In the historic 2021 Louisiana Tech baseball season, senior third baseman Hunter Wells delivered plenty of thunderous hits, many for extra bases and more than his share in clutch situations.
His remarkable stat line this spring produced four All-America honors in his final season as a Bulldog. Now those numbers and his all-around skillset have earned him a spot in pro baseball with the Frontier League’s Windy City Thunderbolts.
Wells, who set the all-time Bulldog career hits record in 2021, signed Thursday evening and will sport the No. 20 jersey for the Thunderbolts in the 16-team league. The Frontier League was formed in 1993 and is the oldest-running independent baseball league in the United States.
Wells capped his collegiate career with a .346 batting average, 169 runs scored, 279 hits, 47 doubles, 10 triples, 21 home runs, 136 RBI and 98 walks. He remains the first and only Bulldog to hit for the cycle in program history.
“Hunter is one of the best hitters I’ve ever coached,” head coach Lane Burroughs said. “His bat-to-ball skills are elite, and he consistently proved he could compete at the highest level throughout his time at Louisiana Tech.
“He capped off his time here with a sensational season with multiple well-deserved All-America honors. We couldn’t be prouder of Hunter, and he will go down as one of the best to ever play here at Louisiana Tech.”
In addition to his four All-America honors in 2021, Wells also earned First Team All-Conference USA honors, South-ABCA/Rawlings All-Region First Team honors and Ruston NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team honors. The Katy, Texas native tied a single-game program record with nine RBI in a game to open the Ruston NCAA Regional, going 4-for-5 with two home runs, two doubles and four runs scored in an 18-2 win over Rider.
Wells broke his own single-season hits record this past season with 101 base hits, ranking second nationally and becoming the first Diamond Dog to surpass the century mark in program history. His 169 total bases also ranked second nationally and again marked a new Bulldog single-season record.
He led Conference USA with a .385 batting average, 101 hits and 169 total bases in 2021. He also topped a stacked Bulldog lineup with a 1.101 OPS.
Wells joins former Bulldog centerfielder Parker Bates as Diamond Dogs to sign on to play professional baseball following the 2021 season. The Kansas City Royals selected Bates with the 259th overall pick in the ninth round of the 2021 MLB Draft earlier this month.
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