Cobbers at Nebraska Wesleyan Preview

MOORHEAD, Minn. (3/20/15)—Concordia heads back into action after an 18-day break since returning from Florida. The Cobbers will head southwest to Lincoln, Neb. to take on Nebraska Wesleyan for a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday, Mar. 21 and Sunday, Mar. 22.  

The Cobbers are 8-1 on the season and off to the best start since 1995 when head coach Chris Coste was a senior and CC went 9-0 on their way to the MIAC regular-season championship.

Concordia has won two straight games entering the weekend and is coming off a 12-9 win over Rose-Hulman who advanced to the NCAA Central Region championship last year and earned votes in the two major Division III national preseason polls.

GAME SCHEDULE
- Saturday, Mar. 21, 1 p.m. | Probable Starters:  Ross Merriman (CC) vs. Matt Schommer (NWU)
- Saturday, Mar. 21, 3 p.m. | Probable Starters: Kyle Connelly (CC) vs. Jordyn Johnson (NWU)
- Sunday, Mar. 22, 12 p.m. | Probable Starters: Billy Jacobson (CC) vs. Aaron Soriano (NWU) | Live Stats
- Sunday, Mar. 22, 2 p.m. | Probable Starters: Sam Mattson (CC) vs. Nolan Lott (NWU) | Live Stats
 
HEAD COACH CHRIS COSTE PREVIEW VIDEO     

SERIES HISTORY
--- Concordia leads Nebraska Wesleyan 3-0 in games played since 1980. The Cobbers swept the Prairie Wolves in the three games between the teams last year.  

A LOOK AT NEBRASKA WESLEYAN
--- Nebraska Wesleyan is 3-7 on the season and enters the weekend having lost three straight games.
--- The Prairie Wolves lost a pair of games to Sterling College who is ranked 19th in the NAIA.
--- Nebraska Wesleyan is 1-4 at home this season
--- The Prairie Wolves also have a first-year head coach. Scott Ballinger took control of the program at the end of the 2014 season.
--- Nebraska Wesleyan has been outscored 82-42 this year and has allowed at least eight runs in six of its 10 games this year.

IN THE RANKINGS
--- Concordia jumped into the "others receiving votes" category in the D3baseball.com Division III rankings after its 8-1 start in Florida.
--- The Cobbers are currently "35th" in the most recent D3baseball.com poll. CC earned 26 points from the pollsters and is No.10 among the "others receiving votes" category.
--- Concordia is also in the "also receiving votes" category in the Collegiate Baseball rankings.

COBBER NOTABLES
--- Concordia has scored 98 runs and pounded out 130 hits in its first nine games of the year.
--- The Cobbers are hitting .414 for the season and have a .624 slugging percentage.
--- Concordia has scored at least eight runs in seven of the nine games this year and has at least 10 hits in all nine games.
--- Concordia has six of their nine regular starters hitting at least .400.
--- The Cobbers have allowed 38 runs in their first nine games and have a 4.54 team ERA.
--- Concordia has only committed nine errors this year.

BIG TIME BORNHAUSER
--- Concordia senior first baseman Nick Bornhauser leads the team in hitting with a .643 average. Bornhauser leads the MIAC in batting average, on-base percentage (.706) and slugging percentage (.929). last year Bornhauser hit only .167 and had just two extra-base hits.
--- Bornhauser was named the NCBWA Division III Player of the Week on Mar. 12. He is believed to be the first Cobber player to earn the prestigious weekly award.
--- Bornhauser also earned D3baseball.com National Team of the Week honors and was the MIAC Player of the Week in the first two voting weeks of the year.

NICK BORNHAUSER INTERVIEW VIDEO    



CONCORDIA IN THE MIAC RANKINGS
--- Concordia leads the MIAC in batting average, slugging percentage (.624), hits, doubles (36), RBI (87), extra-base hits (48), total bases (196).
--- The Cobbers are second in the MIAC in fielding percentage (.972).
--- Concordia is fourth in the MIAC in ERA and third in fewest walks allowed (22).