WICHITA, Ks. (WTXL) — Florida State's Mat Nelson had a pretty sensational season for Florida State. He finished the year tied atop the national leaderboard in homeruns, hitting 23 in 53 games.
Nelson was a force behind the plate too, and Thursday night he was recognized for it. Nelson won the Buster Posey Catcher of the Year Award, which is given to the country's best collegiate catcher. The moment was a big one for him, and he said it's the result of a lot of hard work and dedication.
👏 @matheu_nelson 🎙 @FSUBaseball ❤️
— Chip Baker 3️⃣ (@TheBigShooter3) July 2, 2021
“Named after a ‘Nole
Sponsored by a ‘Nole
Won by a ‘Nole
Taking 🏆 back to Tallahassee and Dick Howser Stadium!” #BusterPoseyAward 👊 pic.twitter.com/osXUXbRHxg
"A year ago today, I told myself I'm going to win that award," he said Thursday. "Did I believe it at that moment? No. Once the season started to happen, I started to believe it more. I really started to believe in myself and trust the process. I put an unbelievable amount of work in in the off season and it just goes to show in one year a lot can happen. If you believe in yourself, anything can happen."
Nelson is the first Seminole to take home the award since Posey did so in 2008.
