Elon’s Pennell Added to Stopper of the Year Baseball Watch List

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Fifty players, including Elon senior lefty Ryan Pennell, have been named to the mid-season watch list for the 10th annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball, as announced by the association on Wednesday, April 23.

The list consists of players from 21 different conferences, including three from the Southern Conference.

Pennell currently leads Elon and is tied for the SoCon lead with 11 saves this season. That number ranks in a tie for second on Elon’s single-season saves list and places Pennell sixth on the program’s career saves chart. Entering the week, his 11 saves ranked fifth nationally. The native of Mamaroneck, N.Y., has made 17 appearances, going 1-2 with a 2.49 ERA. In 21.2 innings he has held opponents to a .221 batting average.

At the conclusion of the regular season, the Division I national saves leader and four other relief pitching standouts will be selected as finalists and released Wednesday, June 4, prior to the start of NCAA Super Regional tournament competition. The NCBWA’s All-America committee will select the winner, with this year’s recipient to be announced during the 2014 College World Series.

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 and a Division I Freshman All-American team.