ST. PAUL, Minn. - The 2016 Concordia baseball team opens the season in Tucson, Ariz. on Friday, March 4 with a doubleheader against Malone University, a Division II program in Ohio. The trip to Tucson comes following a month and a half of indoor practice in the Concordia Dome at Sea Foam Stadium and in the pole barn behind Gangelhoff Center.
 
OPENING WEEK: SRPING TRIP TO TUCSON INVITATIONAL
The squad departs the Twin Cities on Wednesday and will have its first outdoor practice of the 2016 season on Thursday before taking the field. The team has been preparing since NCAA Division II rules allow official practice to commence in mid-January and its one of the last two teams to play a regular season non-conference game in the NSIC with Northern State slated to open next Monday, March 7.
 
The team plays five games at the Tucson Invitational Games, where forecasts call for temperatures in the mid-80's to low 90's during Concordia's stay with zero percent chance of precipitation. Concordia's first opponent, Malone is coming off of a 28-23 season finishing 19-13 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference (GLIAC) (12-8 GLIAC South) before getting swept in the GLIAC Tournament by close 1-run and 3-run margins.
 
The Pioneers were slated third of six in the GLIAC South Division Preseason Coaches Poll. Their season opener will be against the Golden Bears, as well.
 
The Golden Bears will then take on Northern Sun member Southwest Minnesota State in a non-conference doubleheader at the neutral site. The Mustangs finished 21-29 overall last year and 14-20 in the Northern Sun to finish ninth in the final standings, missing the conference tournament. Despite that, SMSU swept Concordia in four meetings, twice in Tucson and twice in Marshall.
 
The Mustangs are off to an 0-4 start after being swept on the road by Newman University (Kan.) last weekend, with their next scheduled games against the Golden Bears in Saturday's doubleheader.
 
Concordia's final game of the trip is a single 9-inning affair against Missouri Valley College, an NAIA Division I member in the Heart of America Conference coming off a second place finish (18-8) in the league with a 29-16 overall record.
 
The Vikings are currently 7-5 on the season and riding a seven game winning streak into their trip to Tucson where they'll play The Master's (Calif.) and Malone on Saturday before taking on Concordia on Sunday.

Following the trip to Arizona, Concordia will play a four game non-conference weekend series at Augustana (3/12-13) and a three game non-conference weekend series at Upper Iowa (3/19-20). The Golden Bears are then home for the first 10 games of official Northern Sun play with weekend series at home against Bemidji State (3/24-25) and U-Mary (4/2-3) and a mid-week home doubleheader against Wayne State (4/6).
 
SENIORS LEAD THE WAY
In the 2013 season, the Golden Bears entered the year on the heels of four consecutive seasons missing the cut for the NSIC Tournament, all by close margins.
 
Enter the class of 2016 as a group of freshmen burst onto the scene with a different style of play. Current fourth year players in the organization include pitchers Zach Rengel and Yuji Suzuki, infielders Eric Fasnacht, Ryan Poppitz and Alex LaPorte, catcher David Henke and outfielders Andrew Shotwell, Alex Eernisse and Joe Muench. They are bolstered by incoming transfers who are now seniors including pitchers Tyler Schmitz and Kody Knaus and infielder Austin Hebig to give the team a 10-player senior class along with two others who are fourth year members of the program including redshirt seasons.
 
The youth movement brought in a loose style centered around enjoying the game, playing together and having fun on and off the field. The cohesion translated immediately as many of those first year players had key roles on a team that finished 13-7 in the Northern Sun for a fifth place finish in the regular season standings and a trip to St. Cloud for the conference tournament, its first appearance in the postseason since the 2008 NSIC Tournament Champion squad that reached the NCAA Central Region Tournament.
 
The success continued, and became infectious throughout the program and redefined the culture under veteran head coach Mark "Lunch" McKenzie. In 2014, the team went 20-10 and placed fourth to earn another trip to the postseason, this time held in Sioux Falls and in 2015 finished 19-15 buoyed by a late season surge as the team won six of seven including a four game finale sweep of Sioux Falls to finish sixth for another trip to Sioux Falls.
 
"The thing that sticks out to me looking back is that after not having been to the tournament for four years and having missed out by one game each of those four years, is that we were missing the team atmosphere," said McKenzie. "The guys were trying to win and we had good guys but we were just not a cohesive group. We were at a fall scrimmage in the 2012-13 year, and Ryan Poppitz was with the football team so he didn't attend any baseball functions except this one intrasquad scrimmage. He came over, played in the game and hit a game winning home run. Greg Larpenter, a senior all-conference center fielder walked up to me and said, 'Hey Lunch, thanks for bringing these freshmen in here so we can win now.' That statement made me step back and say, 'Okay, these guys want to win and they aren't pushing the senior thing on these guys, they want to win.'"
 
He continued, "That's where it started and took off and now four years later I've got the greatest group of senior leaders we've ever had because they don't treat anybody any differently in any regard. They just take these (younger) guys in. A player's a player and it's really fun. They (the seniors) do everything. They work on the field, they empty the garbage, they'll sweep the floor. They don't care, they don't pull the senior card to make the freshmen do those things."
 
Over those three seasons, Zach Rengel has been one of the top starting pitchers in a deep starting rotation as he's started 26 games with a 3.33 earned run average in 143.1 innings while piling up 136 strikeouts.
 
Yuji Suzuki has been one of the more versatile pitchers on the team, starting eight games including five as a sophomore but appearing in 27 on the hill in his career including a staff high 13 appearances last year as he won three games and saved four.
 
The infield features a strong group of gloves led by All-Region and All-NSIC shortstop Eric Fasnacht who holds a career .329 average, 38 extra base hits and a .495 slugging percentage. An NSIC All-Tournament selection in 2015, Fasnacht is joined on the left side of the infield by third baseman Ryan Poppitz who was also an NSIC All-Tournament selection in his freshman year. Poppitz has played in 115 games in three years, is a .273 hitter with a .376 career slugging percentage. Joining Fasnacht in the middle is second baseman Alex LaPorte who has played in 88 career games with a .284 average and a tremendous feel for defense as Concordia's up-the-middle defensive duo were also middle infield teammates at Minnetonka High School.
 
Behind the plate, David Henke started 36 contests a year ago and hit a career-best .269 while often catching an entire series at the most grueling physical position in the sport due to injury and depth issues. His leadership and work ethic to the program shine above his steady play behind the plate and in the batter's box, though.
 
"During practice in the dome in February, we were working defensively on first & thirds and David has been throwing these first and third plays for four years. He knows them, I don't have to see if he knows the plays. But, I complimented him in the fact that he was really working hard and here's why: just because he knows the plays doesn't mean the other guys do and I need him to do this at game speed to show the importance of knowing it and how easy it can be if you know it so that these new guys can get their work in and figure out how they're supposed to work. Then, in 3-4 years when they are seniors it's just part of the way we work. We don't do it half speed, we do it the way it's supposed to be done – that's called practice. They've really bought in and understand that."
 
The four-year program outfielders have all had a variety of circumstances contribute to their paths as college baseball players. Andrew Shotwell took a redshirt as a freshman and also had a medical redshirt season, finally making his debut last year while capitalizing for a .297 average, .384 slugging and multiple game-winning hits in clutch situations while moving between the outfield and first base. Joe Muench has battled through injuries as a Golden Bear in a career that also includes a redshirt season. He hit .261 as a regular in 2014 and was expected to compete for regular playing time again this year as a junior before suffering an offseason injury that will keep him sidelined, potentially allowing for a medical redshirt year to come back in 2017. Alex Eernisse has provided valuable depth, competition and team cohesion while earning 18 at bats in 27 games as a Golden Bear.
 
Last year, pitchers Tyler Schmitz and Kody Knaus were brought in as junior college transfers to make an impact with the pitching staff and immediately earned important roles while acclimating to the overall team environment. Schmitz pitched key relief innings, appearing in seven games and working 10.2 innings with seven strikeouts while picking up a relief victory. Knaus improved the quality at the top of the rotation while simultaneously helping the staff become a deeper unit overall by pitching at least six innings in seven of his eight starts including his final seven while posting a 3.93 earned run average with a 4-2 record and a save.
 
Austin Hebig has provided a valuable bench presence after transferring in for his sophomore season, with versatility to play infield and outfield he's appeared in 13 games with 10 at bats under his belt.
 
"We noticed last year, that going through postgame handshake lines we weren't very big in terms of physical stature. So we went out and addressed that with this year's recruiting class in trying to compliment what this group already brings to the table. But these guys have gotten bigger, stronger, more confident and they understand the game and more than anything they've really learned how to work. They've figured out what that means as far as how to come to work every day to try to get better."
 
While the results have translated from solid personal statistics throughout the senior class and into victories on the field, the group brings more to the table than just baseball.
 
"In the classroom, we have our highest team grade point average we've ever had at 3.5, we aren't babysitting anybody. These guys are coming here to go to school, get as good as they can and have fun and try to win games."
 
"Overall, we're excited to see where this hard work is going to pay off and how it's going to pay off."
 
And while this group of seniors and fourth year program players have helped get the squad back into contention within the conference, each year the team has been eliminated from the NSIC Tournament without advancing.
 
"You know, the seniors don't talk to me or the staff about that a lot. We're all disappointed and in two of those games we've had leads in the ninth inning," he acknowledged. "We're hoping that we have the pitching depth now that we didn't have then. Back on some of those teams, guys we brought in relief were freshmen and Winona got us a couple times."
 
"I'm sure it's eating at them a little bit. These guys finished sixth, fourth and fifth in the conference and this year we're picked seventh. They'd like to think they're better than that but they respect the conference as being as strong as it is. But they're hungry to take the next step and we've talked about it. We can either cruise along and keep doing what we've been doing, or how do we get better and take the next step up. They understand that it's not necessarily becoming a physically better person but a physically more consistent person – being able to play your B & A game consistently as opposed to having an A game followed by a couple of C games and yo-yoing around. So yes, they are hungry to do more."
 
While the team has its sights set on making another postseason appearance along with making a deeper run for the first time as a group, the squad understands the importance of creating a fun atmosphere within the context of working hard to improve.
 
"It's fun, this group does a great job of not getting bored and sometimes that leads to goofy stuff happening," he laughed while recalling a story during February practice. "It's boring being inside, especially with a longer preseason. You know, normally we'd be playing some games in the dome (Metrodome), but that's not here for the last two years. So they do a great job of being upbeat, having fun and the guys enjoy coming to the yard every day. Poppitz and Fuzzy rolled their pants up to their thighs, I jokingly complimented them on a good look and their response was that they were trying to bring a little more excitement to the team trying look like the 1957 Braves! The guys are hilarious every day like that, but then they go get their work in. As a group they just try to create some excitement every day, and it's a nice dynamic."
 
BIG RECRUITING CLASS ENTERS THE FOLD
The 2016 Golden Bears will enter the year looking to replace production from starters Kyle Dalton, Tyler Krekling and Trevon Bargfrede in the lineup – all outfielders; as well as plugging in two spots in the rotation to replace Tyler Brekke and Cody Schacht along with a handful of bullpen spots.
 
To do so, the coaching staff went out and brought in largest recruiting class in the team's Division II era (2000-present), a class that McKenzie, who enters his 17^th season, believes has a chance to be the best as well.
 
The class features a little bit of everything: catchers, middle infielders, corner infielders, outfielders and pitching as well as size and speed.
 
"The freshmen come in and have to get to know each other while competing for positions. But the atmosphere here is different. Again, it starts in fall ball and extends to the offseason weightlifting and into individual workouts. You see seniors hanging out with freshmen, and it's not phony, they're friends. There's just no 'clickiness' to them. We try to let them know that it's about us, not me or them. They've (upperclassmen) done a tremendous job of being great examples to these young kids and the young kids have followed it."
 
He elaborated on the younger players, "Now, we've brought in an excellent group of students, six of them made the Play Ball Minnesota All-Star Game and these kids have solid work ethics from great families and are pretty motivated guys. They are respectful to the seniors, too and aren't strutting around. They're just trying to fit in, do their job, shut their mouth and play while also not being afraid to crack a joke and aren't sitting around scared. They seem to really fit in so far and I'm excited to see how it translates once we start crossing the lines."
 
THE PITCHING STAFF
Concordia's pitching staff returns over 250 innings, or 77 percent of its workload from last season including its top five in terms of innings pitched as well as 34 of the 44 games started.
 
The group will once again be anchored by a trio of left handers, Zach Rengel (3-4, 4.91), Kody Knaus (4-2, 3.93) and Kevin Woebke (4-4, 6.60) who combined to strike out 139 batters in 146.2 innings while making 26 combined starts. Another left hander, Josh Lenz will also be in the mix as a returning starting pitcher who compiled the fifth-most innings (34.0) and starts (5) last year while striking out 31 batters with a 2-1 record and 5.03 ERA.
 
"A lot them are pretty easy, we don't know exactly how we're going to use everybody on the mound. We know Rengel and Knaus are going to start, and Woebke will be a starter."
 
The role of versatile fourth year right hander Yuji Suzuki might be in question, but the team's reliance on his ability to get outs is of high importance once again. Last year, Suzuki converted to the bullpen on the team's spring trip to Arizona out of necessity and the role fit for the rest of the season organically. He ended the year with four saves, a 3-4 record while leading the team with 13 appearances including two starts. He was fourth on the team with 36.2 innings, showing ability to pitch multiple innings in consecutive appearances while putting together a 4.91 ERA in the process.
 
"Yuji's going to be a guy, we don't know if we're going to use him as a starter and a reliever but we know we're going to use him."
 
A similar role was held by southpaw Erik Monson, who was in his first year with the team after transferring from Angelo State, a strong Division II program in Texas. Monson worked 21.2 innings for the club in nine appearances with one start including a save.
 
While those six pitchers have all proven they are able to get outs and will be in the mix for starts, newcomers like freshman transfer Keanu Mendez and true freshmen Gus Varland and Ben Suits will also be vying for either the four man weekend starting rotation or the two midweek starts.
 
"Varland has been pretty impressive for the most part in practice, and we'll see how it translates once we get on the field but he certainly has the talent. Mendez also has an opportunity to pitch here, too. He hasn't pitched for a couple years, but he has a shot and he can run it up there pretty good."
 
Continuing to discuss the newcomers, "There's a lot of different options, and we just don't know yet but I'm comfortable giving them an opportunity just to see what they can do."
 
Last year, eight different pitchers were called upon to make starts while six pitchers made at least four starts each. The two pitchers who started fewer than four games, Suzuki and Monson, led the rest of the pitchers in appearances with 13 and nine, respectively which typically indicates that the pitchers who don't make the rotation will still see extensive innings and key appearances.
 
"Ultimately, that's nine guys for six spots which is a good thing in our condensed conference schedule. Even my coaches are asking right now (late February) who we're planning to pitch in Arizona and the plan is to start Rengel and Knaus the first day and see what goes on against SMSU. But we could also pitch them Saturday against Southwest and have them lined up naturally for the following weekend at Augie, but either way they'll be ready for that series."
 
With five games in three days in Arizona, that leaves four of those nine pitchers for relief work which strengthens the depth of the bullpen early in the year and allows the staff more flexibility during the non-conference part of the season.

The team won't be forced to use a fifth and sixth starter for rotation purposes until April 6 when the team has already played 20 games.
 
With the extra bullpen arms, it takes pressure off returning relievers like Tyler Schmitz, Jake Kounkel, Bram Minser, Patrick Courtney and Erick Kivi to shoulder a large workload the entire way and they'll be joined in the bullpen by freshman Shane Benson who will also be vying for innings.
 
"Kounkel has looked good this spring, Schmitz has thrown well, Minser has looked really good recently and Lenz can spot start or work from the bullpen but it will be different early in the season when we have no mid-weeks and only need four starting pitchers. Once we get into mid-week games, our bullpen will be extended and we'll need a couple other guys to step up and help us to get where we want to go. Then it reverts back in the conference tournament if we qualify."
 
BEHIND THE PLATE
David Henke was able to handle a large workload last season to help Connor Olson ease into the role which also kept Olson fresh and in the lineup despite nagging injuries.
 
"David has turned into a leader and has matured as a person and a player here. He's worked hard on his offense and we'll see where that goes. He understands it's a team game, even more now as a senior and has learned how to work behind the scenes which has been fun to see."
 
Olson had a big freshman year at the plate, hitting .353/.404/.462 with 32 RBI, a pair of homers and 11 doubles while starting 42 games between catching and designated hitter.
 
"Connor is a good player, a student of the game who works hard and wants to get better. Last year he tried to play through injuries and maybe he shouldn't have but because of the circumstances he worked his way through the season. But now, he understands to come to us so he doesn't have to fight through it or make it worse which shows maturity in that aspect. He's swinging the bat good, he can catch and throw."
 
"Overall, we're pretty confident in the position because the three young kids can step in and do the job for us for us between Carter Schmidt, Tom Austin and Jeffrey Kressler so if we need to we're in a way better position. It also helps with practice, because now you have five guys taking reps behind the plate instead of two and that was killing those two guys last year. Austin has done a really good job with the bat and is working hard on the defensive game, Kressler is ahead of the other two defensively and is working to improve his hitting and Schmidt is kind of a mix of both in that he's not quite as polished a receiver as Kressler but ahead with the bat, but is not as polished a hitter as Austin but might be ahead with the glove. I think all three bring a little something and at this point if I could combine them I'd have a pretty good player! But overall, I'd be comfortable with putting any of them into the game, handling a pitching staff and they all have solid work ethic."
 
FIRST BASE
Last year, Andrew Shotwell broke out in his third year in the program but first year on the field. He started 36 of Concordia's 44 games at first base, adding a pair of starts in right field, one more in left  and one at designated hitter.
 
While he's the incumbent starter, his versatility and experience will likely relocate his playing time to right field to open the season as the Golden Bears will be replacing three starting outfielders from the 2015 roster.
 
The opening created by Shotwell's move creates a position battle that will likely be filled by a newcomer.
 
"It's been a battle and in the fall it looked like we had Brandon Flippen and Roch Whittaker while Ben Suits was getting work at third base and on the mound before we moved him over to first and he was impressive swinging the bat."
 
Flippen is one of just two left handed hitters on the roster, creating a good chance for at bats and an opportunity to shine through designated hitter or pinch hitting roles even if he doesn't earn the starting nod at first base.
 
"But right now, it looks like it's a battle between Roch and Suits. They're six-foot-five big targets and we haven't had that over there in a long time. They'll both get an opportunity down there (Arizona) to swing the bat, show us what they can and can't do and we'll go from there. It's still a work in progress, they're freshmen but they aren't scared."
 
He concluded by highlighting the team versatility and depth, "The insurance policy is that we can always bring Shotwell back in, and that's the nice thing about our roster depending on who does what in the outfield. It's exciting because this will be more about who steps up and shines among the kids than it is about who falters because of our pure numbers and the make-up of the kids."
 
SECOND BASE
Alex LaPorte has held the position for two full seasons after moving into the starting role late in his freshman year in 2013. As a sophomore in 2014, LaPorte maintained a .326 average while getting on base at a .408 clip before hitting .267 as a junior and has dropped down 18 sacrifices between the two years. The .284 career hitter is also a sound defender, producing a career-high .966 fielding percentage last season while turning 29 double plays.
 
"It's a deep position where we have several guys who are able to go out and play, especially defensively. Isaac Hormann and Hildy are ready to step in and play there. We also have younger guys like Cody Marek and Brad Fossum who are working there."
 
Adam Hildebrandt backed up LaPorte last year, earning four starts at the keystone while also playing in 21 total games with 11 total starts as a versatile defender. While he hit .216 as a rookie, he displayed ability to get on base at a proficient rate of .326 with five walks to just five strikeouts and dropped down six sacrifices while playing error-free defense.
 
SHORTSTOP
Being strong up the middle has been vital to Concordia's overall team success, and the shortstop position not only features an All-Conference and preseason All-America returner in Eric Fasnacht but the Golden Bears are also deep at the most important position on the field.
 
Fasnacht continued his rapid offensive trajectory in 2015 as a junior, blowing past his previous career-best slugging mark of .453 by raking to a .653 tune while hitting .361 with a .417 on base percentage. After going two full seasons without a long ball, Fasnacht blasted nine as a junior, driving in 37 runs to top his first two years combined total of 31. He also delivered 12 doubles and a pair of triples while swiping six bases in seven tries.
 
In 116 games (115 starts), Fasnacht is a career .329 hitter (127-386) with 21 doubles, eight triples and nine home runs, driving in 68 runs while scoring 72 with eight stolen bases and just 53 strikeouts.
 
From day one, his glove has been his best asset as he entered the program as a polished defender able to make the routine and the impossible plays with his glove, use his arm to make the long throw from the hole and to turn the double play.
 
His middle infield partner and high school teammate LaPorte is also able to handle the position along with freshmen Isaac Hormann and Kyle Horstmann both capable of handling the spot at this early point in their college careers.
 
"Hormann and Horstmann have both played a lot of shortstop and were leaders of their teams in high schools, but Fuzzy's the guy," noted McKenzie.
 
THIRD BASE
Fourth year starter Ryan Poppitz teams up with LaPorte and Fasnacht to give the team three infield starters with dynamic defensive ability and multiple years of starting experience.
 
Over the last three seasons, Poppitz, LaPorte and Fasnacht have started and 111, 75 and 115 games, respectively. The group plays well together cohesively but also features steady gloves, strong baseball instincts and ability to make amazing plays.
 
Poppitz plays third base like a linebacker, which he was recruited to play for the football program out of Wayzata High School when he signed an NLI to be a dual sport student-athlete. He has a fearless style at the hot corner and uses his instincts to react and his strong arm to make the tough throws.
 
At the plate, Poppitz is a career .273/.356/.376 hitter (106-388) with 22 doubles and four home runs.
 
"He's been swinging the bat better this year than he has in his four years and looks great and he comes to play every day. Isaac Hormann or Kyle Horstmann can go over there and compete, returner Cole Peterson can go over there and do the job along with Ben Suits."
 
Peterson made three starts in his redshirt freshman season a year ago, appearing in nine games while getting 17 at bats with three hits and a walk for a .333 on base percentage. He started twice at first base and once at designated hitter but also appeared in a pair of games at third base defensively.
 
"We just seem to finally have more depth than we've ever had (across the infield)," he explained.
 
OUTFIELD
On a team that returns a significant amount of starting position players, starting pitchers and relievers the Golden Bears are faced with the task of replacing an entire starting outfield.
 
Last year, Kyle Dalton was a fourth year starter and started 43 of 44 games in center, Tyler Krekling was a second year starter who started 35 in left, one in center and three in right and Trevon Bargfrede was a third year starter who started 32 in right and two in left.
 
Of Concordia's returners, Joe Muench has the most returning stars in the outfield with eight between right (7) and left (1) followed by Adam Hildebrandt with five in left and Andrew Shotwell with three between right (2) and left (1).
 
Muench, who started 15 times between the corner outfield spots in 2014 will miss the season due to an injury.
 
Shotwell will be the top returner in the outfield after primarily playing first base (36) last year. Athletically considered a sophomore but in his fourth year academically, Shotwell hit .297/.367/.384 last year with nine doubles and a home run while driving in 26 runs.
 
"We're going to go with Shotty in right field, and after that it's going to be open," McKenzie stated. "We've got some ideas as to who might get a chance out there, Isaac Hormann might get a shot out in left field along with Jake Steckler, Steven Nessler, Cole Kirchoff are all in the mix. The kids can really run, and they can really throw. We've also got a few veterans in Alex Eernisse and Austin Hebig who are aiming for their shot. Tanner Holmquist is swinging the bat really well and will also be in the mix for DH when Connor Olson's behind the plate but there could be a few guys in that mix."
 
Adam Hildebrandt started 11 games last year as previously mentioned, getting the nod four times at second base, five times in left field and two more at designated hitter. His glove and instincts profile well to fit the mold of the three senior infielders while also allowing the team to use his athleticism in the outfield. His presence as the team's only other left handed bat aside from Brandon Flippen also gives the lineup some needed versatility.
 
PHILOSOPHY
"Overall, we're trying to limit what we give our opponents and make them earn everything they get. If they give us something, we want to use it to our advantage and capitalize on it. Also we, want to do the little things, slow the brain down and make the game easier by understanding the little things, which are the key concepts we take from (former Minnesota Twins manager & two-time World Series champion) Tom Kelly. They've done a great job at that stuff and are asking questions."