Alfonso Named to Bench Award Watch List
March 06, 2008 | Baseball
March 6, 2008
WICHITA, Kansas - For the second consecutive season, University of Louisville catcher Derrick Alfonso has been named to the official watch list for the Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award delivered by AT&T and Papa John's Pizza.
Alfonso, voted one of three captains of the 2008 Cardinals by his teammates and coaches, was selected to the All-BIG EAST Preseason team after earning Second Team All-BIG EAST following the 2007 season.
The senior from Bowling Green, Kentucky, played in 70 of the 71 games last season at catcher for the Cardinals, posting a .274 batting average with nine doubles, five home runs and 31 RBI in 66 starts.
He threw out 29 of 60 baserunners, adding four pickoffs. Opponents were just 12 for 26 in BIG EAST games when attempting to steal against Alfonso.
He also handled a pitching staff that set a school record for strikeouts (514) and finished the season with the 5th best ERA in the nation.
A third-team All-BIG EAST selection as a sophomore, he batted .313 with a .327 average in BIG EAST play. He threw out 18 of 42 runners (.428 %) that attempted to steal against him and committed just eight errors. He pegged 10 of 20 conference baserunners.
He has started five games in the 2008 slate, and is batting .353 with three doubles and three RBI. He has nabbed 5 of 7 baserunners.
The award is given annually to the top division one collegiate catcher, and the watch list will be narrowed down to ten semifinalists, who will be announced May 14, 2008. A comprehensive biography will be created on each of the semifinalists and 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 3, 2008 prior to the NCAA Super Regionals and Major League Baseball Draft, by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission.
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 the 11th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 27, 2008.
Johnny Bench presented Mississippi State catcher Edward Easley with the award last June in Wichita.
