TUCSON, Ariz. –  The Golden Bear baseball team completed a perfect but shortened spring trip to the Tucson Invitational Games, defeating Missouri Valley College (8-7) 8-3 at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium to finish the weekend with a 5-0 record.
 
The Golden Bears fly back to the Midwest and will hit the road to Sioux Falls, S.D. next weekend on Saturday and Sunday, March 12-13 to face conference foe Augustana University in a non-conference series. The Golden Bears and Vikings will play doubleheaders each day in the four game set.
 
Unlike the previous three games, Concordia wasted no time asserting itself in the TIG finale by putting up four runs in the first inning. Sophomore Connor Olson set the tone with the opening at bat as he drilled an 0-2 pitch for a ground rule double over the left field fence. Sophomore Andrew Shotwell followed with an RBI double down the left field line, and four pitches into the game the Golden Bears held a 1-0 lead.
 
Ryan Poppitz, Alex LaPorte and Ben Suits added consecutive RBI singles with one out, LaPorte's coming on a squeeze bunt.
 
The result was a four run cushion before freshman right hander Keanu Mendez even had to throw a pitch in his debut start. After missing a year of competitive play serving as a student assistant at Division I power Texas Christian, Mendez was able to pitch through the rust as he struck out four in his first three innings while scattering a pair of singles and walks.
 
He held MVC scoreless through four as Olson added a two run bases loaded single in the top of the third to provide him with further support.
 
In the fifth, Mendez allowed a leadoff walk and RBI double to deep center field but settled in, getting a foul pop, strikeout and caught a liner on a comebacker around a walk to strand a pair of runners.
 
In all, Mendez forced MVC to leave nine runners on base including five in scoring position.
 
Concordia's bats continued to get his back by adding two more in the sixth inning for an 8-1 lead as Eric Fasnacht had an RBI single and Tanner Holmquist produced a sacrifice fly.
 
The result forced MVC starter Logan Faber from the game in the sixth inning as he went 5.1 innings, allowing eight earned runs on eight hits with four walks.
 
Mendez left the game with an 8-1 lead on the way to earning the win in his debut, striking out five while scattering five hits and five walks on 96 pitches.
 
Junior left hander Josh Lenz finished the final three frames to pick up the extended save, his second of the year. He struck out five to just two walks and two hits, allowing a pair of runs.
 
SPRING TRIP NOTES
In the season opening weekend, the Golden Bears hit .329 with a .432 on base and .475 team slugging percentage including 15 doubles, a triple and a pair of home runs while drawing 20 walks in five games.
 
Connor Olson led the team in hitting at .563/.682/.875 (9-16) with five doubles with driving in and scoring 10 runs. Alex LaPorte hit an even .500 with a .571 obp and .556 slugging (9-18) while scoring eight runs and driving in four more. Tanner Holmquist opened his Concordia career by hitting .438 (7-16) while playing in four of the games, belting a pair of home runs with six RBI as he matched Olson's team-high .875 slugging percentage. Andrew Shotwell also had a strong start, hitting .412/.545/.529 (7-17) with a pair of doubles and six RBI and a team leading four walks. Eric Fasnacht was second only to Olson in RBI with seven as he drilled three doubles while hitting .333/.455/.500 (6-18).
 
Five players started all five games while Holmquist started four among 14 different position players to earn a start in the first five games.
 
As a staff, Concordia's pitchers all pitched deep enough in their respective contest to qualify for a victory, with three pitchers working six full frames in their 2016 season debut starts. Josh Lenz led the bullpen with 5.0 innings including six strikeouts and a pair of saves in two appearances while Yuji Suzuki also had a pair of appearances and a save. Jake Kounkel had the bullpen's lone relief win with 1.2 scoreless as he struck out four of the five outs he recorded.
 
The Golden Bear hurlers collectively piled up 37 strikeouts in 37 innings for a strikeout per inning rate while holding opposing bats to 20 fewer runs (30) than Concordia's offense was able to compile (50) on the weekend for an average score of 10-6 on the trip.