Mark "Lunch" McKenzie
| Title | Head Coach |
|---|---|
| Phone | 651-603-6208 |
| mckenzie@csp.edu |
Mark “Lunch” McKenzie is entering his 11th year as the head baseball coach at Concordia University, St. Paul, an NCAA Division II institution competing in the Northern Sun Conference (NSIC).
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Baseball Ontario 23rd Annual Best Ever Coaches Clinic |
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"Mark 'Lunch' McKenzie gave one of the best hitting analysis I've heard in my life. These are tips that I will take with me and hopefully use with some of the younger players." |
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- Sal Fasano, Manager Lansing Lugnuts (Class A Toronto) and former MLB catcher (1996-2008 with 9 teams including KC & Oak) |
In 2008, he became the all-time winningest baseball coach in Concordia University's long history, surpassing Mike Streitz who was 164-200 in 11 seasons. Lunch is now 226-154-1 after 10 seasons at CU.
Last year, his squad set a school record for wins in a season after posting a 35-18 mark and saw elite pitcher/outfielder/infielder Jake Schmidt get drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 2009 MLB Draft.
The 2008 season saw the program reach new heights, as the team won their second NSIC Tournament championship (along with 2003) and earned their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The baseball team's NCAA berth was the first team appearance at an NCAA tournament for a men's sport for the Concordia athletic department.
He is no stranger to success at the Division II level, with two NSIC Championships (2003 & 2008) and an NSIC Coach of the Year honor in 2005. The Golden Bears have now strung together five straight winning seasons in the NSIC as Lunch's Golden Bears have compiled a 125-91 record in league play during Lunch's tenure, which coincides with CU's first year of Division II and NSIC competition in 2000.
Lunch has coached baseball for 43 years at many different levels including Little League, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, American Legion, High School and College. He has also completed 13 tours of duty with USA Baseball and the Olympic Development Program, working in various capacities ranging from scouting and cross checking to being an assistant coach as well as the head coach.
As the head coach, his 1998 USA Baseball National Team won the World Championship and Gold Medal. The team was named Baseball Team of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee. That same year Lunch was awarded the USOC Developmental Coach of the Year honor.
Coach McKenzie has been the hitting coach for three USA Baseball National Teams, the 16U team in 1997 and 1998 as well as the 18U team in 2008. The 1998 team holds the 16U record for the highest team batting average at .428 (aluminum bats) while winning the Gold and the 2008 team holds the 18U record for team batting average at .330 (wood bats) while taking home the Silver.
In addition, Coach McKenzie has been a part of four other Gold Medal teams as well as two Silvers and a Bronze in international competition.
An accomplished clinician, Lunch has spoken at numerous clinics and banquets around the country and in Canada including the ABCA National Convention in San Diego and Reggie Jackson’s Hall of Fame Dinner in Cooperstown, N.Y.
In 1997, McKenzie was named to the USA Baseball National Board of Coaching Education, a position he still holds. This six-member panel is in charge of creating the curriculum that is used to instruct new coaches interested in becoming Junior Olympic and National Team Coaches.
McKenzie’s teams have won 35 championships over the years including four state and five regional championships. In 2008, his Concordia University team won the NSIC Tournament Championship and became the first men’s team in school history to compete in the NCAA Regional Championship.
Lunch has won dozens of coaching awards over the years. More than 250 of his players and students have moved on to college baseball and 68 have moved on to professional baseball including 16 first round draft picks - including 10 first rounders in the 2009 draft. Nine of his former players have moved on to play in the Major Leagues.
He is the longest tenured coach at CU and is the only coach on staff to serve as head coach for all of Concordia's Division II membership.
Coach McKenzie lives in Chanhassen with his wife Linda and their daughter Kelly (16) who is named after former Minnesota Twins manager Tom Kelly. Mark and Linda also have twin son’s, Paul and Marcus.
Paul was a catcher at Concordia University and Marcus pitched at the University of Minnesota and for the Saint Paul Saints and is currently pitching in the Frontier League of Professional Baseball for the Rockford River Hawks while assisting Lunch on the CU coaching staff.
