Sixteen Of The Nation’s Best Collegiate Hurlers Named Semifinalists For The 2025 Pitcher Of The Year Award
OVERLAND PARK, Kansas – A total of 16 of the nation’s best hurlers, including four conference Pitchers of the Year, are among the semifinalists for the National Pitcher of the Year announced by the College Baseball Foundation on Thursday.
The distinguished group of pitchers include players from nine different conferences, led by five semifinalists from the SEC and three each from the ACC and the Big 12. The Big 10, Big West, CAA, Ivy League and Sun Belt each have one representative on the semifinalist list.
"As we get closer to the finalists, the cream is really rising to the top of this group, however, each round gets even more difficult because we know that extremely talented pitchers have to be left out,” Pitcher of the Year Award co-chair Chris Snead said. "This group just keeps getting better each week!"
Eight semifinalists claimed their respective conference pitcher of the year awards, including Liam Doyle (Tennessee - SEC), Joseph Dzierwa (Michigan State – Big 10), Jake Knapp (UNC - ACC), Antoine Jean (Houston – Big 12), Jacob Morrison (Coastal Carolina - Sun Belt), Jack Ohman (Yale - Ivy), Ricky Ojeda (UC Irvine – Big West) and Zane Taylor (UNCW – CAA).
Coming into the week, Ojeda (UC Irvine) led all semifinalists with 12 victories. Mason Patel (Georgia Tech) and Knapp (UNC) are also in double digits with 10 wins. Seven other pitchers have at least eight wins this season.
Carson Ozmer (Alabama) is pacing the field with 16 saves, while Lucas Mahlstedt (Clemson) and Dylan Volantis (Texas) are close behind with 15 and 12 saves, respectively.
All 16 semifinalists have an ERA below 3.00, with reliever Gabe Craig (Baylor) leading the way with a microscopic 0.61 ERA. Ohman (Yale – 1.08), Volantis (Texas – 1.52), Sawyer Hawks (Vanderbilt – 1.67), Morrison (Coastal Carolina – 1.84), Ojeda (UC Irvine – 1.95), all sport ERAs below 2.00.
Doyle (Tennessee) tops all semifinalists with 137 strikeouts. Anthony Evanson (LSU) and Jean (Houston) have exceeded the 100 strikeout plateau with 116 and 102 strikeouts, respectively.
Craig (Baylor) leads the field with a 0.55 WHIP. Hawks (Vanderbilt – 0.77), Doyle (Tennessee – 0.80), Ohman (Yale – 0.83), Taylor (UNCW – 0.84), Patel (Georgia Tech – 0.89) and Knapp (UNC – 0.89) are bunched right behind with a WHIP below 0.90.
Finalists for the National Pitcher of the Year Award will be announced on June 4, with the 2025 winner to be announced at a date to be finalized later that month. Hagen Smith of the University of Arkansas was the 2024 National Pitcher of the Year.
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 and Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas, 2024.
For more information on the Pitcher of the Year Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.
2025 NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD SEMIFINALISTS
Name, Position, School, Hometown, Conference
• Harrison Bodendorf, LHP, Oklahoma State, Temecula, California, Big 12
• Gabe Craig, RHP, Baylor, Tyler, Texas, Big 12
• Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee, Derry, New Hampshire, SEC
• Joseph Dzierwa, LHP, Michigan State, Haskins, Ohio, Big Ten
• Anthony Evanson, RHP, LSU, Lakewood, California, SEC
• Sawyer Hawks, RHP, Vanderbilt, Lakeland, Florida, SEC
• Antoine Jean, LHP, Houston, Montreal, Canada, Big 12
• Jake Knapp, RHP, North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina, ACC
• Lucas Mahlstedt, RHP, Clemson, Ormond Beach, Florida, ACC
• Jacob Morrison, RHP, Coastal Carolina, Flushing, Michigan, Sun Belt
• Jack Ohman, RHP, Yale, Mesa, Arizona, Ivy League
• Ricky Ojeda, LHP, UC Irvine, Velencia, California, Big West
• Carson Ozmer, RHP, Alabama, Lantana, Texas, SEC
• Mason Patel, RHP, Georgia Tech, Knoxville, Tennessee, ACC
• Zane Taylor, RHP, UNCW, Franklinton, North Carolina, CAA
• Dylan Volantis, LHP, Texas, Thousand Oaks, California, SEC
2025 National Pitcher(s) of the Year Weekly Award Honorees
Date Honored - Player, Pos., Class, School, Player Hometown
2/25 – Colton Book, LHP, Redshirt Junior, Saint Joseph’s University, Manheim, Pennsylvania
3/4 – Haden Dow, LHP, Graduate, Southeast Missouri State University, St. John, New Brunswick
3/11 – Blake Gillespie, RHP, Junior, Charlotte 49ers, Clermont, Georgia & Drew Horn, RHP, RS-Sophomore, Middle Tennessee University, Smyrna, Tennessee
3/18 – Marcus Phillips, RHP, Junior, University of Tennessee, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
3/25 – Carson Lane, RHP, Sophomore, UNLV, Huntington Beach, California
4/1 – Curtis Hebert, RHP/IF, Junior, University of Portland, Anchorage, Alaska
4/8 – Kade Anderson, LHP, Sophomore, LSU, Madisonville, Louisiana
4/15 – Lyndon Glidewell, RHP, Junior, Austin Peay, Temecula, California
4/22 – Ryder Brooks, LHP, Redshirt-Sophomore, UC Irvine, Fountain Valley, California & Trevor Hansen, RHP, Sophomore, UC Irvine, Simi Valley, California
4/29 – Colin Daniel, RHP, Junior, UAB, Corner, Alabama
5/6 – Davion Hickson, RHP, Junior, Rice, Palmetto, Florida
5/13 – Nuno Parache, RHP, Junior, Nicholls State University, Brooklyn, New York
5/20 – Justin Lamkin, LHP, Junior, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, Texas
