SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Former Augustana relief pitchers Harry Blum and Tom Sun have each inked professional deals, becoming the 39th and 40th student-athletes under AU head coach Tim Huber to go onto a professional career. Blum signed with the Boston Red Sox organization, reporting to camp as the 17th Viking under Huber to sign with an MLB organization, while Sun has signed with the Guangdong Leopards of the China Baseball League. 

A 6'7" pitcher from Fridley, Minnesota, Blum arrived to Augustana as a graduate transfer in 2025 after a stellar career at Luther College. He served a major role for the Vikings in his lone season, throwing 50 innings while primarily out of the bullpen. Blum struck out 48 batters and held a 5-2 record with a 4.50 ERA, picking up four saves while appearing in 17 games. 

He was an Academic All-NSIC honoree and allowed one run or fewer in 11 of his 17 outings. He racked up a season-high 12 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings out of the pen against Minnesota Crookston on March 23.  

Sun was a two-time NSIC Champion and member of the 2023 DII College World Series team after spending 2021-2025 at Augustana. He threw 49 innings and held a record of 4-2 while striking out 57. 

His final outing for the Vikings was dominant, striking out two in a scoreless inning in the NSIC Championship against Minnesota State. Sun has also made an impression on the national stage, pitching for China in the 2026 World Baseball Classic Qualifying Tournament while also representing the Leopards with 15 scoreless frames in the National Games of the People's Republic of China earlier this year.  

Huber on Blum and Sun
"These are both really cool and unique stories. Both ended up in this position because of development and the willingness to improve.

Harry had graduated from his previous D3 school in 2024 and planned to get a job and start working. Thanks to a great connection I have with the head coach at his former school (Bryan Nikkel at Luther College) we helped Harrison understand what he was capable of on the mound. Instead of passing up his final year of eligibility to go into the workforce he decided to go for it, transfer to Augustana and gave baseball another shot.

I'm really proud of him for making the decision to stick with it this off-season. When he finished with us last spring we talked about dedicating his time to training, lifting and to keep progressing this off-season. I knew he had the talent to be a pro guy. He put the work in and now can say he is a professional baseball player. He has more in the tank and will continue to throw harder and get better as he continues to work hard and focus on baseball.

I see it happen too often with guys who get frustrated that they don't get drafted or signed by a MLB organization and even though they have the talent to get signed, they just quit baseball and move on. I love that Harrison kept grinding and now has seen the hard work pay off.

Tom (Yicong) is from China and I first saw him pitch in Arizona for a world travel team when he was 16 or 17, back in 2019. He was only throwing 82 but I knew he was our kind of guy with his skinny frame and arm action. Through my friend Ray Chang, who runs the China MLB Development Academy, we connected with Tom.

About a year later, knowing very little English, he packed his bags and moved to Minnesota. He knew no one and enrolled in an intensive English Learning Academy. After improving his english he came to Augustana the next year and from that point moving forward he just kept learning everything from english, culture and baseball.

Now the skinny kid has grown up, is throwing 90+ with low effort and is getting paid to play baseball. I think he also has a lot of room for growth and development left. He is already a top pitcher in China and will likely play on their national team in various tournaments over the coming years."