From K-State Athletics
MANHATTAN, Kan. – No. 24 K-State baseball’s Tyson Neighbors continues to add to his extensive resume as D1Baseball announced its preseason Big 12 awards, with Neighbors garnering the organization’s Big 12 Preseason Pitcher of the Year honors.
Neighbors, who was unanimously voted to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team by the league’s head coaches on Wednesday, heads into his junior season nationally known as one of the top power relievers in the country.
A Preseason All-American by Perfect Game, Neighbors capped a historic sophomore season where he broke season class records with a 1.85 ERA (10 ER, 48.2 IP) and league-high 11 saves. He also broke the program’s TrackMan-era pitch velocity record at 99-mph in the series opening win against Texas Tech.
In 25 outings, the 2023 Consensus All-American and NCBWA Stopper of the Year Finalist held opponents to a .135 batting average with 86 strikeouts. Neighbors was one of just two relievers from the Big 12 to rank in the Top 10 in total strikeouts in league standings.
The Royse City, Texas native was undefeated in Big 12 play, allowing just seven earned runs in 24 1/3 innings for a 3-0 record along with five saves.
The Wildcats begin the 2024 campaign on February 16 at the MLB Desert Invitational in Scottsdale, Ariz. K-State will lead off the season with games against with Cal, Boston College, and Georgetown during the three-day event held at Salt River Park and Sloan Park – the spring training homes of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, and Chicago Cubs.
Picture from K-State Baseball Twitter
