FRIDAY, MARCH 27 | 6 P.M.
Wartburg vs Central
Harms Stadium at Hertel Field | Waverly, Iowa
WATCH | LIVE STATS
 
(DH) SATURDAY, MARCH 28 | 1 & 4 P.M.
Wartburg vs Central
Harms Stadium at Hertel Field | Waverly, Iowa
WATCH | LIVE STATS
 
The Wartburg College baseball team (11-5 overall, 2-2 A-R-C) returns to conference play this weekend, hosting Central College for a three-game American Rivers Conference series at Hertel Field.

The series opens Friday, March 27 with a single game scheduled for 6 p.m., before concluding with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.

Wartburg enters the weekend fifth in the league standings with a 2-2 conference mark, while Central sits third at 2-1 in A-R-C play.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Central

All-time series: Wartburg leads 61-33 (36-20 at home) (W1) – has won seven out of the last 10 matchups.
Last matchup: Wartburg claimed a 5-4 win on April 5 of last season in Pella, Iowa. The Knights and Dutch will square up for the 95th time on Friday.
 
ABOUT THE DUTCH
Central (7-10 overall, 2-1 A-R-C) comes off a recent 12-2 midweek victory over Cornell following an 11-4 setback to Grinnell on Sunday, after taking its conference-opening series against Loras last weekend. Central holds a 2-2 record at home this season with a pair of wins over Loras.

The Dutch claimed last season's series with the Knights, as they finished with a 17-21 overall record and 8-16 in conference play.
 
TAKE NOTE

• Sophomore Jayden Scott leads Wartburg at the plate with a .373 average (5th in A-R-C). Scott has driven in 10 RBI on a team-leading 22 hits (three doubles, two triples) and its 2-of-3 in stolen bases. Scott is one of four Knights that have made all 16 starts this season. Scott's on-base percentage (.479) sits as the fourth best in the league.
• Junior Andrew Gallegos leads the Knights with a slugging percentage of .554, as well as a team-best three homeruns and 14 RBI. Gallegos has started 14 of Wartburg's 16 games, as was named A-R-C Male Athlete of the Week/Hitter of the Week on March 16.
• Senior Drew Conrad has made a splash in the starting lineup in each of the Knights' past five games, hitting .538 on the season with 14 hits and three homeruns.
• Out of the bullpen, sophomore Owen Greco (1-0) has made six appearances out of the bullpen with one start to his ledger. Greco posts a 2.00 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 18.0 innings pitched.
• Sophomore Emerson Alberhasky (1-0) leads the Wartburg pitching staff with 39 strikeouts (2nd in A-R-C) with a 3.72 ERA in through five starts. Alberhasky tossed a complete seven-inning game against Calvin back on March 7. During that game, Alberhasky sat down a season-high 10, allowing just five hits and two earned runs.
• Senior Andrew Robinson sits third in the nation with 15 hit-by-pitches - Wartburg has worn 45 pitches to sit second in the league and 31st in all of Division III.
• Wartburg's pitching staff produces a 4.48 ERA as a whole that ranks as the second-best statistic in the A-R-C – Luther leads with a 3.71. Senior Conner Funk (1-1) leads the conference with a trio of saves posting a 5.79 ERA across seven appearances out of the bullpen.
• The Knights have tallied 135 total hits this season, with 21 doubles, 12 homers, and five triples. Wartburg has totaled 83 RBI with a .260 team batting average.
• Through 16 games this season, the Knights outscore opponents 16-to-13 in the opening inning, 18-to-13 in the second, 6-to-5 in the third, and 9-to-1 in the seventh.

 
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 55-45 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