Four former Valley Baseball League players – VCU’s Nic Ericcson, Jacksonville State’s Bear Madilak, Louisiana’s Jose Torres and Saint Peter’s Tyler Cotten – have been named to the Buster Posey Award Midseason Watch List.
The Buster Posey Award, formerly known as the Johnny Bench Award, was created in 2000 to honor Division I College Baseball’s top catcher. The award is administered by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission and presented after the conclusion of the College World Series. Originally named for Johnny Bench, it was renamed in honor of Buster Posey in 2019.
Ericcson, who played for the Charlottesville Tom Sox, is hitting .245 this season with 20 RBIs. He has thrown out 35 percent of runners trying to steal.
Madilak, who played for the Purcellville Cannons, is hitting .330 with six homers and 25 RBIs. He has thrown out 30 percent of base stealers.
Torres, who also played for the Cannons, is hitting .303 with two homers and 29 RBIs. He has a .993 fielding percentage.
Cotten, a former Staunton Braves’ player, is hitting .364 with 10 homers and 29 RBIs.
There is a total of 60 players on the 2024 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List.