Ver Steeg & Syverson Named All-Region

MOORHEAD, Minn. (5/29/19)---A pair of Cobber starting pitchers earned ABCA/Rawlings Midwest All-Region honors it was announced on Tuesday. Austin Ver Steeg was placed on the All-Region Second team and Ty Syverson earned All-Region Third Team honors.

It marks the first time since 2015 that Concordia has had multiple ABCA/Rawlings award winners in the same season and the Cobbers have now had two or more All-Region award winners in 11 of the past 14 seasons.

Ver Steeg becomes the first Cobber player to earn the ABCA/Rawlings All-Region award in back-to-back seasons since Kyle Johnson accomplished the feat in 2008 and 2009. He becomes the eighth Cobber player in program history to earn back-to-back ABCA/Rawlings All-Region honors. Last year he was placed on the All-Region Third Team.

Ver Steeg, who also earned his second straight MIAC All-Conference award earlier this month, led the Cobber pitching staff in earned run average for the second straight season. He finished the year with a 1.41 ERA in 44.2 innings pitched. He also led the team in walk-plus-hits/innings pitched (WHIP) with a 0.895 mark. Ver Steeg started eight games and went 3-4 on the season. He struck out 43, only allowed five extra base hits and opponents had a .194 batting average against Ver Steeg. 

Syverson caps his career season with his first All-Region award. Like Ver Steeg, he also earned MIAC All-Conference honors. Syverson was second on the team with a 2.02 ERA and posted a 4-2 overall record in seven season starts. He pitched in 49.0 innings and tied for the team lead in complete games with three. He fanned 41 batters and was second on the team with a 1.08 WHIP.       
    
Ver Steeg and Syverson add to the list of Cobber ABCA All-Region award winners. Concordia has now had 53 All-Region honorees since 1983. The Cobbers have had at least one player earn the honor in seven of the past eight seasons and 18 of the past 21 years. Cobber head coach Chris Coste is the only player to earn the award three times. Concordia football head coach Terry Horan was named to the 1989 ABCA All-Region Team.   

The ABCA, founded in 1945, is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its over 11,000 members represent all 50 states and 25 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, Association membership has broadened to include eight divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA, Pacific Association Division, High School and Youth. The 76th annual ABCA Convention will be held Jan. 2-5, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Cobber ABCA All-Region Award Winners
2019 - Austin Ver Steeg, Ty Syverson
2018 – Austin Ver Steeg
2016 – Tim Carlson
2015 - Nick Bornhauser, Bryce Feia, Aaron Green, Devin Johnson
2014 - Jordan Gefroh
2013 - Devin Johnson
2012 - Michael Olson, Brian Guler (Gold Glove Team)
2010 - Jake Krause, Dan Wackler
2009 - Kyle Johnson, Scott Schumacher
2008 - Kyle Johnson, Adam Johnson
2006 - Billy DeNet, Brian Schumacher
2005 - Bryan Romsa, Brian Scumacher
2004 - Ryan Hebrink, Jeremy Hinderks, Luther Kangas
2003 - Derek Dormanen, Ryan Hebrink, Jeremy Hinderks
2002 - Chad Felstul
2001 - Derek Dormanen
2000 - Clayton Horgen
1999 - Clayton Horgen
1997 - Scott DeBrito, Noah Johnson
1996 - Stuart Lang, Randy Razidlo
1995 - Chris Coste, Jeremy Kovash, Ron Litzau
1994 - Chris Coste
1993 - Chris Coste, Chris Marsden, Gary Ullrich
1992 - Brad Keenan
1989 - Terry Horan
1986 - Eric Jacobson, Doug Kovash, John Riewer
1985 - Kent Kuball, Joel Smith
1984 - Howard Berglund, Mark Nelson
1983 - Stephen Anderson, Mark Nelson