Baseball | 3/4/2023 9:44:00 AM

Written by Dominic Roderick
BVU Athletics Communications Student Intern

STORM LAKE, Iowa (Mar. 4, 2023) - The Buena Vista Baseball team hits the road for a 10-day spring break trip in Auburndale, Florida. 
 

About the Trip  

The Beavers will play seven games in 10 days over the break (Mar, 5-13). The team will be challenged by a tough lineup of teams, but the Beavers are looking forward to the challenge and are ready to compete. Teams such as Rowan, Aurora, Immaculata, and St. John Fisher all obtained regional bids to the D3 NCAA baseball tournament. Rowan went on to advance to the Super Regionals in Willimantic, Conn., before their season was ended by Eastern Connecticut State University. This year, Rowan is currently ranked No. 8 in the country per D3baseball.com and Aurora, who just fell out of the top-25, is still receiving votes. Another team that the Beavers will be playing is Concordia University-Chicago, who the Beavers played in the NCAA Regionals in 2019. That year, Concordia Chicago had a record of 42-10 and they got as far as the Super Regionals. 

The first two matchups  

Sunday, March 5 | Buena Vista (5-1) vs Concordia College Minnesota (0-0) 4:45 pm (ET)
Monday, March 6 | Buena Vista (5-1) vs Concordia University Chicago (2-1) 10:30 am (ET)  

About Concordia College Minnesota  

The Cobber's have yet to play this year and their first game of the year will be in Florida against the Beavers. Last year, the team finished with a 15-16 record overall and a 10-10 record in conference play. In 31 games, the team hit .284 with a .377 on base percentage.  Returning for the Cobbers is senior OF Andy Gravdahl who hit an impressive .415 on the year in 2022 and racked up a team leading 49 hits on the year. As a staff, the team had an earned run average of 6.00 on the year and pitched two shutouts on the season.

About Concordia University Chicago  

The Cougars have played three games thus far and hold a 2-1 record. Sophomores Tyler Dorsch and Michael Kasik have started the season off hot, as Dorsch is 7-for-10 at the plate and Kasik is 7-for-14. Senior Chandler Kerr, the left-handed pitcher, has pitched 6.0 innings for the Cougars in his one start, giving up four runs on six hits with three strikeouts. Senior right-handed pitcher Westin Stutzman pitched 6.0 innings in his one start, allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out eight batters. The team travels to Florida and will take on the Beavers in their third game of the trip.  

About the Beavers  

The Beavers have played a pair of three-games series in Topeka this year and have swept Hamline University and took two-of-three games from Bethel University. Going into the Florida trip, the team boasts a 5-1 record and its looks to continue the success against some tough competition. Senior Logan Mueller is hitting .522 at the plate and has 12 hits in 23 at bats. Another key offensive piece thus far is sophomore Drew Taylor, who is hitting .500 on the year and is 11-for-22 at the plate. Senior pitcher Mason Gehling has a 0.000 ERA on the year in 10 innings pitched while striking out 11. Sophomore pitcher Morgan Smith has a 2.45 ERA in 11.0 innings of work with 12 strikeouts. Senior Calvin Harris has pitched 4.1 innings in relief and is 1-0 and has recorded one save as well. BVU head coach Steve Eddie enters the trip sitting just four wins shy of 500.

Up Next: Following the Spring Break trip, the Beavers will then turn around and travel to Moline, Ill., to take on Monmouth College, Augustana College, and Dominican University (Mar. 18-19).