KEY LINKS: VETERANS FIELD WEBSITE || DIRECTIONS || GAME COVERAGE: LIVE STATS || WATCH LIVE
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Concordia-St. Paul head baseball coach
Mark "Lunch" McKenzie has announced schedule changes for the next six games on the Golden Bears' schedule. Sunday will be played at the Metrodome in Minneapolis at 3 p.m., while Monday and Thursday will be played at Minnetonka High School's Veterans Field at 9 a.m.
NEW SCHEDULE - AT A GLANCE
vs. St. Cloud State University
Sunday, April 21, 3 p.m. doubleheader (7/9 inn) - Metrodome (
Adults: $7 ||
Students 18 & under: $3 ||
College ID: FREE)
Monday, April 22, 9 a.m. doubleheader (7/9 inn) - Veterans Field
vs. Southwest Minnesota State University
Thursday, April 25, 9 a.m. doubleheader (7/9 inn) - Veterans Field
RAIN OUTS & SNOW OUTS
Concordia's baseball team has had 12 games officially canceled - all during conference play - and two others suspended at the Metrodome and yet to be completed.
RECORDS, RANKINGS and STANDINGS
The Golden Bears are 11-9 overall and 4-4 in the Northern Sun and in a three-way tie for sixth. St. Cloud State is 22-4 overall and 10-0 in the NSIC, ranked ninth nationally (coaches poll) while SMSU is 10-20-1 overall and 5-11 in the conference in 12th in the NSIC.
METRODOME INFORMATION
Spectators attending this Sunday night's doubleheader are asked to enter in Gate D. Free parking is available in the Metrodome parking lot located on the east side of teh stadium, entrance off 11th avenue. Please pay with cash (prices above).
ABOUT VETERANS FIELD
Veterans Field was voted by ESPN as the #2 high school field in the country and is the only high school TURF field in the state. The complex is made of a synthetic turf playing sufrace with lights and a 600-seat grandstand. Naming rights to Veterans Field were purchased by Cambria, a Minnesota company, who chose to name the field to honor all Veterans instead of naming the field after the company name. Veterans Field is home to the Minnetonka Skippers high school teams, Excelsior Legion baseball teams, Maynard's Mudhens, senior Babe Ruth teams, Minnetonka Millers and the Minnetonka youth football program.
LUNCH LOOKS TO BECOME Mr. 300
Concordia head coach
Mark “Lunch” McKenzie is just two wins shy of 300 for his career with a 298-233-1 overall record in his 14th season.
SERIES HISTORY
The Golden Bears are 8-15-1 all-time against the Huskies with St. Cloud State winning eight in a row over the Golden Bears. Since SCSU joining the NSIC, Concordia is 4-11 in conference play against SCSU with four game series splits in 2009 and 2010. The two teams have completed one prior game at the Metrodome, a 9-8 SCSU win on February 15, 2010.
TOUGH MATCHUP - SCSU AMONG NATION'S BEST
Concordia draws one of the top teams in the country. SCSU is ranked ninth in the Collegiate Baseball News Division II Coaches' Poll and third in the most recent NCBWA Top-25 Poll conducted by the baseball writers. Since the latest rankings were published, SCSU is 1-2 with a split at Truman State and losing a single game at Missouri Western. The Huskies have the top-ranked pitching staff in the country with a 1.57 team ERA, and the fewest hits allowed per nine innings (6.15) while leading the country with a 0.94 team WHIP. They are also fourth in fewest walks (2.31 per 9-inn) and fifth in strikeout-walk ratio (3.36). The staff features the third-best WHIP in the country by Corey Fitzgerald (0.73) while Scott Lieser ranks 19th (0.88), Chris Kubitz ranks 24th (0.90) and Kyle Fischer is 44th (0.96).
Offensively, Sean Borman leads the nation with 0.58 doubles per game with 14 doubles on the year, Eric Loxtercamp is the toughest batter to strike out in the nation (87.0 AB/K) and Phil Imholte is eighth in most hit by pitch with 0.5 per game (12 total). Garrett Fischer is also the nation's 15th-best hitter at .431.
LARPENTER PATROLS CF, ANCHORS LINEUP
Senior
Greg Larpenter has been arguably Concordia's top everyday player this season. He ranks fourth in the NSIC with a .480 on-base percentage and 20th in the league with a .508 slugging percentage while playing arguably the top defensive centerfield in the league as a returning All-Region Gold Glover. His 0.60 walks per game rank sixth in the league and he's one of 18 qualified players playing error-free baseball while adding four outfield assists. He leads the team in doubles (5), RBI (12), and walks (12) in addition to leading the team in OBP/SLG with the second-ranked average (.339).
DALTON TEAM LEADER IN HITTING
Sophomore second baseman
Kyle Dalton leads the Golden Bears with a .344 average, 22 hits and 12 runs scored with eight walks and seven strikeouts in 64 at bats batting in front of Larpenter for a good part of the season. Like Larpenter, Dalton is also playing error-free infield and has been part of turning eight double plays.
RENGEL DOMINANT IN FRESHMAN CAMPAIGN
Rengel delivered a lights-out performance against an experienced NSIC lineup as he two-hit Winona State while tying his career-high with nine strikeouts in a complete game (7 IP) victory. Rengel has now won back-to-back starts for his the first two wins in his career. He limited the Warrior bats to .091 hitting and was clutch in a narrow 2-1 victory. Over his last two starts, Rengel has pitched 13.0 innings, allowing two earned runs (1.39) on five hits and five walks with 18 strikeouts. He ranks third in the league in opponent batting average (.208), fourth in the league in strikeout rate (11.1 per 9), fifth in the league in hits allowed per game (6.92), eighth in ERA (2.42) and 20th in walks per 9-innings (2.77).
ADAM 'n' ANDY ANCHOR THE ARMS
While Rengel has been a breakout left handed rookie, veteran right handers
Andy Fagely and
Adam Kramer have anchored the starting rotation, each sporting 3-1 records with near identical ERA's (Kramer 2.86, Fagely 2.94). Kramer has struck out 22 while holding hitters to a .240 average over 28.1 innings while Fagely has a 26-7 strikeout-walk ratio over 33.2 innings.
KILBER LEADS THE BULLPEN
Senior left hander
Griff Kilber has pitched the fourth-most innings on the club but because of the weather forcing a number of cancellations, he has not been called upon to start. The result has been a consistent effort from the bullpen, where he has a 1.53 ERA over seven appearances in 17.2 innings with a save. He's holding opponents to a .242 average as well.
BULLPEN NOTES
Redshirt freshman right hander
Tyler Brekke leads the team with a pair of saves while appearing in four games with 3.2 innings pitched allowing just one hit with a .083 opponent average. Brekke holds a 2.45 ERA and has three strikeouts. Senior left hander
Patrick Rydeen has only appeared in two games so far, but has yet to allow a hit in five opponent at bats and has the team's only perfect 0.00 ERA. Sophomore
Adam Fredericks has pitched 5.0 innings over three appearances as a long reliever and holds opponents to a .188 average with a save. Transfer
Colton Petron is second to only Kilber with five appearances and has a 2-1 record in five innings.
Nicho Roessler has three appearances and the other save among Concordia's five team saves.
WHIP IS GOOD
Concordia's three qualified pitchers for league/NCAA rankings (1.0 IP per team game played) have also produced excellent WHIP's on the season. Rengel leads the group with a 1.077 WHIP, followed by Kramer at 1.235 and Fagely at 1.307.
