Corey Knebel (Texas) has been named the  2011 recipient of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's Stopper of the Year Award, the NCBWA announced Tuesday at the College World Series.

This marks the second-straight season a Big 12 relief pitcher has garnered the honor as Chance Ruffin (Texas) collected the award in 2010. A Big 12 student-athlete has claimed the distinction on four occasions, including Texas hurler J. Brent Cox taking the inaugural award in 2005, Don Czyz (Kansas) earning the honor in 2006 and Ruffin and Knebel picking up the honor the past two seasons. Knebel is the first freshman to garner the honor.

Knebel, the NCBWA Freshman Pitcher of the Year, set the Texas freshmen record with 19 saves and was 3-2 with a 1.13 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 55.2 innings. He allowed just 28 hits and seven earned runs, while holding opponents to a .151 batting average.  With two saves in NCAA Super Regional play, he has posted the most saves of any pitcher in the nation this season. In addition, he has made 38 appearances, the most in the Big 12 this year.
 
The right-hander from Georgetown, Texas, was an All-Big 12 First Team selection and a unanimous selection to the Big 12 All-Freshmen Team. He has received first team All-America and Freshman Pitcher of the Year honors from Collegiate Baseball.  The reliever also has been named one of the 25 quarterfinalists for the College Baseball Foundation's Pitcher of the Year Award.
 
Knebel helped Texas post a 49-19 record and reach the College World Series for the 34th time, with NCAA Austin Regional and Super Regional championships.  The Longhorns also were the Big 12 regular season co-champions and were ranked No. 5 in the latest NCBWA weekly poll.

More than 50 of the nation's top collegiate relief pitchers were included in the selection process for this year's NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award, beginning with initial preseason nominations by baseball contacts at NCAA Division I schools.