BGSU sophomore catcher Garrett Wright broke another program record against Eastern Michigan on Saturday, getting hit by a pitch for the 22nd time this season, which broke a tie with his own single-season program record from last year.
Wright also extended his program record for career hit-by-pitches in just his second season to 43, which is near the top of the country over the past two seasons.
After winning Mid-American Conference (MAC) Freshman of the Year and earning First Team All-MAC honors last season,
Wright has dominated in his sophomore campaign, staking his claim as one of the best players in the conference.
Wright leads the MAC with a .435 batting average and a .546 on-base percentage (OBP) while being tied for the lead with four triples. He also ranks third in the conference with a .714 slugging percentage and 49 runs scored.
“He’s the foundation of the whole offense of the team. Everything we do runs through Garrett,” senior infielder Gunner Antillon said. “What he’s doing, it’s really cool to see, it’s really special to see; you don’t see it very often.”
Over the past seven games, Wright is batting a scorching .555 with 10 runs batted in (RBI), four doubles, a triple, six walks and no strikeouts.
He drove in six runs on three hits in BG’s two wins against EMU on Saturday.
In a season where the Falcons are battling through injuries to two star players in DJ Newman and Sam Seidel, Wright has burdened the load and leveled up his game.
“He impacts winning as much as any player you’ll ever come across. In my opinion, he’s the best at what he does in his grade anywhere at any level,” BGSU head coach Kyle Hallock said. “So, you combine his talent with his desire to win, and you have something that is good for us.”
Across just 80 career games wearing the Orange and Brown, the Massillon, Ohio, native is batting .409 and slugging .652 with a .526 OBP. He has tallied 89 runs scored, 20 doubles, 13 home runs, 67 RBIs, 34 walks and just 27 strikeouts.
“He’s a special player. He’s going to go down, when it’s all set and down, as one of the best to ever wear this uniform and one of the best to ever wear that number and play that position here,” Hallock said. “He’s midway through a career that’s going to go down as very, very special.”
