Jackson Wells Named National Statistical Champion in ERA

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Little Rock sophomore Jackson Wells received a notable honor Tuesday as the Trojan righthanded pitcher became a national statistical champion after the 2023 baseball season came to a conclusion Monday night.
 
Wells' earned run average of 1.65 over the 2023 campaign led the nation, finishing four points higher than LSU's Paul Skenes (1.69).
 
This is yet another accolade in the impressive season for the sophomore, having already been named Second Team All-America (Collegiate Baseball), Third Team All-America (NCBWA), Second Team All-Region (ABCA/Rawlings), Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors.
 
Allowing only 17 earned runs (27 runs overall) over 93.0 innings pitched, Wells posted an ERA of 1.65 as he became the first Little Rock pitcher to be named a national statistical champion. The Trojans have had three offensive players previously named national statistical champion, the most recently being Ryan Scott with a national-best .435 batting average in 2016.
 
The 1.65 ERA tallied by Wells is the best ERA recorded by a Trojan pitcher for a single season since Jesse Harbin posted a 1.59 ERA during the 2014 season and is the fourth-best single season ERA in program history.
 
It also marks the lowest ERA by an Ohio Valley Conference pitcher since Christian Friedrich (Eastern Kentucky) posted a .143 mark in 2008 over 81.2 innings pitched. Friedrich finished the 2008 campaign ranked second in the country in ERA.
 
Wells becomes the first OVC pitcher in at least the past 20 years to end the season as the nation's ERA leader.
 
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