FULL RELEASE AND WATCH LIST

WICHITA, Kan. — University of San Francisco redshirt junior catcher Robert Emery has been added to the watch list for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, the award given annually to the top collegiate catcher in the country, as announced Thursday by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission.
 
Emery has been one of the Dons' top offensive threats this season while also being strong defensively behind the plate. Entering this weekend's series at BYU, Emery leads the Dons with a .318 batting average. He's had an all-around offensive year for USF, sitting second on the team with 54 hits, 12 doubles and 34 RBIs. He's also scored 22 runs, hit three home runs, carries a .441 slugging percentage and a .380 on-base percentage.
 
Emery has started 24 games at the dish for San Francisco, who has gone 14-10 in those games. He has thrown out a team-best 10 would-be base stealers, pegging runners 34.5% of the time. He has posted a .990 fielding percentage in more than 200 chances.
 
This year, 91 catchers were nominated for the award. The watch list will be narrowed down to the semifinalists, whom will be announced May 17. The finalists will be announced June 3. A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. All finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be announced at the 22nd Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 27, 2019.
 
Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart – a first-round draft pick of the San Francisco Giants last June – was named the catcher of the year in 2018. Alex Holderbach of Eastern Kentucky University and Reynaldo Pastrana of Marshall University were the other finalists for the award.