LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV baseball's Eric Bigani has been selected as a semifinalist for the 2021 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission announced.
 
Bigani, a junior, has played in 29 games with 28 starts, which includes 23 at catcher and five more as the designated hitter. For the year, he is batting .327 with 37 hits, 16 of which have gone for extra bases with 10 doubles, four home runs and two triples, and helped produce a .558 slugging percentage. He has also walked eight times and knocked in 23 RBI and scored 20 runs. He sits 80th nationally in doubles per game (0.34).
 
In early April, the native of Anaheim, California, was selected the Mountain West's Player of the Week following the Rebels' sweep of Fresno State (April 2-3). In the three-game series, he batted .643 (9-for-14) with nine hits, one walk and no strikeouts. Three of his hits went for extra bases, with two home runs and one triple, which contributed to a 1.214 slugging percentage and a .667 on-base percentage.
 
The Buster Posey Award, formerly known as the Johnny Bench Award, has been presented to the top collegiate catcher in the nation since 2000. This year, 88 catchers were nominated for the award, and the finalists will be announced on June 7. The winner will be revealed at the 23rd Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on July 1.
 
Bigani, a 2020 MW All-Conference Team selection, is the first Rebel backstop to earn Posey/Bench Award semifinalist honors since Erik VanMeetren achieved the feat during the 2015 campaign.
 
UP NEXT: UNLV closes out the 2021 regular season this weekend in Fresno, California, with a three-game, Mountain West series against the Fresno State Bulldogs. The Rebels and Bulldogs will play twice Saturday and once Sunday at Pete Beiden Field at Bob Bennett Stadium. First pitch for both days is scheduled for 1:35 pm.