At the beginning of last school year, his last academically as an undergrad at Kutztown University, Jake Augustus was ready to begin his future. Even with one more year of eligibility left on the baseball diamond after 2020, he had his career set, leading a classroom of his own. But he wasn’t yet ready to have his playing days cut short due to COVID-19.

“I was devastated,” said the Northwestern Lehigh graduate. “I worked so hard and put everything I had into my final season. Not only myself, but the whole team worked so hard all year for the opportunity to surprise some people with the talent we had. The biggest lesson I took away from this, that I tell anyone still getting to play is, play every game like it’s your last because you never know when that day is going to come.”

Four months later Augustus has come to terms with competitive baseball being over. The elementary education major will teach third grade at Vernfield Elementary in the Souderton Area School District this fall. He was also able to reflect on his times as a high schooler in New Tripoli and the support he had growing up in the community.

“Northwestern is a community where everyone comes together to support athletics,” said Augustus. “Having the chance to go out and compete for four years with the support I had is something I will never forget. Not only were family and friends coming out to support the team, but also faculty and staff and other members of the community came out each and every year. The friends that I made along the way and the lessons that I learned being a student-athlete at Northwestern are something I will never forget.”

Northwestern has always had a strong baseball program and support system, so it made sense that Augustus became a better player being involved as a Tiger both on and off the field.

“One thing that helped prepare me was the time management skills I began to develop balancing baseball and high school,” Augustus said. “Being a student-athlete at Northwestern also helped create my work ethic. I wanted to be the best I could be, and would train all year long for baseball season. I remember taking extra swings and ground balls after practice with Brady Mengel and other teammates.

“I was also a student of the game trying to learn as much as I could. I would ask coaches and teammates questions about what they think I can do during certain situations to improve my game. All of these things transitioned into my college career and will also benefit me in the real world. One of the biggest lessons I took away from playing at Northwestern came from coach [Len] Smith. He told us to ‘enjoy the time you have because it goes by quick.’ He started telling us that my freshman year of high school. College only went quicker, and I can only imagine how quick the real world goes, but I am going to enjoy every minute of the journey.”

Augustus’s older sister, Jordy, was a standout softball player at Parkland High School, before moving on to play at the Division I level. The bloodlines in the game are there, and seeing her experiences drew him to life away from home after high school.

After high school he went to Winthrop University in South Carolina. He was looking for a small school and liked the south.

But after a year of redshirting at Winthrop, Augustus wanted a change. He decided to return close to home, and Kutztown University came calling.

“The reason I decided to transfer was because I was homesick and just felt like I didn’t fit in there,” said Augustus. “Kutztown is almost in my backyard and I would get to play in front of my family and friends all the time. The team welcomed me in with open arms and I felt I fit right in with them.

“I also decided on Kutztown because of their respectable elementary education program. I loved every minute of being a Kutztown student-athlete. There was a good balance between school work and baseball. I never felt overwhelmed with my workload. I had amazing coaches who would do anything to help you succeed not only on the field, but also in the classroom.”

From the outset, Augustus made his impact felt. In his first season in Maroon and Gold in 2018 he appeared in 18 games, starting seven. In 2019, he started 28 games and played in 33, totaling a career-high 17 hits.

This past spring Augustus was on pace to break plenty of personal records. In 11 games, he was hitting .382 with 13 hits, including three doubles. He finished his career with a .917 fielding percentage as an infielder.

“My work ethic consisted of making myself the best player I can be not only for myself, but for my teammates around me,” Augustus said. “I would do whatever it took to contribute and help my team win. That turned into a position change my junior year.

“I am a middle infielder and played shortstop all throughout high school. But when our third basemen got hurt and I was asked to play third, I stepped up to the challenge to help my team win. I must have done pretty well at third because that is where I played my senior year.”

When the remainder of the spring season was canceled and the prospect of Augustus using his final year of eligibility next year came about, his decision was already made up.

“The decision to not return was mostly made at the start of my senior year,” Augustus said. “I already had an extra year of eligibility from redshirting freshman year, but decided that this was going to be my last year. I was graduating in the spring and felt ready to start my teaching career.

“When the season was cut short, I was second guessing my decision because I didn’t want my career to end this way. However, I feel that everything happens for a reason and when I got the teaching opportunity, I took it. I am really excited about starting my teaching career with an amazing school district. I have a strong passion for teaching and I am excited to start the next chapter of my life. I have the opportunity to impact future generations and help them grow not only academically but also individually.”