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By Olivia Sayer
Georgia redshirt sophomore Charlie Condon (24) signs autographs after a NCAA college baseball game between Alabama and Georgia at Foley Field in Athens, Georgia, on Sunday, March 24, 2024. Georgia won 10-5. (Photo/Mady Mertens: @MadyMertensPhotography)
It’s officially awards season in college baseball, and Georgia’s Charlie Condon continues to add to his collection.
The Georgia slugger was named the recipient of the 2024 Dick Howser Trophy Thursday on MLB Network. Dubbed ‘the Heisman of college baseball,’ the award is presented annually to the national college baseball player of the year. It is named after former All-American shortstop, coach and World Series manager Dick Howser, who passed away from brain cancer in 1987.
“This is a very prestigious award, and it’s been fun being around the people associated with the Dick Howser Trophy and the Howser family,” Condon said from Charles Schwab Stadium, site of the College World Series. “It meant a lot to be up for the award and now also to win it.”
Condon’s stats back up his recognition. The Marietta-native leads the league in home runs and batting average and is the only player slugging over 1,000. However, what makes him most qualified are his actions away from the field. In honor of Howser, the award is given to an athlete that symbolizes the principles of character, leadership, desire and competitive spirit.
“The great thing about Charlie is you always hope your best player is a great human being, who is caring and a great teammate, and how important it is to develop yourself and your teammates through leadership and hard work,” head coach Wes Johnson said. “Charlie checks all those boxes.”
When Johnson accepted the Georgia job, one of his first phone calls was to Condon. During his introductory press conference, Johnson said the redshirt sophomore was “going to be the best right-handed hitter in college baseball.”
A little over a year later, Condon is regarded as the best player in the game. The 6-foot-6, 216-pounder is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s MLB Draft.
“For the rest of my coaching career, I would bet I’ll never have another Charlie Condon,” Johnson said. “For me, it’s a season I’ll never forget, and I’m one of Charlie Condon’s biggest fans the rest of his life.”
Earlier this week, Condon was also named Perfect Game’s Player of the Year and received a spot on multiple outlets’ First-Team All American lists. He will receive his latest piece of hardware, the Dick Howser Trophy, during a press conference Friday morning. Condon is the first Bulldog to receive the award.