All-NSIC Baseball Honors For Vikings And Cougars, Viger Named Player of the Year

Augustana placed five players on the All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference baseball teams, including Player of the Year Tony Viger.

Henry Ojeda of the University of Sioux Falls is the first Cougar to earn post season baseball honors from the NSIC.

Viger was named first team at third base, Jake Peterson at second and Jack Goihl as the utility player.  Kye Winter was selected All-NSIC first team as a pitcher and outfielder.  Marcus O'Neill earned second team honors in the outfield.

Viger, the NSIC's Player of the Year, led the NSIC in runs scored (60), hits (82), RBI (58), doubles (26), and total bases (142). The Sioux Falls natives 26 doubles currently lead the NCAA this year. The senior third baseman's .429 batting average marks a new career high.

Winter earned All-NSIC first team honors at both the pitcher and outfield after playing a key role for Augustana all season long. The Willow Lake native was the Vikings' go to guy in big games on the mound, going 7-0 in the regular season, while defeating NSIC Pitcher of the Year Jason Hoppe and fellow All-NSIC first team selection Kyle Fischer of St. Cloud State in head-to-head matchups earlier in the year. Winter set new career highs at the plate in batting average (.358), runs (34), RBI (40), and doubles (15).

Goihl notched his first All-NSIC first team selection with a strong year as the number five hitter for the Vikings.  The junior catcher hit .400 in the regular season, which was good for sixth in the NSIC. Goihl's 20 stolen bases tied for the NSIC lead. The Robbinsdale, Minn. native also ranks fourth in the NSIC in RBI with 47.

Petersen recorded his second straight All-NSIC first team selection at second base. The senior from Blair, Neb. hit a career-best .372 for the Vikings. Petersen's four triples lead the team in the regular season. Petersen's five homers on the year also set a new career high for the senior.

O'Neill was named to the All-NSIC second team at outfield for a second straight year. The two-time All-NSIC selection gave Augustana production for the number two spot in the lineup, hitting .362 on the season and finishing second on the team with 52 runs. O'Neill's 36 RBI in the regular season set a new career high for the junior from Blaine, Minn.

USF's Ojeda, a junior right hander, was named an All-NSIC second team pitcher.  Ojeda compiled a team-best 7-5 record over 16 appearances with a 2.64 ERA. The San Diego native ranked second behind teammate Derek Fischer in strikeouts (46) and held opponents to a team-low .237 batting average.  Ojeda was even better against NSIC foes, boasting a 6-2 mark and 1.48 ERA with just 8 earned runs in 48 and two-thirds innings of work during conference play.  Ojeda ranks in the top-20 in several NSIC statistical categories: wins (7, t-3rd), ERA (2.64, 11th), opponents’ batting average (.237, 11th), innings pitched (64.2, 9th), strikeouts (46, 17th), strikeouts looking (18, 9th) and total appearances (16, 11th).