ATLANTA, Ga. — Coastal Carolina's Caden Bodine has been honored as the Sun Belt Conference Male Student-Athlete of the Year for the 2024-25 season, the conference announced Thursday at the Sun Belt Honors Banquet in Atlanta.
Bodine capped off an outstanding postseason with an impressive array of accolades, including four All-America selections: D1Baseball, College Baseball Foundation (First Team), Perfect Game (Second Team), and NCBWA (Third Team). He also made history as the first player in Coastal Carolina's program to receive both the Buster Posey Award and the Rawlings Gold Glove Award at catcher.
Widely regarded as one of college baseball's elite catchers, Bodine delivered a stellar all-around performance throughout the 2025 season. A First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference honoree, he started 67 games for the Chanticleers — 66 at catcher and one as designated hitter — leading a pitching staff that ranked second nationally in both ERA and WHIP. At the plate, Bodine posted a .318 batting average with a team-best .454 on-base percentage, drawing 47 walks and enduring 17 hit-by-pitches. He contributed 24 extra-base hits, drove in 42 runs, and slugged .461, consistently anchoring the top of the lineup.
Defensively, Bodine was a cornerstone behind the plate. He threw out 19 attempted base stealers on 44 chances, tying Coastal Carolina's career record with 46 runners caught stealing, and finished with an outstanding .998 fielding percentage.
His leadership was pivotal in guiding Coastal Carolina to both the Sun Belt Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships. Bodine earned Most Outstanding Player honors in the tournament and secured a spot on the All-Tournament Team. He continued his strong postseason showing with All-Tournament recognition at the NCAA Conway Regional, as the Chanticleers advanced to the Super Regionals and the Men's College World Series for the first time since 2016.
In 2025, Coastal Carolina led the nation with 56 wins, setting a new school record. The Chants went on to capture the Sun Belt Conference Championship, Sun Belt Tournament Championship, Conway Regional Championship, and Auburn Super Regional Championship. The team then made a 3-0 run in Omaha to reach the Men's College World Series Championship Final, highlighted by an impressive 26-game winning streak — the fourth longest in Division I over the past five years.
