Burns, Heath named to NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List

DALLAS, Texas – Hilltopper relief pitchers Mason Burns and Cole Heath were named to the 2024 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List, the association announced Wednesday. An award given annually to the top relief pitcher in Division I Baseball.

Of the 73 players named to the initial watch list, four represented teams from Conference USA with WKU being the only CUSA program with two members.

Burns is coming off an impressive first season on The Hill in 2023 after transferring in from Illinois State. The Bloomington, Ill. native made 23 appearances on the mound with four starts. He posted a 6-2 record and four saves as the Tops go-to-guy out of the bullpen. The senior produced a team-best 2.95 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 55.0 innings of work. Burns was almost untouchable through the last two months of the season when he went 26.1 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run. The right-hander has received preseason recognition from multiple outlets including being named to Game USA’s “Top 75 College Seniors”, coming in at #48 on the list, as well as being selected to the Conference USA Preseason All-Conference Team as a relief pitcher.

Heath enters his fourth season at WKU after a very productive redshirt-sophomore season in 2023. The right-hander appeared in 15 games and made one start last year notching a 2-0 record. The Hendersonville, Tenn. native recorded a 5.26 ERA with 18 strikeouts and held opponents to a .243 batting average. Heath earned wins against Belmont on March 7 and 2023 CUSA Champion Charlotte on April 30.

Along with the 2024 Stopper of the Year, the NCBWA 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.

WKU opens its season with a three-game series against Bradley beginning on Friday, February 16 at Nick Denes Field starting at 3 PM CT.