Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Baseball adds two more for 2010
04/20/2009 | 12:00:00 | Baseball
April 20, 2009
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Catcher Austin Montgomery and righthanded pitcher Aaron Snyder have committed to play baseball at Southern Illinois University in 2010.
Montgomery (6-2, 190), who hails from nearby Marion, is hitting .370 with 10 RBI for the Wildcats this season. He also leads the team in home runs (2) and stolen bases (4).
Montgomery was a first-team All-South Seven Conference infielder and first-team Southern Illinois Baseball Coaches Association All-Star as a junior. Prior to that, he garnered second-team all-conference honors as a sophomore, hitting .420 with three home runs.
"Austin can play several positions and his versatility will be valuable to our program," said Saluki associate head coach Ken Henderson. "He is a very good right-handed hitter."
Off the field, Montgomery boasts a 4.0 grade point average, ranking sixth in his class. He is a member of the Math Honors Society, Spanish Honors Society and National Honors Society.
"The Salukis are getting an outstanding athlete and student," said Marion head coach Marty Manfredo. "Austin is a great athlete that we use all over the field. He can play outfield, third base, shortstop or catcher. He's very versatile and gives you a lot of flexibility. I think SIU is a great fit for him."
Snyder (6-1, 170, Grayslake, Ill.) is out of Grayslake Central High School, where he is currently undefeated at 4-0 on the year. He struck out 28, walked five and has not allowed an earned run in 19 innings. Snyder was a first-team Daily Herald and Pioneer Press selection as a junior.
"Aaron is more of a mid to high-80s guy, who will pound the bottom half of the strike zone," said SIU head coach Dan Callahan. "He is a great competitor and student. He will be a fine addition to Saluki Baseball."
Grayslake Central coach Troy Whalen added, "In just two years, Aaron has established himself as one of the elite pitchers in the Chicago area. So far this season, he has been dominant, allowing no earned runs. More importantly, Aaron has raised the bar of excellence in our program with his work ethic and commitment towards winning. I think he is going to have an outstanding career at SIU."
Montgomery and Snyder join Tanner Funke (LHP, Algonquin, Ill.), Brock Harding (2B, Springfield, Ill.), Randy Hoelscher (LHP, Belleville, Ill.), Wes Neece (INF/OF, Lincoln, Ill.), Graham Saiko (SS, Castle, Ind.), Nick Tindall (C, O'Fallon, Ill.) and Lee Weld (RHP, Dana, Ill.) in the Salukis' 2010 class.
