WITCHITA, Kan. – Coastal Carolina junior catcher BT Riopelle was named to the 2021 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award watch list, the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission announced.
 
Formerly known as the Johnny Bench Award, the renamed Buster Posey Award honors the top collegiate catcher nationally in a season.
 
Riopelle leads the Chanticleers in hitting at .316 this season over 21 games played. He is third on the team with 24 base hits, including three home runs and five doubles, has driven in nine RBIs, and scored 10 runs. He has posted a .500 slugging percentage and a .435 on-base percentage to date while swiping six bags.
 
Behind the plate, he has thrown out 11 would-be base stealers and picked off one runner.
 
A total of 69 catchers were nominated for the award by their schools. Because the award is given annually to the top division one collegiate catcher, the list will be updated to include other candidates until May 5, 2021.
 
The watch list will be narrowed down to the semifinalists, who will be announced on May 20, 2021. Ballots will be sent to the national voting committee at the end of May for a vote to determine the three finalists. The finalists will be announced on June 7, 2021. 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 a date that is yet to be determined.
 
Because the Buster Posey Award strives to honor the top collegiate catcher in a season, a 2020 recipient was not named due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of the collegiate baseball season.

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