LSU Right-Hander Zac Cowan Named To 2026 NCBWA Stopper Of The Year Preseason Watch List

BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU senior right-hander Zac Cowan was named Tuesday to the 2026 Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

A total of 104 players were named to the initial Watch List for the 21st annual Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I Baseball by the NCBWA.

Cowan, a right-hander from Blythewood, S.C., has received 2026 Preseason All-America and All-SEC recognition over the past few weeks.

He was a 2025 First-Team All-SEC selection, as he recorded a 3-3 mark, six saves and a 2.94 ERA in 22 appearances (two starts). He worked 52 innings with 12 walks, 60 strikeouts and a .226 opponent batting average.

Five of Cowan’s six saves came in SEC regular-season games, and he had eight walks and 34 strikeouts in 30.2 league innings.

He pitched brilliantly in a starting role versus Arkansas in the College World Series, working 5.1 innings and allowing just one run on four hits, no walks and six strikeouts.

LSU opens its 2026 season at 2 p.m. CT on Friday, when the reigning National Champions play host to Milwaukee in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.

(Release via LSU Athletics)