TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona Wildcats sophomore catcher
Austin Wells again added to his career accolades on Tuesday morning when he was selected as a Second Team All-American by
Collegiate Baseball.
In a shortened 2020 season, Wells posted elite numbers with the Wildcats — he hit .375 (21-for-56) with 12 runs scored, six doubles, two home runs, and 14 RBI across his 15-game sophomore campaign. For a second straight year he drew more walks (17) than strikeouts and posted a .527 on-base percentage.
Wells started in all 15 games the Wildcats played in 2020, and across a team-leading 121 chances on defense he boasted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
This success led to him earning a selection to the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award watch list and notched him his first Pac-12 Player of the Week nod after hitting .545 (6-for-11) in the opening week of the season. Prior to the season starting, Wells picked up unanimous Preseason All-America recognition from
Baseball America,
D1Baseball,
Perfect Game,
Collegiate Baseball, and the
NCBWA.
The All-America selection from Collegiate Baseball comes weeks before the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft, in which Wells is projected by most to be a 1st-round selection. The five-round draft begins on Wednesday, June 10.
Across two seasons with Arizona, Wells' honors and awards include:
- 2020 Collegiate Baseball Second-Team All-American
- 2020 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award watch list
- 2020 Pac-12 Player of the Week (2/18)
- 2020 NCBWA Third-Team Preseason All-American
- 2020 Baseball America Second-Team Preseason All-American
- 2020 D1Baseball Second-Team Preseason All-American
- 2020 Perfect Game Second-Team Preseason All-American
- 2020 Collegiate Baseball Second-Team Preseason All-American
- 2019 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year
- 2019 Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention
- 2019 D1Baseball First-Team Freshmen All-American
- 2019 Baseball America First-Team Freshmen All-American
- 2019 Collegiate Baseball Freshmen All-American
- 2019 NCBWA First-Team Freshman All-American
- 2019 Perfect Game/Rawlings Freshmen All-American
- 2019 Cape Cod League All-Star (starter)
- 2019 Cape Cod League Outstanding Pro Prospect
- 2019 Arizona Summer Player of the Year
