No. 8 Concordia-Chicago Cougars, 38-13Champion of Midwest Regional
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Stat rankings (of 386 teams in D-III)
Runs per game 7.6 (55th) |
Earned run average 3.76 (54th) |
On-base percentage .395 (91st) |
Strikeout-to-walk ratio 2.01 (85th) |
Slugging percentage .425 (93rd) |
Walks+hits/IP 1.29 (24th) |
Key hittersSS Jose Mercado Leadoff hitter, with all the skills you'd normally assign to a shortstop batting at the top of the order. Has broken each of his hands this year and wears protective gloves running the bases. .357, 41 runs, 39 stolen bases |
Key pitchersRHP Mike Formella Workhorse reliever, program's all-time leader in saves and wins. Had three of Cougars' five wins in the Midwest Regional. Last year in the NCAA postseason, Formella had three saves and a 0.59 ERA. 6-1, 2.10 ERA, 14 saves, 68.2 IP, 58 K |
3B Bryan VanDuser, .271, 39 R, 26 RBI, 19 BB |
SP Keaton Conner, 4-2, 4.26, 11 starts, 61.1 IP, 62 H, 25 BB, 55 K |
Scouting report
- First baseman Andrew Massey was hurt landing on the base after leaping for a throw late in the regional win vs. Bethel and has not played since. Jacob Frank (.196-3-12) has played first base in his place.
- Formella has thrown 29.1 innings in May, including 23.2 innings in an eight-day span from May 13-20.
- The last four years of CUC baseball has seen the share of dramatic finishes. The term "Cardiac Cougars" was coined during the 2015 season and they are still pulling off heart-stopping wins. CUC head coach Mike Stawski has instilled the term "play nine" and if you let up with a big lead, the Cougars will not. This is not a tag line but the credo of the CUC program. As such, too, they don't give up any at-bats, either, as they have solid hitters from 1-9.
Features
Roster
# | NAME | POS. | B-T | HT. | WT. | YR. |
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1 | Jose Mercado | SS | R-R | 5-9 | 165 | Jr. |
2 | Andrew Massey | 1B | R-R | 6-0 | 195 | Sr. |
3 | Keegan Tyrell | OF | R-R | 5-10 | 185 | Jr. |
4 | Kevin Garcia | INF | R-R | 5-9 | 175 | Sr. |
6 | Michael Sutor | OF | R-R | 6-1 | 195 | Fr. |
7 | Matt Fauth | OF | R-R | 5-11 | 180 | Jr. |
8 | Brody Mariotti | 1B | R-R | 6-2 | 230 | Fr. |
9 | Bryan VanDuser | INF | R-R | 5-9 | 180 | Jr. |
10 | Kevin Coppin | C | L-R | 5-10 | 190 | Sr. |
11 | Brady Roberts | C | R-R | 5-8 | 200 | Sr. |
12 | Robert Perna | P | R-R | 6-0 | 200 | Fr. |
13 | Adam Lackey | C | R-R | 6-0 | 185 | Fr. |
14 | Aaron Wicker | INF | R-R | 5-11 | 160 | So. |
16 | Mateo Calle | OF | R-R | 5-10 | 188 | So. |
17 | Cody Caballero | P | L-L | 6-1 | 190 | Sr. |
18 | Keaton Conner | P | R-R | 6-0 | 190 | Sr. |
19 | Adam Schmitt | P | L-R | 6-1 | 215 | Sr. |
20 | Alex Meyers | P | R-R | 6-3 | 220 | Sr. |
21 | Brady Adams | 1B | R-R | 6-0 | 225 | Fr. |
22 | Mike Formella | P | R-R | 6-2 | 190 | Sr. |
23 | Mitch Wilson | 2B | L-R | 5-10 | 180 | Sr. |
24 | Brian Musielak | P | L-R | 6-2 | 195 | Sr. |
25 | Justin Rodriguez | C | R-R | 5-11 | 190 | Jr. |
27 | Declan Peterson | INF | R-R | 5-8 | 175 | Fr. |
28 | Adam Gregory | P | L-L | 6-2 | 205 | Jr. |
29 | Salvatore Biondo | P | R-R | 6-2 | 190 | So. |
30 | Abelardo Paz Agudelo | UT/P | R-R | 6-1 | 203 | Jr. |
31 | Grant Davis | OF | R-R | 5-11 | 175 | Sr. |
32 | Connor Brandon | OF | R-L | 6-1 | 190 | Jr. |
33 | Noah Dressler | P | R-R | 6-3 | 190 | So. |
34 | Joe Silva | OF | L-R | 6-1 | 185 | Sr. |
35 | Anthony Rogers | P | R-L | 6-2 | 205 | Fr. |
36 | Jacob Frank | 1B | R-R | 5-11 | 200 | Jr. |
44 | Cade Laudenschlager | P | R-R | 6-1 | 190 | Fr. |
45 | Cole Carman | P | R-R | 6-3 | 170 | Fr. |
52 | James Grassl | P | R-L | 6-3 | 195 | Fr. |
Coach: Mike Stawski
News and releases posted to D3baseball.com
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Cougars Attack Vikings From Behind to Secure VictoryApril 11, 2023
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Concordia-Chicago busts out their batsApril 10, 2023The Cougars of CUC set a runs record (51 runs in a DH) in a NACC doubleheader sweep of Wisc. Lutheran on Monday. Aurora also won big with 33 runs of their own.
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Ignatowski Named NWU head coachNovember 21, 2022Eric Ignatowski has been named the next head baseball coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University, school officials announced.
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All-Around Effort Leads CUC Baseball To Sweep of BenedictineApril 29, 2022Behind two huge starting pitching performances, the Concordia University Chicago baseball team swept the Benedictine University Eagles on Friday afternoon. The Cougars scored early in game one and then were able to ride strong pitching by Jack Rector and Vincent Sartori to a 12-5 win. Then in game two CUC grabbed the lead midway through, then gave the ball to Westin Stutzman and Wyatt McLaughlin for the 5-2 win.
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All-Around Effort Leads CUC Baseball To Sweep of BenedictineApril 29, 2022Behind two huge starting pitching performances, the Concordia University Chicago baseball team swept the Benedictine University Eagles on Friday afternoon. The Cougars scored early in game one and then were able to ride strong pitching by Jack Rector and Vincent Sartori to a 12-5 win. Then in game two CUC grabbed the lead midway through, then gave the ball to Westin Stutzman and Wyatt McLaughlin for the 5-2 win.
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Big Pitching Effort Leads CUC Past CarthageApril 26, 2022Behind six and two-thirds innings of no-hit ball on the mound, the Concordia University Chicago baseball team picked up a 5-1 non-conference road win over the Carthage College Firebirds on Tuesday afternoon. CUC got all the runs they would need for the day in the first, then used a combination of six pitchers to down the Firebirds.
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Early Runs Critical in Win Over WheatonMarch 29, 2022Picking up their second win in as many days, the Concordia University Chicago baseball team defeated the Wheaton College Thunder on Tuesday evening. The Cougars got out early with a four-run second inning and were able to hold off a late Wheaton rally for the 7-5 victory.
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CUC's Offense Comes Alive In Win Over North ParkMarch 28, 2022Behind the best offensive output of the 2022 season, the Concordia University Chicago baseball team picked up a 12-7 non-conference win over North Park on Monday afternoon. The Cougars pounded out 14 hits and got four and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief from Chris Villafuerte in the win.
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Cougars Fall to ONU 6-5March 10, 2022After enjoying the off day yesterday, the Concordia University Chicago baseball team took the field on Thursday to begin the final three-day stretch of the Florida swing. The Cougars took to the field against the Ohio Northern Polar Bears. CUC had opportunities offensively all day but were unable to plate the tying run in the ninth, falling to ONU 6-5.
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Dorsch's Big Blast Leads CUC Past AlbionMarch 08, 2022Playing their fourth game in as many days, the Concordia University Chicago baseball team took to the field on Tuesday morning against the Britons of Albion. The Cougars found themselves trailing going into the bottom of the seventh, but they were able to plate four runs with two outs in the seventh to tie the game. CUC then had the highlight of the season thus far when first-year Tyler Dorsch hit a walk-off homer to left in his first collegiate at-bat to give CUC a 7-6 win.
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Wallace's Eighth Inning Blast Propels CUC Past CornellMarch 05, 2022Opening up the 2022 Florida trip strong, the Concordia University Chicago baseball team rode a strong group pitching performance to a 2-1 victory over the Cornell College Rams on Saturday afternoon. Colton Wallace provided the big blast for CUC with a solo homer off the scoreboard in left in the bottom of the eighth.
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Wallace's Eighth Inning Blast Propels CUC Past CornellMarch 05, 2022Opening up the 2022 Florida trip strong, the Concordia University Chicago baseball team rode a strong group pitching performance to a 2-1 victory over the Cornell College Rams on Saturday afternoon. Colton Wallace provided the big blast for CUC with a solo homer off the scoreboard in left in the bottom of the eighth.
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Team Effort Leads Cougars To First Win of 2022February 19, 2022The Concordia University Chicago baseball team got into the win column on Saturday with a 5-3 win over Fontbonne University. The Cougars received contributions from everyone in the lineup, while also shining on the mound on their way to their first victory of 2022.
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Cougars Fall In Season Opener To AugustanaFebruary 18, 2022The 2022 season is underway for the Concordia University Chicago baseball team as they headed south to Memphis, Tenn., to compete in the Rhodes College Classic. They faced off against Augustana College in the opener on Friday afternoon, falling to the Vikings by a final score of 12-2.
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La Roche sweeps to 12-0 recordApril 26, 2021The La Roche Redhawks won two in a battle of AMCC teams with undefeated records in conference, outscoring the Mounties 24-5 on Monday. Out in Illinois,Benedictine made it 16 wins in a row after a 14-9 win over Concordia-Chicago.
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John Carroll, DePauw sweep powerhouse teamsMarch 13, 2021John Carroll swept Baldwin Wallace by the narrowest margins and DePauw set down Concordia-Chicago in their two game set as well. It was a busy day across D-III Nation and here are a sample of the action on Saturday.
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Region Preview: MidwestFebruary 17, 2021The days you can bank on a Midwest team in the D-III World Series are days gone by. The Warhawks of Whitewater and Cougars of Concordia have not fallen from this rarefied air but it seems that many teams have.
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Senior day comes early.March 14, 2020Benedictine and Concordia-Chicago saw their seasons come to an end on Saturday.and ended them on a winning note. In a grudge match between Top 25 teams and regional rivals, Wooster was one run better than Marietta.
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CUC Cougars outlasts WebsterMarch 10, 2020Concordia Chicago needed extra innings to grab a win over No. 20 Webster. The Cougars twelfth inning run held up in the completion of a suspended game. CUC then scored another win with four runs in the eleventh inning to book two wins.
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Mercado Climbs Aboard Railcats TrainDecember 04, 2019After two years of serving as the engine for the Concordia University Chicago baseball team, shortstop Jose Mercado's route to professional baseball begins with him hopping aboard the train in Northwest Indiana. Mercado recently signed a contract for the 2020 season with the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.
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Concordia-Chicago promotes ConnerJune 26, 2019Kolin Conner has been appointed to the position of head baseball coach at Concordia University Chicago. Conner will assume the responsibilities previously held by Mike Stawski, who coached the Cougars the last four seasons.
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Stawski moves to UMHBJune 08, 2019Mike Stawski coached Concordia-Chicago to the 2017 and 2018 Division III World Series, and will take over for Ben Shipp, who is retiring after 34 years at Mary Hardin-Baylor.
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Gorloks Rout Cougars, Set Course for IowaMay 25, 2019
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Cougars defend home turf, advanceMay 20, 2019Concordia-Chicago finished its trip back from the losers' bracket and beat Baldwin Wallace to earn a three-game set with Webster, nabbing the final super regional spot.
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Super Regionals filled, almostMay 19, 2019Cortland broke out the bats to advance to the super regionals, W&J and Johns Hopkins secured spots next as the 16 team super regionals took shape. Concordia-Chicago extended their regional into Monday with a 14-13 win in extra innings over Baldwin Wallace.
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Slugfest Ends in Cougar Walk-OffMay 19, 2019Concordia University Chicago took on Baldwin Wallace in the NCAA Regional Championship. For CUC this would count as an elimination game since they dropped the previous matchup between the two teams 10-8. Although the Yellow Jackets came into the tournament on a four-game losing streak, they had shown no signs of slump in the regional. In a game that somehow outscored the first meeting between the two, CUC found a way to knock off the Baldwin Wallace 14-13.
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Cougars and Yellow Jackets Suspended Until SundayMay 18, 2019
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CUC's Gregory Gasses Through Game One of RegionalMay 17, 2019Lefty's Eight Shutout Innings Lead Cougars' 2-0 Victory