BREAKING: BYU Baseball Reliever Named Preseason All-America First Team
BYU relief pitcher is racking up preseason honors after earning a spot on the NCBWA Preseason All-America First Team.
The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association released its preseason All-America teams on Wednesday, February 12. Cushing, a senior, was one of three relievers selected for the Big 12 All-Preseason team and also landed on the NCBWA Stopper of the Year preseason watch list. He enters the season tied for eighth among active NCAA Division I pitchers in career saves.
The NCBWA Stopper of the Year award is given annually to the top relief pitcher in Division I baseball. Other Big 12 pitchers joining Cushing on the preseason watch list include Garrett Abeldt (TCU), Casey Hintz and Tony Pluta (Arizona), Dalton Smith (Kansas), Kris Sosnowski (UCF), and Gavin Van Kempen (West Virginia).
Additionally, former Utah closer and current Detroit Tigers prospect Micah Ashman made the 2024 Stopper of the Year watch list. Cushing was also included on the 2024 midseason watch list for the award.
Our guy @stone_cush🤙 pic.twitter.com/bbJ91K9gbZ
— BYU Baseball (@BYUBaseball) February 12, 2025
He follows in the footsteps of former BYU pitcher Reid McLaughlin, becoming the second Cougar in the past three years to earn a spot on the NCBWA preseason list.
About Stone Cushing
Born and raised in Salem, Utah, Stone Cushing was a standout high school pitcher, earning 5A All-State First Team honors and being named Region 8 MVP in 2021.
The 5’10” right-hander began his college career at the College of Southern Idaho in 2022, where he appeared in 16 games, recording 41 strikeouts over 27.1 innings. That season, the Golden Eagles placed third in the Scenic West Athletics Conference, finishing with a 25-13 conference record and a 40-19 overall mark.
Cushing quickly became a dominant reliever in the Big 12, leading the conference with 10 saves in his first season at BYU. He was one of just 14 pitchers nationwide to record 10 or more saves, tying for the second-most in program history (McLaughlin, 2022).
In just one season with the Cougars, he climbed to fifth on BYU’s all-time saves list. His 25 games finished led the Big 12, and he tied for the conference lead with 29 relief appearances. Cushing wrapped up his junior campaign with a 3.93 ERA and 46 strikeouts.