The University of San Diego‘s Ariel Armas was named the top defensive catcher in all of amateur baseball this week with his selection to the 2024 ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Team.
A native of Chula Vista who attended Saint Augustine High School, Armas is the first player in USD baseball history to earn Gold Glove honors.
The nine-member 2024 NCAA Division I Gold Glove Team was voted on and selected by the ABCA NCAA Division I All-America and Coach of the Year Committee.
ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove winners have been selected since 2007 in the collegiate and high school ranks and have featured several future Major League ballplayers.
It’s another honor for Armas, who was named the West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and was one of 16 semifinalists for the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award.
Armas started 55 of the Toreros’ 56 games at catcher this season, posting a .998 fielding percentage while throwing out 15 would-be base stealers and leading the nation with 18.69 Defensive Runs Saved (according to 6-4-3 Charts, as of June 5).
The Toreros, winners of both the West Coast Conference regular-season and tournament titles, made it to the NCAA Regionals, where their season ended June 2. Their final record: 41-15.
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