North Carolina State University Athletics
Dudan and Smith Featured on NCBWA Stopper of The Year Preseason Watch List
2/12/2025 3:00:00 PM | Baseball
DALLAS, Texas – NC State Baseball's Jacob Dudan and Derrick Smith have been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List, as announced by the organization on Wednesday afternoon.
Seventy-six players were named to the initial 2025 Watch List for the 20th Annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I Baseball.
They are the first Wolfpack pitchers to be named to the preseason watch list since Kent Klyman in 2021. Chris Villaman was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List in 2022.
Dudan, the No. 1 ranked relief pitcher by D1 Baseball and a Preseason All-American, led the Wolfpack last season with 27 pitching appearances, all of which came out of the bullpen. Dudan's six saves ranked second on the team, as the freshman did not allow an earned run in his first eight collegiate appearances.
Dudan finished his standout freshman season with a 4-2 record, 4.50 ERA, and 56 strikeouts over 48.0 innings pitched. Dudan led a talented group of Wolfpack freshman pitchers with 56 strikeouts.
In 24 games in 2024, Smith struck out 41 batters while walking 11 in 29.2 innings pitched. He held opposing batters to a .181 batting average, the lowest by a Wolfpack pitcher, and had a team-high eight saves.
The NCBWA, founded in 1962, presents the Dick Howser Trophy 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.
Seventy-six players were named to the initial 2025 Watch List for the 20th Annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I Baseball.
They are the first Wolfpack pitchers to be named to the preseason watch list since Kent Klyman in 2021. Chris Villaman was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List in 2022.
Dudan, the No. 1 ranked relief pitcher by D1 Baseball and a Preseason All-American, led the Wolfpack last season with 27 pitching appearances, all of which came out of the bullpen. Dudan's six saves ranked second on the team, as the freshman did not allow an earned run in his first eight collegiate appearances.
Dudan finished his standout freshman season with a 4-2 record, 4.50 ERA, and 56 strikeouts over 48.0 innings pitched. Dudan led a talented group of Wolfpack freshman pitchers with 56 strikeouts.
In 24 games in 2024, Smith struck out 41 batters while walking 11 in 29.2 innings pitched. He held opposing batters to a .181 batting average, the lowest by a Wolfpack pitcher, and had a team-high eight saves.
The NCBWA, founded in 1962, presents the Dick Howser Trophy 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.
Players Mentioned
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