Georgia's All-America third baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon has been named the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award (BBNCSA) winner Friday in an announcement by the Bragan Youth Foundation.
As the nation’s top hitter, Condon will be honored at a Gala in the fall in Fort Worth, Texas. The BBNSCA is open to nominations from all Division I baseball programs and is based on performance at the plate, academics, and personal intergrity. The award began in 2017 (www.braganslugger.com) and is named for the former major league baseball player, manager and coach. The foundation was established in 1991 as an effort to encourage children to stay in school and pursue their educational and career dreams.
“We are honored to name Charlie Condon of Georgia as the 2024 Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award presented by SR Bats,” said Tracy Taylor, Executive Director of the BBNCSA and Bragan Youth Foundation. “Charlie had a tremendous season, leading the nation in several offensive categories, being named the SEC Player of the Year and setting the BBCOR era home run record. We were fortunate to have Condon as a finalist last year (LSU’s Dylan Crews was the 2023 winner) and to watch him surpass his performance from 2023 was impressive.”
Condon, who posted one of the greatest seasons in college baseball history, becomes the first Bulldog to win the award. A member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, he is a finance major. He could become just the third player in Division 1 history to lead the country in both batting average and home runs in the same season.
“I’m honored to be this year’s recipient of the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award,” said Condon. “It’s more than just what you do on the field; they consider academics and integrity, and my parents and coaches throughout my life have stressed that. It’s an important part of being a good teammate, too.”
A 6-foot-6, 216-pound native of Marietta, Ga., Condon currently leads the NCAA in batting (.443), home runs (a BBCOR-era record 37), slugging percentage (1.009), total bases (233) and OPS (1.565). The 2024 SEC Player of the Year, he ranked third nationally in on-base percentage (.566) and posted a team-high 57 walks, including 28 intentional free passes. He had seven multi-home run games and homered in eight consecutive contests from April 26 to May 9, one shy of the NCAA record. He made starts at third base, first base, and all three outfield positions for the eighth-ranked Bulldogs, who finished 43-17 and one game shy of another College World Series appearance. It was Georgia’s deepest run in the NCAA Tournament since 2008 and came in the first season under the direction of head coach Wes Johnson.
Earlier this week in Omaha, Condon was named Georgia’s first recipient of the Dick Howser Trophy. Also, Condon was selected as the Player of the Year by Baseball America and Perfect Game and named a First Team All-American by multiple organizations.
Condon is a finalist for the 2024 Golden Spikes Award (GSA). The 2024 GSA recipient will be announced on June 22 on ESPN during the College World Series Finals.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2024/6/1247943/georgias-condon-wins-second-national-award