LUBBOCK, Texas - Missouri State's Nick Petree and Wichita State's Cale Elam have been named to the watch list for the Pitcher of the Year award, presented by the College Baseball Hall of Fame. Petree and Elam join a list of 51 of the most dominant pitchers in NCAA Division I on the initial watch list.

Nick Petree, Missouri State
Petree, who leads the nation with an 0.77 earned run average, is one of three players on the list with an ERA below 1.00. In his last outing on Friday, Petree picked up his MVC-leading eighth win of the season, scattering four hits over six innings while striking out nine hitters to lead the Bears to a 6-0 win at Wichita State--their first-ever shutout of the Shockers on their home field. The Clinton, Mo., product has not allowed an earned run since March 2, a string of 49.1-consecutive innings over seven starts.

Petree, who is 3-1 with 30 strikeouts over 28.1 innings pitched in Valley play, leads the MVC in overall victories and ERA, and ranks third in innings pitched (70.1) and fourth in strikeouts (67). Additionally, Petree’s season win total ranked fourth in all of Division I through games of April 22, and if the season ended today, his 0.77 ERA would be the lowest for any Valley pitcher reaching the qualifying minimum in a single season since Tulsa’s Walt Wrona posted a 0.43 mark in 1974.

Cale Elam, Wichita State
Elam, a sophomore right-hander from Oktaha, Okla., is 3-3 with eight saves and a 1.15 ERA this season. In 19 appearances, he has pitched 31.1 innings with 32 strikeouts. He earned Valley Pitcher of the Week honors on March 12 and has also been named to the NCBWA Midseason Stopper of the Year watch list.

The winner of the Pitcher of the Year Award will be announced on June 30 in Lubbock, Texas, as part of the annual College Baseball Night of Champions. The event features the presentation of numerous awards and the induction ceremony for this year's Hall of Fame class.