J’Shawn Unger’s impressive second-season in Lincoln has earned national recognition.
Nebraska baseball’s sophomore right-handed pitcher was named one of the 14 finalists for the 21st annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, which is presented to the nation’s top relief pitcher. Unger is joined with other finalists John Abraham (Florida State), Caden Aoki (Georgia), Nick Bonn (Cal Poly), Tanner Bradley (Oregon), Sam Cozart (Texas), Clayton Freshcorn (Texas A&M), Caden Glauber (North Carolina), Cooper Harrington (Liberty), Easton Hawk (UCLA), Skyler Hutto (Jacksonville State), Ethan McElvain (Arkansas), Wylan Moss (UCLA), and Albert Roblez (Oregon State). The national saves leader is automatically selected as a finalist each year, as Bonn leads the country with 17 saves.
Unger is one of four Big Ten representatives on the list, joining UCLA’s relief duo of Hawk and Moss as well as Oregon’s Bradley. Unger is also one of five sophomores, joining Bradley, Hawk, Moss, and Liberty’s Cooper Harrington. Only one freshman is represented on the finalists list in North Carolina’s Caden Glauber.
Unger is fifth nationally with 13 saves this season, tying for the third-most in program history in a season for a Husker pitcher. The right-handed pitcher added a 6-1 record and a 4.05 ERA in 40 innings of action for Nebraska. He had 25 relief appearances, striking out 39 batters while limiting his opponents to a .203 batting average…