OU softball's Kendall Wells becomes first freshman to win Johnny Bench Award
· Yahoo Sports
NORMAN — Oklahoma freshman catcher Kendall Wells added another major honor to a record-breaking debut season Tuesday, becoming the first freshman in Division I softball history to win the Johnny Bench Award.
The award, presented by Major League Baseball, the Cincinnati Reds and Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench, recognizes the top catcher in NCAA Division I softball and baseball. Wells is just the second Sooner to receive the honor, joining former OU standout Kinzie Hansen, who won the award in 2023.
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For Wells, the recognition is the latest accolade in one of the most productive freshman seasons in college softball history.
The SEC Player of the Year and NFCA Freshman of the Year hit .358 with 39 home runs, 86 RBIs and 70 runs scored while posting a 1.028 slugging percentage. Behind the plate, Wells recorded a .993 fielding percentage and allowed only three stolen bases all season.
Her 39 home runs shattered the Sooners’ freshman and overall single-season records while also setting the freshman NCAA and overall SEC single-season mark. Wells finished with six multi-hit home run games and produced the third-most RBIs in a season in program history.
The freshman catcher was also named the Diamond/NFCA Catcher of the Year, becoming just the second catcher in OU history to earn the honor, joining Jessica Shults.
The full list of Johnny Bench Award winners will be announced July 7 at the Johnny Bench Awards Luncheon at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing adigital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU softball freshman Kendall Wells wins Johnny Bench Award