 strikeouts.

Five players also have racked up 100 or more strikeouts. In addition to Leiter and Rocker at Vandy are UC-Santa Barbara sophomore Michael McGreevy (2.84 ERA, 100 strikeouts), senior Matt Mikulski from Fordham (1.47 ERA, 112 strikeouts), junior Joe Rock of Ohio University (2.25 ERA, 101 strikeouts) and Maine junior Nicholas Sinacola (1.96 ERA, 114 strikeouts).

There also are some outstanding late-game relievers on the list. A pair of Big 12 Conference arms in Kansas junior Jonah Ulane and TCU senior Haylen Green each have nine saves. Perhaps the top reliever in the country, though, is senior Kevin Kopps from No. 1-ranked Arkansas, who not only has eight wins but also seven saves to go with an 0.82 ERA and 85 strikeouts. Landon Sims at Mississippi State has emerged as a top late-game arm with three wins, seven saves and a 0.53 ERA and 67 strikeouts.

For more information on the Pitcher of the Year Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.

2021 NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD SEMIFINALISTS