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It should prove to be an explosive year for the Concordia University softball team.  With eight starters returning and talent running up and down the lineup, the Golden Bears have set their sights on returning to the NCAA Tournament and finishing within the top three in a strong 14-team league.



The Golden Bears were picked fourth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll and had junior Abby Brundidge tabbed as the 2009 NSIC Preseason Player of the Year.  Concordia falls in behind three teams that made the cut for the NCAA postseason last year, with Winona State taking first place and Minnesota State and Southwest Minnesota State vying for the following two positions.



"I think Winona is going to be the team to beat," said Concordia s Bob Bartel, kicking off his fifth season at the helm of the Golden Bear program.  "If we stay healthy, we are going to compete for a position in the top of the conference and get back to the NCAAs."



The Golden Bears expect a strong and consistent offense to help push them into the tops of the league this season.  Finishing 2008 ranked among the top five teams in the NSIC in nearly every statistical category, the young Golden Bear squad gained a huge amount of offensive experience and has the tools to be a legitimate threat to every opponent.



"This is, without question, the best offensive-hitting team at Concordia since I ve been here," said Bartel of the team s talent this season.  "We won t be a huge homerun-hitting team, but we will hit a lot of doubles.  We re going to hit for a high average, run, steal bases, hit and run, use squeezes…"



Concordia has also grown to be a much-improved defensive squad.  In addition to the general advances made by a young team with a year of experience under its belt, several players have been able to move to more natural positions and the squad has added two true outfielders.



Likely to lead the way this season will be the 2009 NSIC Preseason Player of the Year, Abby Brundidge.  The junior designated player is a two-time All-NSIC athlete who finished the 2008 season with the second highest batting average in the league at .388, which is the fourth highest single season average in CU history.  Brundidge tied the second best mark in Golden Bear history for doubles, slapping 15 two-baggers in 2008.  She had a team high 59 hits with a 17-game hitting streak and drove in 37 RBI.



"I expect Abby to be a dominant hitter in the NSIC once again this year."  Bartel continued by saying, "She hits for power and also hits for (batting) average.  She is also one of our smarter base runners."



Brundidge is just one player on a list of offensive threats that the Golden Bears will throw at opponents this season.   Junior second baseman Anna Bjorlin, a 2008 All-NSIC honoree, finished tied for second on the team last season with a .331 batting average.  She led the NSIC with five triples and collected 15 total extra base hits. 



Senior Natalie Mast always seems to put a fright into opponents, using her wheels to circle the bases.  The center fielder hit .299 last season and had an on-base percentage of .405.  Mast has certainly built a reputation as one of the fastest players in the NSIC.  She set a new school record and led the conference in 2008 with 43 stolen bases, more than double the next closest NSIC athlete.  Using her speed, Mast scored 33 runs on her way to an All-NSIC bid.  She had 47 hits, including three doubles and a homerun last season.



"Natalie has matured into one of our best hitters," said Bartel of the team s lone senior.  "She has a consistent swing and, obviously, uses speed as a big part of her game.  This helps her on defense, as well, allowing her to cut off a lot of balls in the gap to turn doubles into singles."



Sami Mattson was an All-NSIC infielder during her rookie season last year, batting .299 with 40 hits.  She had nine extra base swings with six doubles and three homers.  Helping to secure the middle of the field as a solid shortstop, Mattson finished her first year of collegiate play with a .906 fielding percentage, possessing a flare to make spectacular plays.  The team looks for her to improve her figures this season, especially on offense, and become a power shortstop.



Joining Bjorlin and Mattson once again in the dirt is junior Tiffani Rodd.  Rodd is described as a super utility play who will spend most of her time at first base, but is capable of stepping in at any position.  She led the team last season with seven homeruns and also had eight doubles, displaying a propensity for power at the plate.  Freshman Calli Brennan (Henry Sibley HS) will likely round out the infield, and Bartel expects her to make an immediate impact on the team.



"Calli s got a great glove and a spectacular arm.  She will have to adjust to life at the hot corner (third base), but she could be one of our top hitters.  She is able to hit all pitches and has a good, consistent swing."



A duo of freshmen will likely stand in the further corners of the field, taking up positions as true outfielders.  Jamie Lindboe, an All-State player from Burnsville HS, will bring her skills to not only left field, but also to the dish.  "Jamie basically runs and catches everything, she reads the ball extremely well off of the bat," says Bartel.  "She is very consistent offensively and hits the ball HARD."



Across the green is Katie Anderson, joining the team after a successful career at Henry Sibley HS.  Anderson also reads the ball well off of the bat and, much like Mast, has outstanding speed that helps her both offensively and defensively.



Sophomore Mollie Lenzi returns to vie for a position in both the outfield and as a designated player.  "Mollie gives us a left-handed slap and an ability to put pressure on the defense," said Bartel of Lenzi, who played in 29 games last season.  "When she s not in the starting lineup, we ll look for her to come off the bench with a spark."



Concordia returns all of its throwers and catchers from last season, two sophomores and two juniors.  The pitching staff finished 2008 with a 2.54 ERA and kept opponents to a .268 batting average.   The throwers have been working on their control, knowing that they need to walk less batters this season.  With a solid defense behind them, they will let batters put the ball in play.



Stephanie Schmikla led the team in innings pitched (148.2) as a freshman and will likely do the same again this year.  She posted a 2.17 ERA with 72 strikeouts and won 12 games last season.  "Steph has worked hard every day to get better," said the CU skipper of his top thrower.  "She is crafty and can consistently hit her spots with good movement.  I think she ll be one of the top players in the NSIC."



Sophomore Cassye McMahon is aiming to become a strikeout pitcher with power, working hard to get down the location of her pitches.  In 79 innings of work, McMahon fanned 57 batters last season.  Rounding out the pitching staff is junior Jenn Kaminski.  Kaminski provides a consistent effort every time she steps on the mound, which was 20 times last year.  She has a fantastic changeup that keeps batters off balance.  Kaminski worked 97.1 innings in 2008.



Resuming her position behind the plate and calling pitches is junior Nikki Scherr.  Scherr is the "Iron Man" of the team, starting every game at catcher last season.  She has an excellent arm that propelled the Golden Bears to the top of the NSIC in picking off runners last year (11).  Scherr came up with 33 hits and scored 20 runs last season and has been striving to improve her offensive game.



The Golden Bears once again bunch up a list of road games to open the season.  They head north to kick the year off at the HuskyDome Classic in St. Cloud February 14-15.  They also play in two tournaments, seeing six opponents Feb. 20-22 in Colorado Springs, Colorado and playing four games March 21-22 in St. Joseph, Missouri.  The team s annual trip to Florida is scheduled for March 7-14 in Kissimmee, where the Golden Bears will play 14 games over spring break. 



Concordia will be challenged up and down the schedule, starting with their first games of the season against 2008 NCAA Tournament qualifiers Lewis University and NY Institute of Technology.  The NSIC has three teams that made the cut for the NCAAs last season, totaling six games for the Golden Bears this year.  Altogether, Concordia will play 13 games against teams that are coming back from a Tournament berth.

The Golden Bears are looking forward to their first home appearance at Dunning Field on March 28, opening the NSIC season with a doubleheader against Bemidji State.  Concordia is slated to play seven home doubleheaders this season. For additional prospectus including schedule, stats, conference preseason picks go to:   http://www.cugoldenbears.com/_Images/PDFs/Softball/Releases/2009/2009_Prospectus.pdf