Watkins Named To 2016 Bench Award Watch List
March 09, 2016 | Baseball
WICHITA, Kansas - East Carolina redshirt junior Travis Watkins is one of 74 catchers named to the official 2016 Johnny Bench Award Watch List presented by BaseballSavings.com and the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission.
The Bench Award, which is given annually to the top division one collegiate catcher, is a rolling list that will be updated to include other candidates until May 3, 2016.
Watkins, a four-time nominee, is one of three American Athletic Conference catchers on the initial list and is joined by Jake Rogers (Tulane) and Woody Wallace (Cincinnati). The Concord, N.C. native has started all 12 games for the Pirates behind the dish batting .356 (16-for-45) with eight RBI, eight runs scored and leads the team with six doubles.
A 2015 semifinalist, Watkins is the fifth catcher in program history to be named to the watch list following Jake Smith (2006 winner), Corey Kemp (2007-08 semifinalist), Jared Avchen (2010) and Zach Wright (2010-12). He is one of three Pirates to be named to the watch list multiple times in his career joining Kemp and Wright, while having the honor as the only four-time nominee in program history.
The watch list will be narrowed down to the semifinalists, whom will be announced May 18, 2016. Ballots will be 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 6, 2016. 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 19th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 30, 2016.
