Awarded for | Best catcher in NCAA's Division I |
---|---|
Sponsored by | Kamerion Wimbley Foundation |
Country | United States |
Presented by | Wichita Sports Commission |
History | |
First award | 2000 |
Most recent | Walker Janek, Sam Houston State |
The Buster Posey Award, formerly known as the Johnny Bench Award, was created in 2000 to honor college baseball's top catcher in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The award is administered by the Wichita Sports Commission and presented after the conclusion of the College World Series.
Originally named for Johnny Bench, it was renamed in 2019 after Johnny Bench announced the creation of his own national award for amateur catchers. The commission reviewed the statistics of the prior winners and unanimously chose to rename the award after Buster Posey.[1]
Schools nominate their catchers during the season to create the official watch list. A select committee of 20 individuals narrows the watch list down to the semifinalists. Two rounds of voting by Division I head coaches determine the three finalists and eventual recipient of the Buster Posey Award. The current holder of the award is Walker Janek.