Ole Miss catcher Austin Fawley has been named to the 2026 Buster Posey Award Preseason Watch List, marking the first time in the award’s history that this list has been released by the Wichita Sports Commission. The award, formerly known as the Johnny Bench Award, recognizes the top Division I collegiate catcher in the nation as selected by head coaches and sports information directors.
Fawley is among ten catchers nationwide to be included on this year’s watch list and is one of four players from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) to receive this recognition.
In 2025, Fawley started 49 games for Ole Miss behind the plate and is expected to return as starting catcher for the upcoming season. He led his team in slugging percentage last year, finished second in home runs, and was third in runs batted in (RBI). His total of 21 home runs set a new high for any catcher during Mike Bianco’s tenure as head coach and ranks third most by an Ole Miss player in a single season.
Fawley’s performance earned him spots on both the 2025 ABCA/Rawlings All-South Region Team and the Oxford Regional All-Tournament Team. Additionally, D1Baseball ranked him eighth among catchers nationally in its 2026 Preseason Top 50 Catcher Rankings.
Single game tickets for Ole Miss baseball’s 2026 season are now available for purchase.
Fans can participate in Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola through the Ole Miss Sports mobile app to earn points redeemable for prizes. Updates about Ole Miss baseball can be found on X at @OleMissBSB, Facebook at Facebook.com/OleMissBaseball, Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemissbsb, TikTok at @olemissbsb, and via head coach Mike Bianco’s X account @CoachMikeBianco.
