SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Augustana baseball is set to welcome 11 fresh faces to the team in 2028 as head coach Tim Huber announced the latest recruiting class on Wednesday.
 
Brekken Biteler | SS/P | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Sioux Falls Washington HS
Huber on Biteler: "Brekken has been a staple at SS for a long time for the teams he has played on. We have kept a close eye on him and his progress over the past year solidified our interest in adding him to this year's class. He is a high energy guy who is a leader on and off the field. He has the ability to stay on the left side of the infield, either at 3B or SS with the arm strength and carry he has on his throws. He has steadily improved his footspeed and we expect that to continue to improve. The other very interesting thing we realized this summer is Brekken's skill set on the mound. The velo will need to climb for him to be a guy for us there but the way he spins the ball makes that part of his game really intriguing. His breaking ball is high spin and he is really comfortable using it." 
 
High School: Heading into his senior season, Biteler is a three-year starter and letterwinner for the Warriors squad. He maintained a .426 batting average while totaling 39 hits and accumulated a 1.8 ERA alongside over 50 shutout innings on the mound. Biteler earned First Team All-State recognitions during the 2026 season and was also named to the All-Region team. 
 
Personal: Brekken is the son of Phil and Louise Biteler and hopes to major in communications with a minor in psychology
 
Brendon Da Luz | SS/INF | Bennington, Neb. | Bennington HS
Huber on Da Luz: "We saw Brendon play a few times this summer and liked him more every time we saw him. Then he attended our prospect camp at the end of the summer and confirmed what we thought, he just has a knack for getting hits. Brendon plays the game really hard and plays fast. He does all the things he needs to in order to help his team win. We are excited to add a left-handed bat and depth to our infield. We expect him to come in next year, continue to work hard, and show people that guys who might get a little overlooked because of their size can still play ball."
 
High School: Da Luz is a two-time captain with Academic All-State and Academic All-Conference honors who lettered and started during his junior season in 2025-26. He accumulated a .344 batting average in 93 at-bats, tallying 32 hits, 20 runs and 14 RBI. Da Luz also accrued a .438 on-base percentage alongside a .505 slugging percentage.
 
Personal: Brendon is the son of Bryan and Pinna Da Luz and plans to pursue a degree in construction management at Augustana
 
Carson Deibele | RHP | Monticello, Minn. | Monticello HS
Huber on Deibele: "There were some really good pitching prospects in MN in this class and Carson wasn't ranked as high as many of them but he has always had success. This is a bold statement but I have a hunch after a few years with us he will jump ahead of most of those guys who were ahead of him. He is a strike thrower with multiple pitches and his arm works really well. Once he fills out his long and lean frame the velo is going to climb. Carson is an awesome fit for Augie and our program. He is a 3-sport athlete, a coach's kid, a 4.0 student and he has a bright future."
 
High School: Deibele is a three-year letterwinner and starter for the Magic who earned All-Conference and All-Section honors as a junior in the 2025-26 season. He finished the year with a 5-2 record on the mound through 49 1/3 innings pitched alongside an ERA of 3.69 with a 1.32 WHIP and 65 strikeouts. His performance helped his squad clinch the section championship before placing sixth at the state tournament
 
Personal: Carson is the son of Cole and Annie Deibele and he plans to major in finance
 
Carson Driever | UTL | Omaha, Neb. | Elkhorn North HS 
Huber on Driever: "Carson is the type of guy we have had a lot of success developing in our program. He is athletic and his lean frame has some weight to put on. He can play multiple positions and runs well. We were sold after seeing his skills up close at our camp at the end of the summer. He has the ability to play in the middle infield and can also move around the field as needed. He does a lot of things well mechanically and I think when he gets bigger and stronger his best days are ahead of him."  
 
High School: A three-year letterwinner and starter for the Wolves, Driever had himself a standout junior season that ended in All-EMC Honorable Mention honors. He accumulated a .327 batting average with a .407 on-base percentage and .439 slugging percentage. Driever totaled 67 hits—including 15 of them as extra base hits—to help his team clinch the district championships and a state runner-up finish
 
Personal: Carson is the son of Dustin and Kiersten Driever and the twin brother of fellow Augustana baseball signee, Keegan
 
Keegan Driever | C | Omaha, Neb. | Elkhorn North HS
Huber on Driever: "Keegan is undersized but I was really impressed with his catch and throw skills at the catcher position. He doesn't' have a big arm but his hands and transfer on his throws are really, really good. I think what surprised me most watching Keegan play was his ability to find the barrel and get hits. His simple swing translates. He certainly will need to add size and strength but everything he does works well and being a coach's kid shows with his game and ability to lead behind the plate. He is a great academic fit for Augie with a 4.0 GPA."
 
High School: Driever lettered in both his sophomore and junior seasons with the Wolves while earning a spot on the starting lineup with team captain honors in the 2025-26 season. As a junior, he maintained a .295 batting average while collecting 23 hits, five extra-bases hits and 26 RBI. Driever spent 177 innings behind the plate in a season that saw him earn All-Conference and All-State Honorable Mention recognitions with a team that took home both conference and district championships before finishing as runners-up in the state tournament
 
Personal: Keegan is the son of Dustin and Kiersten Driever and the twin brother of fellow Augustana baseball signee, Carson. He hopes to major in engineering while at Augustana
 
Cale Holthaus | OF | Monticello, Minn. | Monticello HS
Huber on Holthaus: "Cale is a great add to our OF mix and a needed left-handed bat. He is a really good, three sport athlete and already a strong and physical guy. He has always been able to hit and we thought that tool stood out after seeing him even a couple years ago. His foot speed has improved and he has made himself into a very well-rounded baseball player."
 
High School: Holthaus enters his senior season as a three-year starter and letterwinner for the Magic who most recently secured All-State honors alongside his team MVP accolades. He helped propel his team to a sectional championship and state consolation runner-up finish with his .391 batting average, .496 on-base percentage and .652 slugging percentage. Holthaus amassed 36 hits during the season with 16 extra-base hits in his 91 at-bats. 
 
Personal: Cale is the son of Josh and Michelle Holthaus and he plans to major in business management with a minor in entrepreneurship 
 
Kalin Jochum | 3B/RHP | Chaska, Minn. | Chaska HS
Huber on Jochum: "Kalin is kind of a freak athlete with his combination of size and foot speed. He is a little unorthodox at times on the field and with the swing but his skills and athleticism always stand out. He has played 3B and OF primarily and might even play some SS his senior year of high school. We will figure out down the road what position is best for him but we really like the potential with the bat and footspeed for his size. Those are attributes we really look for in most years but especially in this class. Kalin is a great fit for us and I think when he learns to hit the ball to the pull side with backspin he is going to hit for a lot of power."
 
High School: Jochum most recently earned All-Conference and All-Section honors during his junior season after accruing a .300 batting average with 10+ extra-base hits at the plate while totaling a 1.2 ERA at the mound. He enters his senior season a four-year letterwinner and starter and looks to build upon the season that ended in the section championship for the Hawks, who ranked in the top-three within the state all season
 
Personal: Kalin is the son of Dan and Donna Jochum and he plans to major in biology while at Augustana
 
Mat Matejka | 3B/OF | Rochester, Minn. | Dover Eyota HS 
Huber on Matejka: "We thought Mat would be a potential top target for us heading into the spring and summer and after seeing more of him it was apparent he was a guy who is a great fit for us and the type of guy we recruit. I was really impressed with his hitting ability and approach. He has a great frame, runs well, and it is easy to dream on what he will look like after a couple years in our program with developing the body.  He has played both OF and infield and we see Mat as a guy capable of playing 3B and OF for us. On top of the baseball skills, he is a 4.0 student, a leader, and a very mature hardworking guy."  
 
High School: It was a .456 batting percentage highlighted by 14 extra-base hits and four homeruns that helped Matejka to a standout junior season. He also amassed a .581 on-base percentage with an .860 slugging percentage during 2026 that ended in All-Area, All-Section and All-Conference honors with Prep Baseball Hitter of the Week and Academic All-Conference recognitions. Matejka enters his senior season as a three-time letterwinner and starter with two years of team captain distinction
 
Personal: Mat is the son of Chris and Stephania Matejka and plans to major in engineering with a minor in business 
 
Cason Mediger | INF | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Sioux Falls Jefferson HS
Huber on Mediger: "Cason has been on our radar longer than anyone in this year's class. He is flat out a baseball player and can really play the game. That's something that has been very obvious for several years now. He turned a corner physically and athletically this past year and we saw a bigger, stronger, and faster player start to stand out even more. He probably could play a few spots on the infield but he has been impressive to watch at 2B and has played that spot really well his whole high school career. When he finishes the impressive senior FB season he and his team are having right now, we look forward to what his future looks like as he focuses on baseball." 
 
High School: Mediger helped guide the Cavaliers to a semifinals appearance in 2026 after becoming state runners-up in 2025. As a junior, he swung for a .342 average at the plate and paired that with a .596 slugging percentage and 1.081 OPS. Mediger secured All-Region honors just a season ago and enters his upcoming senior season as a four-time letterwinner and starter
 
Personal: Cason is the son of Robin and Ryan Mediger
 
Mike Novero | RHP | Omaha, Neb. | Creighton Prep
Huber on Novero: "Mike is a multi-sport athlete and a physical guy. With a FB and wrestling background, he has the toughness we like. That translates to great makeup on the mound as he shows no fear and has proven he can pitch in multiple roles. He throws a lot of strikes and already has shown some really good arm strength. Without having put much time into pitching at this point and the big frame he has, we really like the potential that Mike has with development to come."
 
High School: Novero is currently a three-sport athlete for the Junior Jays, competing in wrestling and football in addition to his successful baseball career. He helped push Creighton Prep to a Class A State tournament appearance and is set to return as a letterwinner and starter for his senior season in 2027
 
Personal: Mike is the son of Anthony and Megan Novero and he hopes to major in business administration while attending Augustana
 
Brady Waddell | RHP/INF | Rapid City, S.D. | Rapid City Stevens HS
Huber on Waddell: "Brady is a good athlete and has shown some impressive arm strength. He will get opportunities to show us how he is as a hitter and position player and he has the tools to be really solid.  We think on the mound his potential is even higher. He looks like the type guy we have had a lot of success with in development. He still has a look of growth ahead of him to fill out his body and some pitch refinement as well but we think his future is bright on the bump. He reminds me of some other recent pitchers we have had that have natural cut on the fastball. If Brady can figure out the how and why and use it consistently, he could be tough to hit with the likely velocity he will end up with and a unique fastball look."
 
High School: After earning letters and a starting spot in the last two seasons, Waddell is set to return for the Raiders as a recent All-Region team honoree. He accrued a .342 batting average with 25 hits at the plate in addition to his 1.826 ERA and 58 strikeouts at the mound. Waddell helped contribute to the team's above-.600 win percentage and above .300 batting average and is also a National Honor Society member
 
Personal: Brady is the son of Tyson and Lindsey Waddell and he plans to major in exercise science with a minor in biology