2002 Concordia Moorhead Softball

College Information
School: Concordia-Moorhead
Founded : 1891
Location: Moorhead, MN
Enrollment : 2950
President : Rev. Thomas Thomsen
Athletic Director: Dr. Armin Pipho
Team Nickname: Cobbers
Colors: Maroon and Gold
Logo: The Chicago "C"
Faculty Athletic Rep: Jim Forde
Baseball Field: Jake Christiansen Stadium Complex

Concordia Softball
First year of baseball: 1987
Years in post-season play: 0
All-time record: 196-221

Women's Softball Staff
Head Coach: Steve Baumgartner
Alma Mater/Year: Concordia '82
Record at school (years): 196-221(14)
Head Coach's office phone: 218-299-4166
Best time/day to reach coach:

Assistant Coaches:
Stacey Holm, Bob Kohler

Sports Information
S.I.D: Jim Cella
Office Ph.: 218-299-3194
Home Ph: 218-233-3698
Fax: 218-299-4189
E-Mail Address: cella@cord.edu
WWW Address: http://www.cord.edu/dept/sports/

2001 Results
Date      Opponent         Site       Result
Mar. 9-10 UST Dome Tourney Rice Dome
Mar. 9    Coe College      Rice Dome W 8-4
Mar. 9    Luther College   Rice Dome W 8-0 (5 inn)
Mar. 10   Coe College      Rice Dome W 4-3
Mar. 10   St. Thomas       Rice Dome L 0-6
Mar. 28   MSU-Moorhead     Away       Postponed
Apr. 6    Augsburg         Home       W 4-3
Apr. 6    Augsburg         Home       W 4-3
Apr. 9    Hamline          Home       W 8-1
Apr. 9    Hamline          Home       W 2-1
Apr. 10   Gustavus         Away       L 1-3
Apr. 10   Gustavus         Away       L 2-8
Apr. 18   Macalester       Away       W 3-1
Apr. 18   Macalester       Away       W 7-1
Apr. 26   Carleton         Away       L 1-2
Apr. 26   Carleton         Away       L 0-1
Apr. 27   Bethel           Away       L 3-5
Apr. 27   Bethel           Away       W 7-3
Apr. 28   St. Mary's       Home       L 0-8
Apr. 28   St. Mary's       Home       L 1-9
Apr. 30   St. Catherine    St. Ben's PPD to 5/7
May 1     St. Thomas       Home       L 3-12
May 1     St. Thomas       Home       L 2-9
May 4     St. Olaf         Home       L 2-7
May 4     St. Olaf         Home       L 2-4
May 5     St. Ben's        Home       L 2-7
May 9     St. Ben's        St. Ben's L 0-3
May 9     St. Catherine    St. Ben's L 0-1
May 9     St. Catherine    St. Ben's L 0-5

2002 Cobber Softball Schedule
Date       Opponent           Site Result
Mar. 24-31 Ft. Myers, FL Trip FL    TBA
Mar. 25    DePauw (IN)        FL    6:00pm
Mar. 26    DePauw (IN)        FL    6:00pm
Mar. 26    Endicott (MA)      FL    8:00pm
Mar. 27    UW-Whitewater      FL    1:00pm
Mar. 27    Fredonia (NY)      FL    4:00pm
Mar. 28    Buffalo State (NY) FL    1:00pm
Mar. 28    UW-Stevens Point   FL    6:00pm
Mar. 29    Colby              FL    9:00am
Mar. 29    TBA                FL    TBA
Apr. 3     St. Thomas         Home 3:00
Apr. 6     St. Benedict       Home 1:00
Apr. 9     Augsburg           Away 4:00
Apr. 11    MSU-Moorhead       Home 3:00
Apr. 13    Bethel             Home 1:00
Apr. 14    St. Mary's         Home 1:00
Apr. 20    Gustavus           Away 1:00
Apr. 21    St. Olaf           Away 1:00
Apr. 23    Hamline            Home 4:00
Apr. 25    Carleton           Home 4:00
Apr. 27    Macalester         Away 1:00
Apr. 28    St. Catherine      Away 1:00

Concordia Series Records Against MIAC Opponents:
Opponent      W L   Series Started
Augsburg      9 17 1989
Bethel        11 4   1994
Carleton      16 9   1989
Gustavus      9 17 1989
Hamline       19 5   1990
Macalester    18 6   1990
St. Ben's     8 18 1989
St. Kate's    18 2   1991
St. Mary’s    7 17 1989
St. Olaf      9 17 1989
St. Thomas    1 24 1989

Player & Team Information
Overall Record Last Year: 10-16
Conference Record/Finish: 7-15 / 8th
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 11/3
Starters Returning/Lost: 6/3

Key Returning Players
No Name     Pos   Yr Ht    Hometown/High School
Kathy Braun    IF   Jr. 5-5   Willmar MN Willmar
- 2nd on team in 2001 in Fielding Pct. (.970), 3rd in Hits (20)
Erin Gunderson P   Jr. 5-10 Princeton MN Princeton
- Led team in 2001 in ERA (1.62)
Jill Pontius    C   Jr. 5-7   Eagle Bend MN Eagle Valley
- Tied for team lead in 2001 in Hits (24), .304 Batting Average
Shyla Wilson    C   So. 5-6   Cohasset MN Grand Rapids
- Hit .429 (12-28) in 10 games in injury-shortened 2001 season

Key Graduated Players with Experience
No Name              Pos Hometown/High School
Christine Moen           P Glenwood MN Minnewaska
- Led team in 2001 in Innings Pitched (91 2/3)
Amanda Schindeldecker P/IF Menahga MN Menhaga
- Tied for team lead in 2001 in Hits (24), .348 Batting Average
Heather Stohs           IF Perham MN Perham
- Led team in 2001 in Runs Batted In (14)

Season Outlook and Notes:

Erin Gunderson
Sr.
Princeton, Minn.
Will be looking to regain the form that placed her on the All-Region team her first two years at Concordia.

Once again the 2002 Concordia softball team will rise or fall with the three basics of the sport; pitching, pitching, pitching.

Last year the team fell to eighth place in the MIAC after spending the previous two seasons in third place. The key element in this decline was the Cobbers' lack of consistency on the mound. In 1999 and 2000, the Cobbers relied on the arm of Erin Gunderson. Gunderson responded by being named to the all-region team in her first two years in a maroon and gold uniform. Last season she struggled to find her form after undergoing shoulder surgery. A healthy Gunderson should help Concordia return to the top of the MIAC in 2002.

Also helping the Cobbers this year will be a group of starters that will rely on power over speed and experience over youth. The team will have six of the nine starters from a year ago returning. They will also have four seniors and four juniors that will play extended innings this spring.

The group of seniors is led by Gunderson and battery-mate Jill Pontius. Pontius led the team in hits last year while batting .304. Her aggressive play at the plate and as catcher will set the tempo for Concordia. Secondbaseman Kathy Braun will add leadership to a redesigned infield. Last year she led the team in assists and carded a .970 fielding percentage. Megan Johnson rounds out the quartet of seniors. She will help solidify the outfield and give the Cobbers a lefthanded presence at the plate.

Gunderson will be the mainstay on the mound. Last year she pitched only 39 innings after throwing a total of 313 innings her first two seasons. After Gunderson, the Cobbers will employ the services of first year thrower Gretta Stritesky. Stritesky was also a member of the Cobber women's basketball team. Perhaps the biggest improvement for the Cobber pitching staff will be the addition of Stacy Holm to the coaching staff. Holm, formerly Stacy Hoien, was one of the premiere pitchers in Concordia's school history. Her ability to spend quality teaching hours with Gunderson and Stritesky should help Concordia lower their team ERA of 3.04 from a year ago.

In the infield, Concordia will have an experienced right-side but will have to find a consistent combination on the left side. At first base, two-year Stacie Johnson will provide a big target in the field and a tough out at the plate. Braun will be the everyday secondbaseman, but the experience will stop there. At shortstop, the Cobbers are hoping that one year of experience will help sophomore Steph Gemar. Gemar showed flashes of brilliance in 2001, but also led the team in errors. If Gemar should falter then look for Mandy Pearson to be given an opportunity. Pearson, like Stritesky, played basketball for the Cobbers. Her all-around athletic ability will help her cover a lot of ground between second and third and will help the Concordia defense from allowing "seeing-eye" singles from going through the middle of the infield. The biggest question spot will be at third base, where the Cobbers will have to replace all-MIAC performer Amanda Schindeldecker. Schindeldeker was a three-year starter at third and led the team in most offensive categories last season. Jolene Rebertus appears to have the inside track to start at that spot once the season begins. She will need to gain experience very quickly before the Cobbers open their MIAC with MIAC co-champion St. Thomas on April 3rd.

The outfield will be bolstered by the return of centerfielder Shyla Wilson. Wilson spent almost the entire season on the bench due to a knee injury. Her speed and quick bat at the plate will help the Cobbers in the field and at the top of the batting order. The other two outfield spots will be the focus of the biggest competition in the preseason. Five different players could be used in the two corner outfield spots. In right field Johnson will get the nod at the start of the season. In left, the job will be contested by a trio of players. Juniors Becky Bouwman and Jill Flatau appear to be the odds-on-favorites to come away with the job. Both Bouwman and Flatau have been used extensively in their first two years in the outfield. The third member of the group will be infielder turned outfielder Kristina Brakke. Brakke's strength is on offense, so she will have to go through some growing pains in the field if she is to become the regular leftfielder.

If the Cobbers can quickly gel during their spring trip to Ft. Myers, Flor. and if they can get Erin Gunderson's arm strength back to her first two seasons, then they have a legitimate chance to make a run at the MIAC title. They will also have to survive a tough opening to the conference season. After opening with MIAC power St. Thomas they turn around and play St. Ben's three days later. However, the schedule makers did the Cobbers a favor because both doubleheaders are at home and four of the first five conference twinbills are also in Moorhead.

2001-2002 Preseason Roster:
See current roster on 2002 roster page |

No Name            Pos Gr Ht   H'town St/HS
10 Stacie Johnson      IF Jr. 5-10 Belgrade MN BBE
11 Megan Metcalf       OF Fr. 5-7 Eagan MN Holy Angels
12 Danielle Englehorn OF So. 5-8 Windom MN Windom
13 Shyla Wilson        OF Jr. 5-6 Cohasset MN Grand Rapids
14 Jenei Estrada       IF So. 5-8 Moreno Valley CA Moreno Valley
15 Mandy Pearson       IF Fr. 5-5 Watkins MN Eden Valley-Watkins
16 Stephanie Gemar SS/OF So. 5-8 Felton MN Shanley
17 Kristina Brakke     IF So. 6-0 Moorhead MN Moorhead
18 Jolene Rebertus     IF Fr. 5-10 Chanhassen MN Chaska
19 Jill Flatau         OF Jr. 5-6 Perham MN Perham
20 Jessica Worthington IF Fr. 5-7 Bozeman MT Belgrade
21 Becky Bouwman       OF Jr. 5-8 Glenwood MN Minnewaska
22 Megan Johnson    OF/1B Sr. 5-6 Fergus Falls MN Fergus Falls
23 Kathy Braun         IF Sr. 5-5 Willmar MN Willmar
24 Gretta Stritesky     P Fr. 6-0 Ogilvie MN Ogilvie
25 Erin Gunderson       P Sr. 5-10 Princeton MN Princeton
26 Jill Pontius         C Sr. 5-7 Eagle Bend MN Eagle Valley
28 Lauren Olson     SS/OF Fr. 5-5 Eagan MN Eastview

Concordia Coaches:
Head Coach: Steve Baumgartner
Assistant Coaches: Stacey Holm, Bob Kohler

This page is maintained by the Concordia Sports Information Office | sid@cord.edu |