THE FLATS – Junior C Vahn Lackey (Suwanee, Ga.) has been named one of five finalists for the 2026 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, the Wichita Sports Commission announced today. Lackey, the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, is the most feared catcher in college baseball this season, consistently getting runners out on the base paths, either by catching them stealing or with back-picks, while also becoming one of the best hitters in the nation.
Georgia Tech is one of three programs with multiple Buster Posey Award winners (Kevin Parada in 2022 and Joey Bart in 2018), alongside Florida State and Southern California. This is the first time Lackey has been named a finalist, joining a long list of Tech catchers to have earned the honor: Matt Wieters (2007), Zane Evans (2013), Joey Bart (winner – 2018), Kyle McCann (2019) and Kevin Parada (winner – 2022).
Lackey has delivered an incredible 2026 season, slashing .407 avg / .529 OBP / .790 slug. over 60 games with 20 home runs, 78 RBI and 85 runs scored. He is second in the nation with a 5.56 WAR and his 85 runs scored are the most in Division I. He is the only catcher in the nation to be hitting over .400 for the season and his 1.319 OPS is Top 5 in the country.
He leads the most potent offense in the BBCOR era in runs scored, slugging %, on-base and walks while stealing 15 bases for the second year in a row. Lackey’s 85 runs scored this season are the sixth most in program history and the most by any Yellow Jacket since 2000 while driving in 78 RBI, the 12th most in a single season. His .407 batting average would rank No. 17 in the Georgia Tech program records while his .790 slugging would rank No. 8 and stand as the second highest slugging percentage of any Yellow Jacket this century, behind only Drew Burress’ freshman season (.821).
Behind the dish, Lackey is the most feared arm in college baseball, catching six attempted base stealers and catching five more with back picks. Teams don’t test Lackey often in the run game, often only attempting to steal in the most optimal of times against him, due to his reputation. Defensively, Lackey helped guide the GT pitching staff to the ACC ERA title this season with a 4.36 ERA, the lowest in the conference during league games.
Full Steam Ahead
Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online.
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