Sophomore Mike Zunino (Cape Coral, Fla.) was named to the Watch List for the 2011 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award delivered by Papa John's Pizza by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission on Thursday.
Forty-two catchers were nominated for the award by their coaches. Because the award is given annually to the top Division I catcher, the list will be updated to include other candidates until May 6, 2011.
Zunino has started 12 of 13 games behind the plate for the top-ranked Gators and is batting .256 (10-for-39) with a team-high 13 runs. His three homers match junior Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) for the most on the club and he has tallied seven RBI. Opponents have only attempted six stolen bases in 13 games versus UF and he has thrown out a pair of runners.
As a rookie, Zunino was chosen to Baseball America’s Freshman All-America Team and was a member of the SEC’s All-Freshman Team. He started 51 games behind the plate and one as the designated hitter and hit .267 with 41 RBI, 31 runs, nine homers, eight stolen bases and seven doubles in 55 games played. He nabbed 14-of-38 runners attempting to steal and had three pickoffs. Zunino boasted a 12-game hitting streak between April 21-May 15 in which he was 19-for-44 (.432) with 16 RBI and 11 runs.
Bench presented the 2010 award to TCU catcher Bryan Holaday. Yasmani Grandal of the University of Miami (Fla.) and Jose Iglesias of Coastal Carolina University were also finalists. Twelve former Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award finalists are currently playing in Major League Baseball.
Bench presented the 2010 award to TCU catcher Bryan Holaday. Yasmani Grandal of the University of Miami (Fla.) and Jose Iglesias of Coastal Carolina University were also finalists. Twelve former Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award finalists are currently playing in Major League Baseball.
