Bradon O’Connor has a chance to set a national collegiate baseball stolen base record. The Benedict College outfielder has stolen 91 bases out of 99 tries in 43 games this season. According to the NCAA Division II team statistics, the record is 96 steals.
O’Connor is on course to break Saint Leo University’s Cisco Johnson’s single-season stolen base record which has stood since the 1980s. Johnson still holds the NCAA Division II record for stolen bases in a season with 96 (in 49 games) in 1987
O’Connor could surpass Johnson’s single-season stolen base record this week with a schedule midweek game against Claflin University and Benedict’s final three-games series of the season at Albany State.
Since donning the Tigers uniform, O’Connor as a freshman has been a thorn in the side of opposing catchers all four years. With a present total of 91 steals, he is 6 shy of the national stolen base record.
O’Connor is not only a speedster, but he can also hit the ball all over the field. Current statistics per the NCAA, list him as a .444 hitter, while scoring 54 runs, with 10 doubles, 3 triples, one home run, and fifty runs batted in.
He reaches base in nearly every at bat making O’Connor one of the best leadoff hitters in college baseball. He led the NCAA in stolen bases (47) and stolen bases per game in 2019 while sported a .404 batting average and knocking in 30 runs. That year he was recognized as the Division II stolen base statistical champion.
No player in NCAA Division II history has put up the stolen base numbers that Cisco Johnson accomplished in 1987. At one time, that record was considered one that may never be broken… until now.
Great accomplishment young man and I thought I was doing something when I
stole 43 bases in a single season, when I played at Miles College ’79-83.
Fantastic!!! Go get that record young fella!!
– Morehouse Man