DALLAS – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association has announced the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List and UCF senior relief pitcher Chase Centala was named to the list.
Centala, a right-handed closer for the Knights, earned a spot on the Midseason Watch List as he currently leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks 12th nationally in saves with seven on the season. He currently holds an unblemished 3-0 record and a 4.10 ERA. Centala ranks fifth on the team in strikeouts with 30 over 26.1 innings of work. Of his 14 appearances on the year, nine have been scoreless outings. The senior RHP will enter the weekend limiting opposing batters to a .232 batting average. Centala also ranks in the top-10 in the UCF records books in saves, as he checks in at No. 10 with 10 career saves.
Centala is the third Black and Gold relief pitcher to be named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List this season, as fellow senior relievers Kyle Kramer and Najer Victor were named to the award’s Preseason Watch List in February. Kramer, who has one save on the season, leads the Knights in wins with a 5-2 win-loss record and appearances with 22. He also holds a solid 2.33 ERA and is limiting opponents to a .200 batting average. Victor, who is limiting opposing hitters to an impressive .193 clip, currently holds an 0-1 record and a 5.71 ERA over 14 appearances.
In all, 59 of the sport’s top relief pitchers were named to the 19th annual Midseason Watch List.
Fourteen of the 59 players were on the preseason watch list, released in February, including Evan Aschenbeck (Texas A&M, 5), Micah Ashman (Utah, 10), Ethan Bates (Louisiana Tech, 11), Chris Beilenson (Duke, 9), Mason Burns (Western Kentucky, 12), Chandler David (Sam Houston, 7), Alton Davis II (Alabama, 4), Johnny Hummel (Kentucky, 5), Noah Manning (Troy, 2), Dalton Pence (North Carolina, 3), Joshua Romero (CSUN, 6), Rashad Ruff (UCLA, 6), Nate Snead (Tennessee, 3) and Nathan Ward (Grand Canyon, 7). Ashman (third team), Manning (third team) and Romero (second team) were all named to the Preseason NCBWA All-America Team.
WKU’s Burns leads the nation with 12 saves in 26.2 innings pitched. Fellow Conference USA competitor Bates of Louisiana Tech is second with 11 saves while Utah’s Micah Ashman follows in third with 10. East Carolina’s Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman currently leads the nation with a 1.00 earned run average, while Little Rock’s Jacob Weatherley is 25th with a 2.39 ERA and UTSA’s Ruger Rijoas 29th with a 2.49 mark.
There are 20 conferences represented on the list with the Southeastern Conference leading the way with 11 relief pitchers. The Sun Belt Conference follows with six, while the Big West Conference and Pac-12 Conference each had five selections. Other multiple-selection leagues include the American Athletic Conference (4), Conference USA (4), the Atlantic Coast Conference (3), the Big 12 Conference (3), the Missouri Valley Conference (3), the Southern Conference (3), the Coastal Athletic Association (2) and the Southland Conference (2). In all, 12 of the 20 conferences have multiple selections.
The NCBWA will announce the finalists on Wednesday, June 5 with the winner being named on Friday, June 14 at the 2024 College World Series.
To view the full 2024 Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List, click HERE.