ST. PAUL, Minn. – This weekend, Concordia-St. Paul (15-17, 11-11 NSIC) looks to bounce back from a tough midweek sweep as they head to Wayne State (17-14, 13-9 NSIC) in another key NSIC matchup. The Golden Bears and Wildcats will play a Saturday doubleheader at 1:30 p.m. followed by a single game at noon on getaway day on Sunday.

This weekend will be CSP's first road weekend series in conference play and also marks the shift from four-game weekend sets to the three-game series format with the start of midweek competition.

The Golden Bears dropped their first road NSIC games in a doubleheader at St. Cloud State on Wednesday, using a pair of home runs to cut the first game deficit to 8-7 in the sixth inning before SCSU scored 11 in the bottom of the inning for the lopsided game one win. In game two, CSP once again rallied for three runs in the sixth inning, this time tying the game at 6-6 before CSP and SCSU played scoreless for three-straight to head into extra innings, when a 2-out error allowed the Huskies to secure the sweep.
 
Like Concordia, Wayne State was also swept on its first midweek doubleheader, falling to Southwest Minnesota State 5-4 and 12-4 at a neutral site in Milroy, Minnesota.
 
Against common opponents, Wayne State is 6-8 and Concordia is 7-9 record against Minnesota Crookston, Minot State, UMary and Southwest Minnesota State, but have taken drastically different paths to achieve those similar records. WSC went 1-3 against UMC, 3-1 against UMary and 0-2 against SMSU. CSP went 2-2 against UMC, 0-4 against UMary and 3-1 against SMSU. Both squads split a 4-game series against Minot State.
 
In the NSIC Standings, this weekend presents an opportunity for the Golden Bears, who are part of a 3-team tie for eighth place at 11-11, while the Wildcats are tied for fourth with SCSU at 13-9.
 
The games will be streamed on the NSIC Network and feature live in-game statistics to follow along online.
 
SERIES HISTORY: WSC 37, CSP 19
The Golden Bears and Wildcats have played 56 times since Concordia's entry into the NSIC and NCAA Division II ranks in the 1999-2000 academic year. The Wildcats dominated the early part of the series, winning 18 of the first 21 contests including a 10-game winning streak from 2006 to 2007 that included two 4-game weekend sweeps and a pair of 2006 NSIC Tournament contests.
 
Further, WSC extended the series lead to 33-7 in the first 40 matchups through the end of the 2012 season that included a 9-game WSC winning streak from 2010 until CSP snapped it with a doubleheader sweep in 2015.
 
Since Concordia's 2015 sweep in Wayne, America, the Golden Bears have taken control of the series, opening up an 8-game winning streak from 2015 to 2019 and CSP is 12-4 against WSC in the last 16 meetings.
 
Last year, Concordia swept WSC in a 3-game series at Barnes Field in St. Paul in the regular season, but the Wildcats eliminated the Golden Bears in the NSIC Tournament's final four in Mandan, North Dakota.
 
Among the 56 games between the schools, all but six have been played on one of the two campuses. Concordia holds an 11-22 road record at Wayne State but have won six of their last nine road games against the Wildcats.
 
Since Neil Lerner has taken the reins as head coach in the 2020 season, Concordia holds a 4-3 record against the Wildcats with a 1-2 record in away games.
 
ABOUT THE WILDCATS
The 2024 Wildcats finished fifth in the NSIC Standings with a 21-16 conference record and were one of the final three teams standing at the NSIC Tournament, eliminating Concordia to improve to 3-1 in the tournament before getting knocked out by Minnesota State and finishing 29-23 overall.
 
Entering 2025, the Wildcats were slotted fifth in the NSIC Preseason Poll, three points behind St. Cloud State and two points ahead of Concordia. WSC is currently tied with SCSU for fourth in the standings, and holds a narrow 2-game lead over Concordia despite CSP being in eighth.
 
In league play, WSC finds itself four games over .500 with series wins over Bemidji State (4-0), UMary (3-1) and Minnesota Duluth (3-1), while falling to Minnesota Crookston (1-3) and SMSU (0-2) and securing a split with Minot State (2-2).
 
The Wildcat lineup is led by Max Heard, who leads the NSIC with 16 doubles, ranking third in the country with 0.52 doubles per game leading to the league's sixth-ranked slugging percentage (.658) while his 31 RBIs (one RBI per game pace) ranks ninth in the league, and he's also added a pair of triples. He's hitting .342 and also has five home runs.
 
Cam Madsen sets the tone for the Wildcats with team-leading .359 average, .483 OBP and has a combined 23 BB/HBP against just four strikeouts, swiping 14 bases in 15 tries. Chase Douglas joins him on the basepaths with 21 steals in 24 attempts and is tied with Heard for the team lead with 32 runs scored.
 
Wayne State is second in the league with 161 walks and fourth with a .417 OBP, leading to 7.7 runs per game which ranks third in the conference.
 
The pitching staff is fronted by Jackson Sherburne with a 4.41 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in seven starts, posting a 37-7 strikeout-walk ratio in 34.2 innings against a .254 average. He's the only Wildcat pitcher to solely appear as a starter. WSC has used eight different starting pitchers and six different arms have started at least three games.
 
The bullpen is led by Adam Eggert's 7.2 inning with a 0.00 ERA and 1.30 WHIP while Braden Cannon is the closer with five saves in eight appearances, covering 9.2 innings with eight strikeouts, a 3.72 ERA and 1.34 WHIP.
 
WSC's 5.98 team ERA ranks seventh in the league while its WHIP of 1.56 is fourth. The Wildcat SO-BB ratio is 1.81, fifth in the NSIC behind the eighth-ranked strikeout rate (8.2) and sixth-best walk rate (4.51).
 
POTENTIAL PITCHING MATCHUPS
With each team competing in their first NSIC midweek doubleheaders earlier in the week, the teams will shorten their weekend rotations from four to three starters. Teams do not announce or communicate their probable starting pitchers to the public, these listings are based on past usage trends.
 
WSC:

1. Jackson Shelburne (7 app, 7 GS, 4-2, 4.41 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 34.2 IP, 37-7 SO-BB, .254 oav)
2. Clay Beaumont (7 app, 5 GS, 1-1, 5.04 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 25.0 IP, 27-9 SO-BB, .255 oav)
3. Josh Kilzer (7 app, 4 GS, 2-2, 5.82 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 21.2 IP, 22-10 SO-BB, .301 oav)

 
CSP:

1. Korey Dahlberg (7 app, 7 GS, 1-3, 6.35 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 34.0 IP, 26-18 SO-BB, .278 oav)
2. Gavin Rusch (7 app, 6 GS, 2-2, 5.05 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 35.2 IP, 39-14 SO-BB, .290 oav)
3. Ian Segna (7 app, 6 GS, 4-1, 3.16 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 37.0 IP, 35-10 SO-BB, .255 oav)

 
PLAYER NOTES:
Bennett McCollow (2B-27, DH-5 | 1^st-1, 2^nd-27, 3^rd-4)
2025: 32 GP, .291/.436/.527 (32-110), 24 R, 8 2B, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 23-23 BB-SO
Career: 83 GP, .375/.482/.635 (113-301), 88 R, 26 2B, 2 3B, 16 HR, 70 RBI, 48-55 BB-SO

• Opened season reaching base (H, BB, HBP) in 14-straight games, extending his streak to 28 games
• Has reached base safely in 27 of 32 games
• Second on the team with 11 multi-hit games
• 4^th NSIC with 23 walks & 8^th NSIC with 0.72 walks per game
• 10^th NSIC with 6 home runs
• Ranks 5^th in CSP history with a .482 career OBP
• 2025 NCBWA (DH) & D2 Baseball (2B) Preseason All-America First Team
• 2024 D2 Baseball All-America Second Team (2B) & 64 Analytics D2 All-America (DH)
• 2024 All-Central Region Team (D2CCA, ABCA, NCBWA)
• 2024 NSIC Newcomer of the Year
• 2024 All-NSIC First Team & NSIC All-Tournament Team

 
Noah Juliar (RF-32 | 3^rd-28, 4^th-4)
2025: 32 GP, .393/.453/.508 (48-122), 19 R, 9 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 13-16 BB-SO
Career: 127 GP, .338/.404/.520 (158-467), 95 R, 28 2B, 9 3B, 13 HR, 121 RBI, 52-83 BB-SO, 5-5 SB

• Opened season on 12-game hitting streak and 13-game reach base streak, extending his overall reach base streak to 25 games
• Has reached base safely in 30 of 32 games on the season and hit safely in 27 of 32 games
• Had his 17-game reach base streak snapped in game 2 at SCSU on Wednesday
• Has two reach base streaks of 12-plus games this season
• Leads team with 15 multi-hit games including five games with 3-plus hits
• 2^nd NSIC with 48 hits & 69^th DII with 1.50 hits per game
• 8^th NSIC (96^th DII) with .393 average
• 10^th NSIC with nine doubles
• Ranks 4^th in CSP history with 9 triples
• Ranks 8^th in CSP history with 121 RBIs
• Ranks 10^th in CSP history with 243 total bases
• 2024 CSC Academic All-District Team

 
Kal Brohmer (LF-17, 1B-5, 2B-2, DH-7) | 1^st-15, 2^nd-4, 5^th-1, 6^th-8, 7^th-3)
2025: 31 GP, .282/.398/.350 (29-103), 21 R, 3 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 23 RBI, 22-19 BB-SO, 4-5 SB, .974 fld
Career: 153 GP, .306/.419/.388 (147-480), 97 R, 21 2B, 6 3B, 2 HR, 84 RBI, 93-94 BB-SO, 9-13 SB, .991 fld

• Opened season reaching base safely in 14 games, extending streak to 25 games
• Has reached base successfully in 29 of 31 games
• Second on the team with six multi-RBI games
• T-2^nd NSIC with two triples
• 4^th NSIC with four sacrifice bunts
• 9^th NSIC with three sacrifice flies
• 9^th NSIC with 0.71 walks/game
• Ranks t-1^st in CSP history with 10 sacrifice flies
• Ranks 3^rd in CSP history with 93 walks
• Ranks 5^th in CSP history with 709 putouts
• Ranks 6^th in CSP history with six triples
• Ranks 8^th in CSP history with 56 double plays turned
• Leads the team with 23 RBIs
• CSP has 9-6 record when batting leadoff
• 2022 All-NSIC Second Team (DH)

 
Koby McBroome (SS-30 | 1^st-14, 6^th-2, 9^th-14)
2025: 30 GP, .263/.397/.424 (26-99), 21 R, 4 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 19-21 BB-SO, 6-8 SB
Career: 93 GP, .264/.411/.396 (76-288), 76 R, 12 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 40 RBI, 68-73 BB-SO, 7-9 SB

• Had a 10-game reached base streak earlier this season
• Has reached base safely in 25 of 30 games on the year
• Third on the team with five multi-RBI games
• Had three games with 3-plus RBIs in a 6-game stretch (vs Tiffin, NWMSU, Park Gilbert)
• 1^st NSIC with three triples
• Ranks 9^th in CSP history with 68 walks
• CSP has 9-5 record when batting in 9^th spot in lineup

 
Will Husemann (3B-32 | 4^th-19, 5^th-5, 6^th-8)
2025: 32 GP, .254/.336/.398 (30-118), 22 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 10-39 BB-SO, 4-4 SB
Career: 50 GP, .280/.354/.453 (45-161), 30 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 35 RBI, 13-54 BB-SO, 4-4 SB

• Had a team-high 17-game reached base streak
• Has reached base in 27 of 32 games on the season
• Leads the team with nine multi-RBI games
• Second on the team with four home runs and 22 RBIs
• CSP has 5-3 record when batting in 6^th spot in lineup

 
MISCELLANEOUS PLAYER NOTES:

• Freshman Eric Berg is second on the team in hitting at .308 (25-85) and fourth in doubles (7)
• Catcher Trett Joles is third on the team with three home runs and leads the team with 12 HBP. He's only allowed 15 opposing stolen bases while has caught 5 stealing. He has reached base in 22 of 29 games.
• Center fielder Kaden Johnson leads the team in stolen bases (9-9) and is second on the team in doubles (8)
• First baseman Charlie Harms holds a 19-17 BB-SO ratio and has scored 18 runs while starting 23 games and playing in 29 overall with a .387 OBP
• Eight of nine Golden Bear starting position players have at least a .366 OBP
• Redshirt freshman infielder Jack Setterlund is tied for the team lead and is fourth in the NSIC with four sacrifice bunts

 
PITCHER NOTES:
Korey Dahlberg
2025: 7 APP/7 GS, 1-3, 6.35 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 34.0 IP, 26-18 SO-BB, .278 oav
Career: 40 APP/39 GS, 14-18, 6.46 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 195.0 IP, 144-78 SO-BB, .305 oav

• Has registered three quality starts in 2025, working 6.0 IP with 0 ER with 5 SO against Minot State, 6.0 IP with 2 ER and 4 SO against Northern State and 8.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 SO against SMSU
• Has not allowed more than seven hits in a start this season
• Has at least four strikeouts in five of seven starts
• Has pitched 4.0 or more innings in six of seven starts including five in a row
• Ranks 1^st in CSP history with 39 games started
• Ranks 3^rd in CSP history with 936 batters faced
• Ranks 9^th in CSP history with 195.0 innings pitched

 
Gavin Rusch
2025: 7 APP/6 GS, 2-2, 5.05 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 35.2 IP, 39-14 SO-BB, .290 oav
Career: 35 APP/27 GS, 8-6, 6.83 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 143.2 IP, 106-49 SO-BB, .315 oav

• Had season-high 10 strikeouts in 6.0 IP, allowing 0 ER against Northern State
• Has pitched at least 4.0 IP in all seven appearances
• Has allowed 2 ER or less in four of seven appearances
• Has at least four strikeouts in all six starts
• Has only allowed three SB in six attempts on the season
• 7^th NSIC with 2.79 strikeout-walk ratio
• 7^th NSIC with 9.84 strikeouts/9 innings

 
Ian Segna
2025: 7 APP/6 GS, 4-1, 3.16 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 37.0 IP, 35-10 SO-BB, .255 oav
Career: 18 APP/16 GS, 10-2, 4.23 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 93.2 IP, 67-24 SO-BB, .303 oav

• Has five consecutive starts pitching at least 5.0 IP and allowing 3 ER or less
• Has pitched at least 5.0 IP in all six starts
• Has 7+ strikeouts in three of last five starts
• Has won four-straight decisions and four of last five starts
• Pitched second career shutout in win over SMSU (7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO)
• Recorded 9 SO in 7.0 IP against Minot State, with 1 BB and 2 ER
• Recorded 7 SO in 5.0 IP against UMary, allowing 1 ER on 2 H and 2 BB
• Allowed 2 ER in 6.0 IP with 3-0 SO-BB ratio against Northern State
• Recorded 9 SO in 6.0 IP against UMC, allowing 3 ER on 6 H and 1 BB
• 4^th in NSIC with a 3.16 ERA
• 4^th in NSIC with a 3.50 strikeout-walk ratio
• 4^th in NSIC with 2.43 walks/9 innings
• 7^th in NSIC with a 1.22 WHIP
• 9^th in NSIC with 8.51 hits/9 innings
• Ranks 10^th in CSP history in fewest walks/9 innings (2.31)

 
PITCHING NOTES:

• Senior Fritz Meyer has 7 app/6 starts, striking out 29 over 27.2 IP with a 5.86 ERA and 1.63 WHIP
• Meyer had career-high nine strikeouts in 4.1 scoreless innings against UMC
• Meyer has pitched 4.0 or more innings in five of his six starts
• Senior Jack Greenlun leads the team with 13 relief appearances, working 24.1 innings out of the bullpen with 25 strikeouts and a .218 opponent average with a win and three saves.
• Greenlun has allowed 1 or 0 runs in nine of his 13 appearances
• Greenlun took the loss in game 2 at SCSU, allowing one unearned run in 4.2 innings
• Greenlun saved two games in one doubleheader against UMC
• In two seasons as a pitcher, he's struck out 40 batters in 43.1 innings in 24 appearances
• Redshirt freshman Liam Bystol, one of three LHP in the bullpen, has a 3.97 ERA in 11.1 IP in eight appearances, striking out nine with a 1.50 WHIP and .255 oav. He opened the year with 5.2 scoreless innings in his first three appearances and is coming off of back-to-back 2.0 IP scoreless and no-hit appearances against UMary (3/13) and UMC (3/27).
• Junior Christian Lindow has struck out 13 batters in 16.0 innings across nine appearances (one start), the second-most appearances on the team. He's 2-0 with a save, a 7.31 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP while holding opposing hitters to a .241 oav.
• In Lindow's last appearance, he got his first start of the year at SCSU in game 2, working 2.2 innings in a no decision, a game that went to 10 innings
• Senior Reece Piontek, one of three LHP in the bullpen, has 27 strikeouts in 22.2 IP with a 6.35 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in eight appearances (two starts)
• In his last two appearances, Piontek has registered 13 strikeouts in 6.2 innings, a 48 percent strikeout rate against 27 batters faced
• He entered in the 5^th inning against SMSU in a bases loaded, 2-out jam and recorded a strikeout to preserve a 2-2 tie in a game he would finish with 4.1 shutout innings and an 8-1 SO-BB ratio for a 3-2 win.
• In his next and most recent outing at SCSU, Piontek entered with runners on 2^nd and 3^rd and trailing 4-3 with two outs in the third inning, getting a strikeout to end the threat in a game that would go into extra innings. He struck out five in 2.1 innings in the outing.
• In Piontek's career, he has 114.0 career IP in 40 appearances with 23 starts and a 5-7 lifetime record, striking out 97 with an 8.13 ERA.
• Junior Ollie Yuhas, one of three LHP in the bullpen, has pitched to a 3.97 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in 11.1 IP across six appearances with a 6-3 SO-BB ratio and .184 oav. He hasn't allowed more than one hit in an appearance since allowing three hits in 2.0 IP in his debut on 2/24 and has pitched four times in a row without issuing a walk covering 7.1 IP
• Junior Cooper Mollet has recorded a 4.82 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 9.1 innings with nine strikeouts in seven appearances, holding hitters to a .152 average. He's yet to allow more than two hits to an opponent and struck out four in 2.0 innings with an unearned run allowed against Crown.
• Nine different pitchers have started a game for CSP this year, 10 pitchers have secured a win, and four different pitchers have secured at least one save.

 
COACH LERNER WINS 100^th GAME
The Golden Bears secured the 100^th win in head coach Neil Lerner's career with the game four win over SMSU, which also secured the 3-1 series win. He's been head coach since the COVID-shortened 2020 season and is the third to reach the milestone in Concordia's 4-year college era (1967-68 to present).
 
ODDS AND ENDS
The Golden Bears are 6-1 when scoring 10-plus runs and 8-2 when allowing 0-to-2 runs … CSP is 12-5 when scoring first, 15-2 when leading after six innings, 7-1 when leading after seven innings and 6-0 when leading after eight innings … when CSP doesn't allow a home run, they have a 14-6 record … when opponents make 2-plus errors, CSP is 6-1 … when the Golden Bears out-hit their opponent, they are 11-4 … CSP has had 14 games decided by one (4-5) or two (2-3) runs … the Golden Bears are outscoring opponents 37-15 in the second inning but are getting outscored 23-9 in the first inning … in the fourth (34-24) and fifth (37-24) innings, Concordia is outscoring opponents 71-48 … CSP holds a 17-8 run margin in the seventh inning.