NAMPA, Idaho – The Crusaders all-time winningest pitcher gets his shot at the next level.

Recent Northwest Nazarene graduate Aaron Vaughn has agree to a free agent contract with the Gulf Coast League Astros, the Rookie League affiliate of the Houston Astros, and will head to Kissimmee, Florida to sign start his professional career next week.

The GCL Astros begin their 2014 season on June 20, hosting the GCL Braves.

"I am extremely happy to get the chance to play professional baseball and I can't wait to see where it takes me," Vaughn said.

The right-handed pitcher from Pusch Ridge Christian Academy in Tucson, Ariz., won 18 games in his four-year career on the hill for the NNU baseball team, including a GNAC-best 9-4 record as a senior this spring, earning him Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Conference First Team honors.

Vaughn compiled an 18-12 all-time record at NNU, spending his first two years as a reliever and his junior and senior seasons as a starter, pitching in 53 games and starting 28 of those.

He also had four saves in his pitching career, while racking up an impressive 166 strikeouts in 218 2-3 innings all-time on the mound for the Crusaders with a 4.40 lifetime ERA.

"Aaron has worked hard to put himself into a position to be noticed by a professional scout," NNU baseball head coach Rocke Musgraves said. "His ability to throw three pitches for strikes gives him a chance to be successful at the next level."

Vaughn is the fifteenth Crusader baseball player to move on to the professional ranks, and the ninth former NNU baseball player to play for a Major League Baseball affiliate.