Photo by: Y-D Red Sox/Mat-Su Miners
Wells, Abshier Tabbed as Summer Standouts
08/26/2019 | Baseball
TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona Wildcats head coach Jay Johnson has announced that sophomore catcher/first baseman Austin Wells has been selected as the Summer Player of the Year, while sophomore left-handed pitcher Randy Abshier has been honored as the Summer Pitcher of the Year. The awards were revealed during the Cats first full-team meeting of the year on Sunday afternoon at Hi Corbett Field.
Wells spent the summer with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the prestigious Cape Cod League, where he played in 42 regular season games and hit .308 with 23 runs scored, 13 doubles, seven home runs, and 26 RBI. He ranked tied for third in the league in home runs and placed seventh on the circuit in RBI while leading the team in doubles, home runs, and RBI. This outstanding production earned Wells a starting spot in the Cape Cod League All-Star Game and the league's Outstanding Pro Prospect Award at the end of the season.
The big summer from Wells came on the heels of one of the best freshman campaigns in Arizona program history in which he was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and was selected as a unanimous Freshmen All-American after hitting .353 with 73 runs scored, 15 doubles, seven triples, five home runs, and 60 RBI.
Abshier turned in a dominant summer up north for the Mat-Su Miners of the Alaska Baseball League. Across 10 games (eight starts) the southpaw worked a 3-1 record and a 1.52 ERA while striking out 42 batters over 47.1 innings of work. Abshier finished the season ranked second in the league in ERA, tied for third in wins, and fourth in strikeouts. Like his fellow summer award winner, Abshier was tabbed as a starter in the Alaska League All-Star Game while also earning First Team All-League honors at the conclusion of the summer.
His breakout summer performance followed a strong freshman season in Tucson where Abshier saw time in 17 games while posting a 4.50 ERA, the third-best mark among the Wildcats relief staff in 2019.
2018: Justin Wylie and Preston Price
2017: Alfonso Rivas, Cody Deason and Robby Medel
2016: J.J. Matijevic and Luke Soroko
2015: Zach Gibbons and Matt Hartman
Wells and Abshier had just two of many strong summer showings among returning Wildcats and incoming players. Other notable performances include:
Wells spent the summer with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the prestigious Cape Cod League, where he played in 42 regular season games and hit .308 with 23 runs scored, 13 doubles, seven home runs, and 26 RBI. He ranked tied for third in the league in home runs and placed seventh on the circuit in RBI while leading the team in doubles, home runs, and RBI. This outstanding production earned Wells a starting spot in the Cape Cod League All-Star Game and the league's Outstanding Pro Prospect Award at the end of the season.
The big summer from Wells came on the heels of one of the best freshman campaigns in Arizona program history in which he was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and was selected as a unanimous Freshmen All-American after hitting .353 with 73 runs scored, 15 doubles, seven triples, five home runs, and 60 RBI.
Abshier turned in a dominant summer up north for the Mat-Su Miners of the Alaska Baseball League. Across 10 games (eight starts) the southpaw worked a 3-1 record and a 1.52 ERA while striking out 42 batters over 47.1 innings of work. Abshier finished the season ranked second in the league in ERA, tied for third in wins, and fourth in strikeouts. Like his fellow summer award winner, Abshier was tabbed as a starter in the Alaska League All-Star Game while also earning First Team All-League honors at the conclusion of the summer.
His breakout summer performance followed a strong freshman season in Tucson where Abshier saw time in 17 games while posting a 4.50 ERA, the third-best mark among the Wildcats relief staff in 2019.
Arizona Baseball Players of the Summer:
2019: Austin Wells and Randy Abshier2018: Justin Wylie and Preston Price
2017: Alfonso Rivas, Cody Deason and Robby Medel
2016: J.J. Matijevic and Luke Soroko
2015: Zach Gibbons and Matt Hartman
Wells and Abshier had just two of many strong summer showings among returning Wildcats and incoming players. Other notable performances include:
George Arias Jr. | Mat-Su Miners | Alaska Baseball League
Awards & Accomplishments- All-Star selection
Tony Bullard | La Crosse Loggers | Northwoods League
Awards & Accomplishments- Major League Dreams Showcase selection
Mac Bingham | P.U.F. Capitalists
Bingham, one of the Wildcats incoming freshmen, spent the summer with the P.U.F. Caps and hit a blistering .328 with eight doubles, six home runs, and 22 RBI across 116 at-bats.Ryan Holgate | La Crosse Loggers | Northwoods League
Awards & Accomplishments- All-Star selection
- Major League Dreams Showcase selections
Kaden Hopson | Anchorage Bucs | Alaska Baseball League
Awards & Accomplishments- All-Star selection
Kobe Kato | Bethesda Big Train | Cal Ripken League
Awards & Accomplishments- Cal Ripken League Offensive Player of the Year
- All-Star selection
- Cal Ripken League Champion
- All-Cal Ripken League First Team selection
- Broke Cal Ripken League single-season batting average record
- Hit .441; old record .433
- Broke Cal Ripken League single-season OBP record
- OBP .612; old record .552
- Broke Cal Ripken League single-season walks record
- 48 walks; old record 36
Blake Klassen | Wenatchee AppleSox | West Coast League
Awards & Accomplishments- All-League First Team selection
Gil Luna | Bend Elks | West Coast League
Awards & Accomplishments- All-Star selection and starter
- West Coast League Pitcher of the Week
Blake Paugh | Anchorage Bucs | Alaska Baseball League
Awards & Accomplishments- All-Star selection
- Alaska Baseball League Champion
- All-League Second Team selection
Blake Peyton | Mat-Su Miners | Alaska Baseball League
Awards & Accomplishments- All-Star selection
- All-League Second Team selection
Tate Soderstrom | Bethesda Big Train | Cal Ripken League
Awards & Accomplishments- All-Star selection
- Cal Ripken League Champion
- All-Cal Ripken League Second Team selection
Donta Williams | Cotuit Kettleers | Cape Cod League
Awards & Accomplishments- Cape Cod League Champion
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