UF Baseball's Brian Johnson & Austin Maddox Chosen To John Olerud Watch List
Monday, May 7, 2012 | Baseball
Gator junior baseball players Brian Johnson (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) and Austin Maddox (Jacksonville, Fla.) were named to the Watch List for the 2012 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award announced by The College Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday.
The award, named for the Washington State star who achieved success as both a first baseman and a right-handed pitcher, will be presented as part of the annual College Baseball Night of Champions on June 30 in Lubbock, Texas. The event features the presentation of numerous awards and the induction ceremony for this year's Hall of Fame class, including former Gator standout Brad Wilkerson (1996-98).
Johnson has compiled a 5-4 record with a 4.29 earned run average in 13 starts on the mound spanning 65 innings. The left-hander has 52 strikeouts and has limited opponents to a .273 batting average. Johnson is hitting .323 with 32 RBI, 15 runs and 14 extra-base hits (nine doubles and five homers).
In a team-high 25 appearances, Maddox is a perfect 12-for-12 in save situations to lead the Southeastern Conference and is 2-2 with a 1.58 ERA. The righty has struck out 51 batters and issued eight walks in 45.2 innings, while opponents are batting just .185 against him. At the plate, Maddox is hitting .262 with five runs, five RBI and five walks.
“The SEC is one of the strongest baseball conferences year-in and year-out,” said Olerud Award co-chair Aaron Thomas. “So, it's only natural that a number of players from that conference made the Watch List. But, we're excited to see how players from some of the other conferences continue to perform as the season winds down.”
The ACC, Big 10, Big West, Southland and West Coast Conferences all have more than one representative on the list. Two schools – Florida and Georgia Tech -- have two representatives on the list.
“The numbers these players are putting up this season are all the more impressive when you consider they're doing double-duty as both position players and pitchers,” said co-chair Randy Norman. “Each of these guys has numbers that live up to the legacy of John Olerud.”
John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Watch List
| Zane Evans | Georgia Tech | ACC |
| Jake Davies | Georgia Tech | ACC |
| Reid Roper | Illinois | Big 10 |
| Josh Dezse | Ohio State | Big 10 |
| Cole Sturgeon | Louisville | Big East |
| Michael Lorenzen | Cal State Fullerton | Big West |
| Greg Mahle | UC Santa Barbara | Big West |
| Drew Reynolds | East Carolina | Conference USA |
| Ryan Gorton | Oregon State | Pac-12 |
| Kevin McKague | Army | Patriot |
| Justin Bryant | Auburn | SEC |
| Brian Johnson | FLORIDA | SEC |
| Austin Maddox | FLORIDA | SEC |
| A.J. Reed | Kentucky | SEC |
| Drew Steckenrider | Tennessee | SEC |
| C.K. Irby | Samford | Southern |
| Jeff McVaney | Texas State | Southland |
| Casey Selsor | UTSA | Southland |
| Marco Gonzales | Gonzaga | West Coast |
| Aaron Brown | Pepperdine | West Coast |
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