Wartburg Knights baseball

Wartburg Knights
Founded1958
Head coachCasey Klunder (1st season)
ConferenceARC
LocationWaverly, Iowa
Home stadiumHarms Stadium at Hertel Field
(Capacity: 500)
NicknameKnights
College World Series appearances
1964, 2000, 2005
NCAA Tournament appearances
1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017
Conference tournament champions
1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2017
Regular season conference champions
1961, 1962, 1963, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017

The Wartburg Knights baseball program represents Wartburg College in college baseball. The program started in 1958. The team competes in the NCAA Division III and a member of the American Rivers Conference (ARC).[1] The team plays its home games at Harms Stadium at Hertel field in Waverly, Iowa.

History

The Wartburg Knights baseball team played its first season in 1958, with its first game coming against Iowa Wesleyan. The Knights reached the NAIA World Series in 1964. They hold the record for longest game played when they beat West Liberty State in a 16 inning game.[2] The program rose to national relevance in the late 1990s, early 2000s when Joel Holst was hired in 1996. The program has won a conference leading 22 conference championships, the most recent coming 2017 when they won three straight IIAC titles.[3]

Joel Holst era (1997-2022)

Joel Holst was hired in 1995 and coached his first season at Wartburg in 1996. In his first season they finished with a .500 record at 20-20. Following that season the Knights would go on to win 12 straight conference regular season championships and appeared in the college world series on two occasions (2000, 2005). During the 2005 College World Series the Knights played in two games that set records; the first was the longest game in series history in terms of innings, when they defeated Rowan College in 16 innings 8–6 and then played in the shortest game in series history when they lost to SUNY Cortland 5–0 in 1 hour and 52 minutes.[4] Joel Holst resigned from his head coaching position prior to the 2023 season.[5] Following his resignation, Casey Chaplin was named interim head coach for the 2023 baseball season.[6]

Casey Klunder era (2024-Present)

Following the 2023 season, Casey Klunder, was tabbed as the fifth head coach in program history.[7] He began his tenure at Wartburg with a 12–4 win over Grove City, with a 3–0 start to the year.[8]

Record by year

This is a table of the Wartburg Knights record year-by-year.[9]

Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Wartburg (Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1958–2017)
1958 Earnest Oppermann 11–7 7–5
1959 Earnest Oppermann 9–8 8–6
1960 Earnest Oppermann 7–5 6–4
1961 Earnest Oppermann 14–6 14–3 1st
1962 Earnest Oppermann 10–6 10–2 1st
1963 Earnest Oppermann 13–6 8–4 1st NAIA Regional
1964 Earnest Oppermann 18–6 9–3 2nd NAIA World Series
1965 Earnest Oppermann 3–8
1966 Earnest Oppermann 12–8
1967 Earnest Oppermann 15–5
1968 Earnest Oppermann 12–8
1969 Earnest Oppermann 11–9
1970 Earnest Oppermann 12–17
1971 Earnest Oppermann 11–19
1972 Earnest Oppermann 7–7
1973 Earnest Oppermann 9–14
1974 Earnest Oppermann 7–18 5–8
1975 Earnest Oppermann 13–14 6–0
1976 Earnest Oppermann 16–16 8–2
1977 Earnest Oppermann 12–20 10–2 1st
1978 Earnest Oppermann 16–20 9–3 1st
1979 Earnest Oppermann 14–11 11–1 1st
1980 Earnest Oppermann 9–23 6–6
1981 Earnest Oppermann 17–21 10–4
1982 Earnest Oppermann 13–19 7–3
1983 John Kurtt 10–22 6–6
1984 John Kurtt 11–16 9–9
1985 John Kurtt 12–15 10–10
1986 John Kurtt 16–22 14–8
1987 John Kurtt 15–20 11–7
1988 John Kurtt 16–20
1989 John Kurtt 14–22–1 10–7–1
1990 John Kurtt 12–19 10–10
1991 John Kurtt 10–22 8–8
1992 John Kurtt 9–25 6–15
1993 John Kurtt 4–16 2–8
1994 Randy Moore 17–14 8–8 5th
1995 Randy Moore 12–21 5–14 7th
1996 Joel Holst 20–20–1 7–9 4th
1997 Joel Holst 30–16 16–4 1st NCAA Regional
1998 Joel Holst 40–10 20–4 1st NCAA Regional
1999 Joel Holst 33–13–1 17–6 1st NCAA Regional
2000 Joel Holst 41–9 22–2 1st College World Series
2001 Joel Holst 37–9–1 20–2 1st NCAA Regional
2002 Joel Holst 29–15 16–5 1st NCAA Regional
2003 Joel Holst 33–12–1 14–6 1st NCAA Regional
2004 Joel Holst 30–15 15–5 1st
2005 Joel Holst 37–11 18–3 1st College World Series
2006 Joel Holst 27–15 11–5 T–1st
2007 Joel Holst 28–13 18–5 T–1st
2008 Joel Holst 27–15 17–3 1st NCAA Regional
2009 Joel Holst 28–20 14–10 4th NCAA Regional
2010 Joel Holst 25–19 17–7 2nd
2011 Joel Holst 26–18 16–8 2nd
2012 Joel Holst 23–20 14–10 3rd
2013 Joel Holst 35–10 20–6 1st NCAA Regional
2014 Joel Holst 25–17 19–9 2nd
2015 Joel Holst 33–14 19–5 1st NCAA Regional
2016 Joel Holst 34–13 24–4 1st NCAA Regional
2017 Joel Holst 33–14 19–5 1st NCAA Regional
2018 Joel Holst 26–13 15–6 2nd
Wartburg Knights (American Rivers Conference) (2019–Present)
2019 Joel Holst 13–26 9–15 7th
2020 Joel Holst 9–1 0–0 Season canceled due to COVID-19
2021 Joel Holst 14–28 12–20 6th
2022 Joel Holst 25–21 12–12 6th
2023 Casey Chaplin 14–21 9–15 6th
2024 Casey Klunder 23–19 12–12 6th
2025 Casey Klunder 0–0 0–0
Total: 1251–992–4

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

American Rivers Conference tournaments

Wartburg has made 29 appearances in the American Rivers Conference tournament and 19 appearances in the tournament championship game; both of which is the most in tournament history.[10] They appeared in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023. They have an overall record of 66–40, with 10 championships, the last in 2017.[11]

NCAA Regional appearances

NCAA Regional Results
1997 NCAA DIII Central Regional in Carroll, IA

Lost to Carthage, 2–3
Lost to Aurora, 11–22

1998 NCAA Oshkosh Regional hosted by Wisconsin-Oshkosh

Lost to Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 0–7
Defeated Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 7–0
Lost to St. Thomas (MN), 8–16

1999 NCAA Geneva Regional hosted by Aurora

Lost to Simpson, 4–6
Lost to Carthage, 4–14

2000 NCAA Bloomington Regional hosted by Illinois Wesleyan

Defeated Aurora, 8–7
Defeated Westminster (MO), 8–0
Defeated Carthage, 8–5
Regional Championship

2001 NCAA Bloomington Regional hosted by Illinois Wesleyan

Lost to Hope, 1–2
Defeated Anderson (IN), 9–1
Defeated Wisconsin–Whitewater, 6–2
Defeated Illinois Wesleyan, 11–10(10 inn.)
Lost to Illinois Wesleyan, 6–7

2002 NCAA DIII Monmouth Regional hosted by Monmouth (IL)

Lost to Carthage, 2–3(10 inn.)
Lost to Aurora, 2–10

2003 NCAA Clinton Regional hosted by Mississippi College

Lost to Emory, 4–10
Defeated Millsaps, 13–12
Lost to Carthage, 2–5

2005 NCAA Bloomington Regional hosted by Illinois Wesleyan

Defeated Washington University St. Louis, 4–2
Defeated Illinois Wesleyan, 1–0
Defeated Illinois Wesleyan, 11–5
Defeated Edgewood, 11–3
Regional Championship

2008 NCAA Moline, Illinois Regional hosted by Augustana (IL)

Lost to Augustana (IL), 5–6
Defeated Webster, 2–0
Lost to Linfield, 5–57

2009 NCAA Moline, Illinois Regional hosted by Augustana (IL)

Lost to Millsaps, 3–5
Defeated Fontbonne, 4–2
Lost to Wisconsin–Whitewater, 3–8

2013 NCAA Moline, Illinois Regional hosted by Augustana (IL)

Lost to Adrian, 4–5
Defeated Ripon, 10–0
Lost to Augustana (IL), 3–9

2015 NCAA Waterloo Regional hosted by Wartburg

Lost to Anderson (IN), 3–4
Defeated Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 4–2
Lost to Carthage, 1–4

2016 NCAA Sauget Regional hosted by Webster

Lost to Rose–Hulman, 2–7
Defeated Westminster (MO), 8–0
Lost to Washington University St. Louis, 1–5

2017 NCAA Sauget Regional hosted by Webster

Defeated Webster, 3–0
Lost to North Central, 3–8
Defeated Washington University St. Louis, 1–0(13 inn.)
Lost to Birmingham–Southern, 1–6

NAIA Area Tournament Results
1963 NAIA Area 4 Tournament in Kansas City, MO hosted by William Jewell

Defeated William Jewell, 3–1
Defeated William Jewell, 3–2
1963 NAIA Area 4 District Final in Waverly, IA hosted by Wartburg
Lost to Winona State, 0–4
Lost to Winona State, 1–2

1964 NAIA Area 4 Tournament in Waverly, IA hosted by Wartburg

Defeated William Jewell, 5–2
Defeated St. Cloud, 5–1
Defeated Wisconsin State–River Falls, 4–0
District Championship

College World Series appearances

NCAA DIII College World Series Results
2000 College World Series in Appleton, WI

Defeated Southern Maine, 2–1
Lost to Allegheny, 2–3
Lost to Montclair, 2–7
6th Place

2005 College World Series in Appleton, WI

Lost to Chapman, 1–8
Defeated Trinity (CT), 4–1
Defeated Rowan, 8–6
Lost to SUNY-Cortland, 0–5
4th Place

NAIA College World Series Results
1964 NAIA World Series St. Joseph, Mo

Defeated West Liberty State, 2–1
Lost to Grambling, 1–3
Defeated Mayville State, 9–0†

† Mayville State's games were all ruled forfeits, with their opponents awarded 9–0 victories.

Professional Players

Wartburg has had seven professional baseball players and four selections in the Major League Baseball Draft since it began in 1965.[12][13]

Year Player Draft Round Team
1967 Robert Meyer 49 Minnesota Twins
1969 Thomas Cain 16 Chicago White Sox
1970 Virgil Erickson 22 St. Louis Cardinals
2001 Matt Thede – Gulf Coast League Expos
2008 Ryan Grant – Sioux Falls Canaries
2011 Bradley Watson 37 St. Louis Cardinals
2023 Dylan Gotto – Idaho Falls Chukars

Current coaching staff

  • Head coach: Casey Klunder
  • Hitting, infield, recruiting coordinator: Tyler Willis
  • Pitching: Matt Milewski
  • Pitching: Kyle Dupic
  • Catching: Hunter Destival
  • Outfield: Jared Pirkl
  • Strength and Conditioning: Ethan Hayes
  • Athletic Trainer: Danny Drees

[14]

Head coaching history

As of the completion of 2024 season[9]

Tenure Coach Years Record Pct.
1958–1982 Earnest Oppermann 25 292–300–0 .493
1983–1993 John Kurtt 11 192–210–0 .478
1994–1995 Randy Moore 2 29–35–0 .453
1996–2022 Joel Holst 27 761–407–4 .651
2023 Casey Chaplin 1† 14–21–0 .400
2024–present Casey Klunder 1 23–19–0 .548
Totals 5 coaches 67 seasons 1251–992–4 .558

† Casey Chaplin served as the interim head coach for the 1 season following the departure of Joel Holst.

References

  1. ^ "Baseball History Wartburg College Athletics".
  2. ^ "NAIA Baseball Championship Records" (PDF). www.naiahonors.com. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  3. ^ Petaros, Nick (May 6, 2017). "College baseball: Wartburg secures third consecutive IIAC title". Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  4. ^ Dixon, Jim. "Championships record book". D3baseball.com. D3baseball.com. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Wartburg College baseball coach resigns ahead of beginning of season". KWWL. February 24, 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  6. ^ Thompson, Nick (February 24, 2023). "Chaplin named interim Wartburg head baseball coach". Waverly Newspapers. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  7. ^ Coleman, Rick (May 17, 2023). "Casey Klunder to become Wartburg College Head Baseball Coach". KWWL. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  8. ^ Woods, Ben. "Baseball Opens 2024 Season With 12-4 Win". go-knights.net. Wartburg Athletics. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Wartburg Knights Baseball Record Book" (PDF). Wartburg Knights. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  10. ^ "Conference Baseball Tournament History". rollriver.com. American Rivers Conference. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  11. ^ Nelson, Jim (May 13, 2017). "College baseball: Wartburg charges into NCAA tournament". Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  12. ^ "MLB Amateur Draft Picks who came from "Wartburg College (Waverly, IA)"". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  13. ^ "ProPlayers from Wartburg". www.baseball-reference.com. Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Baseball Coaches".