COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Three Southern Conference players are among the 75 named to the initial watch list for the ninth annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award, given to the top relief pitcher in NCAA Division I baseball, as announced by the association on Friday.

Elon’s Nate Young, Western Carolina’s Preston Hatcher and Wofford’s Eric Eck all appeared on the list.

Young, who hails from Kalamazoo, Mich., was a 2013 preseason second-team All-Southern Conference selection.

In 2012, Young led the Phoenix with a 2.13 ERA.  His team-best 11 saves ranked second in the SoCon and were the third-highest total ever in a season by an Elon pitcher.  In 24 appearances, Young went 3-1 and held opponents to a .230 batting average.  Over his 24 outings, Young allowed a run in just four appearances.

Elon opens the 2013 campaign Friday, Feb. 15, when it hosts Marist at 3 p.m. in the Country Inn and Suites Elon Invitational.

Hatcher, a first team All-Southern Conference selection following the 2012 season and a preseason first teamer entering 2013, has nine career victories on the mound, six coming a year ago. The Atlanta, Ga., product tied for the second-best single season in school history a year ago with 10 saves among his team-leading 29 relief appearances. He posted a career-low 1.73 ERA in 2012 by only surrendering 18 runs total, 10 of which were earned.

Tabbed one of four team captains entering the 2013 season, Hatcher was a third-team Louisville Slugger Preseason All-America selection as announced in December 2012.

Nominations for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award were made by baseball sports information/media relations contacts. The initial list will be updated with a mid-season release the week of April 16, including the national saves leaders. At the conclusion of the regular season, the Division I national saves leader and four other relief pitching standouts will be selected as finalists and released Wednesday, June 5, prior to start of NCAA Super Regional tournament competition.

From the list of finalists, the NCBWA's All-America Committee will select a winner. The ninth annual winner will be announced in Omaha on Saturday, June 15, the opening day of the College World Series.

Western Carolina opens the 2013 season by hosting four straight home games against a pair of teams from the Pac-12 and Atlantic Coast Conference. The Catamounts welcome the Washington State Cougars to Cullowhee, N.C., for the first of a three-game series on Friday, Feb. 15, with subsequent games following on Saturday and Sunday. The following Tuesday (Feb. 19), Wake Forest out of the ACC comes to town for the front end of a seasonal home-and-home.