CINCINNATI — Coastal Carolina catcher Caden Bodine won the Johnny Bench Award presented by MSA Sport as the Top Male NCAA Catcher, the Cincinnati Reds announced Thursday.
 
The awards annually honor the top NCAA Division I male and female college catchers along with the top high school baseball and softball catchers from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia.
 
"Now in its seventh year, the Johnny Bench Awards honor more than just impressive stats, they celebrate the leadership, toughness and heart required to be a great catcher," said Hall of Famer Johnny Bench. "I'm proud to recognize this year's winners for upholding that standard."
 
The 10 winners will be honored at the Johnny Bench Awards Luncheon on July 29 at Great American Ball Park and recognized that evening during on-field ceremonies before the Reds vs. Dodgers game, 7:10 p.m.
 
Coastal Carolina had a nation-leading and school record 56 wins, a Sun Belt Conference Championship, Sun Belt Tournament Championship, Conway Regional Championship, Auburn Super Regional Championship and a 3-0 run in Omaha to the Men's College World Series Championship Final. Over the last quarter of the season, Coastal posted a 26-game winning streak, the fourth-longest winning streak in DI in the last five years. 
 
Individually, Bodine is a Gold Glove Award winner at catcher and the Buster Posey Award winner. He was tabbed for four All-America teams — College Baseball Foundation (First), D1Baseball (First), Perfect Game (second) and NCBWA (third).
 
One of the premier catchers in college baseball, Bodine turned in an elite all-around campaign in 2025. The First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection started 67 games for the Chanticleers — 66 behind the dish, one at DH — guiding a pitching staff that ranked No. 2 nationally in both ERA and WHIP. Offensively, he hit .318 with a team-best .454 on-base percentage, drawing 47 walks and being hit by 17 pitches. He added 24 extra-base hits, drove in 42 runs and slugged .461, serving as a consistent presence atop the lineup.
 
Behind the plate, Bodine was a defensive anchor. He threw out 19 would-be base stealers on 44 attempts — tied CCU's career record with 46 runners caught stealing — and finished with a .998 fielding percentage. His leadership helped elevate Coastal to the Sun Belt Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championship, where he was named the Most Outstanding Player and also earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team. He followed that up with All-Tournament honors in the NCAA Conway Regional as the Chants advanced to the Super Regionals and Men's College World Series for the first time since 2016.
 
The 2025 Johnny Bench Awards Luncheon will take place on Tuesday, July 29 at Great American Ball Park. For information on table sponsorship opportunities and to purchase tickets, please contact Bob Santoro at rsantoro@reds.com.
 
Previous collegiate winners include 2019 No. 1 overall draft pick Adley Rutschman, 2021 Team USA Olympian Dejah Mulipola, 2021 Reds first-round draft pick Matheu Nelson and 2022 Rawlings Gold Glove winner Jordyn Rudd.
The full list of previous winners can be found at www.reds.com/BenchAwards.
 
About the Johnny Bench Awards
The Cincinnati Reds and Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, along with the Reds Hall of Fame, are partnering for The Johnny Bench Awards presented by MSA Sport. The awards honor the best baseball and softball high school catchers from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia as well as the top baseball and softball NCAA Division I catchers. A committee determines the finalists with support from local media, coaches' associations and scouting organizations in each state. The winners are then hand-picked by Johnny and brought together to celebrate their achievements and meet "Baseball's Greatest Catcher" at an awards banquet. The awards are permanently located at the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum presented by Dinsmore at Great American Ball Park.