Dunhurst Honored as Top Defensive Catcher in College Baseball

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Hayden Dunhurst was recognized as the top defensive catcher in all of college baseball Wednesday as the American Baseball Coaches Association announced the Ole Miss baseball catcher as the winner of the 2021 ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award.

Dunhurst beat out fellow finalists Henry Davis of Louisville and Casey Optiz of Arkansas, adding to his SEC All-Defensive Team, Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Newcomer Team honors. He is the second Rebel to win a Gold Glove Award, joining fellow catcher Stuart Turner, who brought home the award in 2013. The sophomore out of Carriere, Mississippi, was announced last week as the first Rebel catcher to be named to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.

Also a semifinalist for the Buster Posey Award, Dunhurst led the SEC with 16 runners caught stealing and five runners picked off. He was terrific at the plate as well, hitting over .300 well into May. He finished with a .280 batting average, 40 runs scored, 11 doubles, a team-high two triples, seven home runs and 43 RBI.

Dunhurst is one of just two SEC players to win a Gold Glove Award this season, joined by Vanderbilt’s Enrique Bradfield.

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