RIVER FOREST, ILL. – In the first year under new Head Coach
Matt Smith, the Concordia University Chicago (CUC) baseball team soared to new heights with a record setting season. The team finished the year with a 24-19 overall record, a 17-7 record, a third-place finish in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC), and the first wins in the conference tournament since 2019. Returning coaches included
Connor Nelson and Jake Garvey while two new faces joined the staff in Jack Murphy and
Brennan Fisher.
"As I reflect on this past season, I'm filled with a deep sense of gratitude and pride in what this group accomplished together," Coach Smith said. "A season is never defined solely by wins and losses; it's defined by growth, resilience, relationships, and the standard we set for who we are as a program. This group embodied T.H.O.R.: Teamwork, Honor, Optimism, and Relentless effort in ways that went beyond the field. From the first day of fall practice to the final out of the season, our players showed up with a commitment to each other and to something bigger than themselves. There were challenges this season, but what stood out most was how we responded. We grew stronger in adversity, stayed connected through tough stretches, and continued to compete with pride."
Season Recap
The Cougars started out the season on the road for a three-game trip to Memphis, Tenn. where they dropped all three games against Rhodes College, University of Chicago, and Franklin College in tight matchups.
Jake Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) and
Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) led the way on the weekend hitting 8-for-13 and 9-for-13, respectively. B. Mahler launched his first two home runs of the season against Rhodes and Franklin. With a quick turnaround from the trip to Tennessee, the Cougars packed their bags and headed even further south for a six-game stretch at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational, where they would pick up their first win of the season in the tournament opener against Grove City College. The 13-10 victory was highlighted by home runs from
Cam Buckley (New Lenox, Ill.), B. Mahler, and
Dom Owens (Frankfurt, Ill.) and strong pitching from
Jack Carroll (North Aurora, Ill.),
Blake Hickey (Chicago, Ill.), and
Matthew Licardi (Peoria, Ariz.), who picked up his first collegiate win while pitching three innings with two strikeouts.
The next few games of the trip would go back-and-forth with a 4-3 loss against Bluffton University, a 9-3 win over Wartburg College, and a heartbreaking 5-4 12-inning loss against St. John Fisher University. Strong pitching aided these three games in
David Deimling (Bloomingdale, Ill.),
Kyle Ston (Winfield, Ill.),
Kadin Borck (McHenry, Ill.),
Dylan Scott (Bartlett, Ill.),
Josh Prosise (Joliet, Ill.),
Ryan Renella (Bartlett, Ill.),
Jack Linko (New Lenox, Ill.), and
Kyle Connelly (New Lenox, Ill.). In the win over Wartburg, the Cougars spread the wealth with Buckley leading the charge going two-for-four at the plate and Linko going two-for-five at the plate while five different Cougars added RBIs. The Cougars then took on the St. John Fisher Cardinals where CUC took an early 3-0 lead before the Cardinals could respond and cut the CUC lead down to 3-2. A solo home run for
Austin Koberstein (Milwaukee, Wis.) would give the Cougars their final run of the day and extend back out to a two-run advantage, but the Cardinals answered in the bottom of the seventh and knotted things up. After an intense back-and-forth battle that would see Cougar runners in scoring position twice, but the Cardinals were able to sneak a run in to close the heartbreaker in 12 innings.
Fresh off the rally from the day before, the Cougars faced the Saint Mary's Minnesota Cardinals, falling 9-3. Buckley would lead the charge in the loss going three-for-five at the plate with one home run and two RBIs. In their final game in the Sunshine State, the Cougars faced nationally ranked University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh where they would pull the 2-1 upset victory. A strong pitcher's battle saw 11 outs in 11 batters to start the game before the Titans would be able to sneak one run across the plate in the bottom of the second. Utilizing the depth in the bullpen, the Cougars shifted from Carrol after two innings to Hickey who would throw a scoreless inning and hand things over to
Michael Southard (Northbrook, Ill.) who would secure three outs in four batters. The game would remain stagnant with scoreless innings thrown by Prosise, Ston, Borck, and Connelly. The top of the ninth saw singles from Koberstein, J. Mahler, and B. Mahler to load the bases up for
Richie Sperando (Darien, Ill.) to drive the game-tying run in. With bases loaded and one out on the board, Linko would drive the go-ahead run in and give the Cougars the lead for the first time in the game. In the bottom of the ninth, back-to-back outs for the Cougars, courtesy of Sperando and
Connor Jerkatis (New Lenox, Ill.), would put one last batter at the plate where a slow bouncer that was called in fair territory would allow Connelly to collect and touch first himself to secure the out and close the game with the Cougar win and the upset over the #19 Titans.
Keeping up with the southern play, the Cougars made their final trip of the season down to Abilene, Texas to play a three-game series against the Hardin-Simmons University Cowboys, coached by former Cougar Baseball All-American Mitch Wilson ('18). They played a double-header on day one, falling in game one 8-2 before flipping around and securing game two with a 13-9 win. In game one, the Cougars would jump out to an early 1-0 lead, but the Cowboys would answer quickly and dominantly and take the 3-1 lead. A solo home run from Buckley would jump start the Cougar offense, but they would be unable to convert on anything. In game two, the script flipped entirely with the Cougars coming out with a dominant 3-0 lead in the top of the first. They would continue to tack on runs with hits from Jerkatis, Buckley, B. Mahler,
Xavier Zagerman (Chandler, Ariz.), J. Mahler, and Koberstein. Scott would pick up his second win of the season after going six innings with three strikeouts and handing things over to Licardi, Southard, and Connelly to close things out. In the final game of the Texas Trip, the Cougars would fall 14-9. B. Mahler led the offensive charge, falling just a home run short of the cycle and picking up the team's first triple of the season. Six Cougars pitched in the game, highlighted by the long-awaited return to the mound for
Anthony Pullano (Park Ridge, Ill.) who threw one scoreless inning.
"Early in the season, we were still figuring ourselves out," Coach Smith said. "We played a tough non-conference schedule, and you could see it in the results. We were in a lot of close games but weren't always finishing them. We had tight losses, extra-inning battles, and high-scoring games that could've gone either way. Those experiences were important because they exposed areas we needed to grow execution late in games, attention to detail, and the ability to stay composed when things didn't go our way."
Back in the Midwest for the first time of the season, the Cougars took a non-conference 4-1 victory over Wheaton College before jumping into NACC play. In the home opener the Cougars fell in both games to Concordia University Wisconsin before hitting the road to Schaumburg, Ill. where they downed the Dominican University Stars in high-scoring contests, 17-11 and 14-4 (7 inn.). Riding the momentum from the sweep over the Stars, the Cougars picked up the game one win at Lakeland University 17-3 in seven innings before falling in game two 10-9. On the day, B. Mahler picked up his third multi-homer game of the season while going six-for-ten at the plate.
Jeffery Beckert (Mount Prospect, Ill.) led the way in game two, going three-for-four at the plate with two runs.
Returning back to The Thunderdome for a four-game stretch the Cougars swept Benedictine University and St. Norbert College. The series against Benedictine turned into two single games broken up over the course of a week due to weather. In game one against the Eagles, J. Mahler led the way with two home runs that helped erase a five-run deficit and secure the 8-7 victory. Before CUC could play game two against the Eagles they had a weekend doubleheader against the Green Knights where they picked up the 8-7 and 9-2 victories. J. Mahler led the charge going six-for-nine at the plate with four RBIs and two doubles. Finally able to take on the Eagles again, the Cougars got to work right away as Carroll dished on the mound and went eight innings with no runs allowed. All scoring in the game came at the hands of B. Mahler who picked up back-to-back home runs that gave CUC all three runs of the day.
The Cougars hit the road to take on Aurora University, falling in both games, before hosting Marina University on April 12
th for an away game after rescheduling due to weather forced the Cougars to be the visitors at their home field. Despite the changes, the Cougars still secured the 17-14 victory. In a mid-season non-conference matchup, the Cougars headed to Chicago, Ill. to take on North Park University, falling 10-9. In the game, the Cougars sat in the driver's seat the majority of the way until a stormy bottom of the eighth inning made things difficult and the Vikings were able to steal six runs and take the victory over the Cougars.
"As the season progressed, you started to see that growth take shape," Coach Smith noted. "Our guys became more comfortable in their roles, and we began to string together strong performances, especially in conference play. We showed we could respond after tough outings and bounce back with energy and focus. That's where a lot of the maturity of the group really developed."
In the final stretch of the regular season, the Cougars hosted the Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks where high-scoring games played in favor of CUC. Owens led the charge in game one going three-for-four at the plate with two RBIs and two runs of his own. Two Cougars launched home runs in the game in J. Mahler and Linko while B. Mahler and
Brendan Holloway (Vernon Hills, Ill.) picked up doubles. In game two, the Scarlet Hawks took the early 6-0 lead, but the Cougars would answer with hits from Linko, Jerkatis, and Buckley to put the Cougars on the board. A much-needed blank inning for the Cougar defense would let the hitters continue to stay hot with a leadoff solo home run to left center from J. Mahler. Two pitches later, B. Mahler would follow his brother's home run with one of his own, marking the first time the two brothers have gone yard back-to-back in their four year careers, putting both in the single-season Cougar Baseball Record Book for single-season home runs, tied at 8th. Now trailing by two, a walk for Owens, a single for Linko, and a hit by pitch for Sperando would load the bases up for a new pitcher to enter the game. The first batter for the new arm on the mound would be Buckley, who was long overdue to send a ball onto Division Street and clear the bases in a lead-taking grand slam. Following the sweep of the Scarlet Hawks, the Cougars hosted the Edgewood University Eagles for senior day, splitting the day. The Eagles were all gas no breaks in game one, pulling the 14-7 win over the Cougars. In game two, the Cougars came out with a spark after
Eliot Higgins (Park Ridge, Ill.) would deliver a three up, three down inning to start the game. Despite strong pitching, the Eagles would jump out to a 5-0 lead in the third inning before CUC could get things rolling. The first run of the game would come off the bat of J. Mahler who would launch his second solo home run of the day. Things would sit stagnant until the bottom of the eighth where a single up the middle from Holloway with two outs would start a rally. A walk for J. Mahler and a single from B. Mahler would load the bases up while a competitive walk for Owens would score a run, leaving the Cougars trailing by one. The top of the ninth would see back-to-back strikeouts from Connelly leaving a zero on the scoreboard and give the Cougars a chance to end the game. Linko would start the inning off being hit by a pitch and
Quintin Guardia (Joleit, Ill.) would come in to pinch run while a walk for Beckert would put the game-winning run on first. A sacrifice bunt from Sperando would put one out on the board and the game tying run 90 feet from the plate, while a walk for Holloway would load the bases up. With two outs on the board, bases loaded, and the game tying run at third base, J. Mahler stepped to the plate and fouled off the first pitch he saw. The next pitch would drop in left field and give Guardia and Beckert time to score, securing the walkoff win for the Cougars – their second of the week. The Cougars would then go on to pick up three road game wins over Marian and Wisconsin Lutheran College, extending out to 13-6 in the NACC. Returning home for their final games of the season at The Thunderdome, the Cougars pulled the shocking sweep over the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) Raiders – the first time the Raiders had been swept all season and later would be the only time the Raiders had been swept all season. The Cougars wasted no time jumping ahead, manufacturing two runs in the bottom of the first without needing a big swing. Buckley worked a leadoff walk and aggressively moved into scoring position on a balk and wild pitch before Holloway laced an RBI single to left. After B. Mahler was intentionally walked to create a force, Linko kept the pressure on with a single, and Owens brought home another on a fielder's choice to give CUC an early 2-0 edge. CUC added on in the third inning behind extra-base power and heads-up baserunning. J. Mahler reached with a single before B. Mahler ripped a double into the gap, scoring one and advancing to third on the throw. A miscue by the Raiders allowed another run to cross, extending the lead to 4-1. On the mound, Pullano provided a steady inning in the eighth to halt MSOE's momentum, and Connelly slammed the door in the ninth. The closer struck out two and induced a routine groundout to seal the dramatic comeback victory while giving Pullano his first career win on the mound. Game two opened with immediate pressure from MSOE, as the Raiders used aggressive baserunning and timely hitting to strike for two runs in the top of the first. A pair of singles put runners on, and a stolen base sequence allowed one run to score before another came home on an infield play combined with a Cougar error, giving MSOE a quick 2-0 lead. After J. Mahler reached on a fielder's choice and B. Mahler was intentionally walked, the Cougars loaded the bases for Owens. The senior made the Raiders pay, crushing a three-run home run to right field to cap a five-run inning and give CUC a commanding 5-2 lead. Strong pitching held the Raiders off with five innings from Southard with six strikeouts paired with two innings from Scott and one inning from Ston and Connelly. The Cougars would close out the regular season on the road, splitting with the Rockford University Regents and securing the #3 seed in the NACC Tournament.
"By the end of the regular season, we were playing a much more complete brand of baseball," Coach Smith said. "We put together key conference sweeps and series wins, including strong stretches where we not only won games, but found different ways to win tight scoring games, comeback wins, and offensive outbursts. That's a sign of a team that's growing in confidence and identity."
Going into the tournament ranked third, the Cougars avoided the single-elimination game on Wednesday, but would play the first double-elimination game on Thursday against Benedictine. With the Eagles as the eight seed, and fresh off the sweep from the Cougars earlier in the season, they dominated CUC 19-3 to put the Cougars behind in the tournament. On Friday, the Cougars played in a win-or-go-home game against the #4 Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks. The Cougars got to work early in the bottom of the first after J. Mahler would launch a solo home run on a two-out rally to put them ahead 1-0 early on. Things would stay stagnant until the top of the fifth where the Scarlet Hawks would jump ahead 2-1 and take the lead for the first time of the day. A scoreless bottom of the fifth and top of the sixth would send things back to the Cougar offense where a leadoff single for Holloway paired with a triple from J. Mahler would score another and put the Cougars up 2-1. Immediately after, B. Mahler would launch a double and extend the Cougars lead out to 3-2. CUC would leave the bases loaded, but head to the top of the seventh with a small, but comfortable lead. The Scarlet Hawks would tack on one run in the top of the seventh and hand things back to the Cougar offense. All knotted up by the end of the game, Holloway would find himself in scoring position after a double to right field. J. Mahler would be intentionally walked to bring his brother up to the plate who would make Illinois Tech regret the decision as he would send a walkoff win to center field, keeping CUC's season alive and marking their first win in the conference tournament since 2019.
CUC would go on to play in another elimination game later that night against Benedictine. In a game that was scheduled for 7:00 pm, the Cougars didn't start the game until nearly 9:00 pm and would be the visiting team for the first time in the tournament. Despite these odds, they got going early with a leadoff single for Buckley paired with a walk for J. Mahler and a single to left field from B. Mahler give Buckley time to score and put the Cougars ahead 2-0. The Eagles would strike back right away, tacking on three runs while CUC would sit scoreless until the top of the sixth. Four hits, split between Sperando, J. Mahler, and Linko mixed with walks for B. Mahler and Owens would load the bases up and allow the Cougars to inch closer, tacking on three runs on four hits, now trailing 8-6. The Cougars would stay trailing until the top of the seventh, where a double for J. Mahler would score one and leave room for B. Mahler to be intentionally walked yet again. CUC would tack on their tying and go ahead runs in the top of the eighth off leadoff back-to-back walks that put two runners on. A single from Buckley would allow the bases to load up where a single from J. Mahler would score two and give the Cougars the 9-8 lead, their first since the first inning of the game. The insurance run would come after a wild pitch would give Buckley plenty of time to cross home. Six outs in seven batters across two innings go things moving, but the Cougars remained on top to fight their way to the Saturday games.
One game away from the championship game, the Cougars would face off against MSOE. After the Cougars delivered their only sweep of the season, the Raiders came out with intensity. CUC would be able to take the early 2-0 lead, but the Raiders responded quickly and put one run on. CUC would sit ahead 5-1 and eventually up to 7-2 before the Raiders would have a field day in the bottom of the fourth and take the 12-7 lead over the Cougars – a lead the Cougars would not be able to overcome. Unable to rally, the Cougars would eventually fall 15-13 and close the season with a final record of 24-19 and a NACC record of 17-7.
"What stood out most down the stretch was our ability to perform in big moments," Coach Smith reflected. "In the postseason, we saw that come to life with games like the walk-off win over Illinois Tech. Those are the moments where your growth shows up the most. Early in the year, that might've been a game that slipped away. By the end of the year, we had the belief and composure to finish it. Overall, our growth wasn't just in wins it was in resilience, consistency, and belief. We went from a team learning how to compete together to a team that expected to win and knew how to handle the moments that decide games. That progression is what I'm most proud of, and it sets a strong foundation for where we're headed next as a program."
Postseason Honors
The Cougars earned eight NACC All-Conference nods including the first Position Player of the Year award for the Cougars since 2019 in
Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.).
Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) and
Jake Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) earned first team,
Kyle Connelly (New Lenox, Ill.) and
Cam Buckley (New Lenox, Ill.) earned second team,
Brendan Holloway (Vernon Hills, Ill.),
Dom Owens (Frankfurt, Ill.),
Matthew Licardi (Peoria, Ariz.), and
Ryan Renella (Bartlett, Ill.) earned honorable mention. To read the full 2026 NACC All-Conference release
click here.
The American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) / Rawlings announced their 2026 Division III All-Region Teams on May 26
th with three Cougars named to the list.
Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.),
Jake Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.), and
Kyle Connelly (New Lenox, Ill.) wrote their names on the list with
Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) earning NCAA Division III Region VIII Position Player of the Year – the first time the Cougars have earned this distinction since 2017. To read the full ABCA / Rawlings All-Region Release
click here.
Moving on from the All-Region ballot,
Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) and
Jake Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) each secured 2026 ABCA / Rawlings All-American accolades. These two awards mark the first time in program history that brothers have earned the award in the same year and the first time the Cougars have had a catcher earn All-American status. To read the full ABCA / Rawlings All-American release
click here.
On the academic side, the Cougars had three athletes earn College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District in
Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.),
Jake Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.), and
Kyle Connelly (New Lenox, Ill.). To earn this honor, student-athletes must have a 3.5 GPA or above as well as excellent athletic performance. To read the full CSC Academic All-District release
click here.
The final accolade of the season came on June 23
rd when the 2026 CSC Academic All-America list was released with two Cougars named to the list.
Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) and
Jake Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) each added another final accolade securing their place on first team and third team, respectively. The Mahler Brothers make the second and third Cougars to earn this accolade after
Michael Kasik earned it for the first time in 2023. To read the full CSC Academic All-America release
click here.
Graduating Seniors
The Cougars graduated 13 seniors with a lot of dedication and talent leaving the program behind.
They lose seven pitchers that accounted for 117.2 innings on the mound this season in
Blake Hickey (Chicago, Ill.),
Allen Mateo (Austell, Ga.),
David Deimling (Bloomingdale, Ill.),
Jack Carroll (North Aurora, Ill.),
Eliot Higgins (Park Ridge, Ill.),
Kyle Ston (Winfield, Ill.), and
Anthony Pullano (Park Ridge, Ill.).
In the field, the Cougars lose four infield positions and two outfield positions accounting for five starters throughout the season in
Jake Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) at third base,
Richie Sperando (Darien, Ill.) at second base,
Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) at catcher / designated hitter,
Garrett Williams (Eaton Rapids, Mich.) in the outfield,
Dom Owens (Frankfurt, Ill.) at catcher / designated hitter, and
Brendan Holloway (Vernon Hills, Ill.) in the outfield. J. Mahler, Sperando, and B. Mahler were the three lone seniors to start and appear in all 43 games this season.
- J. Mahler wrapped up his career with a .386 batting average and in the record book in many statistical categories, but highlighted by tying for second most single-season home runs at 16.
- Sperando wrapped up his career with a .249 batting average.
- B. Mahler wrapped up his career with a .398 batting average and in the record book in many statistical categories, but highlighted by tying for second most single-season home runs at 16 and for breaking the single-season RBI record with 69.
- Owens wrapped up his career with a .326 batting average.
- Holloway wrapped up his career with a .309 batting average.
Impactful Returners
The Cougars return a strong group including leadership from
Connor Jerkatis (New Lenox, Ill.),
Xavier Zagerman (Chandler, Ariz.), Jeffery Beckert (Mount Prospect, Ill.), and
Jack Linko (New Lenox, Ill.), who accounted for most of the rest of the starts for the Cougars. Jerkatis, entering his senior season, split time between first and third base and swung .143 while being responsible for 131 putouts and 26 assists. Zagerman, also entering his senior season, swung .184 while slugging .326. He collected four home runs on the season with 25 RBIs. Zagerman made the shift from infield to primarily playing right field where he was responsible for 83 putouts and five assists. Beckert, entering his junior campaign, swung .223 on the season while starring as the primary shortstop for the Cougars. He was responsible for 52 putouts and 91 assists while helping to turn 13 double plays. Finally, Linko returns for his junior season after seeing time on the mound, at first base, and even one inning in left field. At the plate, Linko swung .315 while slugging .444 and launching three home runs on the season. In the field he led the team with putouts at 210 and followed with 10 assists. Linko made seven appearances on the mound where he collected 113 strikeouts and held his opponents to a .347 batting average against him.
Key arms returning for the Cougars include
Ryan Renella (Bartlett, Ill.), Kyle Connelly (New Lenox, Ill.), Dylan Scott (Bartlett, Ill.), and
Michael Southard (Northbrook, Ill.) Renella led the team in innings pitched and strikeouts with a WHIP of 1.52. He started and appeared in ten games on the mound accounting for 54.0 innings pitched with 49 strikeouts and holding his opponents to a .278 batting average. Connelly led the team in appearances with 20 while pitching 31.1 innings. He finished the season with a 2.87 ERA as the primary closer while grabbing 27 strikeouts and holding his opponents to a .197 batting average against him. Connelly was one of four Cougar arms that pitched more than one inning and did not allow a home run against him. Scott returned as a starter for the Cougars making nine starts on the mound while pitching 34.1 innings. He collected 12 strikeouts and closed the season with a WHIP of 2.18. Finally, Southard also returned to the mound, appearing ten times with three starts. He finished the season with a 3-0 record while pitching 21.2 innings and collecting 21 strikeouts.
Other key returners include:
Pitchers
Dylan Ferraro (Windsor, Colo.),
Kadin Borck (McHenry, Ill.),
Josh Prosise (Joliet, Ill.),
Ryker Keller (Troy, Ill.),
Samuel Beringer (Plainfield, Ill.), and
Dom Pisciotti (Willow Springs, Ill.).
Position Players
Joshua Mathew (Northbrook, Ill.),
Josiah King (Fairland, Ind.),
Reid Benner (Pittsboro, Ind.),
Franky Echevarria (Chicago, Ill.),
Connor Peckham (Lombard, Ill.), and
Austin Koberstein (Milwaukee, Wis.).
"The biggest key to our success this season was our ability to combine toughness, timely execution, and leadership across the board," Coach Smith said. "If you look at how our season played out, it wasn't always easy or perfect. But what separated this group was their ability to compete in big moments and respond when it mattered most. We had multiple games where we had to fight from behind or hold leads late, and our guys consistently showed that they weren't going to back down. You saw that in games like our comeback win against MSOE, where we rallied late to take control, and then followed it up with another strong performance to complete the sweep. That toughness carried into other key stretches of the season. Sweeping Wisconsin Lutheran on the road to punch our postseason ticket is another example. Those are pressure moments late in the year, and our guys rose to the occasion. Another huge factor was our offensive production and leadership from the middle of our lineup.
Brandon Mahler had one of the most dominant seasons in program history, breaking multiple single-season records and earning conference and regional honors. But what made us successful wasn't just one player, it was how that production spread throughout the lineup. We had multiple guys step up in big spots, whether it was power numbers, situational hitting, or driving in runs when we needed it most. I also think our resilience defined this team. You see it in the way we played all the way through the postseason battling in a high-scoring, back-and-forth tournament game where we never stopped competing until the final out. That mindset staying in the fight regardless of the situation was a huge part of our identity.
At the end of the day, our success came down to this:
- We had players who believed in each other
- We had leaders who set the tone every day
- And we had a team that embraced competing when the game was on the line
That combination is what allowed us to grow, win big games, and put ourselves in a position to compete for a championship."
Statistical Leaders
Batting
Batting Average –
Brandon Mahler, .472
Slugging Percentage –
Brandon Mahler, .893
Runs Scored –
Jake Mahler, 57
Hits –
Brandon Mahler, 77
Runs Batted In –
Brandon Mahler, 69
Home Runs –
Jake Mahler &
Brandon Mahler, 16
Walks –
Brandon Mahler, 28
Stolen Bases –
Cam Buckley, 23
Pitching
Earned Run Average (ERA)* –
Matthew Licardi, 3.30
Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched (WHIP)* –
Matthew Licardi, 1.34
Batting Average Against* –
Matthew Licardi, .267
Innings Pitched –
Ryan Renella, 54.0
Strikeouts –
Ryan Renella, 49
Fielding
Putouts –
Jack Linko, 210
Assists –
Richie Sperando, 97
Fielding Double Plays –
Richie Sperando, 22
*Minimum of 1 IP/G
Highlights
UP NEXT
The Cougars are in the offseason with many athletes playing summer ball and continuing offseason training. The 2027 season schedule is not yet available, but will be posted to cucougars.com as soon as it is.
"Our biggest focus this offseason is making sure the momentum we built this year doesn't stop when the season ends - it actually grows stronger," Coach Smith noted. "For us, it starts with something simple but really intentional: connection. We're going to be very proactive as a staff in staying connected with our players, both our returning guys and our incoming class. That means regular phone calls, check-ins, and genuine conversations. Not just about baseball, but about life, how they're doing, what they're working on, and where they want to go. Those moments build trust, and trust is what everything else is built on. At the same time, we want to start building accountability early. We're not waiting until the fall to define expectations that the process is already underway. Our players understand what the standard is, and now it's about taking ownership of that standard on their own. That comes from setting clear goals, communicating consistently, and holding each other to it day in and day out.
"Another big piece is player-to-player connection," Coach Smith continued. "The best teams aren't just coach-led, they're player-driven. So we're encouraging our guys to stay in touch with each other, train together when possible, and continue building those relationships. That brotherhood is what showed up for us this season, and we want to strengthen it even more heading into next year. With our incoming players, it's about bringing them into that culture right away. We want them to feel connected before they ever step on campus to understand our expectations, our values, and what it means to be part of this program.
Overall, the goal of the offseason is pretty simple:
- Stay connected
- Build trust
- Create accountability
If we can do those three things consistently, we'll show up in the fall not starting over but building off everything we established this season. And that's how you turn momentum into something lasting."
"It's hard to put into words what this season meant to me," Coach Smith reflected on. "As an alum of this program, Concordia Chicago isn't just a place I work, it's a place that helped shape who I am. I've worn this uniform as a player, I've poured into it as an assistant, and now to lead it as the head coach… that's something I don't take lightly for a single day. This season wasn't about me, it was about our players and what they were willing to invest. But being a part of a group that accomplished what we did in my first year in this role, it means everything. It's a reflection of the people in this program and the standard that's been built over time. What made it special wasn't just the wins or the postseason run, it was
how we did it. Watching this group grow, fight through adversity, come together during a coaching transition, and ultimately build something they could be proud of that's what I'll remember most. There's also a deep sense of pride in continuing the legacy of this program. I sat in their locker room. I've been in their shoes. I know what it means to represent Concordia Chicago, and to now have the opportunity to guide the next group of players through that same experience. It's incredibly meaningful. At the same time, there's a strong sense of responsibility that comes with it. Our goal isn't just to have a memorable season, it's to build something that lasts. We want to continue raising the standard, honoring the alumni who came before us, and creating a program that future Cougars are proud to be part of. So while I'm extremely proud of what we accomplished, I'm even more grateful for the opportunity, for this team, and for the chance to lead a program that's meant so much to me for a long time.
"And I can honestly say this is just the beginning."
Keep up with the Cougars in the offseason by following them on X and Instagram @CUCBaseball. Rosters, schedules, and more in the offseason can be found at cucougars.com.
