AWARDS
• Preseason ASUN Defensive Player of the Year (2018)
• Preseason All-ASUN Team (2017)
• Johnny Bench Award Candidate (2017 and 2018)
• All-ASUN All-Tournament Team (2016)
One of the Hatters’ four captains for the 2018 season ... Stands second on the Stetson career lists for both defensive chances and putouts in his career.
Senior (2018): The Hatters iron man behind the plate, starting 44 games at catcher and another five as the designated hitter ... Came in to catch in five other games that he didn’t start ... Is a key reason for the Hatters’ success on the mound both in calling games and limiting the running game of opponents with his arm ... Had a somewhat down year offensively, but has been hot over the last month, hitting .283 during Stetson’s 15-game win streak ... Was 4-for-12 with two doubles and three RBI in the ASUN Tournament, including a two-run double in the championship game ... Is tied for fourth on the team with 12 multiple-hit games ... Has six multiple RBI games ... Drove in a season-high four runs against Richmond (3/10) ... Had home runs against Manhattan (2/17) opening weekend and FGCU (5/11) on the last weekend of the regular season ... Is 3-7 on the year (.429) with the bases loaded and is hitting .302 overall with runners in scoring position ... Is almost perfect (12-13) scoring runners from third base with less than two outs ... Batted .315 in ASUN play while slugging .426.
Summer (2017): Joined with Stetson teammates Brooks Wilson and Logan Gilbert as a member of the Orleans Firebirds in the Cape Cod Collegiate League ... Saw action in 20 games behind the plate for Orleans, hitting .196 for the summer in 56 total at bats ... Had a pair of doubles, a home run and drove in eight.
Junior (2017): Team captain ... Named to the ASUN preseason All-Conference team as well as to the Johnny Bench Award preseason watch list ... Missed most of preseason work while recovering from fall surgery to his non throwing shoulder ... Played in the first two games of the season before aggravating the shoulder and missing the next six games ... Started behind the plate for the final 46 straight games ... Called all of the pitches as the Hatters set a school record with 538 strikeouts ... Threw out 19 of 52 base-runners (36.5%) trying to steal ... Finished the season hitting .266 in 184 at bats ... Led the team with 20 extra-base hits including a team-best 13 doubles, two triples and five home runs ... Lost a pair of hits, including a home run, and three RBI in the game at Florida that was canceled with Stetson leading 10-1 in the fifth inning ... Also had three hits, including a double, in the home game against the eventual national champions, a game UF won 9-8 in 11 innings ... Had a total of 14 multiple-hit games and five multiple-RBI games ... His longest hit streak of the year was seven games ... During his seven-game hit streak, he had five consecutive multiple-hit games ... Had three hits, including a home run, and drove in a season-high four runs against Florida State (4/25) ... Was named ASUN Player of the Week on April 23 after hitting .588 in four games with five doubles, a triple and a home run ... Made just five errors in more than 500 chances ... Was named to the ASUN Academic Honor Roll.
Summer (2016): Played for the Bethesda Big Train of the Cal Ripkin Collegiate League ... Hit .171 (14-82) with a home run and nine RBI.
Sophomore (2016): Saw action in all 60 games, 55 as a starter, all but one of those at catcher ... Batted .266 for the year with nine doubles, two home runs and 18 RBI ... Scored 14 runs and walked 18 times ... Went 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI at Monmouth on May 9 ... Went 3-for-5 with three RBI in the ASUN Tournament against Kennesaw State on May 25 ... Went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI against NJIT on May 8 ... Had at least two hits in a game 12 times ... Threw out 23 of 67 runners attempting to steal during the year ... Helped the Stetson pitching staff lower the team ERA from 4.36 in 2015 to 3.95 in 2016 ... Was named to the ASUN All-Tournament team for his performance in the championship where he had five hits and drove in five runs ... Was named to the 2015-16 ASUN Academic Honor Roll.
Summer (2015): Played for the Waynesboro Generals in the Valley League ... Played in 31 games, hitting .148 with two doubles and three RBI.
Freshman (2015): Saw action in 18 games, two as a starter behind the plate ... Finished the year hitting .278 with five hits in 18 at bats ... Had two hits and drove in three of his four runs for the year against UNF (5/1).
High School: Was a four-year letter winner for at Trinity Prep … Primarily played catcher and third base … Ranked as the No. 500 recruit nationally and the No. 85 catcher by Perfect Game … Batted .270 with five doubles, one home run and 15 RBI in 27 games as a junior at Trinity Prep … Did not commit an error in more than 150 chances behind the plate … Owned a .419 on-base percentage … Batted .364 as a sophomore, earning All-District honors and helping Trinity Prep to a district championship … Won the Perfect Game World Wood Bat Association 17U national championship in 2013 while playing for the Orlando Scorpions … Was a member of both the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society as well as the National Junior Honor Society
… Was a member of the Blue & Gold Society and was an honor student.
Personal: Full name is Austin Allen Hale … Was born on October 26, 1995, in Bellingham, Washington … Is the son of Deanna and Dennis Hale … Has one brother, Adam (20) … Received his degree in Finance this spring.
GAME HIGHS - Hitting / Defense
At Bats: 6, twice (last vs Florida; March 21, 2017)
Runs: 3, twice (last vs Purdue; March 4, 2018)
Hits: 3, eight times (last vs Kennesaw State; April 7, 2018)
RBI: 4, twice (last vs Richmond; March 10, 2018)
Doubles: 3, at USC Upstate (April 22, 2017)
Triples: 1, three times (last vs North Florida; May 14, 2017)
Home runs: 1, nine times (last at FGCU; May 11, 2018)
Total bases: 7, at USC Upstate (April 22, 2017)
Walks: 3, twice (last vs Rhode Island; March 18, 2018)
Strike outs: 3, twice (last vs Kennesaw State; April 14, 2017)
Sac hits: 2, twice (last vs North Florida; May 27, 2017)
Sac flies: 1, six times (last vs Jacksonville; May 25, 2018)
Stolen bases: 1, twice (last vs George Washington; February 25, 2018)
Hit by pitch: 1, 13 times (last at Florida State; April 17, 2018)
Caught stealing: 1, twice (last vs Lipscomb; April 13, 2018)
Runners LOB: 9, at Bethune-Cookman (February 28, 2017)
Putouts: 18, vs FGCU (April 9, 2017)
Assists: 7, vs George Washington (February 25, 2018)
Errors: 1, 13 times (last vs USC Upstate; May 17, 2018)
Passed balls: 1, 14 times (last vs Jacksonville; May 25, 2018)
