Concordia-St. Paul Athletic Hall of Fame
Galen Wetzell was a three-time All-NSIC First Team selection for Concordia baseball, earning the honors from his sophomore to senior (2004-06) years, while also securing NSIC All-Tournament honors as a freshman on the 2003 NSIC Tournament Champion squad. He was also a three-time NSIC All-Academic Team selection, earning the honor all three years he was eligible.
He was a career .369 hitter (146-396) in 143 games and was known for his ability to get on base as he posted a .464 career on base percentage, adding punch from second base with a .457 slugging percentage. He scored 120 runs, nearly one a game and drove in 89 while hitting 16 doubles, five triples and three home runs.
In his 396 at bats, Wetzell made regular contact, punching out just 36 times and never more than 11 times in any of the four seasons he played as a four year starter. Contrast that to his 42 walks and 30 hit by pitch which made him a tough out for opposing pitchers. He added 11 sacrifices and stole 28 bases in 32 tries while registering a sound .953 fielding percentage with just 21 errors across his 143 games.
Able to do everything and everything well, Wetzell and the Golden Bears produced a 97-57-1 overall and 57-29 NSIC record. The Golden Bears also had back-to-back school record setting seasons in his junior and senior seasons for most overall wins (29) and set the mark for most NSIC wins (17) in a second place finish during his junior year, before finishing third in the league during his senior year.
He hit a career-high .414 (36-87) as a sophomore and had .510 and .500 on base percentages as a sophomore and junior, respectively. He powered up in 2005 as a junior, slugging three home runs with a career-high .532 slugging percentage along with a career-high 12 stolen bases.
In addition to his baseball career and sound academic profile, Galen was involved with the CSP jazz band and was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Following his studies at Concordia, Wetzell went on to earn a doctor of physical therapy degree and has been in the DPT profession for six years. He is a board certified orthopedic clinical specialist by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. Galen and his wife, Lea have a son, Oliver.
