Austin Klug Season 2026

2025 / AS A JUNIOR
• Academic All-Big Ten
• Pitched in 15 games, serving as the opener in victories at Penn State and vs. Ball State
• Overcame a back injury that sidelined him throughout much of 2025, making his team debut March 2 with a scoreless inning
• Worked more than an inning in each of his final eight appearances
• Pitched at least two innings in seven of his 15 appearances total
• Pitched a season-high three innings on back-to-back Sundays in April, headlined by three innings of one-hit relief vs. Rutgers
• Earned a two-inning save while closing out game 1 of the May 3 doubleheader sweep vs. Northwestern
• Induced an inning-ending double play and retired five of the seven batters he faced over two innings of scoreless relief in the middle game of the UCLA series
• Helped Purdue post its first home win vs. Notre Dame since 1995, registering four outs while only surrendering one hit – teaming with closer Avery Cook to keep the Irish off the scoreboard after the sixth inning
• Closed out the home opener vs. Butler with a 1-2-3 inning in his Alexander Field debut
• Was not charged with an earned run over two innings of relief in the season finale vs. Nebraska
• Also pitched in wins vs. Akron and Milwaukee early in the season

BEFORE PURDUE
• Pitched his first two seasons at North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City Iowa
• Made 19 starts over the two years, with his 2024 campaign cut short by injury
• Racked up 43 strikeouts vs. 30 hits allowed in 31 2/3 innings (12.2 K/9) in 2024
• WHIP improved from 1.60 in 2023 to 1.29 in 2024 while raising his strikeout rate by 5.5 Ks per nine innings
• Had more innings pitched (52) than hits allowed (50) in 2023, good for a 8.6 hits per nine clip
• NJCAA Academic All-American
• 2023 NJCAA all-academic honoree and four-time ICCAC academic all-region selection

HIGH SCHOOL
• Four-year letterwinner for coach Brad Augedahl at Caledonia High School in the southeast corner of Minnesota
• Also played four years of football and basketball
• CHS won four consecutive MSHSL Class AA state titles in football from 2016-19, including his freshman year
• Also played travel ball for the Minnesota Blizzard

PERSONAL
• Major: Communication
• Full name is Austin James Klug
• Born in Caledonia, Minnesota
• Parents are Eric and Sara Klug
• Family also includes younger siblings Paige, Reid and Aubrie
• Mom played volleyball at Western Technical College; sister Paige plays volleyball at St. Mary's University of Minnesota
• Four cousins have played men's college basketball, including Elijah at Iowa State and North Dakota, Owen at South Dakota State and Winona State