Carter Howell's baseball journey has been one of hard work, perseverance, and dedication. Last summer, on July 28, Howell inked a minor league deal with the San Francisco Giants, and just ten days later, he joined the ACL Giants Orange to embark on his professional baseball career. At the outset of the 2023 season, Howell earned a promotion to the San Jose Giants, the Single A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.

But just how does a guy from Moorhead, Minnesota, get to the professional ranks?

After a standout high school career, Howell was recruited by the coaching staff at Augustana University. Under the tutelage of head coach Tim Huber, Howell continued to develop his game, working on his swing mechanics and improving his physical strength. He also learned the importance of hard work and dedication, both on and off the field.

"Seeing Carter's progress from his freshman year in our program to where he is today was pretty incredible," Huber said.. We talk a lot about development at Augustana and believe we have a good process for helping guys improve and become more physical. 

"But at the end of the day, the guys have to put the work in and really want it and Carter was one of those guys.There was the change in his body development, to swing mechanic changes, and even learning how to be more efficient and confident in stealing bases. He maximized all of those things."

Howell's hard work paid off, and he quickly became a standout player for Augustana and nationally as a two-time All-America honoree. By his third year, he was ready to make an impact on the field, and he did just that, earning accolades and recognition from coaches and scouts alike.

"I tell people a lot, Carter is the definition of a program guy for us and what it can look like. He played junior varsity as a freshman and then chose to redshirt as a second year guy. So he was getting better but probably wasn't quite good enough yet for us to be on the field every day, and by his third year he was ready and was a stud for us for two seasons. 

"He went from essentially an unrecruited high school guy as a 17 year old to a MLB signee a handful of years later. Pretty darn cool."

He continued to work on his game during the offseason, honing his skills at the Sanford POWER facility and working with Huber to refine his swing. When it was time to make the transition to professional ball, Howell was ready.

"Augustana and Coach Huber helped me develop my game to get me to the next level by teaching me how to grind," Howell said. "Taking a difficult class schedule along with playing a full baseball schedule taught me that you have to be willing to put in the work to study for a test or prepare for a tough practice regardless of how sore, tired, or mentally drained you are. This has helped me take my game to the next level in pro ball by helping me compete every day of a 132 game season."

In his first season in the minor leagues, Howell has continued to impress. Through 107 at-bats, he has racked up 35 hits, including 11 RBIs and five stolen bases, while maintaining an impressive .327 batting average.

"I liked the routine that I developed at Augie, lifting at POWER and the hitting progression with Coach Huber. Sanford POWER helped me develop my body in the past and I felt they would continue to put me in the best position to succeed," says Howell. "This past offseason, continuing to hit with Coach Huber and the guys also was a good reset for me mechanically and it was great to be around the team again. The only adjustment I really made in training was hitting foam baseballs for the majority of the offseason instead of real baseballs. This was to challenge myself for the different speeds and shapes that I hadn't seen at the college level."

For Howell, the journey is far from over. But with his talent, dedication, and work ethic, there's no telling how far he'll go. One thing is for sure: Carter Howell is a rising star in the world of baseball, and fans will be watching his career with great interest in the years to come.

–GoAugie.com–