Texas A&M baseball's Clayton Freshcorn named finalist for NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award

Texas A&M baseball right-handed relief pitcher Clayton Freshcorn is one of 14 finalists for the 2026 National College Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, the organization announced Thursday.

Through 27 games with one start this season, Freshcorn compiled a 4-3 record, 2.82 ERA and 1.05 WHIP over 54.1 innings while tallying 56 strikeouts vs. only six walks. His 12 saves – which included nine over multiple innings – are tied for both the sixth most in the country and third for a single season in A&M history. He totaled seven saves in Southeastern Conference play, tying for the most in the league. His 14 saves in two seasons with the Aggies are the sixth most in a career in program history.

Partly because of Freshcorn, A&M finished third in the SEC and earned the opportunity to host the regional round of the NCAA Tournament as the No. 12 overall seed. But the Aggies failed to reach the super regional stage of the postseason, finishing with a 41-16 record.

In its season-ending 7-1 loss Monday to USC in the College Station Regional Final, A&M turned to Freshcorn as a starter out of desperation. He held up well until the final frame of his outing, surrendering a walk, single and three-run homer in the seventh before coming out of the game. Overall, Freshcorn allowed five runs on nine hits, one walk and a hit by pitch while totaling five strikeouts over a career-high 6.2 innings and 101 pitches. 

The winner of the 2026 Stopper of the Year Award will be announced during a June 12 news conference at the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. Freshcorn would be the first Aggie to win the award since Evan Aschenbeck in 2024.

2026 Stopper of the Year finalists

John Abraham  (Florida State)

Caden Aoki (Georgia)

Nick Bonn (Cal Poly)

Tanner Bradley (Oregon)

Sam Cozart (Texas)

Clayton Freshcorn (Texas A&M)

Caden Glauber (North Carolina)

Cooper Harrington (Liberty)

Easton Hawk (UCLA)

Skyler Hutto  (Jacksonville State)

Ethan McElvain (Arkansas)

Wylan Moss (UCLA)

Albert Roblez (Oregon State)

J’Shawn Unger (Nebraska)