The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 6 Baseball’s Cozart selected as NCBWA National Freshman Pitcher of the Year
06.09.2026 | Baseball
Longhorns become first program to boast back-to-back winners in 17-year history of prestigious award
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas right-hander Sam Cozart was tabbed the National Freshman Pitcher of the Year, the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association announced Tuesday afternoon.
Cozart is the third Longhorn to garner the prestigious recognition in school history, joining Corey Knebel (2011) and Dylan Volantis (2025).
Texas became the first program with back-to-back winners since the award's inception in 2009. The Longhorns are the lone team with three honorees all-time.
An NCBWA Freshman All-American, Cozart leads all Division I pitchers (min. 45 innings) in WHIP (0.69) and batting average (.132). Meanwhile, he ranks second in ERA (1.64), trailing only UC Santa Barbara's Jackson Flora (1.06).
Across his first 22 collegiate appearances, Cozart has posted a 6-0 mark and nine saves, which matches Portland's Alex Via for the most among freshmen nationally.
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound hurler has tallied 71 strikeouts and issued just 12 walks over 49 innings.
NCBWA voting membership for the Freshman Pitcher of the Year includes writers, broadcasters and publicists. Designed to promote and publicize college baseball, it is the sport's oldest college media-related organization, founded in 1962.
