Forty-Three of the Nation’s Best Collegiate Hurlers Chosen as Semifinalists for the 2026 National Pitcher of the Year Award

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas – A total of 43 of the nation’s best collegiate hurlers have been selected as semifinalists for the National Pitcher of the Year Award. The semifinalists, announced on Wednesday, hail from 17 different conferences and one independent program and reflect the top mound performers to this point of the 2026 season.

"This group of pitchers has been clearly dominant, and in most cases have put their teams in position to have great seasons,” National Pitcher of the Year Award chair Brian Melakian said. “As we near the final stretch of the season, it will be exciting to see which players step up to help lead their teams to postseason success and emerge as finalists for the National Pitcher of the Year.”

While the field for this year’s award is deep, there are some familiar names on the semifinalists list. Texas sophomore Dylan Volantis was a National Pitcher of the Year finalist last year. Five other semifinalists have already won National Pitcher of the Week honors in 2026, including Jackson Flora (UC Santa Barbara), Chris Olivier (Lamar), Logan Reddemann (UCLA), Max Vaisvila (Northern Illinois) and Dax Whitney (Oregon State).

The National Pitcher of the Year Award was first awarded in 2009. Previous winners of the award are Stephen Strasburg, RHP, San Diego State, 2009; Alex Wimmers, RHP, Ohio State, 2010; Trevor Bauer, UCLA, RHP, 2011; Mark Appel, RHP, Stanford, 2012; Jonathan Gray, RHP, Oklahoma, 2013; Aaron Nola, RHP, LSU, 2014; Carson Fulmer, RHP, Vanderbilt, 2015; Eric Lauer, LHP, Kent State, 2016; Steven Gingery, LHP, Texas Tech, 2017; Luke Heimlich, LHP, Oregon State, 2018; Ethan Small, LHP, Mississippi State, 2019; Kevin Kopps, RHP, Arkansas, 2021; Cooper Hjerpe, LHP, Oregon State, 2022; Paul Skenes, RHP, LSU, 2023; Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas, 2024 and Jake Knapp, RHP, North Carolina, 2025.

The CBF annually presents the Brooks Wallace Award (Nation’s Most Outstanding Shortstop), the National Pitcher of the Year Award, the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, the Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award, the George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the Wayne Graham Award for Teaching Excellence.

For more information on the National Pitcher of the Year Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.

2026 NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD SEMIFINALISTS

Name, Position, Classification, School, Conference

• Hunter Alexander, RHP, Senior, UCA, ASUN

• Cooper Allen, RHP, Junior, UNCW, CAA

• Andreas Alvares, RHP, Sophomore, Auburn, SEC

• Max Bayles, RHP, Junior, Santa Clara, WCC

• Ben Blair, RHP, Junior, Liberty, CUSA

• Chansen Cole, RHP, Sophomore, West Virginia, Big 12

• Sam Cozart, RHP, Freshman, Texas, SEC

• John Damozonio, RHP, Senior, Saint Mary’s, WCC

• Jason DeCaro, RHP, Junior, North Carolina, ACC

• Mason Edwards, LHP, Junior, USC, Big Ten

• Andrew Evans, RHP, RS-Junior, Southern Illinois, MVC

• Jackson Flora, RHP, Junior, UC Santa Barbara, Big West

• Braden Gebhardt, LHP, Senior, Youngstown State, Horizon

• Caden Glauber, RHP, Freshman, North Carolina, ACC

• Lucas Hartman, RHP, Graduate, Virginia, ACC

• Aidan King, RHP, Sophomore, Florida, SEC

• Will Labonte, RHP, Freshman, Portland, WCC

• Ethan Lay, RHP, Senior, Sacramento State, WAC

• Nathan Leininger, RHP, Senior, Toledo, MAC

• Chris Levonas, RHP, Sophomore, Wake Forest, ACC

• Isaiah Magdaleno, RHP, Junior, Hawaii, Big West

• Micheal Malki, RHP, Sophomore, Cal Baptist, WAC

• Jake Marciano, LHP, Sophomore, Auburn, SEC

• Walter McDuffie, RHP, Sophomore, North Carolina, ACC

• Wes Mendes, LHP, Junior, Florida State, ACC

• Wylan Moss, RHP, Sophomore, UCLA, Big Ten

• Mikiah Negrete, LHP, Senior, Cal State Fullerton, Big West

• Chris Olivier, RHP, Senior, Lamar, Southland

• Ryan Peterson, RHP, Junior, Sam Houston, CUSA

• Eli Pillsbury, LHP, RS-Junior, Jacksonville State, CUSA

• Logan Reddemann, RHP, Junior, UCLA, Big Ten

• Bryce Riggs, RHP, Junior, Eastern Illinois, OVC

• Albert Roblez, RHP, Senior, Oregon State, Independent

• Michael Sharman, LHP, Senior, Clemson, ACC

• Patrick Steitz, RHP, RS-Senior, VCU, A-10

• Dakota Stone, LHP, RS-Junior, North Florida, ASUN

• Cayden Suchy, LHP, Sophomore, UConn, BIG EAST

• Max Vaisvila, LHP, Senior, Northern Illinois, MAC

• Tomas Valincius, LHP, Sophomore, Mississippi State, SEC

• Dylan Volantis, LHP, Sophomore, Texas, SEC

• Dax Whitney, RHP, Sophomore, Oregon State, Independent

• Maxx Yehl, LHP, RS-Junior, West Virginia, Big 12

• Bradley Zayac, RHP, Sophomore, Liberty, CUSA