Note: This journal is being kept by Concordia head coach Bucky Burgau in the attempt to help Cobber baseball fans to get a closer look at the spring trip to Florida.

March 4
This will be the final journal entry for the 2006 Florida baseball trip.

Yesterday we played Point Park in a single nine-inning game and won 13-5. Blake Trenbeath pitched well through seven innings and Adam Podrnos pitched the final two. We pitched well all day. We also hit the ball all over the ballpark. It was fun and we got a chance to run the bases. Other than one bad inning we continued to play good defense.

Today we actually played better, but lost 5-3 to

Purdue-North Central in 10 innings. We got hooked up in a pitchers duel with Kevin Engebretson and the kid from Purdue. Purdue got a couple of clutch hits at the end and hurt us in extra innings.

We turned a sparkling double play in the top of the ninth. With a runner on first and one out, a Purdue batter hit a ground ball up the middle. Billy DeNet dove for the ball and flipped it back-handed to Erick Sykora who caught it in his throwing hand and zipped to 1b. They pay $25 a ticket in the big leagues and don’t see it any better.

This has been a good trip. We have improved and grown as a team. A lot of good things have happened. Tomorrow will be a long day for us. We play two games starting at 9:30am ET. We fly out of Ft. Myers at 8:00pm and land in Minneapolis at 11:00pm. Then we get the vans and head for home. If all goes well we will park in the Memorial Auditorium parking lot about 4:00am Monday morning.

See you soon.

March 2
Tough day for the Cobbers physically, mentally and on the ball field. We played two nine inning games against two different opponents. The NCAA now has a rule if you don’t play the same opponent, you have to play nine-inning games. If you play the same team and start the second game within 30 minutes of the end of the first game then those games can be seven-innings.

I actually like nine-inning games and certainly don’t mind at times playing two nine-inning games on the same day if they are against the same team.

We lost to Rose-Hulman 9-4. We got out of the gate real bad and never recovered. We hit the ball around a bit but left many runners. After the first five innings we pitched i ok, but made a costly base running mistake in the ninth and lost to a quality opponent

We got one-hit by three different pitchers from York. I thought we pitched well enough to win. Kevin Engebretson, Adam Padrnos, and Matt Venturini threw three consecutive scoreless innings to keep the game close for us.

Again, the benefit of playing two games is all the players get to see action. I really feel everyone going home from this trip needs to think that they contributed on the field. So far those goals have been accomplished.

We finish the trip with a single game on Friday and Saturday and a double-header with Mount Union on Sunday. As for wins and loses, we took a step backwards today. From a team perspective we moved forward. I’m pleased with that.

February 28

We didn’t play until 2:30 today, so the guys could sleep in a bit. It’s kind of nice to be able to do that, as opposed to early morning games, that aren’t part of their normal schedule.

We played Catholic University of Washington D.C., a respected D-III program from the east. Lefty Zach Johnson pitched superb through six innings and Brian Schumacher finished it off for his first save of the year.

It’s a real concern for us to use a position player as a closer. We spend a great deal of time with defense in practice, and Brian being our starting third baseman, needs to get his work in. However, if you don’t have pitching you are in trouble, and it looks as if Brian will be our closer.

We hit it around better today and scored some runs. We also played our first errorless game of the year (no small feat on the hard surface here).

Day off tomorrow (Penny and I will do laundry again). Thursday will be a tough day with two nine-inning games. One of the games is against Rose-Hulman. I have a great deal of respect for their coaches and the team. They do it right. They are always fun to play against. As a team we have improved everyday and hope to continue to do so.

February 27
A single nine today. A single game has its pro's and con's.

Pro's are you can manage your pitching staff normally, and you don’t overuse your staff. Con's are not everyone plays.

I think the health of your staff takes priority, so we have chosen to play more single nine-inning games this year. Franklin College is a good ball club. We lost in the bottom of the ninth.

Tieg Herman started on the mount and pitched great. He would have finished and won a 7-inning game. We used two frosh out of the bullpen (Darrin Carlson and Matt Venturini). Although we lost, both pitched well for being their first appearances. Good things will happen for them.

All in all it was a good day. A good, tough game against a quality opponent. Penny (Bucky's wife) and I did all the laundry today. It’s nice to have some help. She’ll even throw a remark or two about my coaching ability. One game again tomorrow, then an off day.

Weather is great, mid 70’s.

February 26
It’s opening day and that brings two things with it: excitement and nervousness.

Not knowing how the new team will perform and how all the new guys will fit in and showcase their talents. Not to worry, we swept Loras College (2-1 and 8-3). Two great pitching efforts by Blake Trenbeath and Kevin Engebretson. Blake scattered 4 hits and Enge gave up a few hits and didn't walk a single batter.

Our goal was also to play a lot of people. We accomplished that as five different players started the second game. We made some outstanding defensive plays, three by freshman Eric Sykora. An added highlight to the day - we saw, and visited with, the Concordia students down here over break with Habitat for Humanity. I’m always amazed and proud how Concordia touches all parts of the world.

February 25
Our first day outside and we had a great practice. It was fun to get outside and actually see the guys working on their task on a baseball field.

We spent three hours on the field and accomplished more than the whole last week indoors. We must be stuck at the hip with the men’s basketball team, as Scott Schumacher took one off the tip of his finger. He was scheduled to start the fourth game of the trip on the mound, we may now have to adjust. Tomorrow we have the first games of the trip with a double-header against Loras College (from Iowa). We will keep doing what we have on previous spring trips and that is to play a lot of players. It’s important to earn playing time on the field and not just in the gym.

We are excited to get the season started. We are also excited for the women’s basketball team. Go Cobbers!

February 24
We’re off on our annual spring baseball trip to Florida. We drove three vans (and one trailer) to Minneapolis. From there we flew Sun Country Airlines to Ft. Myers. We play our whole spring schedule in Port Charlotte in the facility where the Texas Rangers use to train. All travel went as planned and we arrived at the Port Charlotte Motel at 10:00 PM Friday night.