MSU Closer Holder Named Finalist for Stopper of the Year Award

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI/MSU Athletics) — Mississippi State sophomore closer Jonathan Holder has been named one of five finalists for the NCBWA’s ninth annual Stopper of the Year Award, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association announced Wednesday.

(ESPN)
Sophomore closer Jonathan Holder is one of five finalists for the Stopper of the Year Award.

The Biloxi, Miss., (Gulfport High School) product, a first-team 2013 Louisville Slugger All-American selection by Collegiate Baseball and a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection, sports a 2-0 record and 1.17 earned run average with a SEC co-leading and school-record 17 saves. He’s allowed six earned runs with a staff-most 81 strikeouts in 46.0 innings pitched.

The finalists for the award also include NCAA saves leader Tyler Rogers of Austin Peay, David Berg of UCLA, Michael Lorenzen of Cal State Fullerton, and Jimmie Sherfy of Oregon.

The NCBWA’s All-America Committee will select this year’s recipient with the winner announced June 15 in Omaha, Neb., in a 10 a.m. press conference at TD Ameritrade Park, the site of the NCAA College World Series. More than 90 of the nation’s top collegiate relief pitchers were included in the select ion process of this year’s Stopper of the Year Award.

Holder and his Missisippi State teammates begin NCAA Super Regional competition Saturday in Charlottesville, Va., with a 12:05 p.m. (CT) matchup against No. 6 national seed Virginia.