Center fielder Dylan Neuse and shortstop Cal Conley have garnered another preseason accolade as they join 46 others from across the country placed on the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award (BBCSA) Preseason Watch List. The award, in its fifth year of existence, is presented by the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation and the Red Raiders have great familiarity with the program. Former Red Raider third and first baseman Hunter Hargrove won the inaugural award in 2017 and Josh Jung received the most recent nod in 2019.
This is the second season Neuse has been placed on the BBCSA watch list. He was a midseason addition in 2019 along with Cameron Warren, who went on to be a finalist. Neuse has also received selection as the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year to kick off the 2021 campaign. Additionally, Brian Klein was placed on the preseason list in 2020 but the award was not presented due to the cancellation of the season.
Neuse led the Red Raiders in 2020 triples (6), tied with Brian Klein for the hits lead with 27, and carried a 14-game hit streak from opening day through the UNLV midweek stand in 2020 as well. In 2019 he was the last Red Raider to hit two grand slams in a season and the last red raider to hit a triple in consecutive games. The starting center fielder flashes the speed on the base paths as well, and in 2020 led the Red Raiders with 12 stolen bases in the shortened season.
Conley was tabbed as a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American in 2020 and a Third Team All-American by the same outlet as well. Despite those accolades, Conley has flown somewhat under the radar of national attention. Those of us at Red Raider Dugout have not been shy to use the word “elite” in describing the level of shortstop play we’ve seen from the Conley as the redshirt freshman from Mount Carmel, Ohio continues to take strides forward in his game and at the plate. Doubles were the flavor of the fall scrimmages when Conley stepped up to face down practically every arm he saw.
Conley also flashes the speed and is the last Red Raider to hit an inside-the-park home run, blazing to that feat in opening weekend 2020 against Northern Colorado.
The BBCSA is presented based on performance at the plate, academics, and personal integrity. This year’s watch list encompasses 17 conferences including all of the Power 5. The winner of the BBCSA will be announced in June and honored at a gala at the Fort Worth Club.
