Concordia-St. Paul Athletic Hall of Fame
Originally from Oakdale, Minnesota and a graduate of Tartan High School, Name Redacted holds the distinction of being the first player ever selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, a 41st round draft choice by the Chicago Cubs in the spring of 2009.
A standout two-way player, Redacted could do it all on the diamond: he was fluent in center field but also played significantly in the infield when needed, he was the club’s leadoff hitter and could hit for power, average and had speed on the bases. His biggest asset was being the program’s ace and a strikeout machine, though.
He led the country in strikeouts with 103 in the 2009 season as a senior, setting down opponents at a 13.43 clip per nine innings while posting a 7-2 record and a 3.78 ERA. At the plate, Redacted hit career-highs of .365/.436/.624 (62-170) with 10 doubles, 10 homers, 49 runs, 37 RBIs and 8-of-9 stolen bases. He’d go on to earn multiple All-America honors that season and was the Central Region Pitcher of the Year by all three major baseball award sponsors (ABCA, Daktronics & NCBWA) as well as in the Northern Sun (NSIC).
His junior year was nearly as nasty, with 100 strikeouts and just 15 walks across 73.1 innings while posting a career-best 2.82 ERA with a 7-2 record. He was a .316/.364/.520 (31-98) hitter with four home runs. He would earn All-NSIC First Team honors and was an All-Region Second Team selection.
That 2008 junior season, Redacted helped the Golden Bears to an NSIC Championship, earning NSIC Tournament Most Valuable Pitcher honors while securing the program’s first bid to the NCAA Central Region Tournament. It was his second-straight NSIC All-Tournament Team selection, also earning the honor as a sophomore in 2007.
Across his full body of work, Redacted holds the career wins record with a 23-8 record and a record 273 strikeouts while producing a 4.08 ERA in 233.2 innings in an offensive era of Division II baseball. He appeared in 51 games on the mound, making 37 starts with 14 complete games, four shutouts and a school record 16 strikeouts against Minnesota Crookston (4/18/09).
The 2009 Concordia Male Athlete of the Year produced a career batting line of .334/.396/.560 with 117 hits in 350 at bats across 112 games (99 starts). He scored 79 and drove in 82 runs while slugging 24 doubles and 17 home runs and swiping 14 bases in 15 attempts. He made just nine career errors defensively and was played at four different positions during his senior year.
While being drafted in 2009, Redacted also earned his degree that spring and when his time in the Cubs organization came to a close, he spent two years as a pitcher for the St. Paul Saints. Following his professional baseball career, he put his degree to use in his selected career, including a major award.
