BASEBALL:
The Concordia-St. Paul baseball team opened the 2026 season with a new-look roster and strong early competition as they navigated a challenging non-conference schedule and began NSIC play. After graduating much of last year’s pitching rotation, the Golden Bears entered the season with several newcomers and transfers stepping into key roles, while returning standouts like Charlie Harms, Will Husemann, Eric Berg, and Kaden Johnson helped anchor the lineup. With a mix of experienced returners and 17 newcomers, head coach Neil Lerner’s squad has embraced the opportunity to build chemistry early in the season while preparing for a demanding conference slate.
Most recently, CSP claimed a series win over Southwest Minnesota State despite falling 4-2 in the series finale at U.S. Bank Stadium, moving to 10-11 overall and 5-4 in NSIC play. Charlie Harms doubled and scored the first run of the game, while Eli Nelson added a solo home run in the eighth inning for the Golden Bears’ second run. Jack Thompson delivered a strong start with four scoreless innings and four strikeouts, while the bullpen added solid work with Christian Lindow and Tyus Smith combining for 2.2 shutout frames. CSP outscored SMSU 10-9 across the tightly contested series, with all three games decided by two runs or less, and will return to action March 21–22 with a three-game road series at Wayne State.
GOLF:
The Concordia-St. Paul men’s golf team opened its spring season with a fifth-place finish at the Maverick Desert Classic in Goodyear, Arizona, posting a two-round score of 587 (+11) at Palm Valley Golf Club. Freshman Carson Boe led the way with a breakout performance, finishing in a six-way tie for first place on the individual leaderboard after carding a 142 (-2) across two rounds. Boe’s strong showing included a 69 (-3) in the opening round and nine total birdies, earning him his first career NSIC Golfer of the Week honor and marking the first top-10 finish of his career. Josh Esterley also delivered a strong performance, climbing seven spots on the final day to finish seventh with a 143 (-1). The Golden Bears will return to action March 23-24 at the NSIC Preview in Smithville, Missouri.
The Concordia-St. Paul women’s golf team also kicked off the spring season in strong fashion, placing second at the SMSU Spring Invitational in Litchfield Park, Arizona with a team score of 616 (+40). Freshman and NISC Golfer of the Week Addi Wood paced the Golden Bears with a third-place finish after shooting a 150 (+6), recording three birdies in each round to secure her third NSIC Golfer of the Week honor of the season. Piper Hill added another top-10 performance, finishing eighth with a 154 (+10), highlighted by an eagle in the final round, while Rebecca DeLong tied her season-best round with a 76 to finish 13th. CSP will continue its spring schedule March 23-24 at the Firekeeper Open in Mayetta, Kansas.
LACROSSE:
The Concordia-St. Paul women’s lacrosse team opened the 2026 season with a strong foundation of returning talent and a competitive non-conference schedule, highlighted by four-straight home games to begin the year inside the Concordia Dome. Head coach Jennifer Jennings praised the team’s energy and commitment heading into the season, noting the strong buy-in from the squad as they build toward their goals for the spring. The Golden Bears return several key contributors, including reigning GLIAC Midfielder of the Year Susie Monson and GLIAC Defender of the Year Claire Flahaven, while a mix of experienced returners and newcomers provide depth across the attack, midfield, and defensive units. Concordia is looking to build on last season’s 9-8 record and second-place GLIAC finish, which marked the program’s highest conference finish to date.
Most recently, the Golden Bears fell 15-5 in a road matchup against Rockhurst, moving to 3-5 overall on the season. Monson led the offensive effort with three goals to record her fourth hat trick of the year and the 19th of her career, while also adding three caused turnovers and three ground balls. Defensively, Flahaven continued her strong play with a team-leading four caused turnovers, bringing her season total to 18. Freshman Shelby Marik extended her impressive start with a goal to push her point streak to eight consecutive games, while Shelby Hansen scored for the sixth straight contest. Concordia will now shift its focus to GLIAC play, returning home to face Saginaw Valley State on March 22 inside the Concordia Dome.
SOFTBALL:
The Concordia-St. Paul softball team closed out play at the Space Coast Games in Viera, Florida, dropping a pair of contests to finish the trip with a 5-5 record. The Golden Bears fell 2-1 to Palm Beach Atlantic in a tight opener before a 9-4 setback against Rockhurst in the finale, moving their overall record to 11-12 on the season. Senior Riley Rosenthal continued to swing a hot bat, collecting four hits on the day and finishing the Florida trip with a .468 average, four extra-base hits, and five RBI while recording hits in eight of ten games. Ava Blake added three hits while Lily Burke contributed a pair of hits, including a double. In the circle, Emmy Bowne delivered a strong performance in game one with 6.0 innings and five strikeouts while allowing just one earned run. The Golden Bears will now take a short break before opening NSIC play at home against UMary on March 21 at 12 p.m.
