Augustana College

Augustana head baseball coach Tim Huber announced today that five players have signed national letters of intent to play for the Vikings for the 2010 season. Signing with the Vikings were Brendan Koistinen of Watertown, S.D., Ben Van Kekerix of Sheldon, Iowa, Nate Alfson of Pipestone, Minn., Deryk Marks of Cottage Grove, Minn., and Grant Larson of Eagan, Minn.

“To get five outstanding players like this in the early signing period is a great start to hopefully a great recruiting class,” Huber said. “I was very excited to get the guys that we did. We filled a couple big holes from the JUCO ranks with Nate and Deryk and added another needed left-handed bat in Brendan. A big recruiting focus this year for us is to bring in some pitchers for next year and Ben and Grant are two great guys who have a chance to help us on the mound. These 5 guys are great guys and we welcome them to the Augustana family. We will be looking to add a few more arms to the mix, as well as fill a couple more holes, to join these five guys for the 2009-10 recruiting class as this year goes on.”

Alfson has spent one season at Ridgewater Community College in Willmar, Minn., and will compete this season at Mesabi Community College in Virginia, Minn. At Ridgewater, Alfson started at catcher and batted nearly .350, leading his team to the state and regional championship crown. At Pipestone Area High School, Alfson was a three-year letterwinner, leading his team to three consecutive sectional championships. Alfson finished with a .457 batting average with 8 home runs and 37 RBIs as a senior, and a .330 average with 4 home runs and 30 RBIs as a junior. He also played two years on the Pipestone Area basketball team.

“Right from the beginning of the fall Nate was the guy we were focused on to fill a big hole at the catcher spot,” Huber said. “I coached against Nate last year, and we played Ridgewater seven times, so I had the opportunity to see what he could do. He had a very solid year but I think his best games are ahead of him. He is a shut-down type of thrower behind the plate with a Division I arm. He will help stabilize a position where we really need some help. In addition he is a big strong kid who we hope can hit in the middle of the order for us.”

Koistinen started and lettered four seasons in South Dakota Summer Legion and Rec League baseball. In four seasons, he tallied 112 RBIs and 135 hits. In 2008, he finished first team all-state and was named to the all-regional team. He also competed two years in football and one year in basketball at Watertown High School.

“Brendan is a left-handed hitter who has a very solid swing,” Huber said. “In addition he does a great job around first base defensively. When I first saw him play I liked his hack but the more I watched the more I was impressed with his defense at first base. He is also a field rat and that is the kind of guy we want here. We have an indoor hitting facility, where our players have 24/7 access, so guys like Brendan can really take advantage and get in extra work. Brendan is a very good student, an Augie kind of guy, as he will look to major in pre-med.”

Larson has participated in both spring high school and summer Legion baseball. As a junior, he helped lead his team to the American Legion State Tournament with a 7-2 record, an ERA of 2.14 with 53 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched. At Burnsville High School, he was a letterwinner with a 4-3 record, 4.11 ERA in 30 2/3 innings. Larson has also competed two seasons on the Burnsville football team and one season on the basketball team.

“Grant comes from a solid program in a very good baseball conference,” Huber said. “Pitching for the Burnsville Legion team this summer he proved he was able to compete with some of the best teams around. He will likely be the ace for Burnsville this spring. He is able to throw three pitches for strikes and we think he will eventually throw a little harder. Grant is also an outstanding student who will fit in well at Augustana.”

Marks will complete his second season at Iowa Central Community College this coming spring. His freshman year, he hit .308 with 13 doubles, 28 RBIs, while scoring 45 runs. His defensive skills earned him the NJCAA Rawlings Gold Glove Award. His senior season at Park High School in Cottage Grove, Marks hit .500 with 3 home runs and 18 RBIs, earning all-state, all-metro and all-conference honors.

“The best way I can describe Deryk is that he doesn’t do anything flashy but is simply a ‘baseball player’,” Huber said. “It doesn’t matter where you play him he makes all the plays. Deryk will provide some much needed stability to an infield where we will lose two seniors after this spring. We will plan on using him at the shortstop spot but he has the ability to play anywhere on the field. Last year at Iowa Central he played shortstop, catcher, third base, second base and even pitched. In that time he only committed 9 errors all year with is pretty remarkable considering all the moving around he did. Deryk comes from one of the best junior college programs around and I know he has received great coaching the past two years. He will be a great fit at Augustana and is another excellent student, currently with a 4.0 GPA.”

Van Kekerix has been a three-year letterwinner on the Sheldon High School baseball team. As a junior, he posted a 2.88 ERA in 56 innings with 59 strikeouts, and was named the team’s Most Improved Player. His sophomore season, he posted a 3.32 ERA in 46 1/3 innings with 36 strikeouts. Van Kekerix helped lead his Sheldon team to district championships in 2006 and 2007, and was district runner-up in 2008.

“Ben is a long and lanky left-handed pitcher with a ton of upside,” Huber said. “He already has a good, tight curveball and has very solid, smooth mechanics. As he fills out his 6’ 4” frame we expect him to be an upper 80’s kind of guy who has the potential to be very dominant. Ben was the go to guy on the mound for his team as a junior and will likely be again this upcoming season.”