HPU Baseball’s Josh Spano Named to the Johnny Bench Watch List

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Sophomore catcher Josh Spano of the High Point University baseball team has been named to the 2013 Johnny Bench Award Watch List by the Wichita Area Sports Commission. The award is given annually to the top Division I catcher.

“We are very excited that Josh Spano has been named to this season’s Johnny Bench Watch List,” head coach Craig Cozart said. “This is a credit to his hard work and dedication to his skills behind the plate. HPU baseball has established a little bit of a tradition of having catchers named to this list as he is the third different player recognized. Josh has been a huge part of our performance so far this season and we look forward to a great ending.”

This is the first time that Spano has been named to the Johnny Bench Award Watch List. The sophomore has started every game this season for HPU including 22 at catcher. He is hitting .331 with 25 RBI, 28 runs scored and eight doubles. He has caught nine potential base stealers against him this season.

Spano is one of four Big South catchers on this season’s Johnny Bench watch list along with John Harris of Gardner-Webb, Trey Wimmer of Liberty and Matt Winn of VMI.

Spano is the third catcher from HPU to be named to the watch list. Billy Alvino was named to the watch list from 2007-09 and was a semifinalist 2009. Kyle Mahoney was named to the watch list in 2010 and 2011.

The watch list of 63 will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists on May 16, 2013.