NEW ULM — For New Ulm Cathedral’s Chris Knowles, deciding on where to play college baseball was an easy choice when he picked Gustavus Adolphus College.

“The biggest thing was their coaching staff,” Knowles said as he signed a National Letter of intent to attend college next year and play baseball at the Division III school in St. Peter. “The school and coaches were really appealing to me and made me feel welcome there. I was able to stay overnight with the team on a visit. I liked the atmosphere there and they had an energy too. But ultimately is was the coaching staff. They made me feel welcome and wanted there.”

Knowles, a shortstop at Cathedral, said that St Mary’s, Winona State and the University of Minnesota-Crookston had approached Knowles about playing college baseball there.

“But they did not have the same approach as Gustavus did,” Knowles said. “One of their assistant coaches [Andrew Woitas] is the brother of our baseball coach, Alan Woitas, so there was already a connection there. They have been talking to me for a while.”

Last season, Knowles hit .400 for the Greyhounds and carried a slugging percentage of .614 and an on-base percentage of .538. He also led the Greyhounds in hits with 28.

“He does a lot of things really well,” Cathedral baseball coach Alan Woitas said. “He fields the ball well, he hits the ball well and he runs the bases well. He has a good sense of the game. He understands the game and plays the game the right way.”

Knowles said that Gustavus just felt right for him.

“I really liked the friendly atmosphere on campus,” Knowles said about Gustavus. “Everyone is close there. That was the biggest part — it was like a family. I asked both Andrew and Alan Woitas about Gustavus since they both went there and played baseball at Gustavus. They both had nothing but good things to say about the baseball program and the school.”

Knowles said he is going to major in Physical or Occupational Therapy.