Feb. 14, 2008
WACO, Texas -- Baylor senior pitcher Nick Cassavechia was named to the 2008 Stopper of the Year Watch List, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association announced Thursday. Cassavechia is one of 40 pitchers - and one of only four from the Big 12 Conference - on the initial list for the fourth-annual award given to the nation's top college closer. This is the second consecutive year he has been named to the award's preseason watch list.
Also named NCBWA Preseason All-America, Cassavechia tied for second in the Big 12 and 23rd nationally last season with 11 saves; that was the fifth-best total among players returning for 2008 season. He enters the 2008 campaign tied for second in Baylor history with 19 career saves, tops among active Big 12 pitchers.
The 2007 Cape Cod League Relief Pitcher of the Year, Cassavechia has amassed his career saves total in less than two seasons, moving into the closer sport midway through the 2006 campaign. That season, he tied for fourth in the Big 12 with eight saves. Cassavechia joins Zane Carlson (2000, 2001) as the only Baylor pitchers to record at least eight saves in consecutive seasons, and he would be the first to accomplish the feat in three straight seasons.
Cassavechia, a product of St. Mark's High School in Dallas, Texas, came to Baylor as a walk-on catcher/pitcher. After seeing only 5.2 innings of work as a true freshman in 2005, he went 3-4 with a 3.03 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 38.2 innings in 2006.
Last season, Cassavechia was 6-2 with a 3.12 ERA and 72 strikeouts over 52.0 innings, tying for second all-time at Baylor in single-season wins in relief (6) and ranking third all-time at Baylor in single-season strikeouts in relief (72).
A 2008 co-captain, Cassavechia has appeared in 62 career games, all in relief, and he has posted a 9-6 record with a 3.36 ERA. He has recorded 104 strikeouts over 96.1 innings and held opposing batters to a .238 batting average.
Other Big 12 pitchers on the watch list are Daniel Edwards (Kansas State), Kyle Gibson (Missouri) and Kyle Thebeau (Texas A&M).
No. 15 Baylor opens its 2008 season Feb. 22-24, hosting Purdue for a three-game series at Baylor Ballpark.
