Miami Ace Named to National Pitcher of the Year Watch List

Miami sophomore right-hander AJ Ciscar has been named to the 2026 National Pitcher of the Year Award Watch List, the College Baseball Foundation announced Wednesday.

Ciscar is one of 142 pitchers from 26 conferences included on the watch list, which highlights many of the top collegiate arms in the country through the early portion of the 2026 season.

Through his first four starts, Ciscar has posted a 2-1 record with a 3.46 ERA over 26.0 innings pitched. The sophomore has limited opposing hitters to a .220 batting average, recorded 26 strikeouts, and maintained a 0.85 WHIP.

The National Pitcher of the Year Award, presented annually by the College Baseball Foundation, has recognized the top pitcher in college baseball since 2009. Recent winners include Paul Skenes (LSU, 2023), Hagen Smith (Arkansas, 2024) and Jake Knapp (North Carolina, 2025).

2026 NATIONAL PITCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD WATCH LIST

Name, Position, Classification, School, Conference

• Ben Alekson, RHP, Junior, Fairfield, MAAC

• Cooper Allen, RHP, Junior, UNCW, CAA

• Colby Allen, RHP, Senior, Southern Miss, Sun Belt

• Jeremiah Arnett, RHP, Junior, Rice, American

• Brady Bendik, RHP, Junior, Navy, Patriot

• Seth Benes, RHP, Junior, Lindenwood, OVC

• Reid Bertram, LHP, RS-Senior, Gardner Webb, Big South

• Brady Bickett, LHP, Junior, Charleston Southern, Big South

• Gavin Blachowicz, RHP, Sophomore, Nebraska, Big Ten

• Ben Blair, RHP, Junior, Liberty, CUSA

• Ryder Brooks, LHP, RS-Junior, UC Irvine, Big West

• Ty Brooks, RHP, Sophomore, Indiana State, MVC

• Landen Burch, RHP, Senior, MTSU, CUSA

• Zach Busick, RHP, Junior, Little Rock, OVC

• Kyle Calzadiaz, RHP, Senior, San Jose State, MWC

• Cole Carlon, LHP, Junior, Arizona State, Big 12

• Ryan Castillo, RHP, Junior, New Mexico, MWC

• Ciaran Caughey, RHP, Senior, Kent State, MAC

• Tyler Charlton, LHP, RS-Junior, Missouri State, CUSA

• AJ Ciscar, RHP, Sophomore, Miami, ACC

• Collin Clarke, RHP, Junior, Oregon, Big Ten

• A.J. Colarusso, LHP, Senior, Boston College, ACC

• Chansen Cole, RHP, Sophomore, West Virginia, Big 12

• Christian Coppola, RHP, Senior, Saint Joseph's, A-10

• Marty Coyne, LHP, Junior, Penn, Ivy

• Matthew Cuccias, RHP, Junior, Wichita State, American

• Ben Dean, RHP, Sophomore, Duke, ACC

• Jason DeCaro, RHP, Junior, North Carolina, ACC

• Evan Dempsey, LHP, Junior, FGCU, ASUN

• Gavin DeVooght, RHP, Junior, Michigan, Big Ten

• Liam Diehl, RHP, Junior, Towson, CAA

• Fenix DiGiacomo, RHP, Graduate, VCU, A-10

• Kendall Dove, RHP, Junior, UTSA, American

• Jacob Dudan, RHP, Junior, NC State, ACC

• Luke Earnhardt, LHP, Junior, Winthrop, Big South

• Mason Edwards, LHP, Junior, USC, Big Ten

• Tommy Egan, RHP, Senior, Troy, Sun Belt

• Ryan Featherston, RHP, Junior, Oregon, Big Ten

• Colin Fisher, LHP, Junior, Arkansas, SEC

• Jackson Flora, RHP, Junior, UC Santa Barbara, Big West

• Cameron Flukey, RHP, Junior, Coastal Carolina, Sun Belt

• Jack Frankel, RHP, Sophomore, Tulane, American

• Gabe Gaeckle, RHP, Junior, Arkansas, SEC

• Braden Gebhardt, LHP, Senior, Youngstown State, Horizon

• Brayden Gilley, RHP, Junior, Winthrop, Big South

• Grant Govel, RHP, Sophomore, USC, Big Ten

• Tyler Grenn, RHP, Senior, Navy, Patriot

• Ed Hall, RHP, Senior, Davidson, A-10

• Trevor Hansen, RHP, Junior, UC Irvine, Big West

• Logan Hastings, RHP, Sophomore, Maryland, Big Ten

• Hekili Robello, RHP, Junior, Hawaii, Big West

• Landon Hood, RHP, Freshman, Gonzaga, WCC

• Ty Horn, RHP, Junior, Nebraska, Big Ten

• Drew Horn, RHP, RS-Junior, MTSU, CUSA

• Will Howell, RHP, RS-Sophomore, Memphis, American

• Jaxon Jelkin, RHP, Junior, Kentucky, SEC

• Sean Jenkins, RHP, Sophomore, East Carolina, American

• Andrew Johnson, RHP, Sophomore, USC, Big Ten

• Cameron Johnson, LHP, Junior, Oklahoma, SEC

• Noah Kenney, RHP, Junior, Washington, Big Ten

• Aidan King, RHP, Sophomore, Florida, SEC

• Kole Klecker, RHP, Senior, Arizona State, Big 12

• Aidan Knaak, RHP, Junior, Clemson, ACC

• Reese Kortum, LHP, Junior, Wichita State, American

• Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Sophomore, Tennessee, SEC

• Will Labonte, RHP, Freshman, Portland, WCC

• Tommy LaPour, RHP, Junior, TCU, Big 12

• Ethan Lay, RHP, Senior, Sacramento State, WAC

• Justin LeGuernic, LHP, Junior, Clemson, ACC

• Rohan Lettow, RHP, Junior, SDSU, MWC

• Chris Levonas, RHP, Sophomore, Wake Forest, ACC

• Carson Liggett, RHP, RS-Senior, Kansas State, Big 12

• Dylan Loy, LHP, Junior, Georgia Tech, ACC

• Landon Mack, RHP, Sophomore, Tennessee, SEC

• Micheal Malki, RHP, Sophomore, Cal Baptist, WAC

• Jake Marciano, LHP, Sophomore, Auburn, SEC

• Ryan Marohn, LHP, Junior, NC State, ACC

• Duncan Marsten, RHP, Sophomore, Wake Forest, ACC

• Kurt Marton, RHP, Junior, Sacramento State, WAC

• Wes Mendes, LHP, Junior, Florida State, ACC

• LJ Mercurius, RHP, Junior, Oklahoma, SEC

• Maddox Meyer, RHP, Sophomore, Omaha, Summit

• Ryland Morin, LHP, Junior, UAPB, SWAC

• Wylan Moss, RHP, Sophomore, UCLA, Big Ten

• Eric Nachtsheim, RHP, Senior, McNeese, Southland

• Griffin Naess, RHP, Junior, Cal Poly, Big West

• Jackson Nash, RHP, Junior, Longwood, Big South

• Mathis Nayral, RHP, Junior, Kansas, Big 12

• Mikiah Negrete, LHP, Senior, Cal State Fullerton, Big West

• Josh Newell, RHP, Senior, Lindenwood, OVC

• Jake Nobles, RHP, Freshman, Saint Mary's, WCC

• Jack Ohman, RHP, Sophomore, Yale, Ivy

• Chris Olivier, RHP, Senior, Lamar, Southland

• Alex Overbay, RHP, Junior, Arizona State, Big 12

• Brigden Parker, LHP, RS-Senior, Little Rock, OVC

• Bryan Peck, RHP, Graduate, Cal Baptist, WAC

• Gage Peterson, RHP, Junior, Appalachian State, Sun Belt

• Garret Plata, LHP, RS-Junior, Pacific, WCC

• Jalen Porter, RHP, Graduate, UAPB, SWAC

• Daniel Powell, RHP, Junior, Kennesaw State, CUSA

• Sawyer Pruitt, RHP, Senior, Louisiana, Sun Belt

• Walter Quinn, RHP, Senior, TCU, Big 12

• Daniel Quintana, RHP, RS-Junior, Radford, Big South

• Jack Radel, RHP, Junior, Notre Dame, ACC

• Cord Rager, LHP, Freshman, Oklahoma, SEC

• Kaysen Raineri, RHP, Sophomore, Texas Tech, Big 12

• Kyle Remington, RHP, Junior, Illinois, Big Ten

• Bryce Riggs, RHP, Junior, Eastern Illinois, OVC

• Ruger Riojas, RHP, Senior, Texas, SEC

• Richie Roman, RHP, Junior, Houston, Big 12

• Aidan Russell, RHP, Senior, SDSU, MWC

• Edwin Sanchez, LHP, Senior, Bethune Cookman, SWAC

• Will Sanford, RHP, Sophomore, Oregon, Big Ten

• Paul Schmitz, RHP, Senior, Houston, Big 12

• Nic Schutte, RHP, Senior, Murray State, MVC

• Matt Scott, RHP, Senior, Georgia, SEC

• Spencer Seid, LHP, Graduate, Georgetown, BIG EAST

• Michael Senay, RHP, Freshman, USF, American

• Michael Sharman, LHP, Senior, Clemson, ACC

• Kade Shatwell, RHP, Senior, Austin Peay, ASUN

• Sam Simmons, RHP, Senior, UTSA, American

• Aiden Sims, RHP, Sophomore, Texas A&M, SEC

• Braden Smith, RHP, Junior, UCF, Big 12

• William Soignier, RHP, Junior, Bradley, MVC

• Alex Solis, RHP, Junior, Houston, Big 12

• Patrick Steitz, RHP, RS-Senior, VCU, A-10

• Cayden Suchy, LHP, Sophomore, UConn, BIG EAST

• Camden Sunstrom, RHP, Sophomore, Southern Miss, Sun Belt

• Joseph Taylor, RHP, Junior, Charlotte, American

• Zach Todd, RHP, RS-Junior, Pacific, WCC

• Cade Townsend, RHP, Sophomore, Mississippi, SEC

• Adam Troy, RHP, RS-Junior, USC, Big Ten

• Easton Tumis, RHP, RS-Sophomore, Kent State, MAC

• Tomas Valincius, LHP, Sophomore, Mississippi State, SEC

• Dylan Volantis, LHP, Sophomore, Texas, SEC

• Joey Volchko, RHP, Junior, Georgia, SEC

• Parker Warner, RHP, Sophomore, Stanford, ACC

• Brannon Westmoreland, RHP, Junior, Little Rock, OVC

• Dax Whitney, RHP, Sophomore, Oregon State, Independent

• Lance Williams, RHP, Sophomore, Maryland, Big Ten

• Bradley Zayac, RHP, Sophomore, Liberty, CUSA

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