2010 Baseball
| Baseball Coaches |
Karl Kling - Head Coach - 7th Season
Karl Kling enters his seventh season as the head coach of the Concordia Baseball Team as the winningest coach in Concordia history with 126 wins. In Coach Kling's first six seasons, the Cards have now averaged 21 wins, while the team had never won 20 games in any season prior to his arrival. Coach Kling's six-year win total (126) surpasses the previous best stretch, 1985 through 1990, by nearly 49 games (77).
Last season, the Cardinals finished with a 25-30 mark, the first-time ever in program history the team recorded back-to-back 25+ win seasons.
Heading into the 2010 season, the team is looking for the first 30-win season in school history.The team is very confident that they will only build upon last season, as the team returns all 12 pitchers who toed the rubber last season, as well as adding several new arms who will fortify the staff. Additionally, the Cards have brought in experience throughout the diamond to either add depth to already strong positions, upgrade weak positions or replace spots vacated by graduation.
Last season, the Cardinals put together their best stretch ever in the WHAC playoffs, knocking off two teams in the first two rounds, leaving them one win away from their first-ever conference championship game. Unfortunately, Concordia couldn't get that victory but put themselves in a great position for 2010.
In 2008, the Cards set a school record with 27 wins, being the fourth time in Kling's tenure the program set a new standard for win total. In the history of the program, five of the six top seasons in regard to win total have been coached by Kling.
In 2005, Kling guided the Cardinals to their first-ever postseason appearance. The team was one win away from the NAIA Regionals, but fell 5-4 in 16 innings to fall a game short. The 2006 season featured the Cardinals making the second straight playoff appearance, and ended again with Concordia a mere win away from the first-ever Regional appearance. The 2006 squad fell to Indiana Tech 7-5, leaving the bases loaded in the top of the ninth. The 2008 team was the third team to make the playoffs but the first to fail to win a game in the postseason after dropping both games in the WHAC tournament.
In his six seasons, the Cardinals have won 126 games. From 1989 through 2003, a 15-year stretch directly prior to Coach Kling's arrival, Concordia baseball amassed only 127 wins.
Prior to being hired as Head Coach in the summer of 2003, Kling served as an assistant coach to Tim Taylor for two seasons working primarily with the Cardinal outfield and catching corps.
Recently Kling has served as the Director of the Midwest Baseball Academy Camp, hosted by Concordia; was a guest instructor for the independent league Traverse City Beach Bum winter camp, served as the Capital City Classic All-Star game coach held at Oldsmobile Park in Lansing; worked as a instructor for Triple Crown Sports at their Omaha and Myrtle Beach national showcases, coached the 18U Michigan Sports Academy Black Summer team and has served as the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference baseball chair for the last two seasons.
Recently Kling has served as the Director of the Midwest Baseball Academy Camp, hosted by Concordia; was a guest instructor for the independent league Traverse City Beach Bum winter camp, served as the Capital City Classic All-Star game coach held at Oldsmobile Park in Lansing; worked as a instructor for Triple Crown Sports at their Omaha and Myrtle Beach national showcases, coached the 18U Michigan Sports Academy Black Summer team and has served as the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference baseball chair for the last two seasons.
In addition to serving as the baseball coach, Kling will return as Sports Information Director for a fifth season after spending the two previous years as the University's Athletic Director. Wanting to focus more on the development of the baseball team, Kling stepped down as AD in June of 2005.
Prior to joining the Concordia family, Kling was the pitching and catching coach at South Lyon High School for two seasons. Prior to that, he coached at Pontiac Notre Dame Prepatory High School for five years, as an assistant coach. During that time, the Fighting Irish won the Catholic League C-D championship in 1997. Overall, Kling has been a coach for the past 19 years.
Kling has had a vast and varying career in addition to athletics. Before joining Concordia on a full-time basis in 2003, Kling was editor of The Milford Times, which was named Michigan's Newspaper of the Year in 2002, as well as being awarded First Place in General Excellence from the Michigan Press Association for the year 2001, and Third Place in General Excellence from the Suburban Newspapers of America, also in 2001.
Kling has also served as a Chief of Staff for a state Senator in Lansing, as well as Executive Director of the Oakland County Republican Party for three years in the 1990's. Kling has worked on many political campaigns, most notably serving as the Michigan Director for the Alan Keyes for President campaign in 1996.
Kling currently resides in Howell with his wife Debra and their children. Coach Kling and his wife will be celebrating their 12th anniversary in December of 2009. They have three sons: Hayden (who is in the 5th grade this year); Dawson (who is in the 3rd grade this year) and Ethan (who is attending his last year of pre-school at Heart of the Shepherd Lutheran Church). The Kling family has been one of the charter members of Heart of the Shepherd Lutheran Church in Howell, Michigan since it formed in 2002.
KARL KLING COACHING RECORD
|
YEAR |
SCHOOL |
OVERALL |
CONFERENCE |
PLAYOFFS |
|
2003-04 |
Concordia |
14-42 |
2-18 |
Did not qualify |
|
2004-05 |
Concordia |
18-28 |
5-11 |
WHAC Semifinals |
|
2005-06 |
Concordia |
23-28 |
7-9 |
WHAC Semifinals |
|
2006-07 |
Concordia |
19-29 |
9-13 |
Did not qualify |
|
2007-08 |
Concordia |
27-22 |
11-13 |
WHAC First Round |
|
2008-09 |
Concordia |
25-30 |
6-14 |
WHAC Semifinals |
| CAREER TOTAL | 126-179 | 40-78 |
Chris Harrison - Assistant Coach - 2nd Season
After a couple of years of working with the Concordia University pitching staff on a contract basis, Chris Harrison agreed to join the Cardinal coaching staff in a more expanded role last season. For the 2009-10 season, Coach Harrison enters his second year as the official pitching coach of the Cardinals.
Harrison, who owns the Michigan Sports Academy in Ypsilanti, has grealty improved the Cardinal pitching staff as the team has absorbed the many years of his top collegiate experience.
"It's not everyday a small program such as ours has access to someone with the depth of knowledge Coach Harrison has," Kling said. "I realized that the knowledge he has bestowed on the pitchers could also be delivered to our position players, and quite frankly, the rest of the coaching staff as well."
In addition to his ownership of MSA and his work with the Cardinals, Coach Harrison previously served as an assistant and head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through 2002. As an assistant, Coach Harrison oversaw the recruiting of the Wolverine program as well as instructing the hitters and infielders, as well as coaching third base and being the point-person for the UofM offense.
Additionally, Coach Harrison has been a trials coach for USA Baseball, the head coach at Master's College in Santa Clarita, California and an assistant baseball coach at three institutions including Kansas State University. Coach Harrison also was an instructor in the Netherlands in 1986 and the head baseball coach for Athletes in Action in 1985 during their tour of Europe.
Coach Harrison played at Oral Roberts University, graduating in 1982 with a Bachelor of Art's degree. Coach Harrison lives in Tecumseh, with his wife and two children.
Alex Hoover - Grad Assistant - 2nd Season
Alex Hoover is entering his second season as an assistant coach for the Concordia baseball team. Coach Hoover is involved in the strength and conditioning facet of the program, as well as serving as the first-base coach for the varsity program while working with the infielders and serve as the program's hitting coach as well as assisting with the catching corps.
Prior to his coaching stint with the Cardinals, Hoover played four seasons for Coach Kling ending his career in 2008 as being the first Concordia player ever chosen as the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
Coach Hoover is currently fifth all-time for career hits with 138, third in runs batter in with 98, fifth in total bases with 190, and second in times being hit by a pitch with 24. He also holds the school record career bases on balls with 75.
Hoover's .418 batting average in 2008 is fifth all-time for a season, while his 46 RBI that year is third. In 2008, Hoover set the school record for bases on balls with 29 while his on-base percentage of .522 that campaign is second all-time.
Hoover also holds the school record for putouts in a career with 515 while his 268 in the 2007 season is third all-time for a year.
Hoover, who has the full-support of his mother and father, Lynn and Ed Hoover of Shelbyville, graduated in 2009 with a BA in Mathematics, and is currently enrolled in the Organizational Leadership & Administration Graduate Program at Concordia. Additionally, Hoover is working toward certification to become a casualty actuary.
Coach Hoover's philosophy is based in character, discipline, team attitude and dedication.
Hoover currently resides in Ypsilanti.
Ryan McCosky - Grad Assistant - 3rd Season
Ryan McCosky will return for a third season as an assistant in a more-expanded role as he will not only continue to coach the outfielders as well as coordinate the strength and conditioning program, but Coach Kling has rewarded his dedication to the program by making him the JV Head Coach as well as being heavily involved in all aspects of the program.
McCosky is entering his fifth year with the program as he completed his playing career with the Cardinals in 2007, earning All-Conference honors as an outfielder. McCosky also earned Academic All-Conference honors during his playing career as a Cardinal.
McCosky started his collegiate career on the west side of the state where he walked on and played for two seasons at Kalamazoo Valley Community College Concordia University
Coach McCosky is supported by parents Sue and Mike Ross and Chris McCosky. McCosky graduated in May of 2009 with a degree in Physical Education and English and recently started the Master's program at Concordia. McCosky eventually plans to teach at the secondary level and recently did his student teaching in the Whitmore Lake School District.
McCosky is grateful for the opportunity to be apart of this program and to continue to help the young men and the program to grow. McCosky's philosophy embodies hard work and character.
Coach McCosky resides in Ypsilanti.