For the second year in a row, a catcher at Lyon County High School has been honored as a recipient of an award named after one of the legendary catchers of all time. This year, it was a member of the Lyon County baseball team that was recognized for his performance on the baseball field.
Lyon County’s Brody Williams was named as the top baseball catcher in Kentucky and was one of ten overall winners in the Bench Awards. In 2021, Lady Lyon Sydney Melton was the recipient of the softball award for catchers in the state.
Williams finished his senior season in 2022 batting .530 with 12 home runs and 45 RBIs. He also had 16 doubles for the season. Defensively, Williams was among the top in the state at his position.
For two decades, the Johnny Bench Award was presented to college baseball’s top NCAA Division I catcher. The Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission created the award in 2000 and dedicated it to Hall of Fame and Reds Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench.
In 2019, the award was expanded and permanently relocated to the Reds Hall of Fame & Museum at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Reds Scouting Department provides input on the baseball categories. The awards committee determines each winner with support from local media from each state.
The Bench Awards honor:
Top male NCAA baseball catcher
Top female NCAA softball catcher
Top baseball and softball catchers from Ohio high schools
Top baseball and softball catchers from Kentucky high schools
Top baseball and softball catchers from Indiana high schools
Top baseball and softball catchers from West Virginia high schools
All 10 winners will be invited to Cincinnati on Tuesday, July 26 for an awards luncheon, presented by MSA Sport, at Great American Ball Park.
