SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana head baseball coach
Tim Huber announced today the signing of three student-athletes for the 2014 season. Ryan Hamilton from Spearfish, S.D., Keller Knoll from Excelsior, Minn., and Collin Lovell from Windom, Minn. have all signed letters of intent to continue their academic and athletic careers at Augustana.
Hamilton, a 6-foot, 180-pound pitcher is a senior at Spearfish High School where he posted an 11-4 pitching record with 64 strikeouts as a junior. Last season, Hamilton tossed six complete games with an ERA of 2.23 while batting .376 with 57 RBI. As a sophomore, Hamilton batted .380 racking up 73 hits, including 20 doubles while driving in 58 runs.
Knoll, a 6-foot, 185-pound catcher is in his senior year at Holy Family Catholic High School and plays for the defending Class AA State Championship team. As a junior, Knoll earned all-conference honors and was named to the all-state tournament team after batting .313 with two home runs and 23 RBI. During his sophomore campaign, Knoll batted .341 with two home runs and eight doubles while driving in 24 runs and was a member of a conference championship team that went 18-4 on the season.
Lovell, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound pitcher is in his senior year at Windom Area High School. During his junior season Lovell struck out 60 batters in 50-plus innings of work compiling an ERA of 4.45. Lovell was on the record for three wins, six losses and a save and was the member of the Section 3A runner-up team in 2012.
Huber said: “Both Ryan and Collin have a lot of potential on the mound. While Ryan throws harder now we think each of them will greatly benefit from our off-season program we do with our players. I would expect both guys to see significant increases in velocity once they get to campus, fill out, and mature. Ryan will also get a chance to show us his skills with a bat as he has had some success as a hitter. Keller was our main target at the catcher spot in this recruiting class. He has all the tools we would like in a catcher with his receiving ability, skills to call and control a game, and arm strength. He also provides a nice bonus as we think he will be a good offensive catcher as well.”
Augustana compiled its third-straight 30-win season in 2012, finishing 32-21. The Vikings tied for fourth in the NSIC with a record of 22-12.
Located in Sioux Falls, S.D., Augustana College is a member of NCAA Division II and competes in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
