ST. PAUL, Minn. - This weekend, CSP closes out its 2026 road schedule with a three-game series at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota with a 1:30 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday followed by a noon series finale on Sunday. Saturday's doubleheader has been pushed back to a 1:30 p.m. start.

NSIC RACE
The Golden Bears are 7-3 in their last 10 games, surging to 20-24 overall and 15-17 in the Northern Sun. With six games to go, Concordia sits in ninth in the NSIC Standings, trailing a Wayne State (16-16) and St. Cloud State (14-14) tie for seventh by just 1.0 game. UMary (27-15, 20-9 NSIC) is in third place, trailing second-place Augustana (23-6) by 3.0 games and holding a 1.5 game lead over Sioux Falls (18-10).

Concordia has three games with UMary (20-9) and three at home to close out the season against Bemidji State (6-21) while Wayne State has a weekend bye, then heads to Northern State (10-19) for a midweek doubleheader on Tuesday and hosts Jamestown (7-21) for three on the final weekend. SCSU, on an eight-game losing streak, has a busy final eight days of the regular season, heading to Jamestown (7-21) for three this weekend then to NSIC leader Minnesota State (23-5) for a midweek doubleheader on Tuesday, capped by a three-game home series with UMary (20-9) next weekend. 

WEEKEND WEATHER
Saturday and Sunday bring highs of 50 this weekend with a W 17mph wind and partly cloudy conditions on Saturday shifting to an E 12mph wind on Sunday with a 40 percent chance of afternoon showers. Saturday's first pitch has a forecast high of 44 degrees, increasing throughout the late afternoon and early evening hours during game time. Sunday's noon first pitch features a 45 degree temperature, climbing through the early afternoon hours into the upper 40s. 

SERIES HISTORY: CSP 33, UMary 16
Concordia holds a decisive 33-16 lead in the all-time series, which started in 2007 when UMary joined the Northern Sun. After the teams split the first six games in 2007 and 2008, CSP took control of the series in 2009 by ripping off 20 straight victories into 2016. After UMary snapped the streak in game two of the 2016 four-game series, CSP won five of the next six games and went 9-5 over the next 14.

UMary has emerged with a few strong seasons in recent history which has translated to the series, winning seven of the last eight against CSP including a four-game series sweep in 2025 at Veterans Field in Minnetonka. 

Concordia has a 12-4 record at UMary in Bismarck and a 28-16 record in Northern Sun games. Under head coach Neil Lerner, CSP is 4-10 overall and 1-1 in Bismarck. This will be CSP's first trip to Bismarck since 2022, a doubleheader split.

PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
CSP
Ollie Yuhas, LHP: 4-3, 6.19 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 9 app/9 gs, 48.0 IP, 26-18 SO-BB, .304 oav
Tyus Smith, RHP: 2-2, 4.98 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 10 app/4 gs, 34.1 IP, 24-9 SO-BB, .278 oav
Caden Carsen, RHP: 2-2, 5.17 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 14 app/1 gs, 31.1 IP, 26-17 SO-BB, .248 oav

UMARY
Lucas Burgum, RHP: 3-3, 3.74 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 9 app/9 gs, 53.0 IP, 56-19 SO-BB, .211 oav
Aiden Johnson, RHP: 3-3, 4.93 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 9 app/9 gs, 38.1 IP, 30-8 SO-BB, .288 oav
Justin Hanson, LHP: 2-1, 4.71 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 9 app/8 gs, 36.1 IP, 31-27 SO-BB, .263 oav

CSP BULLPEN NOTES
Cole Newell continues to dominate in relief, holding a 2.13 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in 13 relief appearances, tied with Caden Carsen for the most relief outings on the team although Carsen has 14 total pitching appearances. Newell is 3-0 with two saves and a 30-14 SO-BB ratio in 25.1 innings, allowing just 13 hits for a .148 opponent average. Across his five appearances, Newell has 11.1 scoreless innings, allowing five hits, three walks with 13 strikeouts while securing two wins and a save in that stretch, lowing his ERA from 3.86 to 2.13.

Meanwhile, Carsen has stretched out with back-to-back 4.0 inning appearances against St. Cloud State and Northern State last week including a spot-start against SCSU, topping 60 pitches in both outings which potentially puts him in line to jump into a rotation spot. Of his 14 appearances, nine have been 2.0-plus innings and he's had five appearances of three or more innings. In his last four outings, he's worked 12.0 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and six walks with 14 strikeouts, lowering his ERA from 6.98 to 5.17.

Liam Bystol and Justin Benjamin have each worked 12 appearances. Benjamin is 1-2 with four saves and 19 strikeouts in 14.1 innings with a .232 opponent average. He's been scoreless across his last two outings covering 3.2 innings with six strikeouts. Bystol has registered a save in his 12 outings across 18.1 innings with a 5.40 ERA. 

Working his way back into key innings out of the bullpen has been Cooper Mollet, with three relief appearances covering 4.2 innings with a .133 opponent average and six strikeouts. He's allowed just one run for a 1.93 ERA and picked up a three inning save against Northern State on just 36 pitches. 

IN THE NSIC RANKINGS (NCAA rank)
TEAM
1st - walks, 228 (45th)
2nd - shutouts, 3 (32nd)
3rd - doubles, 78
4th - double plays, 28
5th - triples, 11

INDIVIDUAL
1st - Kaden Johnson, 4 triples
2nd - Kaden Johnson, 53 runs
2nd - Charlie Harms, 36 walks (39th)
2nd - Eric Berg, 17 HBP (34th)
2nd - Eric Berg, 6 SF (18th)
3rd - Gus Berger, 50 RBIs
3rd - Nick Carlson, 35 walks (20th, 0.97/game)
3rd - Eric Berg, 15 doubles
3rd - Justin Benjamin, 4 saves
5th - Gus Berger, 5 SF
6th - Charlie Harms, 14 doubles
6th - Kaden Johnson, 95 total bases
6th - Gus Berger, 3 triples
9th - Gus Berger, 13 doubles
12th - Gus Berger, 92 total bases
13th - Gus Berger & Kaden Johnson, 8 home runs

CAREER RECORD LISTS
1st - Eric Berg, 10 SF
5th - Eric Berg, 27 HBP
10th - Kaden Johnson, 20 SB
11th - Will Husemann, 20 HBP
12th - Justin Benjamin, 4 saves
12th - Charlie Harms, .990 fielding pct.
12th - Eli Nelson, 13 CS
14th - Charlie Harms, 64 walks
16th - Gus Berger, .605 slugging pct.
17th - Kaden Johnson, 4 triples
18th - Jack Setterlund, 8 sacrifice bunts
20th - Charlie Harms, .447 OBP
20th - Caden Carsen, 13 games finished

SEASON RECORD LISTS
1st - Cole Newell, .148 oav
2nd - Eric Berg, 17 HBP
2nd - Eric Berg, 6 SF
3rd - Charlie Harms, 36 walks
3rd - Gus Berger, 5 SF
4th - Kaden Johnson, 4 triples
6th - Kaden Johnson, 53 runs
6th - Cole Newell, 2.13 ERA
6th - Evan Newlander, 11.72 K/9
6th - Lou Walker, 3 pickoffs
8th - Nick Carlson, 35 walks
8th - Kaden Johnson, 15 SB
9th - Justin Benjamin, 4 saves
10th - Eli Nelson, 10 CS
11th - Eli Nelson, 6 sacrifice bunts
11th - Cole Newell, 10.66 K/9
12th - Gus Berger, 50 RBIs
12th - Gus Berger, 3 triples
15th - Gus Berger, 28 walks
16th - Eric Berg, 15 doubles
18th - Caden Carsen, 14 appearances
20th - Charlie Harms, 14 doubles
20th - Kaden Johnson, 26 walks
20th - Cole Newell, Caden Carsen, Justin Benjamin, 7 games finished