The National College Baseball Hall of Fame has named Kent State's Eric Lauer as the 2016 National Pitcher of the Year, sponsored by Diamond Sports. Lauer recently attended the organization's annual Night of Champions where he was honored alongside the 2016 Hall of Fame inductees.
Lauer posted a 0.69 ERA and a 10-2 record this past season before being selected 25th overall in the MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. He is also the second consensus First Team All-American in Kent State baseball history and has been given numerous other top honors across college baseball.