NEWPORT, R.I. – Newport Gulls catcher Jeff Melillo, a junior from Rutgers University, was named a 2012 Johnny Bench Award semifinalist on May 17.

The Johnny Bench Award was established in 2000 as a tribute to former Cincinnati catcher Johnny Bench, widely considered the best defensive catcher in baseball history. The award is presented annually to honor the nation’s top catcher in Division I college baseball following the conclusion of the College World Series. Catchers are nominated to the watch list by their schools based on field performance, grade point average and community involvement.

Melillo returns to Newport coming off a breakout junior campaign at Rutgers in which he was one of 12 catchers nationwide to be named to the semifinalist watch list for the Johnny Bench Award.

As a junior, Melillo appeared in 49 games this spring, starting 47 of them and establishing new career-highs in virtually every offensive category. Melillo finished the regular season 11th in the Big East Conference in batting average, hitting .322 (57-for-177) for the year with 35 runs scored, 10 doubles, four homers and 30 RBIs, and finished eighth in the conference in on-base percentage (.442).

Melillo was the Gulls primary catcher in 2011, appearing in 32 games, starting 29 of them and batting .283 (30-for-106) with 10 runs scored, six doubles, a triple, a home run, 13 RBI and one stolen base.

The Gulls are undefeated through their first three regular season contests in which Melillo has started all three games (one as DH), going 4-for-12 with three runs scored, three doubles and a pair of RBI.

Three catchers were named as finalists for the 2012 Johnny Bench Award on June 4. A recipient will be announced at the 15th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet following the conclusion of the College World Series on June 28, 2012.

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