FRIDAY, MARCH 20 | 3 P.M.
Wartburg at Coe
Daniels Park – Bill Quinby Field | Cedar Rapids, Iowa
WATCH | LIVE STATS
 
SATURDAY, MARCH 21 | 1 & 4 P.M.
Wartburg at Coe
Daniels Park – Bill Quinby Field | Cedar Rapids, Iowa
WATCH | LIVE STATS
 
TUESDAY, MARCH 24 | 6 P.M.
Wartburg vs Luther
Harms Stadium at Hertel Field | Waverly, Iowa
WATCH | LIVE STATS
 
The Wartburg College baseball team (9-3 overall) opens American Rivers Conference play this weekend with a three-game road series at Coe College, followed by its conference home opener against Luther College on Tuesday, March 25.

The Knights and Kohawks begin the series Friday at 3 p.m., before concluding with a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m.

Wartburg returns home for a midweek matchup against Luther, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Coe
All-time series: 102nd all-time meeting | Wartburg leads 60-41 | At Coe: 14-17
Last matchup: April 19, 2025 - Wartburg 6, Coe 3 (W1)
 
Luther
All-time series: 105th all-time meeting | Wartburg leads 56-48 | At home: 30-27
Last matchup: April 8, 2025 – Luther 9, Wartburg 8 (L2)
 
ABOUT THE KOHAWKS
Coe College enters the weekend with a 9-5 overall record and rides a three-game winning streak, earning victories over Farmingdale State College (W, 14-7) and William Paterson University (W, 10-5, 11-1).

In last season's meeting, the Kohawks claimed two of three games in Waverly, with Wartburg snagging the finale, 6-3. Coe was selected as the favorite in the 2026 American Rivers Conference preseason poll after posting a 28-13 overall record and a runner-up finish a year ago.

ABOUT THE NORSE
Luther College brings a 10-4 overall mark into the week and will face Nebraska Wesleyan in a three-game series before traveling to Waverly. The Norse have won five straight contests, including a 5-3 victory over St. Olaf College and doubleheader sweeps of Concordia Moorhead.

The two programs split their midweek and conference matchups last season, with Wartburg winning the initial meeting before Luther claimed the final two games. The Norse finished the 2025 season 20-22 overall and placed third in the conference standings. Luther was picked fourth in the 2026 preseason coaches' poll, just behind Wartburg.
 
KNIGHTS IN CONFERENCE OPENERS
Since 2013, Wartburg has produced a 27-12 record in conference openers, despite a 5-10 mark since 2021.

By Year
2025: 2-1
2024: 0-2
2023: 1-2
2022: 1-2
2021: 1-3
2020: Canceled due to COVID-19
2019: 2-1
2018: 3-0
2017: 3-0
2016: 3-0
2015: 4-0
2014: 4-0
2013: 3-1
 
TAKE NOTE

• Wartburg enters the matchup riding a six-game winning streak, its longest since an eight-game run during the 2018 campaign in which the Knights finished 26-13 overall and 15-6 in conference play.
• Through 12 games this season, Wartburg has outscored opponents 67-62 and has proven strong in tight contests, posting a 3-0 record in one-run games and a 2-0 mark in two-run decisions.
• Five Knights—Liam Bender, Andrew Gallegos, Keegan Schmitt, Jayden Scott, and Griffin Troha—have started all 12 games.
• On the mound, Kam Volz (3-0) leads the conference with a 0.92 ERA across three appearances, while Connor Funk's three saves rank ninth nationally and first in the American Rivers Conference. Emerson Alberhasky (1-0) paces the league with 32 strikeouts in four starts.
• Offensively, Andrew Robinson ranks fourth in Division III with 12 hit-by-pitches. Gallegos leads the team with 17 hits, 12 RBIs, and three home runs, while Schmitt has scored a team-best 11 runs and leads Wartburg with four doubles.
• As a team, the Knights have recorded 93 hits, including 16 doubles, five triples, and five home runs, to go along with 52 RBIs.

 
2026 SEASON OUTLOOK
The Wartburg College baseball team has been selected to finish third in the 2026 American Rivers Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, the league announced today.

The Knights earned 41 points, marking their highest preseason ranking since tying for third prior to the 2021 season. Wartburg finished fourth in last year's conference tournament.

Head coach Casey Klunder, entering his third season at the helm, has compiled a 53-43 overall record and has taken the Knights to the conference tournament in each of his two seasons. During the 2025 season, Klunder guided the team to four All-Conference honorees and saw four players recognized as College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District. Over his three seasons, Klunder has coached eight All-Conference players, two All-Region selections, and one All-American.

The Knights return a blend of experience with 15 freshmen, 18 sophomores, 10 juniors, eight seniors, and one fifth-year player. Wartburg ranked among the program's best in several statistical categories last season, including second in hit-by-pitches (62), fifth in home runs (38), seventh in strikeouts (304), and tied for eighth in runners picked off (6).
 
Wartburg leads the American Rivers Conference with 23 league championships, with its most recent title coming in 2017.
 
2026 A-R-C BASEBALL PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
1. Coe - 64 (8)
2. Buena Vista - 57 (1)
3. Wartburg - 41
4. Luther - 38
5. Nebraska Wesleyan - 33
6. Loras - 30
7. Central - 23
8. Univ. of Dubuque - 20
9. Simpson - 18