Slugger from Hawaii Austin Machado inks an Atlanta Braves free-agent contract.

Austin Machado ensured that the University of Hawaii baseball team continued its winning streak. It was revealed on Thursday that the junior designated hitter and backup catcher for the Rainbow Warriors had reached an agreement to sign a free-agent contract with the Atlanta Braves. Since 1977, it was the 48th year in a row that a baseball player from UH was selected as a free agent or drafted. For the first time in eight years, UH was not represented in any of the 20 rounds of the MLB Draft, which ended on Tuesday. However, the school announced that Machado, a second-team All-Big West player who led his team in batting (.351), will soon start a professional career.

The deal’s specifics were kept under wraps. In his lone season as a Rainbow Warrior, Machado, of Cardiff By The Sea, California, hit four home runs and had 48 RBIs. Of the 53 games, the St. John’s transfer touched base 52 times. In the Big West, he ranked second in doubles (19) and sixth in on-base percentage (.473). While he was mostly a DH, he made 18 starts behind the plate, several of them late in the season, to cover for Dallas Duarte. Due to Duarte’s exhaustion of eligibility, UH will need to fill the post fully in 2025. For Spectrum News Hawaii, Brian McInnis covers the state’s sporting scene. You can get in touch with him.