(Ann Arbor, MI) – Concordia baseball will start their 2020 season on February 15th when the team travels to West Virginia for a pair of double headers. Zach Johnston will be entering his 6th season as the head coach of the program. The Cardinals earned 39 wins last season which was the 2nd most wins in a season in program history (#1 – 42 wins in 2017). Last season, the Cardinals brought home the 2019 NCCAA World Series Championship. Coach Johnston looks to build off of the tangible success of their championship season and instill the feeling of achievement in the new members of the program.
2018-2019 Review
Concordia finished with a 39-20 overall record last season along with a 14-8 mark in WHAC play. The team began the season by going 3-1 in their first four conference games. The Cardinals dominated in a 4-game season sweep over Cleary on the road by outscoring the Cougars 49-13.
Johnston's Cardinals won in assertive fashion last season. The average margin of victory for the Cardinals in WHAC play was 9 runs per game. The Cardinals kept each of their 8 losses in conference play close with the average margin of defeat being 4 runs per game, 2 of which were one run games.
Concordia earned the #3 seed in the WHAC tournament but were knocked out after an extra inning loss to University of Northwestern Ohio in the first round followed by a loss to the 7th ranked Warriors from Indiana Tech.
However, the Cardinals season did not end there. Concordia received a birth to the NCCAA World Series in South Carolina. Concordia defeated Hiwassee in a tight-knit battle in pool play before suffering a defeat against a receiving votes Southwestern Christian University program. Facing a win-or-go-home scenario, the Cardinal were able to defeat Toccoa Falls College in a dominating 10-3 fashion to move into the next round.
The Cardinals drew a matchup with Ecclesia College in the second round of pool play in which Concordia continued their stellar offensive production in a 12-2 route in seven innings of play. A win over the College of the Ozarks was the only thing standing in the way of the Cardinals and a championship appearance. The stakes of this game did not phase the Cardinals as they blew past the Bobcats by winning 17-4.
Concordia had a date with #3 seeded Warner University for all the marbles. The Cardinals entered the championship game by scoring 48 runs in the five games they had played in the tournament. The game was highlighted by a pitchers' duel throughout the majority of it with the Cardinals possessing a 1-0 lead into the 8th inning. Concordia's bats then woke up and drove in five runs in the top of the inning which proved to be enough by defeating the Royals 6-2 and bringing the programs first NCCAA World Series Championship to Ann Arbor.
2019 Schedule Outlook
The Cardinals will start their 2020 campaign with four games in Dunbar, West Virginia at the Shawnee Sports Complex. The team will play a pair of two games series against Pikeville (Kentucky) and Goshen (Indiana) this weekend on February 15th and 16th. Concordia will then travel to Fairborn, Ohio, the next week for a four game series with Wright-Lake State.
The team will wrap up the month of February and welcome the month of March with a four game series at Shawnee State on February 29th and March 1st. They will then continue their stretch of non-conference games as the team travels to Illinois for another four game series against Roosevelt before their next weekend series in Kentucky against Alice Lloyd. The Cardinals will compete in Florida during their spring break trip from March 14th to March 18th with matchups against Ave Maria, Florida National University, and highlighted by a rematch of last year's NCCAA Championship Game with Warner.
WHAC play begins on March 21st as the Cardinals will welcome Cleary for their home opener. After another home series on March 22nd against UM-Dearborn, CUAA will face NCAA Division I opponent Eastern Michigan on March 25th at Oestrike Stadium in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Concordia will then travel to Lima for a series with Northwestern Ohio. On March 29th, the team will host Indiana Tech, who is currently #9 in the NAIA coaches' poll.
The Cardinals will then hit the road for eight games against Indiana Wesleyan, a receiving votes Madonna team, Rochester, and Lourdes. The Cardinals will the return home on April 10th to play Cornerstone. Concordia baseball will be celebrating senior day on April 11th as they wrap up their home schedule with a double header against Lawrence Tech. The team will wrap up their regular season campaign with a 10 game road trip against Cleary, Cornerstone, Aquinas, Siena Heights, and Lourdes.
If the Cardinals finish among the top 6 teams in the WHAC, they will qualify for the WHAC conference tournament. The first round will be held from April 30th and May 1st and the championship round will be from May 4th and 5th. The location of the tournament will be determined based on the regular season results with the top 2 seeds hosting.
Concordia Personnel
The 2020 Concordia baseball team will feature 32 returners from the 2018-19 season including 14 seniors. Chris Lowe (SR/DeWitt, MI) leads all returning Cardinals with .349 batting average last year. Grant Steinborn (SR/Flushing, MI), Preston Sherman (SR/Homer, MI), and Vann Acker (SR/Eaton Rapids, MI) will also be key returning position players, batting .333, .299, and .277 respectively.
On the mound, the Cardinals bring back 27 of their 39 wins. Grant Steinborn posted a 2.63 ERA in 75.1 innings of work, which earned him a team high 9 wins. Alex Phillips (SO/Tucson, AZ) tallied a 6-0 record coming out of the bullpen for the Cardinals. Billy Blair (JR/St. Charles, MI) will look to build off his MVP performance in the NCCAA World Series Championship Game this season after recording 44 strikeouts in 12 appearances last season.
Coach Johnston has recruited several newcomers to join the 2020 squad. A few transfers and 11 freshmen will provide increased depth and talent to the Cardinals this year. Coach Johnston expects "nothing short of excellence and mentorship from his upper classmen to assist him in the development of these young men. They must pass the torch of their success onto the next class in order to continue the winning culture that we have here in Ann Arbor."
Team Motto – "Stay Lethal, Thicker than Water, and Compete"
Coach Johnston says that, "Our guys have won often over the last few years. Our 4 recruiting classes have a record of 146-79 and hold the 4 winningest seasons in Cardinals history (31 wins, 34 wins, 39 wins and 42 wins). They have been to the World Series in back-to-back seasons and are the raining 2019 NCCAA National Champions. Bottom line is these guys understand what it takes to win at this level. However, just as in the past, in order for our winning tradition to continue we must instill and keep a certain mind set in our culture. When we win we need to stay humble and hungry. We can never become complacent. If we think we can just show up and achieve the same result, forgetting the effort, the drive, the determination and the work it took to get there winning will not stay consistent. The target is now on our backs. We are no longer the underdogs. We are the team everyone is gunning to beat. There are quotes out there that say success breeds success. For this statement to be true in our program we must continue to be mentally and physically tough, never make excuses and continue striving for excellence on a daily basis."
Connect with the Cardinals
For the most updated information and news throughout the season, follow the Concordia Baseball team on their social media platforms. The Cardinals are on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@cuaabaseball). Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #DiamondCards when referencing the baseball team on social media. Fans can also subscribe for text alerts and the Cardinals YouTube page for video interviews from players and coaches.
