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.

2019: Austin Wells and Randy Abshier

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

George Arias Jr. | Mat-Su Miners | Alaska Baseball League

Awards & Accomplishments

All-Star selection

Arias made nine appearances, all starts, for the Miners during summer ball and registered 44.0 innings of work. He led the team and ranked second in the league with 47 strikeouts while limiting opposing hitters to a .247 batting average. Arias closed out the summer strong, allowing just one earned run and striking out 12 over his final two starts.

Tony Bullard | La Crosse Loggers | Northwoods League

Awards & Accomplishments

Major League Dreams Showcase selection

Bullard logged time in 59 games with the Loggers this summer and his .279 with 30 runs scored, 15 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, and 42 RBI. He ranked second on the team behind fellow Cat Ryan Holgate in home runs and RBI.

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 selectionMajor League Dreams Showcase selections

Holgate led the Northwoods League with 13 home runs and placed third on the circuit with 53 RBI after playing in 58 games with La Crosse. Across 222 at-bats Holgate put together a .297 batting average with 41 runs scored, 18 doubles, and 34 walks.

Kaden Hopson | P.U.F. Capitalists

Hopson, an incoming freshman catcher, logged 92 at-bats with the P.U.F. Caps and hit .293 with 11 RBI.

Kobe Kato | Bethesda Big Train | Cal Ripken League

Awards & Accomplishments

Cal Ripken League Offensive Player of the YearAll-Star selectionCal Ripken League ChampionAll-Cal Ripken League First Team selectionBroke Cal Ripken League single-season batting average recordHit .441; old record .433Broke Cal Ripken League single-season OBP recordOBP .612; old record .552Broke Cal Ripken League single-season walks record48 walks; old record 36

Kato broke a trio of long-standing Cal Ripken League batting records en route to earning the circuit's Offensive Player of the Year award this summer. Across 39 games, the sophomore catcher hit .441 with 43 runs, seven doubles, one home run, 27 RBI, and 48 walks. Kato helped guide the Big Train to a Cal Ripken League Championship and earned both mid-season and post-season all-star selections.

Blake Klassen | Wenatchee AppleSox | West Coast League

Awards & Accomplishments

All-League First Team selection

Klassen, a member of the Cats incoming freshmen class, logged 44 games with Wenatchee and posted a .338 batting average, the third best mark on the team. He also picked up 36 runs scored, nine doubles, one home run, and 25 RBI along the way.

Gil Luna | Bend Elks | West Coast League

Awards & Accomplishments

All-Star selection and starterWest Coast League Pitcher of the Week

Luna was a strikeout machine for the Bend Elks this summer, fanning 59 batters over 39.2 innings of work. His 59 strikeouts were fourth-most in the league and good enough for a blistering K/9 rate of 13.39. Luna posted two 12-strikeout performances across nine games (eight starts) and held opposing hitters to a .157 batting average.

Blake Paugh | Anchorage Bucs | Alaska Baseball League

Awards & Accomplishments

All-Star selectionAlaska Baseball League ChampionAll-League Second Team selection

Paugh played in 42 games with the Bucs and helped lead the team to an Alaska League Championship. During his time in Anchorage, Paugh collected a league-best eight home runs, 26 runs, six doubles, and 25 RBI. In six playoff contests he posted a .286 batting average and drove in four runs.

Blake Peyton | Mat-Su Miners | Alaska Baseball League

Awards & Accomplishments

All-Star selectionAll-League Second Team selection

Peyton posted a strong summer swinging between the starting rotation and the bullpen for Mat-Su. He logged 11 appearances, five starts, and posted a 3-0 record with a 2.67 ERA. Over 30.1 innings of work he struck out 30 batters and held opposing players to a .214 batting average. Peyton made one postseason start for the Miners and struck out five in 3.2 innings.

Tate Soderstrom | Bethesda Big Train | Cal Ripken League

Awards & Accomplishments

All-Star selectionCal Ripken League ChampionAll-Cal Ripken League Second Team selection

Soderstrom, playing with fellow Wildcat Kobe Kato, helped guide the Big Train to a Cal Ripken League Championship this summer. In 36 games with Bethesda he hit .309 with 35 runs scored, seven doubles, three home runs, and 25 RBI.

Donta Williams | Cotuit Kettleers | Cape Cod League

Awards & Accomplishments

Cape Cod League Champion

Williams saw time in 25 regular season games with Cotuit and picked up 14 runs, a pair of home runs, and three RBI. He was a big contributor to Cotuit's postseason run that ended with a Cape Cod League Championship, as he collected six hits, five runs, one double, and five RBI across seven playoff games.