Ogle on Johnny Bench Watch List

March 10, 2011

NORMAN, Okla. - For the second straight season, junior catcher Tyler Ogle was named to the Johnny Bench watch list for the 2011 season. Ogle caught in 42 games last year as he hit .331 with 11 homers and 46 RBIs, while recording a .992 fielding percentage and throwing out 11 base stealers. The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission released the Watch List for the 2011 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award delivered by Papa John's Pizza on March 10.

Forty-two catchers were nominated for the award by their coaches, and Ogle was one of three players to represent the Big 12 Conference (Kevin Gonzalez, SR - Texas A&M and Chase Graskewicz, SO - Kansas State). The semifinalists will be announced on May 19 and the finalists on June 6, while the award will be presented in Wichita on June 30.

In 2011, Ogle, a team captain, has started all but one of the Sooners' 14 games and has caught five of 14 potential base stealers with a 1.000 fielding percentage.

The San Antonio, Texas, native ranks in the top 10 in the Big 12 Conference in seven offensive categories, including tied for second in home runs (2), runs (15) and walks (11). He also ranks fourth in on-base pct (.544), sixth in slugging pct (.619), eighth in batting average (.381) and 10th in stolen bases (4).

In 2009, J.T. Wise became the first Sooner to collect the award in program history and just the second in Big 12 history.

No. 2 Oklahoma (14-0) returns home to host Arkansas-Little Rock in a three-game series over the weekend (March 11-13). First pitch on Friday is set for 3 p.m. Saturday's game is at 2 p.m. and the series finale gets underway at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Games two and three of the series mark the first of 13 set to be televised by the Sooner Sports Network (Cox Ch. 3 in OKC and Tulsa).

2011 Watch List
Milan Adams, JR - University of Rhode Island
Jett Bandy, JR - University of Arizona
Brock Bennett, SR - University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa
Alexander Black, SR - Coppin State University
Dan Burant, JR - The University of Akron
Tony Caldwell, SR - Auburn University
Curt Casali, SR - Vanderbilt University
Matt Colantonio, SR - Brown University
Chad Comer, SR - University of Texas at Arlington
Joshua Cryer, SR - Southeastern Louisiana University
Taylor Davis, JR - Morehead State University
Jeremy Dowdy, JR - Appalachian State University
Frank Esposito, SR - Seton Hall University
J.J. Ethel, SR - University of Louisville
Chris Forsten, JR - William & Mary
Brett Frantini, JR - Northern Illinois University
Kevin Gonzalez, SR - Texas A&M University
Chase Graskewicz, SO - Kansas State University
Chuck Howard, SR - New Mexico State University
Steven Keller, JR - California State University, Northridge
Ralph Keppler, JR - The University of Albany
Matt Koch, JR - Loyola Marymount University
Rafael Lopez, SR - Florida State University
David Lyon, JR - Kent State University
Kyle Mahoney, SR - High Point University
James McCann, JR - University of Arkansas
A.J. Miller, SR - Lafayette College
Chris O'Brien, JR - Wichita State University
Peter O'Brien, JR - Bethune-Cookman University
Tyler Ogle, JR - University of Oklahoma
Kevin Plawecki, SO - Purdue University
Matt Reistetter, FR - Hofstra University
Matt Rice, SR - Western Kentucky University
Ryan Schlater, SR - Bowling Green State University
Andrew Stumph, SO - Texas State University
Andrew Susac, SO - Oregon State University
Beau Taylor, JR - University of Central Florida
Derek Trent, SR - East Tennessee State University
Chris Walker, SR - Fordham University
J.T. Watkins, JR - United States Military Academy (Army)
Zach Wright, JR - East Carolina University
Mike Zunino, SO - University of Florida

A note about the award:
The annual award is to honor those athletes that serve as a team's starting catcher in at least 75% of the games. Nominees that end up playing primarily another position, such as designated hitter, or those that split their time with another catcher in a 50/50 situation will be disqualified from semifinalist selection. Although we acknowledge the talent of those athletes, it does not fall in line with our guidelines and they will not proceed in the voting process.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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