Texas Border Business
RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission released the official watch list for the 2021 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award on Tuesday, and for the second year in a row, the list includes senior Conrado Diaz of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) baseball team.
Sixty-nine catchers were nominated for the award. 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.
The watch list will be narrowed down to the semifinalists on May 20. 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 7. A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to Wichita, Kan., and the winner will be announced at a date that is yet to be determined.
Diaz was one of 60 catchers on the watch list last season, but a recipient was not named due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of the collegiate baseball season.
Diaz is currently hitting .267 (8-for-30) with one double, one triple, five RBI, five runs scored, and a .378 on-base percentage. He has yet to strikeout in 37 plate appearances.
Last season, Diaz ranked second in the NCAA in times hit by a pitch (12), sixth in hit by pitch per game (0.67), and 34th in doubles (seven), leading the WAC in each category. He also ranked 78th in the NCAA in on-base percentage (.500) and 125th in doubles per game (0.39), ranking second in the WAC in each category.
As a junior in 2019, Diaz ranked as the 13th toughest hitter to strikeout in the NCAA at just once every 13.8 at-bats. He recorded 17 multi-hit games, including four of three hits and one of five hits, and seven multi-RBI games, including two of three RBI and one of four RBI.
2021 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List
- Greg Anderberg, SR Nicholls State
- Silas Ardoin, SO Texas
- Caleb Bartolero, SO Troy
- Colton Bender, SR Quinnipiac
- Drew Blakely, JR Richmond
- Brett Bonar, SR Nebraska Omaha
- Colin Burgess, SO South CarolinaÂ
- Peter Burns, JR Boston College
- Seth Caddell, JR East Carolina
- Ross Cadena, JR Wichita StateÂ
- Jackson Campbell, JR Belmont
- Jacob Campbell, SO Illinois
- Burke Camper, FR Towson
- Alec Cargin, SR Loyola Marymount
- Nick Cimillo, JR ManhattanÂ
- Henry Davis, SO Louisville
- Adrian Del Castillo, SO Miami (FL)
- Conrado Diaz, SR UT Rio Grande Valley
- Hayden Dunhurst, SO Ole Miss
- Myles Emmerson, SR Cal Poly
- Zac Fascia, SR Purdue
- Dmitri Floyd, SR UMBC
- Braxton Fulford, JR Texas Tech
- Brody Gibson, JR Oral Roberts
- Jarrett Gonzales, SR New Mexico
- Adam Hackenberg, SO Clemson
- Cade Hunter, FR Virginia Tech
- Nick Jones, SR Eastern Michigan
- Hayden Jones, JR Illinois State
- Sam Loda, SR Central Connecticut State
- Kyle Lovelace, JR Houston
- Austin Martin, SR Iowa
- Hunter May, SO Alabama State
- Justin Mazzone, SR Seattle
- Thomas McCarthy, SR San Francisco
- David Melfi, SO Wagner College
- Logan Michaels, SR Virginia
- Natale Monastra, SR Xavier
- Bryce Mordecki, SO Siena College
- Michael Morgan, JR James Madison
- Shane Muntz, JR Wake Forest
- Mat Nelson, SO Florida State
- Drake Osborn, SR Louisiana
- Connor Pavolony, JR Tennessee
- Matt Phipps, SR Western Kentucky
- Straton Podaras, SR Radford
- Reid Powers, SR South AlabamaÂ
- Sam Praytor, JR Alabama
- Zach Presno, SR Fresno State
- Collin Price, SO Mercer
- Ryan Proto, SO UMass Lowell
- Tyler Rando, SR Gonzaga
- Keaton Rice, JR Bradley
- Kyle Richardson, JR East Tennessee State
- BT Riopelle, JR Coastal CarolinaÂ
- Luke Robinson, SR Western CarolinaÂ
- Michael Rothenberg, SR Duke
- Drew Sims, JR Utah Valley
- Sean Skelly, SR CSUN
- Chase Stanke, JR Minnesota
- Matt Stone, JR Georgetown
- Matt Suggs, SO UNCW
- Andy Thomas, SR Baylor
- Nicholas Toney, SO Florida Atlantic
- Matthew Trehub, SR William & Mary
- Luca Tresh, SO NC StateÂ
- Michael Turner, SR Kent State
- David Vilches, JR CreightonSpencer Yankle, SR WinthropÂ
