Salisbury's Justin Aungst always wanted to play Division I baseball at the collegiate level.

Last Thursday, Aungst took the final step in making that reality. Aungst signed a letter of intent with St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia.

"That was my goal from the beginning-to play Division I baseball and see where my career takes me from there," Aungst said.

After his freshman year, Aungst understood that if he continued to improve on the field, that goal could come true.

"After my freshman year with all the success I had, I told myself if I keep making myself better and improving, that I could have a chance at playing Division I baseball hopefully," Aungst said.

Aungst chose St. Joseph's over West Chester University and East Stroudsburg University, while Villanova University and Temple University also had some brief interest.

In coming to his decision, Aungst weighed a lot of factors, including the academics, location and school size of St. Joseph's, which helped him make a choice.

"I think academic-wise, that was the best situation for me," Aungst said. "It was very convenient. It's not too far away, and I can come home if I need to. I really liked the campus and how small it is. You're not going to get lost in the crowd.

"After my first visit, I took about a week and a half or two weeks, and I talked to my parents. I pretty much knew I was pretty much set on St. Joe's."

After an unofficial visit in late August, and taking a couple of weeks to think about the possibility, he knew St. Joseph's was the place for him. The advice from his parents and his coaches certainly had an impact in his decision as well.

"They [his parents] stuck by me through the whole thing," Aungst said. "They had a big influence on where I was going to go."

While the Falcons' baseball team was in the midst of its state tournament run this past season, St. Joseph's began taking notice of Aungst in the team's first-round game against Neumann-Goretti in early-June.

Nearly three months later, Aungst had his unofficial visit on August 29th, and most recently an official visit in October.

"A couple of weeks after the season ended, in August we went on a visit down there," Aungst said. "I really liked the campus. They gave me about two weeks to give them a final decision. I accepted their offer. After that I went on an official visit in October, and then it was set from there."

Aungst put together a solid junior season both in the batter's box and on the pitching mound. He went 9-1 with a 2.39 ERA and 54 strikeouts. He also hit .478 on the season with 27 runs and 34 RBIs. He's hoping he'll be able to play both ways come his time at St. Joseph's too.

"They told me I'd have an opportunity to play both ways," Aungst said. "I could pitch and play the field, because they know I can hit the ball as well."

While Aungst's collegiate plans are now set, he admits there is a little pressure off his shoulders. Still, Aungst remains focused on producing at a high level for Salisbury, and will look to guide the Falcons into another deep postseason run.

"Now I can focus on making myself better in any way to be more ready for the college level," Aungst said. "Of course I'm going to focus on the high school season just as much as any other year. But I can focus on bettering myself even more because I have no stress on needing to perform at a high level to get these scouts looking at me."