DURHAM, N.C. – The Coastal Plain League announced this morning that Macon Bacon ace David Austen has been named the 2026 TrackMan CPL Starting Pitcher of the Year.

“Being honored with this award is a great accomplishment for me,” said Austen. “I want to thank my teammates and my coaches this summer. I also want to thank my family for all of the endless support and I couldn’t have done it without them.”

A rising senior at Rollins College, Austen made nine appearances for the Bacon, eight of them starts, and earned the win in five. Overall, he was 5-0 with an impressive 2.66 ERA. The 5-9, 165-pound lefty surrendered just 16 runs — 13 earned — on 30 hits over 44 innings of work on the mound. He walked 16 and struck out 45. Opposing batters hit .186 against him, while he finished the summer with a 1.05 WHIP, K/9 of 9.20, and BB/9 of 3.27. Notably, Austen’s marks in wins, innings pitched, and strikeouts were all among the Top 5 in the league.

During the season, Austen was selected as the TrackMan Pitcher of the Week after the fifth week of action. He pitched a total of 10 innings across two appearances that week, giving up one earned run on five hits, walked two and struck out nine. He didn’t get the decision in either game, but showed out with a 0.90 ERA and 0.70 WHIP all while limiting opponents to a lousy .139 average.

“Big congrats to David and very well deserved,” said Macon head coach Jesse Litsche. “He competes and works his butt off, and it was no shock to me to see where he ended up at the end of the summer. He came in with a plan to be a starter and he just kept getting better and better down the stretch. He definitely has a big season incoming [back at school].”

With Austen on the bump, Macon finished the regular season first in the West Division and went on to win the West Division Championship in the playoffs. They fell to the Wilmington Sharks in the Petitt Cup Championship Series, two games to one. In addition to his regular season numbers above, Austen went 1-0, with a 4.50 ERA across two appearances. He gave up three earned runs on three hits in six innings, walked four and struck out six.

While the league will be looking to unveil its All-CPL Teams for the 2026 season next week, one can safely say that Austen will be listed as a member of the First Team All-CPL pitching staff. All player awards are selected after gathering feedback from head coaches and league officials, as well as seasonal statistical analysis.

“This was an awesome and unforgettable summer,” stated Austen. “Being in the CPL was a great experience and I really enjoyed my time being on the Bacon.”

<strong>About Coastal Plain League:</strong>
The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s premier and most innovative summer collegiate baseball league. The CPL is currently comprised of 15 franchises playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. To date, the CPL has had over 1,800 alumni drafted, and 216 alums make their Major League debut. Most notable alumni include Justin Verlander, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark Reynolds, Kevin Youkilis, Chris Taylor, Jake Cave, Alec Bohm, Chas McCormick and NFL Super Bowl champion Russell Wilson. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at www.coastalplain.com, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok @CPLBaseball.

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