Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Unveils 2021 Watch List
Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Unveils 2021 Watch List
Fort Worth, Texas - The Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award (BBCSA) presented by SR Bats announced today the players on its watch list for the 2021 college baseball season. The award, created by the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation, was open to nominations from all Division I baseball programs in the country. The BBCSA is based on performance at the plate, academics and personal integrity.
This year's watch list consists of 48 players representing 17 conferences around the country, including all five power conferences.
"The Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List presented by SR Bats is not only loaded this year but has a somewhat unique look," said Tracy Taylor, Executive Director of the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award and the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation. "The abrupt ending of the 2020 season, the shortened MLB Draft, and an extra season of eligibility have all changed some of the dynamics of the watch list from previous years. The watch list has traditionally been dominated by juniors, but this year we have more seniors than ever before and they headline an outstanding list for 2021 that has garnered more than 80 All-American and All-Conference honors.
“We received a record number of nominations for the award than ever before and the recognition on the field is only surpassed by the recognition in the classroom. This year we have eight student-athletes who have already finished their degrees and are pursuing postgraduate studies as well as multiple underclassmen that are on their conference and school honor rolls.
“My favorite nugget from the 2021 BBCSA Watch List is that we have a student-athlete on the list, Western Kentucky’s Davis Sims, whose grandfather played for the 1964 Milwaukee Braves team which featured Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Joe Torre, Warren Spahn and Phil Niekro. That team was managed by Bobby Bragan.”
The BBCSA originally started out in 2017 as an honor going to the top college hitter in Texas. In 2019, the BBCSA expanded becoming a regional award covering Division I programs in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Last year, the BBCSA became a national award; however, no winner was announced due to the Covid-19 virus which cut the college baseball season short.
The winner of the BBCSA will be announced in June and honored at a gala in the fall at the Fort Worth Club. Texas Tech’s Hunter Hargrove won the initial BBCSA in 2017. Dallas Baptist’s Devlin Granberg took home the honor in 2018 with Texas Tech’s Josh Jung winning the award in 2019.
Fans can follow news about the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award presented by SR Bats and its Player of the Week honorees during the season at www.braganslugger.com.