Both Hardiek and Schwerdt played important roles in helping the Wooden Shoes capture the Class 2A state championship last spring. Hardiek is a left-handed pitcher that also plays first base, while Schwerdt was primarily a third baseman that also did some pitching.

“Mitch has the ability to do things on the mound and at the plate that will really help us,” Coach Koester said. “He has tons of potential and I know he’ll work hard.”

“I originally thought of Trent as a position guy that would bring a left-handed bat with pop,” Koester added. “But he had a very good fall on the mound. He might do some work out of the bullpen for us or possibly start at some point. He’ll get in the weight room and get stronger and we’ll see what happens next fall.”

Kaskaskia College is part of the Great Rivers Athletic Conference. The Blue Devils finished 28-21 last spring and fourth in their region. They also play an abbreviated schedule in the fall.

Koester has been at KC for 14 years and has served as the head baseball coach the past 11. After signing Hardiek and Schwerdt, he now has eight commitments for next season, but is still looking for more. He said he normally brings in between 12-15 players each year.

“Kaskaskia has a great coach and great facilities,” Hardiek noted. “Plus they offer the academic programs I’m interested in. I visited a few schools, but Kaskaskia really stood out. Coach Koester understands what kind of program we’re coming from. He really understands T-Town players.”

The son of Tim and Cheryl Hardiek plans to initially focus on pharmacy, but also has some interest in engineering.

Schwerdt chose the Blue Devils over Olney Central College.

“Both schools have good baseball programs,” he said. “I just felt Kaskaskia was a better fit for me.”

Schwerdt hasn’t made up his mind about a specific major just yet. He is considering both criminal justice and sports management, but plans to take general education classes his first year before making a decision.

He is the son of Larry and Alicia Schwerdt.

“I’m excited about bringing both Mitch and Trent into our program,” Coach Koester noted. “They are both very good players and will really help us.”