Fullerton Lands on Buster Posey National Collegiate Cather of the Year Watch List

BIRMINGHAM – Senior catcher J Paul Fullerton has been named to the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Watch List by the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission. The award is given annually to the top Division I collegiate catcher and presented by the Kamerion Wimbley Foundation.

Fullerton is one of the sixty catchers in college ball to make the cut after being nominated by their respective head coaches. The watch list will be narrowed down to a group of semifinalists on May 19 before three finalists are voted on and determined on June 3. The finalists will be brought to a banquet in Wichita, Kan., where the winner will be announced on June 25.

“J Paul is model student-athlete in every way. I believe he is exactly what the NCAA wants as a role model for young people today,” said coach Brian Shoop. “He is a great and dedicated student as evidenced by a 3.4 accumulative GPA and will graduate on time this spring. He serves as our SAAC representative and is often the first to volunteer to serve those in need in our community. On the field, I believe he is the best catcher in our league. He was leading us in hitting last year, batting .341 with nine extra base hits and 20 RBI when he broke his hammock bone that put him out for the year.  He is also an outstanding receiver who our pitchers love throwing to. Lastly, he is the unquestioned leader of our team. We’re proud of his recognition for this outstanding honor.”

The Searcy, Ark., native receives the honor in wake of a solid start to the season with some of the top batting numbers on the club. Fullerton is currently batting .317 with 19 hits, three doubles and three homeruns for 13 RBI, nine runs scored and a .517 slugging percentage. His all-around success to date is showcased with five of those numbers representing the top or second-best mark on the team.

Some of Fullerton’s notable performances this season include unleashing a grand slam and finishing with five RBI in UAB’s 10-7 win over Notre Dame, his second straight grand slam in a season-opening series. More recently, the veteran Blazer helped UAB to a 9-5 win over Toledo going 3-for-5 at the dish with an RBI and two runs scored.

Fullerton has also made plays from the backstop, eating up bunts and wild pitches while showing off the cannon to gun down seven runners stealing.

The Blazers will open conference play on Friday, hosting WKU in a weekend series at Regions Field. Live stat and streaming information for each game is available on the UAB baseball schedule page.

Fans may secure baseball season tickets by purchasing the 2020 Gold Card for $65. The Gold Card is an exclusive offer that grants you admission into all baseball and softball events for the remainder of the academic year. Mini plans and single game tickets are also available here. Contact the UAB Ticket Office at (205) 975-UAB1 for more details.
 
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-Go Blazers-