One of the toughest jobs for any Cincinnati Bearcat this spring was the one Joey Thomas inherited. Thomas, a junior from Mason, Ohio, was tasked with replacing Woody Wallace, a team leader and mainstay at catcher for the Bearcats the last few years. Although Wallace’s senior year didn’t feature a terrifying slash line (.221/.283/.341), but he was one of few power threats on the roster and, more importantly, it was his work behind the plate that stood out.
In 2016, Thomas played in 19 games and started nine times as Wallace’s understudy and didn’t exactly amaze, especially at the dish.