Evan Byers with his parents. (UK Athletics Photo)
It might not be an award most college sports fans know a lot about but the Elite 90 award winner this year is Kentucky redshirt junior pitcher Evan Byers.
Student-athletes who are sophomores or above and have participated in a sport for at least two years are eligible for the award. Ties are broken by the number of credits completed by the athlete.
Byers was named the winner in Omaha Thursday night for the 2024 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship. Kentucky plays in its first College World Series Saturday at 2 p.m. when it faces North Carolina State.
Kentucky (45-14) likely will need Byers in Omaha, especially if it hopes to win the national championship. Kentucky has to win a four-team double elimination bracket that also includes SEC rivals Florida and Texas A&M to reach the championship game.
Byers is 3-1 with a 5.32 earned run average in 23.2 innings over 21 appearances this season.
Byers, an Animal Sciences major, has a perfect 4.0 grade-point average.
The Elite 90 honors an individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers.
The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s championships.
