Hale named to Bench Award watch list
3/8/2012 10:55:00 AM | Baseball
Sam Houston State senior catcher John Hale has been recognized as one of the top players at his position for the 2012 season.
Hale was one of 43 players named to the Johnny Bench Award watch list. The Bench Award is given to the top catcher in Division I baseball.
“John is one of our seniors and a guy we are going to look for from a leadership standpoint,” said SHSU first-year head coach David Pierce. “This is a guy who has caught in Omaha, so he has a lot of experience that we will lean on as the season goes on.”
Hale, who transferred to Sam Houston from Rice, played for Pierce previously in 2008. In his second season playing for the Kats, Hale is hitting .270 with three runs driven in. Defensively, he has handled a pitching staff that has posted a 3.48 ERA which is fifth in the Southland Conference, including two starters (Cody Dickson 1.12 ERA and Justin Jackson 1.80) with an ERA less than two.
He started 36 games at catcher last season, hitting .273, including a 10-game hitting streak. He is a very good defensive catcher, committing just two errors in 269 chances.
Hale is one of three catchers in the Southland Conference on the Bench Award watch list, joining Southeastern Louisiana's Jacob Fisher and Texas State's Andrew Stumph.
To be eligible to win the award, players must have started 75 percent of the team's games as the catcher.
The Bearkats are 7-5 on the season and will open Southland Conference play on Friday when they host Stephen F. Austin for a three game series.
