Pitcher Josh Wintroub '22 will use his final year of eligibility to play for Kansas State University, a Division I school, in 2023-2024.
Vikings coach keeps Wintroub '22 in the game
Pitcher Josh Wintroub ’22 did not play his last year of high school and thought his playing days were over. But Augustana Coach Greg Wallace ’88 saw Wintroub’s potential and recruited the right-hander to join the Vikings.
One could say Coach Wallace hit it out of the park.
“Augie helped me get to where I am by always supporting me in everything that I was doing."
“Josh will always be one of my favorite players,” Wallace said. “He continually progressed physically and mentally from his first year to his last. His ability to mix pitches and pound the strike zone became a consistent part of his performance and helped lead us to a lot of success as a team.”
Wintroub of Littleton, Colo., played five years for Augustana, using one of his two additional years of eligibility due to the COVID pandemic. In his final season, the Vikings won its second consecutive CCIW Tournament championship and competed in the NCAA DIII Regional. Augustana (39-9) was ranked No. 21 in the final American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) poll.
Individual stats for Wintroub’s senior season included a 2.52 ERA and a team-best 0.95 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched). He was second in the CCIW behind teammate Harrison Boushele ’24 in strikeouts; hitters were just .220 against him. Wintroub also was named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-American and the D3Baseball.com All-American teams.
Hitters were just .220 against Wintroub.
Wintroub excelled not only on the field, but also in leadership and dedication to the team.
“Josh is a very respectful and mild-mannered person,” Wallace said. “He always showed great pride in his team and teammates. Definitely a leader through his actions and performance.”
While Wintroub is recognized by his coaches and teammates for his dedication, he acknowledges how Augustana supported him.
“Augie helped me get to where I am by always supporting me in everything that I was doing, whether that was in the classroom or on the field,” Wintroub said. “Everyone on the staff and on the team were all working towards the same thing, and we were all there for each other.”
Wintroub and Wallace share a favorite memory from Wintroub’s collegiate baseball career. That is the 2022 CCIW Tournament championship game, where Wintroub came back from a short rest and pitched in the bottom of the 14th inning, securing a win for the team.
“The smile on his face as they celebrated said it all,” Wallace said.
Recruited by several Division I schools for his final year of eligibility, Wintroub will pitch for the Kansas State University Wildcats in the 2023-2024 school year. He is playing for the Madison Mallards in Madison, Wis., this summer. Vikings infielder Chase Maifield '22 will be playing his sixth year of eligibility in 2023-24 at Valparaiso University in Indiana, a Division I school.
By Brett Kuras, a senior majoring in political science and multimedia journalism mass communications
Editor's note: Vikings infielder Chase Maifield '22 also was recruited by Division I schools for his final season of eligibility; he will play at Valparaiso University in Indiana in the 2023-2024 school year.