MSU's Easley wins Johnny Bench Award

WICHITA, KAN. — Edward Easley will fly to Arizona today.

He'll sign a contract, and when the ink dries, he will be a professional baseball player in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.

In case the former Mississippi State catcher needs any leverage for negotiating a signing bonus, he got it Wednesday when he won the Johnny Bench Award as the top catcher in college baseball.

"It is, for a fact, the most exciting news I've ever received in my life," said Easley, who helped lead MSU to the College World Series earlier this month. "Catching is what I love to do. It's what I love to do to help my team win. To be a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award is just a great honor, and to finally be picked is just a great honor."

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