Augie Schmidt’s 190 games on the baseball diamond for the Privateers couldn’t have been more successful. The Kenosha, Wis. native came to New Orleans to play shortstop for Hall of Fame Coach Ron Maestri in 1980 and spent three years dazzling Privateer fans with his efforts in the batter’s box and in the infield.

Augie’s name is all over the Privateer record books and entering the 2024 season he still ranks: No. 1 in career assists with 497, No. 2 in career walks with 165, No. 6 in career runs scored with 184, No. 7 in career home runs with 30, No. 9 in career slugging percentage at .580, and No. 11 in career total bases with 351.

He saved his best for last – winning USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award – the award given each year to the top college baseball player in the country as a junior in 1982. That season Schmidt hit .372 (led the team) with 14 home runs (led the team) and 56 RBI. He slugged .676 and scored 73 (led the team) runs over 65 games and was also named a first-team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Baseball America. He was the first Golden Spikes winner from a school in Louisiana, and one of just three from a Pelican State school to this day.
 
Following his junior season Augie was taken as the second overall pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1982 MLB Draft - the highest draft prick in school history. He was drafted behind Shawn Dunston and ahead of future baseball stars Barry Bonds, Jose Canseco, Dwight Gooden, Bo Jackson, Randy Johnson, Barry Larkin, Rafael Palmero, Terry Pendleton and David Wells.

He played for three years in the Toronto farm system before being traded to the San Francisco Giants in 1985. He retired from professional baseball to join the Carthage College coaching staff midway through 1986 season as an assistant coach.

Over the past 35 seasons Schmidt has transformed Carthage College from a Div. III basement dweller to a bona fide baseball power. Entering the 2024 season Augie’s baseball teams have won 979 games, with a winning percentage of .647.  The Firebirds have won nine conference championships and earned 16 regional berths during his time in the dugout.  Schmidt has led Carthage College to six regional championships, and third place national finishes in 1993 and 1994, as well as fourth place national finishes in 1995 and 1997.

He has been named ABCA/Diamond Sports “NCAA Division III Central Region” Coach of the Year nine times, was inducted into the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2013, and the ABCA Hall of Fame in 2014.