Augustana Baseball Adds Three Players to Class of 2024
Augustana baseball has experienced some great success over the last few years including a National Championship at the DII level and they continue to add a lot of talent to their program.
The program announced on Monday that they have added three new players to their class of 2024.
If you look at the locations of the new additions, it shows the vast reach of Augustana baseball on the recruiting trail, getting folks from Minnesota, Wyoming and Honduras.
Here is the complete release from the Augustana University Athletic Department on the additions for 2024.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D.--The Augustana baseball team added three future Vikings to the 2024 signing class on Monday. Head coach Tim Huber adds Mariano Gomez Jr., Avery Liestman and Cory Schilling. The student-athletes are set to enroll at Augustana in the fall of 2023.
Mariano Gomez Jr. | 6-5 | LHP | San Pedro Sula, Honduras | South Suburban College
Huber on Gomez: "Mariano is a really big dude and a proven LHP with a ton of potential. Dad, Mariano Sr. was a MLB draft pick and the scout who signed him also drafted one of our former players. Certainly the hope is we can get Mariano to the same level and I think he can be that good. It's also exciting to sign a player from Honduras since we have taken our team on foreign trips in Nicaragua and Dominican Republic and plan to go back again in the next couple years. I'm hopeful Mariano is the first of other players who we sign from Central America. In addition to his skills as a pitcher, he will add so much to our team coming from such a different place than our other guys."
Previous School: Gomez held a record of 4-2 on the mound in 2022. He appeared in 12 games while making nine starts and recorded 54 strikeouts. Gomez threw 39.1 innings and posted a 5.49 ERA.
Avery Liestman | 6-4 | RHP | Litchfield, Minn. | Itasca CC
Huber on Liestman: "Avery is a really good athlete with a good frame and even as a juco transfer we still see a lot of upside and potential for him on the mound. From what we have seen, he has some raw skills but has already flashed good velocity with movement and the makings of a really good slider. There are a lot of things he is still working on and we look forward to helping him complete the transition into a talented pitcher his last couple years of college. We will see how he does as a hitter, he also plays the infield currently at Itasca."
Previous School: Liestman held a record of 4-2 in 2022, appearing in nine games while making seven starts. He pitched 48.2 innings, logged 36 strikeouts and had an ERA of 3.33.
Cory Schilling | 5-11 | INF/RHP | Gillette, Wyo. | Thunder Basin HS
Huber on Schilling: "Cory is really intriguing; a very toosly baseball player, a hard worker, and a great student. We found out about him and saw him play watching one of our guys on the same team, current freshman Jason Fink. Even though his current position of 3B probably isn't a huge need for us we decided we couldn't pass up on the talent Cory possesses and the upside he has. He runs well and has a lot of arm strength. He is the kind of guy who probably could end up playing a few different positions for us and I like that. For me though, I think his offensive potential is what I'm most excited about."
High School: Schilling will graduate from Thunder Basin High School in May of 2023. He garnered first team all-state, Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American and Perfect Game Midwest Top Prospect honors as a junior. Schilling helped his team to a 49-26 record and a runner-up finish at the state tournament in 2022. At the plate, he held a batting average of .355 and logged 89 hits, 19 doubles, six triples, three home runs and 72 RBI.
For more information on Augustana baseball, their current roster and upcoming games, you can visit their team website.