5 days ago
Gabe Craig named NCBWA Stopper of the Year finalist
WACO, Texas (FOX 44) — The recognition keeps coming in for Baylor reliever Gabe Craig. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association named Baylor baseball sixth-year senior right-handed pitcher Gabe Craig as a finalist for the 2025 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award on Wednesday.
The NCBWA announced thirteen of the nation's top relief pitchers finalists for the 20th annual award, which recognizes the best reliever in college baseball.
Craig finished the 2025 season with a 3-0 record and earned 10 saves in 32 innings of work. He struck out 51 batters and walked just three, holding opponents to a .124 batting average. He led the country with a microscopic 0.56 ERA, a 0.50 WHIP and a 17:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Craig also ranked second nationally in H/9 (3.66) and BB/9 (0.84) and owned the sixth-best K/9 (14.34).
Of his 24 appearances, Craig logged 22 scoreless outings, 14 hitless outings, and struck out at least two batters 16 times. He finished the year on a 20.1-inning scoreless streak across his last 12 appearances, a stretch that spanned back to April 4.
Craig was even better in conference play, lowering his ERA to 0.49. He allowed just one run on seven hits across 18.1 innings and 12 appearances, locking down six saves. Against Big 12 opponents, Craig struck out 31 batters and walked just one.
In 2025, Craig led all Big 12 pitchers with 20 games finished and did not allow an extra-base hit all season. His 10 total saves, which ranked 17th in the country, are the most by a Bear in a single season since Troy Montemayor had 11 in 2018.
Already named a finalist for the 2025 College Baseball Foundation National Pitcher of the Year Award, Craig is looking to becoming the first Bear in program history to receive the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award. Craig also picked up All-Big 12 First Team accolades for the first time in his career this season.
The 2025 Stopper of the Year recipient will be announced via a news conference on Friday, June 13, at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha. In the 19-year history of the award, only four players from the Big 12 have ever brought home the honor.
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