Western Kentucky junior catcher Matt Phipps was named to the 2019 Buster Posey Award Watch List on Tuesday. (WKU Athletics)

Western Kentucky catcher Matt Phipps has been named to the Buster Posey Award Watch List, the Greater Wichita Sports Commission announced Tuesday. In its 20th season, the honor – formerly known as the Johnny Bench Award – tabs the National Collegiate Catcher of the Year.

Phipps is slashing .301/.380/.419 with eight extra-base hits, 12 runs scored and 13 driven in. He has posted seven multi-hit games, including three consecutive performances from March 23-26. He ranks third on the team with 10 walks and is tied for the lead with three stolen bases.

The junior from Plantation, Fla., has started 26-of-27 games and caught 92 percent (219-of-238) of the innings behind the plate for the Hilltoppers so far this season. Since March 16, the backstop has thrown out 7-of-15 attempted base stealers and is currently on a 16-game errorless streak.

A junior-college transfer from Allen Community College (Kan.), Phipps was a First Team NJCAA Academic All-American in 2018. He continued his success in the classroom in his first semester at WKU, earning dean’s list honors in the fall.

Phipps is one of five catchers from Conference USA to make the initial watch list, which has 79 players across Division I baseball. The list will be updated to include additional candidates until May 6 and then narrowed to the semifinalists May 17. Previous semifinalists from WKU include Hunter Wood in 2017, Matt Rice in 2011 and 2010, as well as Jordan Newton in 2006.