Upcoming and Recent Events

Steffens, Bishop Sign Professional Contracts With Kane County Cougars

6/7/2021 10:41:00 AM

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- One of the most prolific pitching staffs in Viking history, the 2021 Augustana baseball team now claims two professional pitchers in Max Steffens and Koby Bishop. The duo have both signed contracts with the Kane County Cougars, a member of the American Association of Professional Baseball and an official Partner League of Major League Baseball.

"This is a great opportunity for both Max and Koby," Augustana head coach Tim Huber said. "With a new format to the MLB draft and the minor leagues being cut down, there are still a lot of unknowns for seniors graduating from college.

"No one knows what the future will look like for guys like Max and Koby, but they are both very deserving of the opportunity Kane County has given them. They both took advantage of the unique extra year due to COVID. They worked hard, trained with our team, Coach Thielbar and Coach Collison and the hard work paid off."

Steffens and Bishop now become the 21st and 22nd players coached by Huber at Augustana that have gone on to play professional baseball.

Max Steffens
Steffens came to Augustana in the fall of 2018 after a two-year career at Iowa Central Community College. In his first season as a Viking in 2019, Steffens dominated in every sense of the word. He earned All-America honors, was a two-time Central Region Pitcher of the Year, and racked up NSIC Pitcher of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, First-Team and Gold Glove honors. His statistics included a 2.77 ERA, 9-1 record and 68 strikeouts.

While the 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID-19, Steffens spent time recovering from an arm injury and gearing up for his senior campaign in 2021. He found his groove right away and returned to ace form for the Vikings this past spring.

In 10 starts, Steffens went 8-2 with a 2.81 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 57.2 innings pitched. Even more impressive, Steffens took the mound three times in series-deciding game-three's on the season and emerged victorious in all three games. His 2021 campaign culminated in Second-Team All-NSIC honors.

Koby Bishop
Bishop came to Augustana in the fall of 2019 after spending one season at Northeastern Junior College and two seasons at Wagner College. After making his Viking debut in 2020, the season was cancelled due to the aforementioned pandemic.

The southpaw, however, decided to return to Augustana for the 2020-21 academic year to compete in the 2021 spring season. Bishop quickly became a force for the Vikings out of the pen and as a starter, taking the mound in high-leverage situations and dealing.

In 12 appearances and six starts, Bishop went 7-1 with a 2.65 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 57.2 innings pitched. On April 6 he pitched a seven-inning complete-game victory against Minnesota Duluth in which he allowed just two runs while striking out eight. He followed the performance with another complete-game victory, this time a seven-inning shutout against Northern State with a whopping 14 strikeouts.

In his next start, Bishop tossed six scoreless in a victory over Sioux Falls.. Then, on the road against then No. 11 Minnesota State, Bishop pitched another seven-inning complete-game shutout, earning the victory with eight strikeouts. During the impressive run, Bishop went 4-0 with just two earned runs allowed in 27 innings with 35 strikeouts. Bishop also earned Second-Team All-NSIC honors in 2021.

-- GoAugie.com --

Print Friendly Version