Ball State University Athletics
Caleb Stayton Named Semifinalist for Gregg Olson Award
May 24, 2016 | Baseball
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State baseball player Caleb Stayton was recently named a semifinalist for the 2016 Gregg Olson Award, an annual award presented to college baseball's breakout player of the year. Stayton is one of 44 semifinalists and the only player selected from the Mid-American Conference.
Stayton, a junior from Goshen, Indiana, is a three-year starter for the Cardinals, but missed half of the 2015 season with a broken thumb. He finished with a .278 batting average, two home runs and 16 RBIs as a sophomore.
This year, Stayton ranks second nationally in RBIs (71) and is five RBIs away from tying the program's single season mark of 76 set by Brad Miller in 2006. The first baseman also leads the MAC in batting average (.383), walks (41) and on-base percentage (.485).
Stayton has tallied 11 home runs this spring, including grand slams in wins over Western Michigan on April 10 and Butler on May 17.
Finalists for the Gregg Olson Award will be announced during NCAA Super Regional action. The winner will be named in Omaha, Nebraska, during the College World Series. Previous winners include Andrew Benintendi of Arkansas and Kyle Lewis of Mercer in 2015 and Sam Moore of UC Irvine in 2014.
Former Ball State pitcher Scott Baker won the initial award in 2013. Baker went 12-2 with a 2.18 ERA and limited opponents to a .227 batting average in 111.2 innings that season. As a true freshman in 2012, Baker was 0-1 while appearing in 15 games mostly as a reliever.
After a freshman season at Auburn filled with only mixed success, Olson became one of the top collegiate players in the nation in 1987. Despite being omitted from any preseason All-America lists, Olson went on to lead the nation in ERA with a 1.26 mark and compiled an 11-1 record with 10 saves for the Tigers.
Following his junior season, Olson became Auburn's highest-ever draft pick when the Baltimore Orioles selected him fourth overall in the 1988 Major League Baseball draft. His first full year as a professional he received 26 of 28 first place votes to run away with the American League Rookie of the Year, the first relief pitcher ever to win the award. He went on to pitch for a total of seven different teams in a 14-year MLB career and totaled 217 saves with a 3.46 ERA.
The Olson Award was developed to honor college baseball's success stories and showcase players like Olson who have raised the level of their game through hard work, strength of mind and determination. Eligible players are those who were omitted from major publications' preseason All-America prognostications; however by the end of the season their on-field performance demonstrated that they are among the top amateur baseball players in the nation.
For more information on the Gregg Olson Award, please visit olsonaward.com.
For the most up-to-date information on the Ball State baseball team, please follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateBB and @CoachMaloney.
