John Rodegerdts has been the varsity baseball head coach at Woodland Christian High School since 2015 and the Cardinals have won their league championship every season.

When Rodegerdts took over for Jerry Miller, the Woodland Christian program was on the verge of a breakthrough into a budding dynasty. The Cardinals had won three consecutive Central Valley California League titles after going 13-45 over four seasons combined.

Entering the 2023 season, Woodland Christian is 120-48 overall under Rodegerdts. The Cardinals are a staggering 74-3 in CVCL play and have won seven straight league titles with Rodegerdts at the helm. However, the one goal that Woodland Christian has not accomplished in school history is reaching a baseball section title game.

The Cardinals have won the CVCL outright every season since 2012, except in 2022. Woodland Christian finished 18-6 overall and 11-1 in league play but shared the honors with Delta.

Last season ended in the quarterfinals of the 2022 CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division VII Baseball Playoffs following a 5-2 home loss against Vacaville Christian.

“It was very successful from the standpoint that we were starting six freshmen,” Rodegerdts said. “We just didn’t have enough pitching to get through that first-round game. We lost two seniors from last year but not impact players so we’re really bringing back the same team. It’s a bright future, I hope.”

The Cardinals have had five exhibition games so far this year. The first two in February, against Sacramento and East Nicolaus, were postponed due to weather and have yet to be rescheduled. Woodland Christian won its home opener in dominant fashion, defeating Western Sierra Collegiate Academy of Rocklin 13-3 on March 2.

“We did not play well but good enough to win the game,” Rodegerdts recalled. “Sometimes 13-3 isn’t actually 13-3 in the game.”

The Cardinals traveled the next day for a rematch at Vacaville Christian. Woodland Christian scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning but ultimately fell short, losing 12-10. The Cardinals earned redemption on March 7 at home against East Nicolaus, winning 6-5.

Rodegerdts said he feels the Cardinals have improved their starting lineup and rotation depth. They added two transfer players to the roster this season, including senior pitcher Jordan Sacramento, who is ineligible to play until April.

“He’s got a very good arm,” Rodegerdts explained. “We’re working on him in practice, getting his pitching mechanics down. Very solid arm, he’s 85 (MPH) plus on the radar gun.”

The Cardinals have two freshmen, six sophomores, four juniors and five seniors on the 2023 roster. Leading the charge for Woodland Christian is senior Evan Bihlman.

“He’s been our best player the last three years. He’s our number one pitcher at the moment,” Rodegerdts said. “He doesn’t throw as hard as Sacramento, but he pitches really well. He’s a good hitter and a good shortstop, he’s just an all-around utility player. Put him anywhere and he will play well. He’s our reigning MVP, so we need him to have a great year.”

Other players to look out for this season, according to Rodegerdts include sophomore first baseman Zander Gimenez, junior third baseman Wyatt Bickel and senior center fielder Tevin Knight, who recently transferred from Capital Christian.

CVCL play begins on the road for Woodland Christian on Monday at 4 p.m. against Sacramento Waldorf.

“I wish the league was more competitive,” Rodegerdts said of the CVCL. “We’ve either tied or won the league 10 years in a row. There’s always one team that is strong, that battles with us. But the rest just aren’t baseball schools. Our non-league schedule is tougher because our league schedule is a little weak.”

Woodland Christian’s toughest CVCL opponent this season will be Delta, Rodegerdts said. The Cardinals play the Saints in a home-and-home series on April 24 in Clarksburg and April 27 in Woodland.

“Last couple of years it’s been Delta, and I know it’s going to be them again,” Rodegerdts said. “Their best pitcher was a junior last year. We beat him once and they beat us once.”

Woodland Christian has four exhibition games remaining outside of league play, with three of them coming up in the next two weeks. The Cardinals play at home against Buckingham Charter of Vacaville on Tuesday and against Winters on Friday. Woodland Christian travels to Colusa on March 22 for a matchup with the Redhawks. The final non-league game of the year will be against Esparto at home on April 13.

One week before spring break, the Cardinals will play in a tournament hosted in San Diego from April 3-6.

“We’ve got a couple challenges coming up,” Rodegerdts foreshadowed. “We’re going down to San Diego in a big tournament down there playing some southern schools. I’m excited to do that, it’s the first time we’ve ever done that and it’ll really show us what we got and will be a big test for us.”

The regular season concludes May 4 at home against Victory Christian of Carmichael.

“We expect to win league,” Rodegerdts proclaimed. “Delta is a good team but we expect to compete very well with them. Every year we’re expected to win league, that’s a minimum. This year, I think we have a very good shot in the playoffs. Are we section-ready yet? No, but we could get there if the kids work hard.

“That’s a goal of ours to advance. We’ve never got to a section championship game. A couple years ago we were a game away from it but we didn’t win. That’s where we’re setting our goals for big success. First things first, you got to win league to get to the playoffs.”