March 19, 2009

Johnny Bench Award Watch List Announced

The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission announced the watch list for the 2009 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award delivered by Papa John’s Pizza. There are 44 catchers on the watch list, including Brandon Romans of UCF (pictured right). The award is given to the top Division I catcher and the list will be updated until May 9.

Ten semifinalists will be announced on May 14. A national voting panel will reduce the list to three finalists, which will be released on June 3 prior to the NCAA Super Regionals and the Major League Baseball Draft. The final vote will occur during the College World Series. The three finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be introduced at the 12th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 26.

2009 Johnny Bench Award Watch List

Buck Afenir, Kansas (left)
Billy Alvino, High Point
Jeff Arnold, Louisville
Brett Basham, Ole Miss
Matt Behren, Northern Illinois
Dan Benedetti, St. John’s
Griffin Benedict, Georgia Southern
Dan Burkhart, Ohio State
Ryan Cisterna, Arkansas (right)

Nick Criaris, Florida Atlantic
David Doss, South Alabama
Aaron Dudley, Toledo
Scott Dunwoody, Dayton
Jeffrey Farnham, New Mexico State
Stephen Flora, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Taylor Freeman, McNeese State
Micah Gibbs, LSU
Andrew Giobbi, Vanderbilt
Jason Haniger, Georgia Tech
Bryan Holaday, TCU
Errol Hollinger, Liberty
Richard Jones, The Citadel
Mark Kelly, Southern Illinois
Reid Kraiser, UNC Asheville
Greg Lagreid, Washington State
Ryan Lipkin, San Francisco (left)
Myckie Lugbauer, Maine
Tommy Medica, Santa Clara
Marc Mimeault, Georgia State (right)
Mike Murray, Wake Forest
Rafael Neda, New Mexico
Jeff Nolet, Vermont
Bryce Nugent, Marist
Joe Oliveira, Pacific
Ryan Ortiz, Oregon State
John Parham, Cal State Northridge
Josh Phegley, Indiana
Brandon Romans, UCF
Tony Sanchez, Boston College
Tobias Streich, West Virginia
Dallas Tarleton, Elon
Michael Thomas, Southern
John Turk, Akron
Matt Williams, Duke

Previous Winners

2008 – Buster Posey, Florida State

2007 – Edward Easley, Mississippi State

2006 – Jake Smith, East Carolina

2005 – Jeff Clement, USC

2004 – Kurt Suzuki, Cal State Fullerton

2003 – Ryan Garko, Stanford

2002 – Jeremy Brown, Alabama

2001 – Kelly Shoppach, Baylor

2000 – Brad Cresse, LSU