SOUTHEAST ROUNDUP: Lees named to Johnny Bench Award watch list

Southeast Missouri State catcher Brian Lees has joined 100 other college catchers on the Johnny Bench Award watch list.

Lees was one of 15 catches added to the list Wednesday, which brings the total to a record 101 catchers.

The junior transfer from the University of Akron has started 36 games behind the plate during his first season at Southeast.

Lees has caught seven runners trying to steal and has allowed 24 stolen bases. He's committed just three errors, allowed four passed balls and leads the team with 300 putouts in 41 games this season. The Redhawks (31-13, 20-4 Ohio Valley Conference) have thrown the fewest wild pitches of any OVC team this season with 29 after finishing with 55 last year.

Lees is batting .285 with 28 RBIs and 26 runs scored and has hit four home runs, a triple and four doubles.

He joins fellow OVC catchers Tyler Lawrence of Murray State and Logan Starnes of Eastern Kentucky on the list.

Schools nominate their own catchers for the award, and the list will be narrowed to semifinalists, which will be announced on May 18 before ballots are sent to the national voting panel.

Finalists will be announced June 6, with a final vote taking place during the College World Series.

The winner will be announced at the 19th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 30.

The OVC-leading Redhawks travel to Cookeville, Tennessee, to face Tennessee Tech in a three-game series starting Friday night.

Track & field

Southeast thrower Kevin Farley picked up his second Ohio Valley Conference Male Field Athlete of the Week honor on Wednesday.

The senior broke his own school record in the hammer throw and had a trio of top-two finishes at the Memphis Invitational last weekend.

"Kevin is having a great senior season," Southeast coach Eric Crumpecker said in a press release. "He is performing at a high level in all three of his events and I am looking forward to seeing how he finishes off this year."

Farley's throw of 211 feet, 4 inches was good for second in the hammer throw and broke his previous school record of 206-9 that he set as a junior. It also ranks first in the conference and 36th in the nation.

He won the shot put with a toss of 58-2 1/4 and was second in the discus with a throw of 176-8.

Southeast is set to compete in the Billy Hayes Outdoor Invitational on Friday at Indiana University.