RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) announced on Tuesday that senior pitcher Steven Oliva of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team is part of the Preseason Stopper of the Year Watch List, recognizing the best relievers in NCAA Division I.
Oliva is the only pitcher in the Southland Conference on the watch list and one 104 players overall.
Last season, Oliva went 3-2 with six saves and a 3.56 ERA. In 19 relief appearances, Oliva struck out 28 while scattering 24 hits and nine walks and holding opponents to a .218 batting average. The six saves ranked 79th in the NCAA and fourth in Southland and tied for the eighth most in a season in program history.
Oliva ended the 2025 season on a high note, earning All-Southland Conference Tournament Team honors by earning two wins in three days by pitching 8.1 innings of relief and striking out nine across two appearances.
UTRGV opens the season with a three-game series against Kansas Friday and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. at UTRGV Baseball Stadium. Kansas has a pitcher on the watch list as well in junior Boede Rahe. Tickets are on sale now at UTRGVTickets.com.
21st Annual Preseason Stopper of the Year Watch List
| Player |
School |
Class |
| Davis Aiken |
Col. of Charleston |
Gr. |
| Hunter Alexander |
Central Arkansas |
Sr. |
| Joe Allen |
Clemson |
Sr. |
| Gavin Alveti^ |
Austin Peay |
Sr. |
| Brandon Arvidson |
Tennessee |
R-Jr. |
| Ira Austin IV^ |
Kentucky |
Sr. |
| Reese Bassinger |
West Virginia |
Gr. |
| Zach Bates |
Illinois |
Jr. |
| Max Bianchini |
USC Upstate |
R-Jr. |
| Ryan Bilka^ (3) |
Miami (Fla.) |
Sr. |
| Cody Brasch^ |
Louisiana |
Jr. |
| Walker Brodt |
Winthrop |
Jr. |
| Thomas Burns |
Texas |
Jr. |
| Carson Byers |
Miami (Ohio) |
Sr. |
| Dominick Carbone (2) |
Coastal Carolina |
Jr. |
| Parker Coil |
Arkansas |
Sr. |
| Zac Cowan (4) |
LSU |
Sr. |
| Braden Curry |
Toledo |
So. |
| Shane Keup |
Winthrop |
R-Jr. |
| Jake Kramer^ |
Purdue |
Sr. |
| John Damozonio |
Saint Mary's |
Sr. |
| Wyatt Danilowicz |
Louisville |
Sr. |
| Ben Davis |
Mississippi State |
Sr. |
| Preston Davis |
Little Rock |
R-Sr. |
| Gavin DeVooght |
Michigan |
Jr. |
| Turner Doran |
Western Michigan |
Sr. |
| Chandler Dorsey |
UCF |
Sr. |
| Mitch Dye |
Illinois |
Sr. |
| Zach Edwards |
Oregon State |
So. |
| Carson Estridge |
West Virginia |
Sr. |
| Kade Eudy |
TCU |
So. |
| Brady Frederick^ (2) |
Tennessee |
Jr. |
| Clayton Freshcorn |
Texas A&M |
Jr. |
| Jack Giordando |
Oregon State |
So. |
| Miller Green |
Vanderbilt |
Jr. |
| Mikey Gray^ |
Pitt |
Sr. |
| Chris Grothues |
UCLA |
R-Jr. |
| Max Grubbs |
Texas |
Sr. |
| Josh Gunther^ |
South Carolina |
Jr. |
| Gage Haley |
Little Rock |
Jr. |
| Lucas Hartman^ (4) |
Virginia |
Gr. |
| Easton Hawk |
UCLA |
So. |
| Ryan Hetzler (4) |
Auburn |
Jr. |
| Erik Hoffberg |
Gonzaga |
Jr. |
| Jackson Hohensee^ |
Austin Peay |
R-Sr. |
| Blake Hooks |
Louisiana Tech |
Gr. |
| Darin Horn |
Coastal Carolina |
R-Sr. |
| Cal Higgins^ (1) |
Texas |
Gr. |
| Brandon Jaenke^ |
Minnesota |
Sr. |
| Donovann Jackson |
UC Santa Barbara |
Sr. |
| Evan Jones |
UCF |
Jr. |
| Alex Kranzler |
Vanderbilt |
Jr. |
| Ryan Kroepel |
Utah Tech |
Jr. |
| Max Kuhle |
James Madison |
Sr. |
| Cooper Lanz |
Santa Clara |
Sr. |
| Oisin Lee |
Notre Dame |
So. |
| Caden Leonard |
Kent State |
Gr. |
| Mason Lerma |
UC Davis |
Jr. |
| Cooper Littledike |
Utah Valley |
R-Sr. |
| Dimond Loosli |
Penn State |
Sr. |
| Ryan Lynch (1) |
Coastal Carolina |
Gr. |
| Alex Lyon (3) |
Col. of Charleston |
R-Sr. |
| Isaiah Magdaleno |
Hawaii |
Jr. |
| Nate Marshall |
Eastern Illinois |
Sr. |
| Matthew Mathijs |
North Carolina |
Gr. |
| Daniel McAuliff |
Pitt |
Gr. |
| Ben McDougal |
West Virginia |
Sr. |
| Reece McDuffie |
Tennessee Tech |
Sr. |
| Walker McDuffie (3) |
North Carolina |
So. |
| Jacob McGovern |
Clemson |
Jr. |
| Colby McNeely |
Winthrop |
Sr. |
| Anderson Nance |
NC State |
So. |
| Jack O'Connor |
UCLA |
Sr. |
| Steven Oliva |
UTRGV |
Sr. |
| Robert Orloski (2) |
UTSA |
Jr. |
| Shawn Parnell |
Northern Kentucky |
R-Jr. |
| Tony Pluta $*(1) |
Arizona |
Sr. |
| Daniel Powell |
Kennesaw State |
Jr. |
| Brock Puckett |
Lipscomb |
Gr. |
| Walter Quinn^ |
TCU |
Sr. |
| Boede Rahe^ |
Kansas |
R-Jr. |
| Easton Rakers |
Lindenwood |
Sr. |
| Cal Randall |
UCLA |
Jr. |
| Ben Rehkow |
Winthrop |
Sr. |
| Bo Rhudy^ |
Tennessee |
Jr. |
| Justin Ritz |
Coppin State |
Sr. |
| Albert Roblez^ |
Oregon State |
Sr. |
| Hunter Royal |
Little Rock |
Gr. |
| Jake Schweitzer |
Louisville |
So. |
| Kade Shatwell |
Austin Peay |
Sr. |
| Kros Sivley (3) |
Southern Miss |
Sr. |
| Hayden Smith^ |
Troy |
Jr. |
| Adam Troy^ |
USC |
Jr. |
| Cole Tryba |
UC Santa Barbara |
Jr. |
| Bryce Turner |
FIU |
So. |
| Ian Umlandt |
Oregon |
Sr. |
| Noah Waldeck |
Saint Mary's |
Jr. |
| Maddox Webb^ |
Mississippi State |
Jr. |
| Will Whelan |
Minnesota |
Jr. |
| Carson Wiggins |
Arkansas |
So. |
| Harrison Wilson |
Winthrop |
Sr. |
| Logan Wilson |
Northern Kentucky |
Sr. |
| Andrew Wright |
Cal St. Fullerton |
Jr. |
| Isaac Yeager (2) |
Oregon State |
Sr. |
$ = 2025 Stopper of the Year
* = 2025 Stopper of the Year Finalist
(1) = Preseason NCBWA All-America First Team
(2) = Preseason NCBWA All-America Second Team
(3) = Preseason NCBWA All-America Third Team
(4) = Preseason NCBWA All-America Fourth Team
^ = stats from previous school
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