Of the schools on Jake Augustus' wish list, Winthrop University in South Carolina was at the top.

For a while, it looked like Augustus would wind up sticking closer to home, but in the end, when the opportunity to play baseball at Winthrop became a reality, he quickly jumped at the opportunity."I was looking at Mansfield, but with a dream school down south ... southern baseball, I couldn't pass that up," said Augustus, who starred on the Northwestern Lehigh baseball team through all four seasons of his high school career. "When I went down there, the coach made me feel wanted, he made me feel like I would be a big part of that team."Great guys, and it all just felt like a family, a great, big family, and I wanted to be a part of that."Augustus will get the chance to play Division 1 baseball, but isn't sure whether he'll get to pitch. For now, the plan is for him to play infield, but he hasn't given up on possibly moving back to the mound with the Eagles.For three of his seasons at Northwestern, he played under Len Smith, who spent over 30 years with the program. Smith remembers how Augustus developed into the player that turned out to be good enough for a school like Winthrop."I got an opportunity to follow him from his freshman through junior years and he got better and better. He was always a team player and I think Winthrop is a great opportunity, and I think if he works hard, he'll meet with success there," said Smith, who retired after Augustus' junior season, handing the reins over to Duran Porrino this season.The Northwestern program didn't win a championship during Augustus' time with the Tigers, which Augustus said is unfortunate, but they were competitive. More than the wins and losses, Augustus says he'll remember the people that supported him as a high school player."Definitely, the friends that I made is the most memorable thing I'll take with me," said Augustus, who looks to major in early childhood development and elementary education. "I got to play with my best friends and made some other friends along the way. We didn't win a championship, but the experience was something that I'd never give up."In addition, I got to play for a legendary coach in coach Smith. So I really was fortunate."Augustus, a four-year starter who played both pitcher and shortstop for the Tigers, received high praise from Smith for his character, his intelligence, and his baseball abilities."Jake's a good kid and he has always been proud to be a member of the Northwestern baseball team," said Smith. "He's going to do well at Winthrop academically, and if his work ethic stays strong, he'll be able to play well at the college level."