ATLANTA -- Georgia State catcher Nick Gatewood has been named to the official watch list for the 2018 Johnny Bench Award presented by BaseballSavings.com, as announced by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission.
Gatewood, a junior from Duluth, Ga., is off to a strong start in 2018, leading the Panthers with a .368 average, two home runs, seven runs batted in and 12 runs scored. He has also been stellar behind the plate, throwing out seven of 10 runners attempting to steal.
In Sunday's extra-inning victory over Eastern Illinois, Gatewood caught 12 innings, threw out two runners, picked off another runner at third and started a catcher-to-second-to-first double play on a bunt.