WICHITA, Kan. - Purdue baseball's Nick Dalesandro is part of the first edition of the watch list for the 2017 Johnny Bench Award, which recognizes the top Division I catcher.
Dalesandro was among the 85 catchers on the initial watch list unveiled by the Greater Wichita Sports Commission this week. The sophomore opened the season as the starting catcher and remains a valuable versatile performer, also playing center field for the Boilermakers. Entering the Cal State Northridge series, Purdue has won all five games he has started behind the plate this year.
Dalesandro joins Kevin Plawecki (2011, 2012), Sean McHugh (2014) and Jack Picchiotti (2016) as recent Purdue players to be on the Johnny Bench Award watch list. Plawecki was one of three finalists in 2012 after being among the 15 semifinalists the year before. McHugh also advanced to the semifinalist list in 2014.
Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in June 2015 after his senior year of high school, Dalesandro has started 60 of the Boilermakers' 64 games since the start of last season. He has started games in left field (30), at catcher (22), in center field (4), at pitcher (4), designated hitter (3) and in right field (1). Rare is the college player who is able to handle the defensive needs and responsibilities of both catcher and center field.
Dalesandro threw out 13 of 25 base stealers and recorded seven outfield assists as a freshman to rank among the Big Ten leaders in both categories. He's thrown out three more base stealers in four opportunities early this season. He has not been charged with a passed ball yet in 2017.
At the plate, Dalesandro came alive in the series win at Southeast Missouri State last weekend. He hit safely and drove in a run in all three games, finishing the weekend with 5-for-13 with his first two collegiate home runs, six RBI, four runs scored and a stolen base. It marked the seventh time in his Purdue career that he hit safely in every game of a weekend. He has reached base safely at least twice in five of the last six games.
Other Big Ten catchers on the Johnny Bench Award watch list includes Michigan State's Matt Byars, Indiana's Ryan Fineman, Penn State's Ryan Sloniger, Michigan's Harrison Wenson and Nebraska's Jesse Wilkening. Catchers will be added to the watch list periodically throughout the spring and the semifinalists will be announced May 17.