UAA Communications photo by Madilyn Gemme
King Tabbed Semifinalist for National Pitcher of the Year
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 | Baseball
Sophomore hurler Aidan King paces the SEC with a 1.71 ERA and 10 games started.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The College Baseball Foundation unveiled its list of 43 semifinalists for the 2026 National Pitcher of the Year Award on Wednesday afternoon, headlined by star Gators right-hander Aidan King.
Boasting a league-best 1.71 ERA, King is one of six SEC hurlers to make the semifinalist cut, which spans 17 conferences in pursuit of identifying the top mound performers through the first 10 weeks of the campaign.
"This group of pitchers has been clearly dominant, and in most cases have put their teams in position to have great seasons," National Pitcher of the Year Award chair Brian Melakian said. "As we near the final stretch of the season, it will be exciting to see which players step up to help lead their teams to postseason success and emerge as finalists for the National Pitcher of the Year."
Fresh off his third-straight quality start and victory, King paces the SEC with 10 games started and a 1.71 ERA (eighth nationally) on top of a 0.93 WHIP and six wins – both good for fourth in the conference. His team-high six quality starts are backed by a .188 batting average against and 55-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 52 2/3 innings pitched.
Having started four of Florida's nation-leading seven shutouts, King has surrendered three runs or less in eight of his 10 starts. During his three-start win streak, the righty has gone at least six innings every time out for a total of 20 2/3 frames with just three runs allowed.
Across his last 15 starts dating back to last season, King is 10-3 with a 1.28 ERA and 84-to-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 91 1/3 innings pitched (13 earned runs allowed).
The National Pitcher of the Year Award was first awarded by the College Baseball Foundation in 2009. The CBF annually presents the Brooks Wallace Award (Nation's Most Outstanding Shortstop), National Pitcher of the Year Award, John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award, George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award and Wayne Graham Award for Teaching Excellence.
For more information on the National Pitcher of the Year Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.
2026 NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD SEMIFINALISTS
• Hunter Alexander, RHP, Senior, UCA, ASUN
• Cooper Allen, RHP, Junior, UNCW, CAA
• Andreas Alvares, RHP, Sophomore, Auburn, SEC
• Max Bayles, RHP, Junior, Santa Clara, WCC
• Ben Blair, RHP, Junior, Liberty, CUSA
• Chansen Cole, RHP, Sophomore, West Virginia, Big 12
• Sam Cozart, RHP, Freshman, Texas, SEC
• John Damozonio, RHP, Senior, Saint Mary's, WCC
• Jason DeCaro, RHP, Junior, North Carolina, ACC
• Mason Edwards, LHP, Junior, USC, Big Ten
• Andrew Evans, RHP, RS-Junior, Southern Illinois, MVC
• Jackson Flora, RHP, Junior, UC Santa Barbara, Big West
• Braden Gebhardt, LHP, Senior, Youngstown State, Horizon
• Caden Glauber, RHP, Freshman, North Carolina, ACC
• Lucas Hartman, RHP, Graduate, Virginia, ACC
• Aidan King, RHP, Sophomore, Florida, SEC
• Will Labonte, RHP, Freshman, Portland, WCC
• Ethan Lay, RHP, Senior, Sacramento State, WAC
• Nathan Leininger, RHP, Senior, Toledo, MAC
• Chris Levonas, RHP, Sophomore, Wake Forest, ACC
• Isaiah Magdaleno, RHP, Junior, Hawaii, Big West
• Micheal Malki, RHP, Sophomore, Cal Baptist, WAC
• Jake Marciano, LHP, Sophomore, Auburn, SEC
• Walter McDuffie, RHP, Sophomore, North Carolina, ACC
• Wes Mendes, LHP, Junior, Florida State, ACC
• Wylan Moss, RHP, Sophomore, UCLA, Big Ten
• Mikiah Negrete, LHP, Senior, Cal State Fullerton, Big West
• Chris Olivier, RHP, Senior, Lamar, Southland
• Ryan Peterson, RHP, Junior, Sam Houston, CUSA
• Eli Pillsbury, LHP, RS-Junior, Jacksonville State, CUSA
• Logan Reddemann, RHP, Junior, UCLA, Big Ten
• Bryce Riggs, RHP, Junior, Eastern Illinois, OVC
• Albert Roblez, RHP, Senior, Oregon State, Independent
• Michael Sharman, LHP, Senior, Clemson, ACC
• Patrick Steitz, RHP, RS-Senior, VCU, A-10
• Dakota Stone, LHP, RS-Junior, North Florida, ASUN
• Cayden Suchy, LHP, Sophomore, UConn, BIG EAST
• Max Vaisvila, LHP, Senior, Northern Illinois, MAC
• Tomas Valincius, LHP, Sophomore, Mississippi State, SEC
• Dylan Volantis, LHP, Sophomore, Texas, SEC
• Dax Whitney, RHP, Sophomore, Oregon State, Independent
• Maxx Yehl, LHP, RS-Junior, West Virginia, Big 12
• Bradley Zayac, RHP, Sophomore, Liberty, CUSA
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Boasting a league-best 1.71 ERA, King is one of six SEC hurlers to make the semifinalist cut, which spans 17 conferences in pursuit of identifying the top mound performers through the first 10 weeks of the campaign.
"This group of pitchers has been clearly dominant, and in most cases have put their teams in position to have great seasons," National Pitcher of the Year Award chair Brian Melakian said. "As we near the final stretch of the season, it will be exciting to see which players step up to help lead their teams to postseason success and emerge as finalists for the National Pitcher of the Year."
Fresh off his third-straight quality start and victory, King paces the SEC with 10 games started and a 1.71 ERA (eighth nationally) on top of a 0.93 WHIP and six wins – both good for fourth in the conference. His team-high six quality starts are backed by a .188 batting average against and 55-to-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 52 2/3 innings pitched.
Having started four of Florida's nation-leading seven shutouts, King has surrendered three runs or less in eight of his 10 starts. During his three-start win streak, the righty has gone at least six innings every time out for a total of 20 2/3 frames with just three runs allowed.
Across his last 15 starts dating back to last season, King is 10-3 with a 1.28 ERA and 84-to-23 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 91 1/3 innings pitched (13 earned runs allowed).
The National Pitcher of the Year Award was first awarded by the College Baseball Foundation in 2009. The CBF annually presents the Brooks Wallace Award (Nation's Most Outstanding Shortstop), National Pitcher of the Year Award, John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award, George H.W. Bush Distinguished Alumnus Award and Wayne Graham Award for Teaching Excellence.
For more information on the National Pitcher of the Year Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.
2026 NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD SEMIFINALISTS
• Hunter Alexander, RHP, Senior, UCA, ASUN
• Cooper Allen, RHP, Junior, UNCW, CAA
• Andreas Alvares, RHP, Sophomore, Auburn, SEC
• Max Bayles, RHP, Junior, Santa Clara, WCC
• Ben Blair, RHP, Junior, Liberty, CUSA
• Chansen Cole, RHP, Sophomore, West Virginia, Big 12
• Sam Cozart, RHP, Freshman, Texas, SEC
• John Damozonio, RHP, Senior, Saint Mary's, WCC
• Jason DeCaro, RHP, Junior, North Carolina, ACC
• Mason Edwards, LHP, Junior, USC, Big Ten
• Andrew Evans, RHP, RS-Junior, Southern Illinois, MVC
• Jackson Flora, RHP, Junior, UC Santa Barbara, Big West
• Braden Gebhardt, LHP, Senior, Youngstown State, Horizon
• Caden Glauber, RHP, Freshman, North Carolina, ACC
• Lucas Hartman, RHP, Graduate, Virginia, ACC
• Aidan King, RHP, Sophomore, Florida, SEC
• Will Labonte, RHP, Freshman, Portland, WCC
• Ethan Lay, RHP, Senior, Sacramento State, WAC
• Nathan Leininger, RHP, Senior, Toledo, MAC
• Chris Levonas, RHP, Sophomore, Wake Forest, ACC
• Isaiah Magdaleno, RHP, Junior, Hawaii, Big West
• Micheal Malki, RHP, Sophomore, Cal Baptist, WAC
• Jake Marciano, LHP, Sophomore, Auburn, SEC
• Walter McDuffie, RHP, Sophomore, North Carolina, ACC
• Wes Mendes, LHP, Junior, Florida State, ACC
• Wylan Moss, RHP, Sophomore, UCLA, Big Ten
• Mikiah Negrete, LHP, Senior, Cal State Fullerton, Big West
• Chris Olivier, RHP, Senior, Lamar, Southland
• Ryan Peterson, RHP, Junior, Sam Houston, CUSA
• Eli Pillsbury, LHP, RS-Junior, Jacksonville State, CUSA
• Logan Reddemann, RHP, Junior, UCLA, Big Ten
• Bryce Riggs, RHP, Junior, Eastern Illinois, OVC
• Albert Roblez, RHP, Senior, Oregon State, Independent
• Michael Sharman, LHP, Senior, Clemson, ACC
• Patrick Steitz, RHP, RS-Senior, VCU, A-10
• Dakota Stone, LHP, RS-Junior, North Florida, ASUN
• Cayden Suchy, LHP, Sophomore, UConn, BIG EAST
• Max Vaisvila, LHP, Senior, Northern Illinois, MAC
• Tomas Valincius, LHP, Sophomore, Mississippi State, SEC
• Dylan Volantis, LHP, Sophomore, Texas, SEC
• Dax Whitney, RHP, Sophomore, Oregon State, Independent
• Maxx Yehl, LHP, RS-Junior, West Virginia, Big 12
• Bradley Zayac, RHP, Sophomore, Liberty, CUSA
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