WICHITA, Kan.-- Two America East catchers--University of Vermont senior Jeff Nolet and University of Maine junior Myckie Lugbauer-- were named to the 2009 Johnny Bench Award Watch List last week by the Greater Wichita Sports Commission and are in the running for the award which honors the nation's top Division I collegiate baseball catcher each year. Forty-four catchers in all were nominated by their coaches and placed on the watch list.
The watch list will be narrowed down to ten semifinalists, whom will be
announced May 14, 2009. Statistics will be compiled on each of the
semifinalists and sent to the national voting panel at the end of May
for a vote to determine the three finalists. The finalists will be
announced June 3, 2009 prior to the NCAA Super Regionals and Major
League Baseball Draft. A final vote among the national committee will
occur during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to
Wichita and the winner will be announced at the 12th Annual Greater
Wichita Sports Banquet on June 26, 2009.
A four-year starter including the last three
seasons behind the plate, Nolet is one of Vermont's team captains as a senior. He
is an excellent defensive catcher with a strong arm and has been a key
contributor in each of his four years with the bat. A member of the America
East All-Rookie Team in 2006 when he helped lead UVM to the America East
Regular Season Championship, he is closing in on 100 hits for his career and is
also just two games away from starting 100 games behind the plate. He is off to a
good start this season with two homers and eight runs batted in through
15 games.
Lugbauer, the 2007 America East Rookie of the Year, was named a Third Team Preseason All-American during the off-season and is coming off a first-team All-Conference season a year ago. This season he is making an impact both at the plate and behind the plate. Lugbauer is hitting .320 in 19 games this season with two home runs and 16 RBI. He's already picked off one opponent on the base paths, has caught four would-be base-stealers, and is errorless in 129 chances.
2009 Coleman Company - Johnny Bench Award
delivered by Papa John’s Pizza Watch List
Buck Afenir SR, University of Kansas
Billy Alvino SR, High Point University
Jeff Arnold JR, University of Louisville
Brett Basham SR, University of Mississippi
Matt Behren SR, University of Northern Illinois
Dan Benedetti SR, St. John's University
Griffin Benedict SR, Georgia Southern University
Dan Burkhart SO, Ohio State University
Ryan Cisterna SR, University of Arkansas
Nick Criaris SR, Florida Atlantic Universiity
David Doss SR, University of South Alabama
Aaron Dudley JR, The University of Toledo
Scott Dunwoody SR, University of Dayton
Jeffrey Farnham SR, New Mexico State University
Stephen Flora SR, Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
Taylor Freeman JR, McNeese State
Micah Gibbs SO, Louisiana State University
Andrew Giobbi JR, Vanderbilt University
Jason Haniger SR, Georgia Tech
Bryan Holaday JR, Texas Christian University
Errol Hollinger SR, Liberty University
Richard Jones JR, The Citadel
Mark Kelly SR, Southern Illinois University
Reid Kraiser SR, UNC Asheville
Greg Lagreid SR, Washington State University
Ryan Lipkin JR, University of San Francisco
Myckie Lugbauer JR, Univesity of Maine
Tommy Medica JR, Santa Clara University
Marc Mimeault SR, Georgia State University
Mike Murray JR, Wake Forest University
Rafael Neda SO, University of New Mexico
Jeff Nolet, SR, University of Vermont
Bryce Nugent SO, Marist College
Joe Oliveira SR, University of the Pacific
Ryan Ortiz JR, Oregon State University
John Parham SR, Cal State Northridge
Josh Phegley JR, Indiana Univeristy
Brandon Romans SR, University of Central Florida
Tony Sanchez JR, Boston College
Tobias Streich SO, West Virginia University
Dallas Tarleton SR, Elon University
Michael Thomas JR, Southern University
John Turk JR, The University of Akron
Matt Williams SR, Duke University