ST. PAUL, Minn. – Concordia-St. Paul head baseball coach
Neil Lerner has announced the additions of 11 new players to the program for the 2026 baseball season.
The group joins eight freshmen who were announced at the beginning of last fall's signing period in November, giving the squad 19 new players to the team for 2026.
The four new freshmen include Isaac Beseman (Mounds View, Minn. / HS), Bennett Brathol (Hudson, Wis. / HS), Davon Castro (Blaine, Minn. / Cretin-Derham Hall HS), and Ryley Wuebkers (St. Michael, Minn. / St. Michael-Albertville HS).
They are joined by seven incoming transfers: Justin Benjamin (Minneapolis, Minn. / Cretin-Derham Hall HS / Iowa Central CC), Sam Kennedy (St. Paul, Minn. / North St. Paul HS / Minnesota), Daniel Musgjerd (Excelsior, Minn. / Minnetonka HS / Charlotte), Seth Nelson (Mahtomedi, Minn. / HS / Century College), Cole Newell (Maple Grove, Minn. / HS / Purdue Fort Wayne), Tyus Smith (Prior Lake, Minn. / HS / South Dakota State), and Jack Thompson (Rosemount, Minn. / HS / Valparaiso).
Assistant coach
Derek Dahlke has provided quotes on each player joining the Golden Bears for the upcoming season.
Justin Benjamin (RHP, 6-0, 200, Jr., R/R, Minneapolis, Minn. / Cretin-Derham Hall HS / Iowa Central CC)
Iowa Central Community College:
Pitched in 28 games in two seasons, striking out 53 in 38.2 innings with a 12.34 career strikeout per nine innings rate … had two wins and two saves for the Tritons.
2025: Pitched in 17 games for the Tritons … registered 31 strikeouts in 22.0 innings with a pair of saves … notched a 12.7 strikeouts per nine innings rate … worked three innings, striking out five against Lincoln Land CC (2/16) … picked up first save in a 14-12 win over Mott CC (3/8), striking out a pair in a scoreless inning … picked up second save against North Iowa Area CC (4/13) in a 13-12 win, striking out three in 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing just a hit and no walks … picked up four strikeouts in 2.1 innings, allowing one earned run with no walks at Indian Hills CC (3/29) … had seven appearances without allowing a run.
2024: Pitched in games for the Tritons … registered 22 strikeouts in 16.2 innings with a pair of wins … struck out 11.9 per nine innings … pitched 6.1 scoreless innings in his first four career appearances in four victories for the Tritons … had a pair of 1.0-inning, 2-strikeout performances during that stretch against Olney Central College (2/18) in debut and Neosho County CC (3/3) in a 1-2-3 inning … secured first win in his fourth appearance, matching his career-high 3.1 innings (also achieved in 2025), allowing no runs, striking out six with no walks and two hits against Moberly Area CC (3/14) … secured a relief win against Kirkwood CC (4/13), getting two key outs including one via the strikeout in a 17-11 win.
Cretin-Derham Hall High School:
A two-sport athlete for the Raiders, competing in football and baseball … an All-Suburban East Conference selection.
Personal:
A business management major at Concordia … earned an Associate of Arts degree from Iowa Central Community College … has one older sister.
Coach Dahlke on Benjamin: "Justin is a high-character guy who we have heard nothing but positive things about. We tried to recruit Justin out of high school after his successful stint at Cretin-Derham Hall but he ultimately chose a path that led him to Iowa Central CC where he was part of a team that made it to the NJCAA DII World Series. Justin was a staple in that bullpen as he had 17 appearances during the team's season and a very impressive 12.68 K/9 (career 12.34 K/9). While he was there, we just monitored from afar how he was doing and it became clear that we needed to reach back out to him and see if CSP could be a fit. We couldn't be more excited to have Justin join the team and look forward to seeing how he continues to develop and see what kind of role he fits into with this year's pitching staff."
Isaac Beseman (MI, 5-11, 165, Fr., R/R, Mounds View, Minn. / Mounds View HS)
Mounds View High School:
Helped the Mustangs to a 17-6 overall record, capturing a Suburban East Conference championship (15-3 SEC) … Mustangs ranked fifth in state prior to the 2025 MSHSL Tournament … helped the Mustangs to a 2024 MSHSL Tournament state runner-up finish … named to Metro East All-Star team … an All-Suburban East Conference selection.
Personal:
A business major at Concordia … the oldest of four with two younger brothers and a younger sister.
Coach Dahlke on Beseman: "We first saw Isaac play in a section playoff game his junior year at Mounds View and right away were impressed by his glove habits and athleticism that he presented when just watching him take pre-game ground balls. Needless to say, that carried over to games as Isaac was a middle-of-the-order hitter and starting shortstop for a really successful Mounds View High School team for a couple of years. With the skillset that Isaac has and the work ethic he presents, we are very excited to see how Isaac continues to develop here at CSP as he will provide depth and athleticism in the infield for years to come."
Bennett Brathol (1B/RHP, 6-4, 210, Fr., R/R, Hudson, Wis. / Hudson HS)
Hudson High School:
A team captain for senior season in 2025 … hit .393/.443/.429 (22-56) as a senior … had a pair of doubles, nine runs and 18 RBIs … the two-way player added nine relief appearances covering 11.2 innings with a 0.60 ERA and 19 strikeouts … went 1-0 with a save … allowed just 10 hits to a .222 opponent average … recorded a 19-4 strikeout to walk ratio, with a 36.5 percent strikeout rate and 7.7 percent walk rate … didn't allow any extra-base hits while holding hitters to a .549 OPS … as a junior, had three doubles among his 16 hits, scored 14 runs and had 14 RBIs for the Raiders … two-way player, recorded 10 strikeouts in 8.2 innings with a 4.85 ERA … helped the Raiders to a pair of Big Rivers Conference championships and a Wisconsin State Tournament appearance.
Personal:
Will pursue a business degree at Concordia … has a brother and a sister … his sister is a member of the volleyball program at the University of South Carolina Upstate … his parents were also collegiate athletes, his father played basketball at Northern Michigan University, his step-father played baseball at Macalester College, and his mother played volleyball at UW-Green Bay and Northern Michigan.
Coach Dahlke on Brathol: "We found out about Bennett pretty late in the recruiting process but we're so glad that we did! The first thing that stood out to us was his size and athleticism. He played other infield spots when he was younger but as he became taller, he transitioned to 1B but his athleticism remained with him. With the growth spurt, that's where he started to see some improvements with his velocity on the mound and really became a two-way option for the Hudson High School team. We are excited to see how he continues to grow and develop here at CSP as he provides depth at 1B and will compete for innings right away on the mound."
Davon Castro (C/RHP, 6-2, 214, Fr., S/R, Blaine, Minn. / Cretin-Derham Hall HS)
Cretin-Derham Hall High School:
A two-sport athlete for the Raiders, competing in baseball and football … an All-State and All-Suburban East Conference selection … helped the Raiders to a 2025 state championship.
Personal:
Will pursue a biochemistry academic path at Concordia with a minor in psychology … aspires to be a neurosurgeon … has two younger sisters.
Coach Dahlke on Castro: "Davon comes to us after a really successful senior season at Cretin-Derham Hall that ended in a state title at Target Field. On a team that was very successful, he was the starting catcher and a starting pitcher on that team and more importantly a leader. When we started to recruit Davon, we heard nothing but great things about his character, work ethic and playing ability. With Davon's work ethic, we are excited to see how he develops over the fall and off-season and can't wait to see him be a big part of the CSP baseball team's success over the next four years."
Sam Kennedy (RHP, 6-1, 205, So., R/R, St. Paul, Minn. / North St. Paul HS / Minnesota)
South Mountain Community College:
2025: Did not compete for the Cougars.
University of Minnesota:
2024: An Academic All-Big Ten selection … had eight appearances and one start for the Golden Gophers … had a 2-0 record with a 2.45 ERA … registered 18 strikeouts in 14.2 innings … held opposing bats to a .212 average and just one extra-base hit (3B) … compiled a 28.1 percent strikeout rate against 64 batters faced … made his collegiate debut on against Pacific (3/3), pitching 0.2 innings with one strikeout … pitched 2.2 scoreless innings with one strikeout to secure first career win against North Dakota State (4/9) … stuck out seven batters in 3.0 shutout innings, allowing one hit and one walk to pick up wins in back-to-back appearances, this time against South Dakota State (4/17) … pitched 4.0 innings of shutout ball, allowing three hits and striking out four against St. Thomas (4/24) … pitched in five consecutive scoreless appearances covering 11.1 innings, including his first Big Ten appearance against Nebraska (5/3), striking out one of in 0.2 shutout innings.
2023: Redshirted in his first year with the Golden Gophers.
North St. Paul High School:
Two-year varsity member of the Polars baseball team … two-time team captain and team MVP … earned All-State honors and was named the 2022 Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year, producing a 3-1 record with a 0.64 ERA, through 19 games with 48 strikeouts in 22 innings, allowing just eight hits and 10 walks … finished the season with a 0.48 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, .081 opponent batting average and 59 strikeouts … an All-Conference and All-Section selection … the two-way player (shortstop) hit .520 with an .833 slugging percent and 1.429 OPS with five home runs and 14 RBIs … named Rawlings/Perfect Game All-Central Region Second Team … played in the Prep Baseball Report Futures Game and the Area Code Games … was the first future Gopher to win the Gatorade Player of the Year award since 2015 … two-time Perfect Game Underclassmen All-America selection … two-time All-Suburban East Conference selection … two-time All-Section … named Academic All-State as a senior … as a junior in 2021, named team MVP for the Polars as he hit .451 with three home runs, a .549 slugging percentage and a 3.00 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 32 innings … a Future's Game participant as a junior … Perfect Game ranked him second among prep pitchers and seventh among overall players in the state of Minnesota in 2022 … Prep Baseball Report ranked him #411 in the nation, second among RHP in Minnesota and fourth overall in Minnesota … prior to Minnesota commitment, was considering USC, Indiana, Pepperdine, St. Louis, Grand Canyon, Georgia State, Milwaukee and Tennessee Tech during recruitment process … was also named the 2022 Minnesota Blizzard team MVP.
Personal:
A business major at Concordia … has an older brother … has a cousin who was a member of the hockey team at the University of Maine … his grandfather played professional baseball.
Coach Dahlke on Kennedy: "Sam has had a unique path that has led him to CSP but we could not be more excited to have him join our Golden Bear baseball family. Sam had a really successful prep career where he earned Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022. Though he has had some setbacks on the injury front over the last couple of years, Sam is feeling healthy again and is eager to get back out on the mound. We are very excited to see how Sam continues to progress over the fall and off-season and are eager to see what role Sam finds himself in. Sam is someone who is really arm-talented and presents a high level of pitch ability when he is on. He immediately provides depth for us on the mound and I think he could be someone who plays a big role for our pitching staff both on the mound and as a leader on the staff."
Daniel Musgjerd (LHP, 6-0, 205, R-Fr., L/L, Excelsior, Minn. / Minnetonka HS / Charlotte)
Charlotte University:
2025: Did not compete for the 49ers.
Minnetonka High School:
Earned nine varsity letters for the Skippers in four different sports: baseball (3), cross country (2), track & field (2) and wrestling (2) … in 2023, registered 17 strikeouts in 8.2 innings while holding opponents to a .194 average with a 4.04 ERA … unable to complete prep career due to injury … helped the Skippers to a 2023 MSHSL State Tournament third-place finish … section champions and state tournament appearances in 2023 and 2024.
Personal:
Will major in finance at Concordia … has a pair of brothers.
Coach Dahlke on Musgjerd: "Daniel is coming to CSP after spending the past season at UNC-Charlotte where he sat out the season due to a previous injury. Daniel is looking for a fresh start and we are pumped that he decided to come back closer to home and join the CSP baseball family! Daniel is a left-handed pitcher who really has some arm talent when he is on. I am really excited to work with Daniel in the coming years because I think with his work ethic and the strength and athleticism that he has, he still has a ton of room to grow and become a really good pitcher in this league. He immediately provides left-handed pitching depth and is someone who will come in and have a chance to compete for some innings right away."
Seth Nelson (UT, 5-11, 195, Jr., R/R, Mahtomedi, Minn. / Mahtomedi HS / Century College)
Century College:
2025: Region 13 Player of the Year, MCAC Player of the Year, All-America First Team, JBB All-American, JBB Preseason All-American, Rawlings Gold Glove (2B), Region 13 First Team Infield, All-Academic Team, MCAC Academic Team, South All-Division First Team, All MCAC First Team, MCAC Elite Team, two-time MCAC Player of the Week, Listed top-10 position player in National Tournament … played in 57 games for the Wood Ducks … hit .387/.498/.735 (70-181) with 18 doubles, 15 home runs, 72 runs and 61 RBIs … had 37 walks to just 21 strikeouts … added 10 stolen bases … helped the team to a 46-11 record and perfect 16-0 conference championship season … Wood Ducks won Region XIII/North Plains District Championship and finished as 2025 NJCAA Division III runner-up.
2024: All-MCAC First Team, MCAC Elite Team, All-Academic Team, All-South Division First Team, two-time MCAC Player of the Week, All-Region 13 First Team Infield … played in 49 games for the Wood Ducks, hitting .384/.490/.665 (63-164) with 16 doubles, 10 home runs, 46 runs and 50 RBIs … had 25 walks, 10 HBP and 20 strikeouts … swiped nine bases … helped the Wood Ducks to a 36-17 overall record, finishing as NJCAA Region XIII/North Plains District runner-up.
Mahtomedi High School:
A two-sport athlete for the Zephyrs, earning a pair of letters in baseball and hockey … as a senior, named team captain and team MVP … named Offensive Player of the Year, All-Metro East Conference First Team and All-Tournament Team … as a junior, was named Rookie of the Year, All-Metro East Conference and All-Tournament Team … helped the Zephyrs to a pair of Metro East Conference titles and pair of MSHSL State Tournament appearances, finishing as runner-up as a senior and consolation champions as a junior … a .429/.500/.786 hitter with 12 doubles and six home runs among his 36 hits … had 35 RBIs and 16 runs with five stolen bases … in hockey, earned Hardest Worker Award as a junior and Most Improved Player award as a senior, securing All-Conference First Team honors … helped the hockey team to a 2023 MSHSL State championship and a 2022 MSHSL State third-place finish.
Personal:
A business major at Concordia … has an older brother and a younger brother.
Coach Dahlke on Nelson: "Seth is another local kid who is coming to us after a really successful two-year career at Century College. During his sophomore campaign, his team finished with a 46-11 record and NJCAA DIII national runner-up. During his sophomore season, Seth was named Region XIII and MCAC Player of the year, NJCAA DIII Rawlings Gold Glove Winner and was a NJCAA DIII First Team All-American. Seth is a versatile player who has played a lot of different positions while at Century which included starts at 2B, SS, C, 1B, LF, and RF. He provides us with a ton of different options and defensive flexibility as the bat is something that regularly kept him in the lineup. During his sophomore All-America season, not only did Seth have some really impressive numbers, but we were equally impressed with how highly his coaches talked about his work ethic, character and leadership. We are excited to see how Seth transitions to this level and are eager to see him compete for playing time."
Cole Newell (RHP, 6-4, 210, Sr., R/R, Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove HS / Purdue Fort Wayne)
Purdue University Fort Wayne:
2025: College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team … pitched in 20 games with one start … registered 26 strikeouts in 25.1 innings … worked to a 2-4 record … got the win at Michigan State (4/22), allowing one run with three strikeouts in 3.0 innings ... tossed 4.0 shutout innings to earn the win at Oakland (5/3), earning Horizon League Pitcher of the Week honors ... fanned three in 1.2 innings at Northern Kentucky (3/14) ... didn't allow a run in 0.2 innings at Ball State (3/11).
North Iowa Area Community College:
2024: Honorable Mention All-ICCAC Division II selection as a pitcher ... ICCAC Academic All-Region First Team selection for the 2023 fall semester ... ICCAC Academic All-Region First Team selection for the 2024 spring semester ... went 3-3 with one save in 13 appearances ... compiled a 1.25 WHIP and averaged 12.27 strikeouts per nine innings.
2023: ICCAC Academic All Region First Team selection for the 2022 fall semester ... ICCAC Academic All-Region First Team selection for the 2023 spring semester ... NJCAA All-Academic Second Team selection for the 2022-23 school year.
Maple Grove High School:
A three-sport athlete for the Crimson, competing in football, basketball and baseball while securing letters in football and baseball … a 2021 Northwest Suburban All-Conference selection.
Personal:
A finance major at Concordia.
Coach Dahlke on Newell: "We tried to recruit Cole pretty hard out of NIACC but he ended up finding an opportunity for himself at Purdue Fort Wayne where he was second on the team in appearances and made one start. However, with Purdue Fort Wayne cutting its baseball program at the conclusion of the 2025 season, Cole was looking for a new home and we knew we had to reconnect with him to see if this could be a fit. We have always liked his size and pitch ability and the way he presents himself. Cole is a guy who has a ton of experience both starting and in relief so he will provide us with options as he competes for hopefully a significant role on our pitching staff."
Tyus Smith (RHP, 6-5, 190, So., R/R, Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake HS / South Dakota State)
South Dakota State University:
2025: Did not see game action for the Jackrabbits.
2024: Redshirt, did not compete.
Prior Lake High School:
Earned all-conference recognition as both a junior and senior for the Lakers … a team captain … notched a 0.56 earned run average during the 2022 season, followed by a 1.10 ERA as a senior.
Personal:
A business management major at Concordia … has a younger sister.
Coach Dahlke on Smith: "Tyus comes to us after a two-year stint at South Dakota State and is looking for a fresh start and I believe that Tyus' best baseball is still ahead of him. Tyus has a lanky, athletic frame with still some room to fill out but already has a talented arm with good off-speed offerings. As we started to recruit Tyus and learn more about him, he seemed like a great fit to bring into the Golden Bear family. We could tell he was eager to get another chance and had a really good summer on the mound with the Prior Lake amateur team and we are really excited to see how Tyus continues to develop this year and watch him compete for a role on this year's pitching staff!"
Jack Thompson (LHP, 5-9, 185, So., L/L, Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount HS / Valparaiso)
Valparaiso University:
2025: Pitched in three games for the Beacons, completing 1.0 inning … saw action at Samford (2/14), against Niagara (2/28) and at Missouri State (4/13).
2024: Redshirt, did not compete.
Rosemount High School:
All-South Suburban Conference (2023), All-State (2023), MSHSL All-Tournament Team (2023), All-Metro Second Team (2023) … part of an Irish team that was MSHSL Class 4A state runners-up … South Suburban Conference champions and section champions … two-year varsity letter winner … held a 1.20 ERA and an 11-0 career record while limiting opponents to a .179 average … also was a one-year letter winner in football, helping the Irish to an MSHSL state runner-up finish in 2022.
Personal:
A finance major at Concordia … has a sister, Ava Thompson, who is a member of the CSP women's basketball team … his father played football at the University of Minnesota Duluth.
Coach Dahlke on Thompson: "Jack is originally from Rosemount and was the ace on the Rosemount High School team that took second in state in 2023 and comes to CSP after a two-year stint at Valpo. I saw Jack pitch quite a bit his senior year and every time I watched him, I liked him more. Though not the biggest pitcher around, Jack's pitch ability and bulldog mentality on the mound are what I think are separators for him. We are excited to see how he continues to develop and compete for a role on the pitching staff. Jack also gets the chance to attend some more CSP women's basketball games with family as his sister, Ava, is a redshirt freshman on the team."
Ryley Wuebkers (RHP, 6-0, 160, Fr., St. Michael, Minn. / St. Michael-Albertville HS)
St. Michael-Albertville High School:
Carried a 3.40 ERA and 36 strikeouts for the Knights … helped the team to a fourth-place finish in the section.
Personal:
Will pursue a degree in business and accounting at Concordia.
Coach Dahlke on Wuebkers: "We didn't see Ryley until his senior year at STMA which is pretty late in the recruiting process but as we found out information on him, we knew we had to go watch him pitch and see if he would be a fit for us. As soon as we saw him, we knew that this was a kid who has a ton of potential to grow and become a staple on the CSP pitching staff. He fills up the zone with multiple pitches and was a workhorse the last two seasons at STMA. What stood out to us was that it seemed like he always wanted the ball and was going to give his team a chance to win. On a staff with a lot of new faces on it, Ryley will have a chance to compete for innings right away as a freshman but we are really excited to see where he can get to in his development once he gets to work with our strength and conditioning staff to fill out his frame."
