I am pretty excited to add this autograph to my collection.
Despite being from Hawaii…I really like Augustana, a D-2 team from South Dakota.
Two years ago they came through the islands to play Hawaii Pacific. That Augustana team was not considered contenders, though they did garner a couple pre-season votes in coaches polls. A fellow collector and friend on the island–one whose opinion I generally respect but not always agree with–was really down on them. I did not think they were a bad team at all.
Though I won’t lie: as the first team to come through Oahu that season, I was biased just because it was an opportunity to get some autographs.
They ended up getting swept by HPU.
Now, I argued it was their first series of the season. And more importantly…I think it was the first time they had played baseball outside that season. Its very cold in South Dakota, so they had been practicing inside. They deserved a mulligan.
I won’t say I was right, but they ended up going 29-11 that season and finished second in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
This season they went 26-8 and would advance to the Divison II World Series. They would end up winning the whole thing. It was the first time that Augustana was Div-II Champs.
Tyler Mitzel was a big part of that.
He went 12-0 during the season, only allowing 68 hits over 80 innings. He struck out 76. Good for a 2.02 ERA/1.07 WHIP. And he also was selected the 2018 Division II College World Series MVP.
While he was a great Division II pitcher he was not selected during the 2018 draft. But the Marlins signed him as a free agent in June.
He spent most of his first pro-season in short-season ball, going 2-1 with one save. He allowed 22 hits in 20 innings, striking out 27 and walking 9. Pretty OK numbers.
No idea how his professional career will pan out. Not getting drafted means that he is on a short leash. But so far so good.