It’s said that at the heart of every great baseball team, there is a catcher who not only excels in on-field performance but is also a sterling leader. Junior catcher David Banuelos has been just that for the No. 7 Long Beach State Dirtbags in 2017.
Banuelos was nationally recognized last week when he was nominated by the Greater Wichita Sports Commission for the Johnny Bench Award given to the country’s best college catcher.
“It’s a big time honor,” Banuelos said. “Definitely something that every catcher works for and it also makes the program look pretty good.”
Banuelos is one of 15 nominees for this prestigious award and has also stirred up some interest from Major League teams with the first year player draft around the corner in June.
“It’s been awesome to have him,” assistant coach Zach Miller said. “He’s always had the tools and the skill-set to be one of the most talented players in the country.”
Banuelos has thrown out 17 out of 27 base stealers this season, shutting down the opposing team’s running game and forcing teams to play station-to-station. Offensively, he’s hitting .315 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs. His .525 slugging percentage is good for second best on the team.
“The bat has kind of been a bonus for the team,” Banuelos said. “I focus on my defense and the pitching staff a lot more than my offense.”
Miller spends the majority of his time working with the LBSU catchers and notes how Banuelos has progressed over the last three years with the Dirtbags.
“His ability to catch and throw has always been there,” Miller said. “It’s clear he has one of the best arms on the west coast and his blocking has improved a lot this season.”
On BaseballAmerica.com, Banuelos has been projected to go as high as pick No. 151 in the MLB draft and was ranked eighth on D1Baseball.com’s catchers list. Banuelos says it’s the coaches that he attributes his success this year to.
“I give all of them big credit for where I am today,” Banuelos said. “Miller especially. I thank him the most because he’s put in a lot of time to see me develop.”
Three finalists will be selected on June 5 by a national voting panel and the winner will be announced during the college world series on June 29.
“It would be huge to see all the work put in behind the scenes has paid off and it would mean a lot to me and the program,” Banuelos said.
As LBSU makes its way through the NCAA playoffs this summer, Banuelos will be be a major part of the team’s ability to contend for a national championship.