BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Northern Sun (NSIC) released the 2021 NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll on Thursday afternoon and Concordia-St. Paul was picked to finish eighth.
 
CSP earned 103 points in the poll, sitting 11 points behind Minnesota Crookston in seventh and 25 points ahead of Northern State in ninth. The Golden Bears finished in the top-five in the league in four of seven years prior to last season.
 
Augustana was tabbed as the top pick in the poll. This marks the third consecutive season that the Vikings have been picked to win the league. Augustana amassed 195 points after receiving 13 first place votes (coaches can't vote for their own team). Minnesota State was second with 181 points and two first place votes. St. Cloud State was picked third with 160 points, while Minot State was fourth with 153 points.
 
The preseason coaches' poll is based off each coach ranking each team from 14 to 1 with the top team receiving 14 points, second 13, third 12, etc.
 
The Golden Bears enter the 2021 season with an experienced bunch as they return their entire lineup while losing just two key members from the pitching staff. During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, CSP was rounding into form right before the shutdown as they rattled off seven wins in their final nine games, including their final three in a row, to finish the season at 7-6 overall. The Golden Bears amassed an impressive .334/.393/.434 slash line at the plate over the 15 games as seven of the team's eight regular starters hit above .300, along with the team's top three players off the bench.
 
That depth at the plate will once again be a key factor in the team's success this season with the whole crew back. One player to watch in the lineup is junior outfielder/pitcher Ryan Christopher. The Jackson, Minn. native was the team's top run producer while slashing a massive .417/.440/.625. Sophomore outfielder Jack Young had a breakout season of his own as he led the team with a .444 batting average and a 1.085 OPS over a dozen games. 
 
On the mound, freshman Griffin Lapp is tabbed as a player to watch after making his Concordia debut last year. The two-way player made three appearances on the mound, including his first win over Jamestown, while also hitting .500 over 10 at-bats. Along with Lapp and Christopher, junior Luke DeGrammont will also be counted on after making three starts last year.
 
CSP opens the season at Purdue Northwest on Mar. 6-7 with NSIC play beginning on March 20-21 at home against UMD. The 2021 NSIC Baseball Tournament will take the top eight teams in the final NSIC Standings. The eight-team double elimination tournament takes place May 12-15 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, co-hosted by Augustana University and the University of Sioux Falls.