CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State catcher Mitch Canham is one of 27 catchers from across the country on the watch list for the Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award, given annually to the nation’s top catcher in NCAA Division I college baseball.

Canham (Lake Stevens, Wash./Lake Stevens HS), a junior, is batting .382 with four home runs and 25 runs batted in for the fourth-ranked Beavers (20-3 overall); he has a slugging percentage of .618 this season and an on-base percentage of .517. Canham was a Preseason All-America pick by Collegiate Baseball newspaper (second team) and Baseball America magazine (third team).

In 2006, Canham helped OSU to the national championship by batting .299 with seven home runs and 54 runs batted in. He was drafted in the 41st round by the St. Louis Cardinals but opted to return to Oregon State for the 2007 season.

The Coleman Company-Bench Award, delivered by AT&T, is administered by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission. The watch list will be narrowed to 10 semifinalists, who will be announced May 17. The vote of a national panel will trim that list to three finalists who will be announced May 30; a final vote will be conducted during the College World Series. All three finalists will be brought to Wichita, Kan., and the winner will be announced at the Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 27.

The award is named for former Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench, who was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989. Bench’s career honors include: National League Rookie of the Year (1968); National League Most Valuable Player (1970, 1972); World Series Most Valuable Player (1976); and 14-time All-Star and 10-time

Gold Glove winner.

Bench presented East Carolina catcher Jake Smith with the award last June in Wichita. Jeff Kunkel of Michigan and Eddy Rodriguez of Miami (Fla.) were the other finalists for the award.

“We are extremely appreciative of the Coleman Company and AT&T being the sponsors of this prestigious award,” stated Bob Hanson, President/CEO of the Sports Commission. “They are the ones who make all of this possible.

“We are grateful that Johnny Bench is the namesake for our award because he is, without a doubt, the greatest catcher to ever play the game. We are very excited to have someone of his caliber

support our efforts in honoring the accomplishments of these college players.”