Augustana University Ryan Jares Named NSIC Preseason Pitcher of the Year
BURNSVILLE, Minn.--Augustana baseball’s Ryan Jares has been named the NSIC Preseason Pitcher of the Year while the Vikings have been selected to finish second in the NSIC Preseason Poll for 2023. Along with Jares’ Pitcher of the Year accolade, Drey Dirksen was named as the Viking’s Preseason Player to Watch. The Vikings received 185 points with five first-place votes.
Augustana enters the 2023 season after finishing first in the NSIC last year and completing 2022 at the NCAA Super Regional. The Vikings added 23 players to the roster for 2023. Head coach Tim Huber enters his 15th season at the helm for AU and holds an all-time record of 500-235-1. Huber is the reigning NSIC Coach of the Year and has also led Augustana to five national tournament appearances including the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championship.
“Our team will be very different this year after losing a big group and a lot of talented guys. At this level it's hard to replace 6 pro signees and a senior class that won more games than any class in school history,” said Huber.
“With that said, we like what we have. On the mound there is a lot of experience and a few talented new guys, so we hope that will be a strength.”
Augustana begins its season in Hilo, Hawaii, on February 1 against Hawaii Hilo. The Vikings have five games on the schedule in Hawaii. AU begins its home season on March 18, hosting Southwest Minnesota State. The team has 55 games on the schedule for 2023.