Ira Austin IV Named to Stopper of the Year Watch List

Kentucky senior reliever Ira Austin IV has been named to the NCBWA’s Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List, it was announced Tuesday.

Austin spent two seasons in junior college before playing for hometown University of New Orleans, where he allowed just four extra-base hits in 112 at bats and held opposing hitters to a .205 average. He appeared in 23 games for the Privateers, picking up four wins out of the bullpen, and had a 3.90 earned run average with 34 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched. He was excellent in conference play, pitching to a 2.70 ERA in 13.1 innings

The wispy 6-foot-2, 170 pounder from Metairie, Louisiana was even better last summer. He appeared in 12 games for Baton Rouge of the Texas Collegiate League and pitched to a 2.70 ERA in 16.2 innings with two saves. One of the saves came in the league playoffs on Baton Rouge’s path to the championship. He allowed just six hits on the summer, a .103 average against and had a .90 WHIP and an impressive 25-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

In the fall exhibition against a good West Virginia lineup he breezed through one inning of work.

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UK opens its season on Friday, February 13 at UNC Greensboro.

The Cats are entering their 10th season under head coach Nick Mingione and have won 293 games during his tenure, including a College World Series appearance in 2024. The program signed top 10 transfer portal and top 25 high school recruiting classes in the offseason. UK also has earned an invitation to the NCAA Tournament in three consecutive seasons for the first time in school history.