University of North Carolina Athletics
Fleury Tabbed Bench Award Semifinalist
May 14, 2009 | Baseball
May 14, 2009
WICHITA, Kan. - North Carolina catcher Mark Fleury is one of 13 semifinalists for the for the 2009 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award delivered by Papa John's Pizza, the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission announced Thursday.
The Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award semifinalists are (in alphabetical order):
uck Afenir, University of Kansas; illy Alvino, High Point University; Griffin Benedict, Georgia Southern University; Dave Burkhart, Ohio State University; Jeffrey Farnham, New Mexico State University; Mark Fleury, University of North Carolina; Chris Henderson, George Mason University; Greg Lagreid, Washington State University; Francis Larson; University of California - Irvine; Josh Phegley, University of Indiana; Tony Sanchez, Boston College; Matt Williams, Duke University; and J.T. Wise, University of Oklahoma.Nomination forms were emailed to all division one baseball programs in January. Catchers that were nominated by their schools were on the watch list. A selection committee of twenty individuals narrowed the watch list down to the semifinalists.
Statistics will now be compiled 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, 2009 prior to the NCAA Super Regionals and Major League Baseball Draft.
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 12th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 26, 2009.
Bench's career honors include: National League Rookie of the Year (1968); National League Most Valuable Player (1970, 1972); World Series Most Valuable Player (1976); 14-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner. In 1980, he set an endurance record by catching 100+ games for 13 consecutive seasons. Bench was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in January 1989 with the fourth highest percentage of total votes cast.
