Kincardine Cub named Top Amateur Baseball Player in Ontario

Since the Kincardine Cubs Senior Baseball team came into existence in 2005, a lot of talented players have represented them on the field. However, no player has dominated both league and tournament play like shortstop Scott Austin.

On Saturday night, this dominance was recognized by Baseball Ontario, as Austin was presented with the prestigious 2019 Adult REP player of the year award for the province. Austin was also awarded the Western Ontario Baseball Association Player of the year award earlier this month. Leading the Cubs in most offensive categories, Scott put up a batting average of .451 with 51 hits, including 10 doubles, 1 triple and 4 home runs. He also led the team in runs batted in with 45 and scored 40 runs. On defence, Cubs teammates and fans have become accustomed to the highlight reel plays at shortstop.

Austin excelled when the competition level was at its highest; compiling a .346 batting average, with 8 runs, 2 doubles, 1 HR and 7 RBIs against the provinces best amateur teams at the AAA level.

At the 2019 provincial championships, Scott led the Cubs to within one win of the Senior AA championship. He put up a team high .579 batting average which included 11 hits, while scoring 8 of the Cubs 27 total runs, and driving in 5 more. These numbers against the best competition that the province has to offer gained Scott the recognition he more than deserved as one of the top players in the province.

The numbers on the field are just part of the story though. Known for his quiet intensity on and off the field, Scott is a well-respected teammate and opponent. Always the first to help out a struggling teammate or to share a quick joke with an opposing player, he manages to keep everyone on their toes while maintaining an incredible focus on the game. With his strong work ethic and desire for the game, he quietly pushes himself and teammates to be the best that they can, through practice and determination.

Austin joined the Kincardine Cubs in 2014, who were coming off of their first ever Provincial Championship at the Senior C level. Even though he had taken a few years away from baseball, he immediately stepped in as one of the top players, leading the Cubs to two more Provincial Championships at the Senior B and Senior A levels. Over his six years with the Cubs, Austin has become the Cubs career leader in most stats categories. Over the course of his Cubs career Scott has accumulated 596 at bats, collecting 269 hits for a .451 batting average. He has collected 58 doubles, 7 triples, 24 homeruns, while scoring 222 runs and driving in 227.

Please join us in congratulating Scott Austin on a job well done, and a worthy recipient of this award!