Helfrick Named Buster Posey Award Semifinalist
WICHITA, Kan. – Arkansas’ Ryder Helfrick is one of 16 semifinalists for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, given annually by the Wichita Sports Commission to the nation’s top collegiate catcher.
Helfrick, who is one of four SEC backstops named a semifinalist for the award, has graded out as college baseball’s best defender, leading the nation in defensive runs saved (21.92), catcher framing runs (19.93) and defensive wins above replacement (1.61) as of May 18. He has started all 54 of his games played at catcher, slashing .292/.437/.568 with 15 home runs and 48 RBI while leading the Hogs in walks with 53, tied for fifth on the program’s single-season top 10 list.
The Razorbacks’ star catcher, a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy, owns a .989 fielding percentage with just six errors in 570 total chances and has thrown out nine attempted base stealers (17.0 percent).
2026 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award semifinalists
Cashel Dugger, UCLA
Jon Embury, Florida Gulf Coast
Chase Fralick, Auburn
Jacob Galloway, Oregon State
Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas
Daniel Jackson, Georgia
Vahn Lackey, Georgia Tech
Maikol Lucena, Bethune-Cookman
Bear Madliak, Kansas State
Burke-Lee Mabeus, Oregon
Jack Natili, Cincinnati
Blake Primrose, Saint Joseph’s
Mark Quatrani, Notre Dame
Matt Quintanar, Texas Tech
Carson Tinney, Texas
Macon Winslow, North Carolina
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