Hear Earns Spot on ABCA Atlantic Region All-Defensive Team

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Senior catcher Austin Hear of the Concord University baseball team has been named to the American Baseball Coaches' Association (ABCA) Atlantic Region All-Defensive Team, the organization announced Thursday afternoon.

Hear, a native of Centerville, Indiana, picks up the honor after being one of the best catchers not only in the Atlantic Region, but in all of Division II. Hear committed just one error in 321 chances as he fielded .997 for the year. Where Hear earned his defensive reputation was throwing out would-be base stealers.

Throughout the spring, Hear threw out 22 out of 46 base runners during the year, a 47.8 percent clip. Hear led the Atlantic Region in throwing out runners on the bases, and was top 10 in Division II. He threw out two runners in three games, and threw out at least one runner in 19 games.

As the season wore on, Hear was tested less as he only had 22 runners attempt a steal in the final 24 games. Additionally, he went five straight games and eight of the first 10 games of Mountain East Conference South Division play without a runner attempt a stolen base.

Offensively, Hear hit .259 with four home runs, 23 RBI and six doubles during the season.

Hear was the only MEC representative on the ABCA Atlantic Region All-Defensive Team. With the ABCA All-Defensive Team starting in 2023, he is the first Concord player to earn the honor, and the first to pick up any defensive honor since Anthony Stehlin was a national gold glove winner in 2022.

The full ABCA Atlantic Region All-Defensive Team is listed below.
 

2026 ABCA NCAA Div. II Atlantic Region All-Defensive Team
Pos.	Player	Cl.	School	State
C	Austin Hear	Sr.	Concord	WV
1B	Parker Frey	Sr.	East Stroudsburg	PA
2B	Tommy Koroly	So.	Gannon	PA
3B	Cainen Atherton	So.	Gannon	PA
SS	Cody Thomas	Fr.	Salem	WV
OF	Grant Russo	So.	Bloomsburg	PA
OF	Landon McAlpine	Jr.	Salem	WV
OF	Christian Michak	Sr.	West Chester	PA
P	Sean Williams	So.	Seton Hill	PA