Austin Quark is a sophomore right-handed pitcher from Winnipeg, Canada. He is a business administration major and attended Fort Richmond Collegiate High School in Winnipeg. The Canadian native appeared in one game during his freshman year for the Eagles, a loss to Haverford College.
Quark did not take baseball seriously until he was 15 years old. He said that his older cousin inspired him to pursue the sport after watching his cousin’s college baseball career at a junior college in Arizona. His cousin was also a pitcher, which motivated Quark to take the next step in his own baseball journey.
When asked why he chose Eastern, Quark pointed to the strong impression a coach made on him at a baseball showcase in Trenton, New Jersey prior to his senior year of high school. “I felt an immediate connection to Eastern because they saw me throw and knew immediately they wanted to talk to me after I was done pitching for the day,” he said. He developed a strong relationship with the pitching coach over time, eventually committing and signing to become an Eagle.
Eastern Baseball is focused on building continued success and believes it can contend within the conference and make a playoff push. When asked about the outlook for the season, Quark said, “I’m looking forward to going into this year with the most competitive group of guys I’ve ever played with. Everyone here wants to win, and the guys that only have one or two years left have a little extra motivation. We all believe we can be more than just a competitive team in the MAC. We think we have what it takes to be a successful team in the playoffs this year, and giving Eastern Baseball its second 20-win season in over a decade would be pretty sweet.”
Quark said his primary focus this season is developing his pitching arsenal. “I focused on developing my off-speed pitches in the offseason, specifically my curveball and being able to place it wherever I want in the strike zone,” he said. “I knew that if I could do this over the course of the offseason, I’d be setting myself up for a great sophomore season.” He also noted that managing stress was the biggest lesson he learned from his freshman year. “On or off the field, stress comes from all parts of life, and if it’s not managed well, it can bleed into other areas and affect your performance,” Quark said.
Quark takes pride in being a team-first player. When asked about his closest teammates, he credited his catchers. “I try to be extra nice to the catchers, simply because I beat them up with balls in the dirt on a frequent basis,” he said.
The role of pre-competition rituals and superstitions in athletics is well documented, especially for pitchers. When asked about his own routines, Quark said, “Being a pitcher means you have to be superstitious. We all know these rituals don’t actually do anything other than boost confidence, but they make you feel like you have some control over the other guy. For example, I pick up the ball the same way when I step on the field, and I get the ball from the third baseman the same way every time.”
Looking ahead, Quark said he plans to return to Canada after his collegiate career. “My future plans would be moving back to Canada and continuing my career at my family’s shoe business,” he said.
The Eagles open their 2026 season at Gwynedd Mercy University on February 20 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern will then return home for their first official games at the newly renovated Yard on February 21, hosting a doubleheader against Lancaster Bible College at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
