The Wichita Sports Commission announced the official watch list for the 2023 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, and Navy baseball senior Alex Smith is among the 65 Division I catchers nominated. The award, previously known as the Johnny Bench Award, is given annually to the top Division I collegiate catcher as voted on by head coaches and sports information directors.
Smith, a four-year starter for the Midshipmen, boasts an impressive career, hitting .267 with 48 runs scored, 50 RBI, 15 doubles, four triples, and four home runs over his 87 games in a Navy uniform. The Laguna Hills, California native was named a 2020 Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American and is the first player in Patriot League history to be selected as the Patriot League Player and Rookie of the Week during the same week on March 3, 2020.
In 2022, Smith hit .298 while starting 41 games for the Mids, recording 27 runs scored and 30 RBI with a .981 fielding percentage. He has started all eight games for Navy in 2023, getting the starting nod behind the dish five times, and recording the Mids’ first hit of the season against No. 19 Virginia.
The watch list will be updated until May 8, 2023, and will be narrowed down to the semifinalists, who will be announced on May 22, 2023. Ballots will be sent to the national voting committee at the end of May for a vote to determine the three finalists, who will be announced on June 6, 2023. The finalists will be brought to Wichita, and the winner will be announced on June 29, 2023, during the College World Series.