SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Augustana) – Augustana head baseball coach Tim Huber is pleased to welcome former Minnesota Twin Caleb Thielbar as the Viking’s pitching coach. Thielbar played for the Twins from 2013-15 as part of a professional career spanning 10 seasons. “I am very excited to begin my college coaching career at Augustana and I’m grateful to Coach Huber for giving me this opportunity,” Thielbar said. “After many conversations with him, it is obvious that we share the same competitive drive and forward-thinking that it takes to succeed in today’s game. “Baseball has experienced a technological and player development revolution, and I’m excited to bring the latest techniques used by professional organizations to our pitchers to help them reach their full potential.” Over 98 innings pitched in the big leagues, Thielbar allowed just 80 hits with a 2.74 ERA. Thielbar was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 18th round of the 2009 MLB Draft and made his debut for the Twins on May 20, 2013. Over his rookie campaign, he appeared in 49 games, pitching 46 innings with an impressive 1.76 ERA. Thielbar followed up his rookie season with a strong 2014 season. He appeared in 54 games and logged an ERA of 3.40 with 35 strikeouts. After six appearances with the Twins in 2015, he was claimed off waivers by the Padres. After the Padres organization, the native of Randolph, Minnesota, spent time with the Marlins and Tigers organizations before concluding 2019 in the International League Playoffs with the Gwinnett Stripers, the AAA club for the Atlanta Braves.
After winning back-to-back Central Regional titles, including a national championship in 2018, Huber is excited to add even more depth to the baseball program. “We are really looking forward to having someone with Caleb’s background and experience work with our pitchers,” Huber said. “He knows what it takes. Caleb is very passionate about helping players develop and knows how to utilize all the new tools and techniques available to maximize every bit of potential in a pitcher. “Player development is what we take a lot of pride in here, helping every guy reach his ceiling has been a staple in our program. Caleb is the perfect addition to continue moving the bar forward with our pitching staff, with the aim of competing at an even higher level.” Thielbar played collegiately at South Dakota State where he is the all-time leader in starts (44) and innings pitched (274). He set the single-season school record with 100 strikeouts as a senior and finished his career with 196 punchouts. “I look forward to continuing the winning tradition of Augustana baseball that Coach Huber has developed and helping the program reach even higher in the future,” Thielbar added.
