| Hayden Dunhurst | |
| Team: | Kane County Cougars |
| Number: | 3 |
| Position: | Catcher |
| Birth Place: | Slidell, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Bats: | Left |
| Throws: | Right |
Hayden Lane Dunhurst (born September 19, 2000) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Kane County Cougars of the American Association of Professional Baseball.
Dunhurst attended Pearl River Central High School in Carriere, Mississippi.[1] He committed to play college baseball for the Ole Miss Rebels after his freshman year, when he hit four home runs and boasted a .476 slugging percentage.[2] [3] Dunhurst did not attend baseball camps or take lessons, but instead modeled his catching techniques after Yadier Molina and Salvador Pérez by watching YouTube videos.[4] During his sophomore year in 2017, Dunhurst hit ten home runs with 37 RBI and nine doubles.[5] As a senior in 2019, he batted .369 with 11 home runs and 37 RBI.[6] He ended his high school career with 31 home runs.[7] He was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 37th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign.[8]
As a freshman at Ole Miss in 2020, Dunhurst appeared in 17 games and batted .269 with five home runs before the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9] In 2021, as a redshirt freshman, Dunhurst made 65 starts and slashed .280/.385/.435 with seven home runs, 43 RBI, and 11 doubles.[10] He won the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove award at catcher.[11] [12] After the season, he was named to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.[13] Dunhurst entered the 2022 season as a top prospect for the upcoming draft.[14] He missed a brief period at the beginning of the season after tweaking a hamstring.[15] He ended the season batting .231 with six home runs and 30 RBI over 56 games, helping lead Ole Miss to their first ever NCAA Championship.[16]
Dunhurst was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the sixth round with the 175th overall selection of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft.[17] He signed with the team for $300,000.[18] [19] Dunhurst made his professional debut with the Arizona Complex League Royals.
Dunhurst split the 2023 season between the ACL Royals, Single–A Columbia Fireflies, and High–A Quad Cities River Bandits. In 31 games split between the three affiliates, he hit a combined .164/.241/.289 with two home runs and 15 RBI.[20] On March 27, 2024, Dunhurst was released by the Royals organization.[21]
On April 26, 2024, Dunhurst signed with the Kane County Cougars of the American Association of Professional Baseball.[22]