University of Georgia Athletics
Photo by: Conor Dillon/UGAAA
Caden Aoki Named Finalist For NCBWA Stopper Of The Year Award
June 04, 2026 | Baseball
ATHENS-----University of Georgia graduate pitcher Caden Aoki has been named a finalist for the 21st annual NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award, the organization announced Thursday.
This award is presented to the nation's top relief pitcher in NCAA Division 1. Aoki, a 6-0, 185-pound right-hander from Huntington Beach, Calif., is 9-1 with a 3.86 ERA and three saves for the Bulldogs. He has made 18 appearances including seven starts. In 72.1 innings, he has tallied 95 strikeouts and only 26 walks.
Aoki helped the Bulldogs capture the SEC regular season and tournament titles plus the NCAA Athens Regional. Top-ranked and third-seeded Georgia enters the NCAA Super Regional with a 49-12 record and battles No. 14 seed Mississippi State starting Saturday at 11 a.m. at Foley Field.
Aoki is one of six finalists who remain in postseason action this weekend and are just two wins away from advancing to the College World Series (CWS). Along with Aoki, this group includes Cal Poly's Nick Bonn (1-4, 3.49 ERA, 17 saves), Oregon's Tanner Bradley (5-1, 1.76 ERA, 1 save), Texas' Sam Cozart (6-0, 1.72 ERA, 8 saves), North Carolina's Caden Glauber (10-0, 2.06 ERA, 4 saves) and Florida State's John Abraham (1-3, 1.91 ERA, 6 saves). An additional eight finalists have completed their season.
The 2026 NCBWA Stopper of the Year honoree will be announced during a news conference at the CWS on Friday, June 12, at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha.
Georgia's Josh Fields (2008) is the only Bulldog in school history to have won this award. Other notable winners include Texas pitchers J. Brent Cox (2005), Chance Ruffin (2010) and Corey Knebel (2011); UCLA's David Berg (2013, 2015); Arkansas' Kevin Kopps (2021); Texas State's Tristan Stivors (2022); Oral Roberts' Cade Denton (2023); Texas A&M's Evan Aschenbeck (2024) and Arizona's Tony Pluta in 2025. There was no award presented in 2020 due to the COVID-19-shortened season.
The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, founded in 1962, also presents the Dick Howser Trophy to the nation's top player and the Mike Martin National Coach of the Year Award to the nation's top coach. The organization also selects Division I All-America teams, a Division I Freshman All-America team and Players of the Week and Year across Divisions I, II and III.
This award is presented to the nation's top relief pitcher in NCAA Division 1. Aoki, a 6-0, 185-pound right-hander from Huntington Beach, Calif., is 9-1 with a 3.86 ERA and three saves for the Bulldogs. He has made 18 appearances including seven starts. In 72.1 innings, he has tallied 95 strikeouts and only 26 walks.
Aoki helped the Bulldogs capture the SEC regular season and tournament titles plus the NCAA Athens Regional. Top-ranked and third-seeded Georgia enters the NCAA Super Regional with a 49-12 record and battles No. 14 seed Mississippi State starting Saturday at 11 a.m. at Foley Field.
Aoki is one of six finalists who remain in postseason action this weekend and are just two wins away from advancing to the College World Series (CWS). Along with Aoki, this group includes Cal Poly's Nick Bonn (1-4, 3.49 ERA, 17 saves), Oregon's Tanner Bradley (5-1, 1.76 ERA, 1 save), Texas' Sam Cozart (6-0, 1.72 ERA, 8 saves), North Carolina's Caden Glauber (10-0, 2.06 ERA, 4 saves) and Florida State's John Abraham (1-3, 1.91 ERA, 6 saves). An additional eight finalists have completed their season.
The 2026 NCBWA Stopper of the Year honoree will be announced during a news conference at the CWS on Friday, June 12, at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha.
Georgia's Josh Fields (2008) is the only Bulldog in school history to have won this award. Other notable winners include Texas pitchers J. Brent Cox (2005), Chance Ruffin (2010) and Corey Knebel (2011); UCLA's David Berg (2013, 2015); Arkansas' Kevin Kopps (2021); Texas State's Tristan Stivors (2022); Oral Roberts' Cade Denton (2023); Texas A&M's Evan Aschenbeck (2024) and Arizona's Tony Pluta in 2025. There was no award presented in 2020 due to the COVID-19-shortened season.
The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, founded in 1962, also presents the Dick Howser Trophy to the nation's top player and the Mike Martin National Coach of the Year Award to the nation's top coach. The organization also selects Division I All-America teams, a Division I Freshman All-America team and Players of the Week and Year across Divisions I, II and III.
Players Mentioned
RHP
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