North Carolina State University Athletics
Anderson Nance Recognized on NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List
2/10/2026 2:00:00 PM | Baseball
DALLAS, Texas – NC State Baseball's Anderson Nance has been named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List, as announced by the organization on Tuesday afternoon.
A total of 104 players have been named to the initial 2026 Watch List for the 21st Annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I Baseball, the association announced Tuesday. The institution or conference sports information directors submitted nominees.
This is the second consecutive year the Wolfpack has had at least one relief pitcher on the preseason watch list after Jacob Dudan and Derrick Smith appeared last season. Andrew Shaffner, who was drafted in the 15th round by the Cincinnati Reds in 2025, was named to the watch list midseason.
Nance was a freshman All-American from both NCBWA and Perfect Game. Nance's eight wins ranked sixth in the ACC, and he was one of just seven freshmen last year in the country with at least eight wins. He finished with one save and a 3.50 ERA, accumulating 53 strikeouts over 54.0 innings of work, and held opposing batters to a .256 average.
In his first season with the Wolfpack, Nance pitched at least five innings four times, recording a career-high eight strikeouts against Davidson in March, also marking his first career start. He was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team and was later invited to participate in USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team Training Camp.
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.
A total of 104 players have been named to the initial 2026 Watch List for the 21st Annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I Baseball, the association announced Tuesday. The institution or conference sports information directors submitted nominees.
This is the second consecutive year the Wolfpack has had at least one relief pitcher on the preseason watch list after Jacob Dudan and Derrick Smith appeared last season. Andrew Shaffner, who was drafted in the 15th round by the Cincinnati Reds in 2025, was named to the watch list midseason.
Nance was a freshman All-American from both NCBWA and Perfect Game. Nance's eight wins ranked sixth in the ACC, and he was one of just seven freshmen last year in the country with at least eight wins. He finished with one save and a 3.50 ERA, accumulating 53 strikeouts over 54.0 innings of work, and held opposing batters to a .256 average.
In his first season with the Wolfpack, Nance pitched at least five innings four times, recording a career-high eight strikeouts against Davidson in March, also marking his first career start. He was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team and was later invited to participate in USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team Training Camp.
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.
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