Photo by: Hallie Walker/Mississippi State Athletics
Valincius Named Semifinalist For National Pitcher Of The Year
April 22, 2026 | Baseball
STARKVILLE โ Mississippi State ace Tomas Valincius was selected as a semifinalist for the National Pitcher of the Year Award by the College Baseball Foundation and the College Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday.
Valincius has made 10 starts in his first season with the Diamond Dawgs and compiled a 7-1 record on the mound. The sophomore left-hander sports a 1.81 earned run average with 83 strikeouts and 13 walks across 59 2/3 innings and opposing hitters are batting just .195 against him.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder from Lockport, Illinois currently has the second-lowest ERA in the SEC among qualified pitchers and is also tied for second in the conference in strikeouts.
Valincius is one of 43 semifinalists selected for the honor. Former MSU hurler Ethan Small was named the National Pitcher of the Year by the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019 and Chris Stratton was also tabbed as a semifinalist for the honor in 2012.
2026 NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD SEMIFINALISTS
Name, Position, Classification, School, Conference
โข Hunter Alexander, RHP, Senior, UCA, ASUN
โข Cooper Allen, RHP, Junior, UNCW, CAA
โข Andreas Alvares, RHP, Sophomore, Auburn, SEC
โข Max Bayles, RHP, Junior, Santa Clara, WCC
โข Ben Blair, RHP, Junior, Liberty, CUSA
โข Chansen Cole, RHP, Sophomore, West Virginia, Big 12
โข Sam Cozart, RHP, Freshman, Texas, SEC
โข John Damozonio, RHP, Senior, Saint Mary's, WCC
โข Jason DeCaro, RHP, Junior, North Carolina, ACC
โข Mason Edwards, LHP, Junior, USC, Big Ten
โข Andrew Evans, RHP, RS-Junior, Southern Illinois, MVC
โข Jackson Flora, RHP, Junior, UC Santa Barbara, Big West
โข Braden Gebhardt, LHP, Senior, Youngstown State, Horizon
โข Caden Glauber, RHP, Freshman, North Carolina, ACC
โข Lucas Hartman, RHP, Graduate, Virginia, ACC
โข Aidan King, RHP, Sophomore, Florida, SEC
โข Will Labonte, RHP, Freshman, Portland, WCC
โข Ethan Lay, RHP, Senior, Sacramento State, WAC
โข Nathan Leininger, RHP, Senior, Toledo, MAC
โข Chris Levonas, RHP, Sophomore, Wake Forest, ACC
โข Isaiah Magdaleno, RHP, Junior, Hawaii, Big West
โข Micheal Malki, RHP, Sophomore, Cal Baptist, WAC
โข Jake Marciano, LHP, Sophomore, Auburn, SEC
โข Walter McDuffie, RHP, Sophomore, North Carolina, ACC
โข Wes Mendes, LHP, Junior, Florida State, ACC
โข Wylan Moss, RHP, Sophomore, UCLA, Big Ten
โข Mikiah Negrete, LHP, Senior, Cal State Fullerton, Big West
โข Chris Olivier, RHP, Senior, Lamar, Southland
โข Ryan Peterson, RHP, Junior, Sam Houston, CUSA
โข Eli Pillsbury, LHP, RS-Junior, Jacksonville State, CUSA
โข Logan Reddemann, RHP, Junior, UCLA, Big Ten
โข Bryce Riggs, RHP, Junior, Eastern Illinois, OVC
โข Albert Roblez, RHP, Senior, Oregon State, Independent
โข Michael Sharman, LHP, Senior, Clemson, ACC
โข Patrick Steitz, RHP, RS-Senior, VCU, A-10
โข Dakota Stone, LHP, RS-Junior, North Florida, ASUN
โข Cayden Suchy, LHP, Sophomore, UConn, BIG EAST
โข Max Vaisvila, LHP, Senior, Northern Illinois, MAC
โข Tomas Valincius, LHP, Sophomore, Mississippi State, SEC
โข Dylan Volantis, LHP, Sophomore, Texas, SEC
โข Dax Whitney, RHP, Sophomore, Oregon State, Independent
โข Maxx Yehl, LHP, RS-Junior, West Virginia, Big 12
โข Bradley Zayac, RHP, Sophomore, Liberty, CUSA
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Visitย www.HailState.comย for the latest news and information on the baseball program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching 'HailStateBB' onย X,ย Facebookย andย Instagram.
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Valincius has made 10 starts in his first season with the Diamond Dawgs and compiled a 7-1 record on the mound. The sophomore left-hander sports a 1.81 earned run average with 83 strikeouts and 13 walks across 59 2/3 innings and opposing hitters are batting just .195 against him.
The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder from Lockport, Illinois currently has the second-lowest ERA in the SEC among qualified pitchers and is also tied for second in the conference in strikeouts.
Valincius is one of 43 semifinalists selected for the honor. Former MSU hurler Ethan Small was named the National Pitcher of the Year by the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019 and Chris Stratton was also tabbed as a semifinalist for the honor in 2012.
2026 NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD SEMIFINALISTS
Name, Position, Classification, School, Conference
โข Hunter Alexander, RHP, Senior, UCA, ASUN
โข Cooper Allen, RHP, Junior, UNCW, CAA
โข Andreas Alvares, RHP, Sophomore, Auburn, SEC
โข Max Bayles, RHP, Junior, Santa Clara, WCC
โข Ben Blair, RHP, Junior, Liberty, CUSA
โข Chansen Cole, RHP, Sophomore, West Virginia, Big 12
โข Sam Cozart, RHP, Freshman, Texas, SEC
โข John Damozonio, RHP, Senior, Saint Mary's, WCC
โข Jason DeCaro, RHP, Junior, North Carolina, ACC
โข Mason Edwards, LHP, Junior, USC, Big Ten
โข Andrew Evans, RHP, RS-Junior, Southern Illinois, MVC
โข Jackson Flora, RHP, Junior, UC Santa Barbara, Big West
โข Braden Gebhardt, LHP, Senior, Youngstown State, Horizon
โข Caden Glauber, RHP, Freshman, North Carolina, ACC
โข Lucas Hartman, RHP, Graduate, Virginia, ACC
โข Aidan King, RHP, Sophomore, Florida, SEC
โข Will Labonte, RHP, Freshman, Portland, WCC
โข Ethan Lay, RHP, Senior, Sacramento State, WAC
โข Nathan Leininger, RHP, Senior, Toledo, MAC
โข Chris Levonas, RHP, Sophomore, Wake Forest, ACC
โข Isaiah Magdaleno, RHP, Junior, Hawaii, Big West
โข Micheal Malki, RHP, Sophomore, Cal Baptist, WAC
โข Jake Marciano, LHP, Sophomore, Auburn, SEC
โข Walter McDuffie, RHP, Sophomore, North Carolina, ACC
โข Wes Mendes, LHP, Junior, Florida State, ACC
โข Wylan Moss, RHP, Sophomore, UCLA, Big Ten
โข Mikiah Negrete, LHP, Senior, Cal State Fullerton, Big West
โข Chris Olivier, RHP, Senior, Lamar, Southland
โข Ryan Peterson, RHP, Junior, Sam Houston, CUSA
โข Eli Pillsbury, LHP, RS-Junior, Jacksonville State, CUSA
โข Logan Reddemann, RHP, Junior, UCLA, Big Ten
โข Bryce Riggs, RHP, Junior, Eastern Illinois, OVC
โข Albert Roblez, RHP, Senior, Oregon State, Independent
โข Michael Sharman, LHP, Senior, Clemson, ACC
โข Patrick Steitz, RHP, RS-Senior, VCU, A-10
โข Dakota Stone, LHP, RS-Junior, North Florida, ASUN
โข Cayden Suchy, LHP, Sophomore, UConn, BIG EAST
โข Max Vaisvila, LHP, Senior, Northern Illinois, MAC
โข Tomas Valincius, LHP, Sophomore, Mississippi State, SEC
โข Dylan Volantis, LHP, Sophomore, Texas, SEC
โข Dax Whitney, RHP, Sophomore, Oregon State, Independent
โข Maxx Yehl, LHP, RS-Junior, West Virginia, Big 12
โข Bradley Zayac, RHP, Sophomore, Liberty, CUSA
ย
Visitย www.HailState.comย for the latest news and information on the baseball program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching 'HailStateBB' onย X,ย Facebookย andย Instagram.
ย
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