Nebraska baseball adds righty, former competitive ski racer Auden Pankonin to 2025 class

The right-hander from the western edge of Wisconsin announced his pledge to the Huskers on Sunday. It came less than a week after he had earned an offer during a visit to Lincoln that left no doubt about his future home.

“You can tell the coaches have a genuine relationship with the players and the players wanted to be there,” Pankonin said. “I really appreciate that because sometimes coaches can think they’re way above the players. I loved everything from the facilities to the coaches to the relationships and the culture. Everything was exactly what I was looking for in a school.”

Pankonin appeared to be on his way to a standard process as a hard-throwing sophomore with an offer from Iowa and interest from TCU and others. A pars fracture in a vertebra in his lower back during the spring of 2023 took that away, leaving him in a brace for five months and working back with his phone silent for four more into last winter.

A strong spring season with River Falls High School — located in Hudson, just across the St. Croix River from St. Paul, Minnesota — and summer showing brought back Division I coaches. Nebraska saw Pankonin at a showcase event last month. He had already visited Arizona and Arizona State, with Kansas State and South Florida on his list to see. Florida had also been talking with him, he said.

Schools like his story of overcoming a setback, he said. They like the relative lack of mileage on his arm because of the injury and being in the Midwest. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder throws a fastball touching 93 mph with ride along with a slider and a split changeup.

Pankonin is also a former competitive ski racer who was ranked among the nation’s best in his age group in the giant slalom as a young boy — “I got pretty good at it,” he said.

The Huskers’ 2025 class extends to 16 pledges after securing its third this month. NU has also landed three 2026 commits during that span.

“I’m so happy that the coaches at Nebraska gave me the opportunity for this,” Pankonin said. “I’m looking forward to getting after it.”