Baseball | 5/21/2024 3:03:00 PM
GREENSBORO – One of the best defensive catchers in NCAA Division I baseball received the warranted recognition from the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) on Tuesday as the conference released its postseason baseball accolades.
North Carolina A&T junior Canyon Brown put together one of the best defensive seasons for a catcher in program history to go along with an impressive offensive 2024 campaign to earn first-team All-CAA honors. In his only season as an A&T Aggie, graduate first baseman Tatsunori Negishi also had an incredible defensive and offensive season for the Aggies, collecting second-team All-CAA recognition on Tuesday.
"I am really proud of the work both Canyon and Tatsu put in for this team in 2024," said A&T head coach Ben Hall. "They established themselves as two of the top players in the CAA, and their consistency week in and week out is referenced by this recognition. They are both competitive and tireless workers. They definitely exemplify everything we are working to build here for the long term."
Brown caught 27 base runners trying to steal in 2024 to lead the conference. Brown's 27 runners caught stealing are the most in program history since Stefan Jordan caught 29 base runners trying to steal in 2013. Brown put together a .979 fielding percentage and a career-high 54 assists.
At the plate, Brown batted .310 and led the team with 49 RBIs. He also added six home runs, 12 doubles and three triples. He slugged .492 and posted a .414 on-base percentage after getting hit by pitch 14 times. He ranked 10th in the conference in RBI and was eighth in getting hit by a pitch. Brown led the Aggies in multiple-RBI games with 12.
Negishi batted .371 with 37 RBIs, eight home runs and 16 doubles. He also compiled 25 extra-base hits. Negishi had a team-leading .588 slugging percentage, walked a team-high 29 times, and led the team in on-base percentage at .477. He was also phenomenal as a defensive player, posting only one error in 372 fielding opportunities. Negishi had an impressive .997 fielding percentage, and his first error of the season did not come until May 12.
Negishi's contributions to the team's success are undeniable. His .371 average ranks him fourth in the CAA, and his eight home runs are a historic achievement, marking the most in a single season by a Japanese-born Division I player in NCAA history. Negishi's impressive .997 fielding percentage and his first error of the season not coming until May 12 further highlight his defensive skills. He led the Aggies in multiple-hit games (21) and had the longest streak of reaching base safely (27), demonstrating his consistent performance and impact on the team.
