May 4, 2009

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois junior catcher Aaron Johnson (Sussex Corner, New Brunswick) was named to the watch list for the 2009 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award, the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission announced Monday. The Johnny Bench Award is given annually to the nation's best catcher. Johnson is one of three Big Ten backstops on the watch list in addition to Indiana's Josh Phegley and Ohio State's Dan Burkhart.

The watch list will be narrowed down to 10 semifinalists on May 14 and the three finalists for the award will be announced June 3. The winner will be announced at the 12th annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 26, 2009. Former Illinois catcher Lars Davis was a semifinalist for the 2007 Johnny Bench Award.

Johnson currently is fourth on the Illinois team with a .357 average and 56 hits. He has proved to be durable, starting 42 of 43 games this season, and 39 behind the plate. Johnson leads the team with 46 RBIs and is second with eight home runs. He also has been hit by a pitch 15 times, which ranks seventh on the Illini single-season HBP list, and has thrown out 14-of-39 (36 percent) would-be base-stealers on the season. Johnson leads Illinois with 13 multiple-RBI games and is third with 16 multiple-hit games.

2009 Coleman Company - Johnny Bench Award delivered by Papa John's Pizza Watch List
Buck Afenir, SR, University of Kansas
Billy Alvino, SR, High Point University
Jeff Arnold, JR, University of Louisville
Jared Avchen, JR, East Carolina University
Brett Basham, SR, University of Mississippi
Matt Behren, SR, University of Northern Illinois
Dan Benedetti, SR, St. John's University
Griffin Benedict, SR, Georgia Southern University
Dan Burkhart, SO, Ohio State University
Tony Caldwell, SO, Auburn University
Ryan Cisterna, SR, University of Arkansas
Nick Criaris, SR, Florida Atlantic Universiity
David Doss, SR, University of South Alabama
Aaron Dudley, JR, The University of Toledo
Scott Dunwoody, SR, University of Dayton
Jeffrey Farnham, SR, New Mexico State University
Mark Fleury, JR, University of North Carolina
Stephen Flora, SR, Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
Blake Forsyth, SO, University of Tennessee
Taylor Freeman, JR, McNeese State
Micah Gibbs, SO, Louisiana State University
Andrew Giobbi, JR, Vanderbilt University
Jason Haniger, SR, Georgia Tech
Chris Henderson, JR, George Mason University
Bryan Holaday, JR, Texas Christian University
Errol Hollinger, SR, Liberty University
Aaron Johnson, JR, University of Illinois
Richard Jones, JR, The Citadel
Mark Kelly, SR, Southern Illinois University
Reid Kraiser, SR, UNC Asheville
Greg Lagreid, SR, Washington State University
Ryan Lipkin, JR, University of San Francisco
Myckie Lugbauer, JR, Univesity of Maine
Tommy Medica, JR, Santa Clara University
Marc Mimeault, SR, Georgia State University
Mike Murray, JR, Wake Forest University
John Murrian, JR, Winthrop University
Rafael Neda, SO, University of New Mexico
Jeff Nolet, SR, University of Vermont
Bryce Nugent, SO, Marist College
Joe Oliveira, SR, University of the Pacific
Ryan Ortiz, JR, Oregon State University
John Parham, SR, Cal State Northridge
Josh Phegley, JR, Indiana Univeristy
Brandon Romans, SR, University of Central Florida
Tony Sanchez, JR, Boston College
Jeremy Schaffer, FR, Tulane University
Tobias Streich, SO, West Virginia University
Dallas Tarleton, SR, Elon University
Michael Thomas, JR, Southern University
John Turk, JR, The University of Akron
Matt Williams, SR, Duke University
J.T. Wise, SR, University of Oklahoma