San Diego State standout named to Buster Posey Award watch list

Evan Sipe has taken over as San Diego State's primary catcher the past two seasons

Generic image of baseballs. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

The college baseball season has entered the final month of the regular season as teams prepare for their runs in the conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament.

Top players around the country are being recognized as the national awards continue to update their watch lists. San Diego State joined the mix when senior catcher Evan Sipe was named to the watch list for the Buster Posey Award, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate catcher.

A fourth-year senior from nearby San Marcos, Sipe played in 18 games over his first two seasons with the Aztecs, committing one error over 107 chances. He took over as the team’s primary catcher as a junior, starting 32 of 38 games. His excellent defense allowed him to finish the season with a .997 fielding percentage, committing one error in 329 chances. Sipe threw out 10 base runners and picked off two base runners.

As a senior, Sipe has continued his excellent defense behind the dish to earn a spot on the watch list. He’s played in 32 games for the Aztecs and has matched his total from a season ago, having thrown out 10 attempted base stealers.

Congrats to @EvanSipe2, who was recently named to the Buster Posey Award Midseason Watch List! #GoAztecs ⚾️ 🔴 ⚫️

📰 Story: https://t.co/3ujqP7UP4v pic.twitter.com/anEeCwRv8k

— San Diego State Baseball (@AztecBaseball) April 29, 2025

Sipe had a breakout senior season at San Marcos High School in 2021, helping the Knights earn the top seed in the CIF San Diego Section Open Division playoffs. He hit .372 with a .475 on-base percentage, finishing with five home runs, five doubles and a triple.

Sipe is joined on the watch list by three other Mountain West catchers in Justin Stransky (Fresno State), Jake Harvey (Nevada) and Will Cresswell (Washington State). Semifinalists for the award will be announced on Friday, May 9 with the list of finalists set to release on June 5.

San Diego State has had an up and down season on the diamond as evidenced by their 15-31 record heading into this weekend’s three-game series against New Mexico. The Aztecs, 10-11 in the conference, had won four of five games following a sweep of San Jose State but have now dropped four in a row after being swept by UNLV. The Aztecs sit alone in fourth place in the eight-team Mountain West Conference, one game ahead of UNLV, San Jose State and Air Force. Fresno State, the preseason pick to win the conference by the coaches, sits at 15-6, three games clear of both New Mexico and Nevada.