2012 Spring Sports Media Guide
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GENERAL INFORMATION MISSION STATEMENT GENERAL INFORMATION TABLE OF CONTENTS The Concordia University Chicago School : Concordia University Chicago General Informaon 2 Athlecs Department is dedicated City/Zip : River Forest, IL About Concordia 3 to providing a posive athlec Founded : 1864 Baseball 4 experience to all individuals. Every Enrollment: 1,363 (undergraduate) Season Outlook 4 experience should support and Nickname: Cougars Head Coach 9 encourage the student‐athlete’s Colors: Maroon and Gold Assistant Coaches 10 academic development and personal Stadium : Concordia Stadium Roster 13 growth in a program dedicated to Capacity: 2,500 Player Profiles 14 quality and excellence at the NCAA Surface: FieldTurf 2011 Stascs 17 Division III level. Affiliaon: NCAA III 2011 Results 18 Conference: Northern Athlecs Soball 19 Our goal is to prepare student‐ Conference (NAC) Season Outlook 19 athletes for both producve careers President: Dr. John Johnson Head Coach 22 and acve, responsible lives. It is our Athlecs Director: Pete Gnan Assistant Coach 23 responsibility to help student‐athletes Athlecs Department Phone: Roster 24 graduate and be producve as 708‐209‐3116 Player Profiles 25 Chrisan adults in the world. We Athlec Trainer: Terri Woods 2011 Stascs 27 wish to emphasize honesty, personal 2011 Results 28 integrity and independent thinking. Track & Field 29 Intercollegiate athlecs is intended to SPORTS INFORMATION Season Outlook 29 provide students with opportunies to Sports Informaon Director : Head Coach 33 enhance their educaonal experience. Jim Egan Assistant Coaches 34 It is a privilege to represent Concordia (Concordia, 1982) Roster 37 University Chicago, and student‐ SID Phone: 708‐209‐3541 Player Profiles 38 athletes need to consider it as such. SID Fax: 708‐209‐3154 2011 Results/Records 42 Parcipaon in the program, however, SID E‐Mail: Men’s Tennis 43 is secondary to the academic [email protected] Season Outlook 43 obligaon of students. Head Coach 45 The welfare, health and safety of Assistant Coach 45 student‐athletes are primary concerns Roster 46 of the athlec department. Every Player Profiles 46 student‐athlete, in all sports, will 2011 Stascs 47 receive fair and equitable treatment. 2011 Results 47 Student‐athletes will have no unique privileges over a non‐athlete in On the cover (clockwise, from upper admissions, grading, or living le): Alex Schmidt (women’s track), accommodaons. Nick Skala (baseball), Cassie Slechta (soball), Alex Tarullo (men’s tennis), Merrell Davis (men’s track) ABOUT CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO Concordia University Chicago (CUC) is a liberal arts‐based university in the Lutheran tradion located 10 miles west of downtown Chicago in the village of River Forest, Illinois. Concordia serves more than 1,300 undergraduates and more than 3,800 graduate students from all over the United States and several foreign countries on its 40‐acre campus. Founded in Addison, Illinois in 1864 and relocated to River Forest in 1913, the instuon has grown into a liberal arts university which serves the needs of a diverse student body. Concordia is a member of the Concordia University System, a naonwide network of colleges and universies of The Lutheran Church‐Missouri Synod (LCMS). The original mission of Concordia was to prepare educators for Lutheran elementary schools across the country. Today, that strong tradion connues and has been expanded to include preparaon for public school teachers and more than 60 other areas of study. Introducon of the College of Business demonstrates Concordia’s commitment to a progressive business program and the vigorous demands of Chicago’s career market. As a university of the LCMS, Concordia is also renowned for preparing young men and women for church professions. Concordia is highly regarded among LCMS congregaons naonwide for the contribuons of its graduates and faculty members to congregaonal life, much of it through the composion of popular hymns and widely‐used liturgical sengs. CUC is situated in the upscale, residenal village of River Forest (pop. 11,635), within easy walking distance of a thriving downtown that offers shopping, dining and other cultural aracons. The neighboring village of Oak Park offers other cultural aracons centered around its two most famous residents, Ernest Hemingway and Frank Lloyd Wright. Downtown Chicago and all of its aracons are less than a half‐hour ride via public transportaon. BASEBALL—2012 SEASON OUTLOOK 2012 CONCORDIA COUGAR BASEBALL On many levels, the Concordia Cougars’ 2011 season could be considered the best in the history of the program. The team amassed a new program-record 35 wins for a .778 winning percentage and marched through the Northern Athletics Conference to win the regular-season title with a 20-2 record. The Cougars produced two first-team all-region players, a D3baseball.com second-team All-American and several All-NAC selections. Adam Smith, who became the team’s head coach prior to the season earned NAC Coach of the Year honors for his first season. And yet, Smith will be the first to tell you that the Cougars cannot and will not be satisfied with their 2011 body of work. “Our goal each year is to win the conference and go to the regionals,” said Smith. “We put ourselves in a tough position by losing the first game of the conference tournament and had to go the long way to the championship round. When we didn’t get that last win against Aurora and couldn’t get an at-large bid, it made for a very unsatisfactory end to our season.” The good news for Smith and Cougar fans is that several of the key figures from last year’s group will return this season to try and take care of unfinished business. Catcher Nick Skala and designated hitter Cam Stephens will be the leaders of an offense that hit a team-record .344 last year and scored 8.8 runs per game. In Smith’s three years at Concordia, the first two as the team’s hitting coach, the Cougars have hit a collective .338 over 130 games. While the Cougars’ hitting figures to remain a constant, Smith is perhaps more excited about the pitching depth that has been added in the off-season. Seven new pitchers will join a staff that returns several key figures from last season. “Winning a conference tournament and playing in a regional is all about pitching depth,” says Smith. “You play so many games in a short space of time, and you need to have five quality starters and a deep bullpen. We feel that with what we have added this year, our staff from top to bottom can compare with any of the top teams in the region.” BASEBALL—2012 SEASON OUTLOOK Going into the new season, Smith is aware that he has little to fear in regard to the team’s preparation. “Our guys have a major chip on their shoulders from having last season end abruptly and not achieving the team goal of a regional appearance. All their work, focus and intensity, especially from the upperclass- men, has been directed at making this year the year we reach that goal.” PITCHERS: The depth of pitching, both among starters and relievers, may be the greatest on any of the Concordia 30-plus win teams according to Smith. The mix of returning hurlers with game experience and new arms with tremendous potential looks to be split evenly, making Smith very optimistic about the Cougars’ chances in 2012. Three starters are set heading into the new season. The Cougars return lefty Brenden Schulz (7-1, 2.83 in 60.1 innings) and righty Steve Cox (4-1, 2.68, 43.2 IP). In addition, southpaw Ryan Thorsen returns after missing the 2011 season due to Tommy John surgery. Thorsen made an impression in 2010 with a 4-1 record and 4.55 ERA, striking out 50 in 55.1 innings. Smith has several options as he decides on the remainder of his starters in the early season. They include sophomore spot starters from last year Dan Kluss (3-0, 4.01, 42.2 IP) and Ryan Ganther (3-0, 5.48, 23.0 IP). Also in the mix are Bobby Beelen (Wheeling, IL/H.S.), a junior transfer from Harper College, and freshmen C.J. Selner (Milwaukee, WI/ Milwaukee Lutheran H.S.) and Kurt Kempema (Schaumburg, IL/H.S.). The latter three are all left-handed throwers, giving the Cougars’ pitching staff an unusually high number of throwers from the “south side.” The Cougars figure to have one of the deeper bullpens in the conference. Senior Tim Milroy is back as the closer following a 2011 season in which he went 1-0 with four saves and a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings (10 appearances) despite missing the first month of the season. Opponents hit just .133 off Milroy, the best mark of anyone on the staff. “Tim has a good assortment of pitches and good command of all of them. He has really developed into an excellent closer,” said Smith. Closing options are not limited to Milroy. Junior Pat Conlin saved six games last season while posting a 2-1 record and 1.19 ERA in 22.2 innings. The hard-throwing Conlin fanned 20 hitters while walking just eight. “Pat is a big man with a three-quarter delivery that can intimidate some hitters,” said Smith. “He was a huge asset for us at the beginning of last season, and he has the pitches and the mentality to fill the closer or the set-up role.” Bridging the gap between the starter and the closer should be another team asset. Lefty Kevin Pawell pitched well in some key long relief situations last year, and the sophomore will look to build on a 2-0 record and 4.29 ERA in 21 innings.