OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Missouri State's Max Knight and Curry Sutherland were named two of the 15 semifinalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award on Thursday by the College Baseball Foundation. They are the only two Conference USA players on the list, and Missouri State is the only school with multiple representatives.
 
Knight, who was one of five finalists for the award last season, is batting .286 with eight home runs and 30 RBIs this season while starting games at first base, DH, right field, left field and pitcher.
 
On the mound, the sophomore lefty from Bixby, Okla., is 5-0 with three saves, ranking fourth in CUSA in victories and 10^th in saves. He has appeared in 15 games with three starts, tossing 29.2 innings with 41 strikeouts and a .262 opponent average. Knight has a hit and pitching appearance in the same game six times, three times with homers.
 
Sutherland has started all 38 games at third base for the Bears and leads CUSA with 13 home runs and a .633 slugging percentage. The junior from Rogersville, Mo., is batting .313 with 41 RBIs and is second on the Bears with 39 runs scored.
 
Sutherland has made 10 pitching appearances, striking out 14 in 11.1 innings with a .114 opponent average and 3.97 ERA along a 2-0 record and one save. The junior has a hit and pitching appearance in the same game seven times this season.
 
The award is named for former Washington State University standout John Olerud, who achieved success both as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s. He was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
 
2026 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Semifinalists
Name, Positions, Class, School, Conference
Kyle Alivo, IF/RHP, Sophomore, Iowa, Big Ten
Jeremy Cheeseman, IF/RHP, Junior, Farleigh Dickinson, NEC
Gio Colasante, IF/RHP, Senior, Harvard, Ivy League
Evan Dempsey, OF/RHP, Junior, Florida Gulf Coast, ASUN
Jayce Dobie, RHP/Util., Senior, Nevada, MWC
Caylon Dygert, RHP/Util., Junior, UTA, WAC
Max Knight, LHP/1B/OF, Junior, Missouri State, CUSA
Ryan Kroepel, RHP/Util, Junior, Utah Tech, WAC
Jackson McKenzie, 1B/LHP, Junior, Florida A&M, SWAC
Drew Nelson, LHP/Util., Senior, Troy, SBC
Josiah Overbeek, RHP/1B, Freshman, Army, Patriot
Jesse Rusinek, OF/LHP, Freshman, Texas Tech, Big 12
Curry Sutherland, 3B/RHP, Junior, Missouri State, CUSA
Trey Swygart, RHP/IF, Sophomore, Portland, WCC
T.P. Wentworth, OF/LHP, Sophomore, Oklahoma State, Big 12