Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Adds Nine Players to Midseason Watch List
The Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award (BBCSA) presented by SR Bats announced today that nine players have been added to the midseason Watch List for the 2021 award. The BBCSA, created by the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation, was open to nominations from all Division I baseball programs in the country. The award is based on performance at the plate, academics and personal integrity.
The nine additions to this year’s list are Texas Tech’s Jace Jung, East Carolina’s Connor Norby, San Diego State’s Jaden Fein, Tennessee’s Liam Spence, Notre Dame’s Niko Kavadas, Fairfield’s Justin Guerrera, Campbell’s Conner Denning, Old Dominion’s Carter Trice, and Arizona’s Jacob Berry.
“The Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award (BBCSA) Selection Committee is very pleased with the group of nine student-athletes we are adding to the Watch List at midseason” said Tracy Taylor, Executive Director of the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation and the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award. “The 2021 Watch List was the strongest we have ever had and the addition of these players seriously ramps up the competition as the award continues to draw the best hitters nationally. Collectively the players on the BBCSA Watch List are among leaders in all major offensive stats.
“We also have a great mix of programs, several of them new to the BBCSA Award, some that have been with us from the start, from across the spectrum of D1. But whether large or small they all have one thing in common, great hitters that also meet the BBCSA criteria of academics and integrity/community service.”
The additions to the already-impressive Watch List include several of the country’s top statistical leaders. Jaden Fein of San Diego St. is the D1’s batting average leader (.475) and Niko Kavadas of Notre Dame is the leader in slugging and homers per game. One other addition to the Watch List shares a name very familiar to the BBCSA Selection Committee. Jace Jung of Texas Tech is the younger brother of Josh Jung, the 2019 BBCSA winner. Jace currently leads the country in home runs and RBI and sports a 1.369 OPS.
With the addition of today’s players, the BBCSA Watch List is now up to 58 hitters for the 2021 season. The BBCSA will name the finalists for this year's award in May. The winner of the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award will be announced in June and honored at a gala in the fall.
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. Last year the BBCSA had no winner due to the COVID-19 virus which cut the collegiate baseball season short.
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.