Garcia Named 2016 Stopper of the Year by NCBWA
OMAHA, Neb. (NCBWA) — University of Miami junior Bryan Garcia was named the 2016 Stopper of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association on Saturday at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, becoming the first Hurricane hurler to receive the award.
Garcia was named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and earned first-team All-American honors from the NCBWA and third-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors while helping Miami earn the ACC regular-season championship and the No. 3 national seed in the NCAA postseason.
A sixth-round pick of the Detroit Tigers, the junior right-hander has 18 saves, second in the nation, and a 2-0 record with a 1.95 ERA in 37 innings over 34 appearances. Garcia has allowed 25 hits and 17 walks while striking out 54 batters, holding opponents to a .184 batting average.
The Miami native established the school’s career saves record on May 26 at the ACC Championship against NC State with his 40th save and has collected three more saves during the NCAA postseason. After claiming the Regionals and Super Regionals held in Coral Gables, the Hurricanes will face Arizona in their opening-round contest in Omaha on June 18.
Finalists for the Stopper of the Year award included Shaun Anderson of Florida, Zack Burdi of Louisville, Sam Donko of VCU and Troy Rallings of Washington.
Texas hurler J. Brent Cox won the inaugural Stopper of the Year Award in 2005, with Don Czyz of Kansas claiming the honor in 2006 and Luke Prihoda of Sam Houston State winning it in 2007. Georgia’s Joshua Fields topped the field in 2008, San Diego State’s Addison Reed grabbed the honor in 2009 and Texas’ Chance Ruffin earned the honor in 2010. The Longhorns’ Corey Knebel won in 2011, with Southeastern Louisiana’s Stefan Lopez picking up the honor in 2012. UCLA’s David Berg was crowned the winner in 2013, Louisville’s Nick Burdi took home the 2014 honor and Berg became the award’s first two-time winner in 2015.
The NCBWA, founded in 1962, presents the Dick Howser Trophy to the nation’s top player. 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.
