East Carolina infielder wins Bobby Bragan Award as college baseball’s top slugger
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The Bobby Bragan Award selection committee had its work cut out this year.
As executive director Tracy Taylor said, “This was one of the closest races we have had for the Slugger Award.”
It’s hard to argue with the committee’s decision, though, to go with East Carolina’s Connor Norby as the 2021 winner. Norby was announced as the recipient on Wednesday afternoon. Norby led the country in hits with 102, while also posting a .415 batting average with 15 home runs and 51 RBIs. He was also named to the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team.
Norby beat out other finalists in Texas Tech’s Jace Jung, Arizona’s Jacob Berry and Oklahoma’s Tyler Hardman.
“In the end, Connor’s athletic accomplishments combined with his academic achievements impressed the selection committee,” Taylor said. “The ECU baseball program has donated more than 1,500 hours in community service since Connor arrived on campus and even found a way to give back during these unusual times. Connor Norby is a great example of the criteria on which the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award is built.”
Norby will be honored at a gala on Nov. 4 in Fort Worth.
The Bragan Award, created by the Bobby Bragan Youth Foundation, became a national award in 2020. It’s based on performance at the plate, academics and personal integrity.
The award started in 2017 as an honor going to the top college hitter in Texas, with Texas Tech’s Hunter Hargrove and Dallas Baptist’s Devlin Granberg being the first two recipients. Texas Tech’s Josh Jung won it in 2019, shortly before the Texas Rangers made him a first-round pick in that year’s draft. Nobody won it in 2020 as the college baseball season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
