Johnny Bench Award

The Johnny Bench Award was created in 2000 by to honor college baseball

College baseball

College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...

's top catcher. The award is the brain child of Wichitan Mike Gehrer who has coached and administrated in the Wichita area at the high school level for many years. He was a college catcher himself and is one of the most forward thinkers when it comes to the catching position. It is his passion for the sport of baseball--specifically for the position of catcher--that has made this award what it has become today. It is dedicated to the former Cincinnati catcher Johnny Bench

Johnny Bench

Johnny Lee Bench is a former professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds from 1967 to 1983 and is a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame...

, who by some is considered to be the best defensive catcher in baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 history.

A panel of selected sportscasters, sportswriters, Division I Head Coaches and professional scouts participate in the final vote, usually at the annual College World Series

College World Series

The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...

, to determine the winner.

Past winners

Year	Name	School
2000 2000 in baseball -Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - New York Yankees*Postseason - October 3 to October 26Click on any series score to link to that series' page....		LSU LSU Tigers baseball The LSU baseball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with the other LSU athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the West division of the Southeastern Conference...
2001 2001 in baseball -Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - Arizona Diamondbacks*Postseason - October 9 to November 4Click on any series score to link to that series' page....		Baylor Baylor Bears baseball The Baylor Bears baseball team represents Baylor University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team belongs to the Big 12 Conference and plays home games at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears are currently led by head coach Steve Smith. The 2010 season marked Steve Smith's 16th year at the rule of...
2002 2002 in baseball -Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - Anaheim Angels*Postseason - October 1 to October 27Click on any series score to link to that series' page....		Alabama Alabama Crimson Tide baseball The Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team represents the University of Alabama in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Alabama athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. The team plays its home games on campus at...
2003 2003 in baseball -Headline event of the year:*The Florida Marlins become World Series champions, holding off a dynastic New York Yankees team, 4 games to 2.-Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion - Florida Marlins...		Stanford Stanford Cardinal baseball The Stanford Cardinal baseball team represents Stanford University in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Stanford athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Pacific-10 Conference. The Cardinal play their home games on campus at the Sunken Diamond, and they are...
2004 2004 in baseball -Headline events of the year:*The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series since , ending the Curse of the Bambino.*With 262 hits, Ichiro Suzuki of the Mariners breaks George Sisler's record of 257. Suzuki also sets the record for most singles in a season, with 225.*2004 also marked the final...		Cal State Fullerton Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball The Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball team represents California State University, Fullerton in NCAA Division I college baseball. In 35 years of Division I play, the Titans have never had a losing season. They are supplied by DeMarini....
2005 2005 in baseball -Headline events of the year:*Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros to win the 2005 World Series.*2005 also marked the inaugural season of the Washington Nationals, who relocated from Montreal and were formerly known as the Expos....		Southern California
2006 2006 in baseball -Headline Event of the Year:*The 2006 World Baseball Classic final 4 teams are Japan, Cuba, Korea and the Dominican Republic, with the United States at 3–3 failing to qualify for the semi-finals. Under the leadership of manager Sadaharu Oh and veterans Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan ...		East Carolina East Carolina Pirates baseball The East Carolina Pirates baseball team is an intercollegiate baseball team representing East Carolina University in NCAA Division I college baseball and has made regular appearances in the NCAA Tournament, but as of 2010 has yet to appear in the College World Series.East Carolina participates as a...
2007 2007 in baseball -Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champion – [Boston Red Sox]*Postseason – October 2 to October 28Click on any series score to link to that series' page....		Mississippi State Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball The Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team represents Mississippi State University in NCAA Division I college baseball. The team participates in the West division of the Southeastern Conference. They are currently coached by head coach John Cohen. They play home games in Dudy Noble Field,...
2008 2008 in baseball -Major League Baseball:* Regular Season Champions* World Series Champions – Philadelphia Phillies** American League Champions – Tampa Bay Rays** National League Champions – Philadelphia Phillies* Postseason – October 1 to October 29...		Florida State Florida State Seminoles baseball The Florida State Seminoles baseball team represents Florida State University in NCAA Division I college baseball and are one of the most successful collegiate baseball programs in the United States without a College World Series championship....
2009 2009 in baseball -Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champions – New York Yankees**American League Champions – New York Yankees**National League Champions – Philadelphia Phillies*Postseason – October 7 to November 4...		Oklahoma Oklahoma Sooners baseball Oklahoma Sooners baseball is the NCAA Division I collegiate baseball team of the University of Oklahoma based in Norman, Oklahoma.The Oklahoma Baseball tradition is long and storied, with two National Championships in 1951 and 1994, along with numerous All-Americans...
2010 2010 in baseball -Major League Baseball:*Regular Season Champions*World Series Champions - San Francisco Giants**American League Champions - Texas Rangers**National League Champions - San Francisco Giants*Postseason - October 7 to November 4...		TCU TCU Horned Frogs baseball The TCU Horned Frogs baseball team represents Texas Christian University and competes in the Mountain West Conference of NCAA Division I. Since 2002, they have played their home games at Lupton Stadium, which is located on campus in Fort Worth, and holds 3,500...
2011 2011 in baseball -Major League Baseball:December*December 5: Last time to outright a player prior to the Rule 5 Draft – 5 p.m. ET.*December 7: Last date for player who declared free agency to accept an arbitration offer from former club...		James Madison James Madison Dukes The James Madison University Dukes is the name given the athletics teams of James Madison University. The name "Dukes" is derived from Samuel Page Duke, the university's second president. JMU is a charter member of the Colonial Athletic Association, which sponsors sports at the NCAA Division I level...

External links

• JohnnyBench.com
• History and selection process