WICHITA, Kan. - For the second year in a row, Army senior catcher J.T. Watkins is on the Watch List for the Johnny Bench Award presented annually by the Greater Wichita Sports Commission.

The award is handed out annually to the top Division I catcher in the country. The semifinalists will be announced on May 16, with the finalists unveiled on June 4. All finalists will be brought to Wichita and the winner will be announced at the 15th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 28, 2012.

Watkins earned All-Patriot League honors for the first time in his career last season following a standout junior campaign. One of the top defensive catchers in Army history, Watkins broke his own Academy record for percent of base runners thrown out last season, gunning down 52.4 percent (22 of 42) of would-be base stealers.

Offensively, Watkins batted .298 with two doubles, two home runs and 27 RBI last spring. The Tuscaloosa, Ala., native is off to a strong start to the 2012 season, batting .286 with two doubles and six runs batted in.

Follow J.T. Watkins official blog "Behind the Plate" on GoArmySports.com.

GoArmySports.com contributed to this report.