GREENVILLE, N.C. – Penn State junior pitcher Mason Mellott (State College, Pa.) was named to the initial watch list for the 16th Annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, the NCBWA announced Monday afternoon.
The award is annually given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball. Mellott was one of six Big Ten pitchers and 70 overall to be placed on the preseason watch list.
Mellott ranks tied for sixth on Penn State's career saves list (Jeff Emerlich, 1993-96) with nine after posting five last season. He was one of the most crucial members of the Nittany Lion pitching staff in 2019, totaling 63.0 innings in relief and posting a 2.43 ERA that led the team and ranked third in the Big Ten. Mellott also led the team with six wins, which were the most by a Penn State reliever since at least 2004. He also ranked among the top-10 in the conference with 2.00 walks allowed per nine innings (5th), a 3.71 strikeout-to-walk ratio (9th) and a 1.16 WHIP (10th).
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.
Penn State opens the 2020 season Friday at 2 p.m. against Bucknell at the USA Baseball National Training Center in Cary, North Carolina. Penn State is hosting a tournament that also includes games against NJIT (Saturday, noon; doubleheader) and Monmouth (Sunday, 10 a.m.)
The complete 2020 baseball schedule is available at GoPSUsports.com. Ticket, promotional and broadcast information will be announced at a future date. The 2020 Penn State baseball season is presented by The Family Clothesline.
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