College Baseball Foundation announces 2024 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award finalists

LUBBOCK, Texas – A repeat finalist who has dominated the game for two years and two semifinalists from 2023 who led their respective teams to the postseason highlight the five finalists for the 2024 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award.

Stretching from coast to coast, the five finalists represent the very best the nation has to offer in terms of players who have excelled both at the plate and on the mound. Throughout the season, these five players have been the most consistent and the most successful of all the two-way players in the country.

The five finalists for the award, presented by the College Baseball Foundation, are senior right-hander/infielder Ethan Bates from Louisiana Tech, junior outfielder/right-hander Carson Benge from Oklahoma State, senior left-hander/first baseman Jac Caglianone from Florida, senior infielder/right-hander Cam Jones from Georgia Tech and junior outfielder/right-hander Austin Smith from San Diego.

“From known talents to relative newcomers, this year’s Olerud finalists have established themselves as some of the top players in the history of the game of college baseball,” said George Watson, chairman of the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year selection committee. “Each one of these young men epitomize what the Olerud Award is all about, finding tremendous success and making an impact in more than one way. We are proud to announce these five players as our 2024 finalists.”

The award is named for former Washington State University standout John Olerud, who achieved success both as a first baseman and left-handed pitcher during the late 1980s. He was inducted into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. The award will be presented by the College Baseball Foundation later this year.

Of the five finalists for the 2024 award, one, Caglianone, was a finalist in 2023, while Benge and Smith have been semifinalists for two straight years.

Here is a closer look at the finalists (statistics are prior to regional action):

• Ethan Bates, Sr., RHP/IF, Louisiana Tech: Bates established himself this year as the top closer in the country with 17 saves in 35 appearances to go with a 2-1 record and 3.50 ERA. But that’s only half the story as the Conference USA Player of the Year hit .343 for the season with 15 home runs and 74 RBI to go with a .622 slugging percentage in 62 games.
• Carson Benge, Jr., RHP/OF, Oklahoma State: Benge did a little bit of everything for the Big 12 tournament champion Cowboys this season. He started the season as a reliever and racked up three saves before converting to OSU’s most consistent starter, finishing with a 3-1 record and 2.25 ERA in 17 appearances. At the plate, he hit .342 with 17 home runs, 62 RBI and a .680 slugging percentage.
• Jac Caglianone, Sr., 1B/LHP, Florida: The most recognizable name in the country in college baseball in terms of two-way players, Caglianone picked right up where he left off as a finalist for the 2023 award. He was a monster at the plate, hitting .415 with 29 home runs and 58 RBI with an .844 slugging percentage and .988 fielding percentage. On the mound, he went 5-1 with a 4.32 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 62 innings.
• Cam Jones, Sr., RHP/IF, Georgia Tech: A three-year all-Sun Belt selection at nearby Georgia State where he was a two-time Olerud Award Watch List honoree, Jones continued his stellar play this year for the Yellowjackets. He finished the regular season hitting .325 with five home runs and 34 RBI and a .997 fielding percentage, and on the mound went 3-2 with a 5.85 ERA, racking up three saves and 38 strikeouts in 52.1 innings.
• Austin Smith, Jr., RHP/OF, San Diego: A two-time Olerud Award semifinalist, Austin Smith had an outstanding season in leading the Toreros to both the West Coast Conference regular-season and tournament titles. He has the best record of all the finalists on the mound, going 6-0 with a 2.96 ERA and three saves in 51.2 innings with 45 strikeouts, and he hit .314 with seven home runs and 39 RBI.

The winner of the 2024 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award will be announced on June 18.

For more information on the Olerud Award, visit the College Baseball Foundation website at www.collegebaseballhall.org.

2024 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Finalists

Name, Class, School, Conference

• Ethan Bates, Senior, Louisiana Tech, Conference USA
• Carson Benge, Junior, Oklahoma State, Big 12
• *Jac Caglianone, Senior, Florida, SEC
• Cameron Jones, Sophomore, Georgia Tech, ACC
• Austin Smith, Junior, San Diego, West Coast

* = 2023 finalist