Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Male: Noah Schutte, Basketball
A native of Laurel, Neb., Noah Schutte posted 31 points and eight rebounds in the national tournament win over Indiana Northwest. His 31 points were a program record for a national tournament game. He also notched 13 points in the second round as the season ended at the hands of LSU Shreveport.
Female: Megan Eurich, Softball
Eurich, who hails from Gretna, Neb., fired her sixth shutout already this season as she blanked Peru State in eight innings (1-0 win) on two hits. Eurich recorded a career high 13 strikeouts in the victory. She also threw a six-inning complete game last week at Nebraska Wesleyan. Eurich is 9-5 with a 2.28 ERA on the season.
2023-24 BAAM Athletes of the Month
February – Jaidan Quinn (baseball) / Mackenzie Toomey (basketball)
January – Kendal Brigham (basketball) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
December – Evan Fukuhara (weightlifting) / Hayley Miles (track & field)
November – Creighton Baughman (wrestling) / Abby Krieser (basketball)
October – Becca Gebhardt (volleyball) / DJ McGarvie (football)
September – Austin Jablonski (football) / Ashley Keck (volleyball)
Previous BAAM Athletes of the Week
March 12 – Megan Eurich (softball) / Zach Zohner (track & field)
Feb. 27 – Jaidan Quinn (baseball) / Mackenzie Toomey (basketball)
Feb. 20 – Jenna Esch (track & field) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
Feb. 13 – Brad Bennett (basketball) / Jenna Esch (track & field)
Feb. 6 – Barret Brandt (wrestling) / Kylahn Freiberg (track & field)
Jan. 30 – Kendal Brigham (basketball) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
Jan. 23 – Kylahn Freiberg (track & field) / Zach Zohner (track & field)
Jan. 16 – Kendal Brigham (basketball) / Noah Schutte (basketball)
Jan. 9 – Abby Heemstra (basketball) / Tristan Smith (basketball)
Dec. 12 – Evan Fukuhara (weightlifting) / Hayley Miles (track & field)
Dec. 5 – Noah Schutte (basketball) / Kristin Vieselmeyer (basketball)
Nov. 28 – Creighton Baughman (wrestling) / Kylahn Freiberg (cross country) / Abby Krieser (basketball)
Nov. 14 – Austin Jablonski (football) / Maddie Paulsen (volleyball)
Nov. 7 – Sara Huss (volleyball) / Kyle Sterup (football)
Oct. 31 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / Michael Owens (soccer)
Oct. 24 – Rebecca Gebhardt (volleyball) / Julie McIntyre (cross country) / Michael Owens (soccer)
Oct. 17 – Kierstynn Garner (soccer) / DJ McGarvie (football)
Oct. 10 – Rylee Ladd (powerlifting) / Jack Nelson (shooting sports) / Camryn Opfer (volleyball) / D’Andre Williams (soccer)
Oct. 3 – Austin Jablonski (football) / Grace Soenksen (soccer)
Sept. 26 – Ashley Keck (volleyball) / Mason Ward (shooting sports)
Sept. 19 – Savannah Andrews (soccer) / Carter Hinman (soccer)
Sept. 12 – Katie Welker (shooting sports) / Devin Zeigler (football)
Sept. 5 – Bree Burtwistle (volleyball) / Carter Hinman (soccer)
Aug. 29 – Isaiah Shaddick (soccer) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
News and notes:
BAAM luncheons are held every Tuesday at 12 p.m. CT inside the Dog House Grill, located in the Janzow Campus Center. The luncheons feature reports from head coaches who are in season at the time. For information on how to join BAAM, click HERE. It is not a requirement to be a BAAM member in order to attend the weekly luncheons.
NAIA Basketball National Championship final site play begins Thursday: The 2023-24 season will continue at the final site of the NAIA National Championship tournament for Concordia Women’s Basketball. The Bulldogs secured their trip to the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa, while winning twice at home last week: 67-57 (overtime) over Benedictine College (Kan.) and 80-62 over Wayland Baptist University (Texas). The occasion marked the first time that Friedrich Arena has ever played host to national tournament basketball games. Head Coach Drew Olson’s squad (27-6) will take on second-seeded University of Providence (Mont.) at 3 p.m. CT on Thursday in the national round of 16. The complete NAIA bracket and schedule can be found HERE. Options for viewing the national tournament games in Seward are the Dog House Grill on campus and Bottle Rocket Brewing Co.
Shooting Sports begins action at ACUI National Championships: The 2024 ACUI National Championships got underway today (March 19) at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, Texas. Head Coach Dylan Owens’ program traveled 15 competitors to Texas for the event that will run through Saturday. At the 2023 NCSSAA National Championships in Las Vegas, the Bulldogs placed third HOA out of 11 teams in the Division IV breakdown. For a complete preview of the national championships, click HERE.
Cheer-Dance seasons conclude at GPAC/regional qualifier: The seasons for the Concordia Competitive Cheer & Dance teams officially concluded with the announcement of NAIA national qualifiers on Monday. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs were left out of the qualifying fields for cheer and dance. The dance squad missed out on a berth despite carrying the NAIA’s 10th best scoring average (80.57). Back on March 8-9, the GPAC Cheer & Dance Championships/NAIA Qualifier was held at Doane. Dance went first and placed fifth in the GPAC and sixth in the region as part of the championship competition. Head Coach Mandi Maser’s dance team earned a total score of 81.89 (25 percent prelims score + 75 percent finals score). All-GPAC awards were earned by freshman Hanna Bitner and sophomore Ryleigh Flesner. The next day, Concordia Cheer earned a total score of 80.73 and placed fifth in the GPAC. Head Coach Emilie Ashenbach’s squad was led by all-conference honorees in senior Shelby Timmerman and freshman Bri Hoyle.
Fukuhara wins 67kg national title as one of six Bulldogs to compete in Columbus, Ohio: The list of accomplishments keeps growing for Concordia University sophomore Evan Fukuhara. The Sacramento, Calif., native rose to the top of the podium at the 2024 National University Championships held in Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 29 – March 3, and sponsored by USA Weightlifting. Fukuhara captured the national title in the 67kg weight class as one of six Bulldogs to represent the Concordia Weightlifting program at the national meet. Fukuhara was joined in the national qualifying field by teammates Michael Davidge (89kg), Nolan Graupmann (102kg), Adrian Hernandez (109kg), Gracy Johnson (71kg) and Cody Monsevais (89kg). The national competition concluded the 2023-24 season for Head Coach Freddie Myles’ Bulldogs. For more details on the national meet, click HERE. Meanwhile, Concordia Powerlifting will look forward to its national championship coming up April 11-14 in Atlanta, Ga.
Men’s Golf opens spring at Desert Classic: Justin Webert made waves on the second and final day of the Maverick Desert Classic (March 4-5) hosted by NCAA Division II Minnesota State University, Mankato. The top-10 individual finish for Webert helped the Concordia University Men’s Golf team move into a tie for ninth place as the tournament wrapped up from Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, Ariz., where 93 golfers navigated the course. As a team, the Bulldogs carded a score of 313-304–617 while putting themselves up against a field loaded with NCAA Division II competitors. For a recap from the tournament, click HERE. Both of Head Coach Brett Muller’s golf squads are slated to be in action this weekend at the Graceland Spring Invite (March 22-23) in Maryville, Mo. It will mark the first outing of the spring for the women’s team.
Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its ninth year of existence. The show airs live for a half hour every Thursday beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT on KTMX-FM 104.9 Max Country. The weekly feature can also be heard live via 104.9 Max Country’s website or by downloading the Max Country app. Throughout the 2023-24 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country. Parker Cyza serves as the host of the coaches’ show as well as the play-by-play voice for football and basketball. Frank Greene is in his ninth season calling Concordia volleyball. The Max Country broadcast schedule for the fall semester of 2023 can be found HERE.
Concordia Sports Network: Live webcasts for most home varsity contests can be accessed by visiting https://www.cune.edu/athletics/watch-bulldogs at game time. Beginning this 2023-24 academic year, Concordia Athletics has partnered with Hudl/BlueFrame for live video streaming. Live webcast links for away contests are publicized in sport specific releases that preview action for that particular week. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted.
Men’s Basketball
· Current record: 24-8, 15-5 GPAC (T-1st); ranked No. 20 in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week (NAIA National Tournament):
o Won vs. IU Northwest, 83-81, on March 15 in NAIA First Round.
o Lost vs. LSU-Shreveport, 91-67, on March 16 in NAIA Second Round.
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: The 2023-24 season is in the books after the Bulldogs made a run to the second round of the NAIA National Championship tournament. Seeded fourth in the Duer Quadrant of the 64-team bracket, Concordia held off 13th-seeded Indiana University Northwest, 83-81, in the first round. The Bulldogs then ran into a buzzsaw in the form of No. 12 seed Louisiana State University-Shreveport, 91-67. As part of the win in the first round, Noah Schutte racked up 31 points and broke the school record for most points in a national tournament game by a Bulldog. Schutte also tallied eight rebounds and four assists and Tristan Smith posted 19 points and seven rebounds in the victory. Lukas Helms chipped in with nine points and four rebounds and drained a clutch trey during crunch time. The very next day in Salina, Kan., Concordia struggled from the opening tipoff and found itself down 55-34 at the half. The Pilots cruised behind 19 points from Tyler Washington. Joel Baker paced the Bulldogs with a career high 16 points on 4-for-7 shooting from 3-point range. The accomplishments for Head Coach Ben Limback’s squad this past season included a share of the GPAC regular season title, a CIT championship, an NAIA national ranking as high as No. 20 and 24 overall wins. Considering the amount of young talent on the roster, Concordia projects to have another strong team in 2024-25. Limback and company are hoping for a return from Schutte, who has a ‘COVID year’ of eligibility remaining. Schutte is likely to receive All-America recognition after collecting First Team All-GPAC honors in back-to-back years. Both Brad Bennett and Tristan Smith will be seniors on next year’s roster.
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Men’s Basketball homepage HERE. A full 2023-24 season recap will be posted in the coming weeks.
Women’s Basketball
· Current record: 27-6, 17-5 GPAC; ranked No. 7 in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week (NAIA National Tournament):
o Won vs. Benedictine, 67-57 (OT), on March 15 in NAIA First Round.
o Won vs. Wayland Baptist, 80-62, on March 16 in NAIA Second Round.
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: The Bulldogs survived a close call in the first round of the NAIA National Championship tournament and have advanced to the final site: the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Third-seeded Concordia secured its spot in Sioux City by winning twice at home, triumphing over 14th-seeded Benedictine College (Kan.), 67-57, in overtime and 11th-seeded Wayland Baptist University (Texas), 80-62. The contests marked the first time Friedrich Arena has ever played host to national tournament basketball games. The first-round game was a defensive grinder as both teams shot 34.2 percent or worse from the floor. The Bulldogs exhaled after the Ravens had a shot to break the 54-54 tie at the end of regulation. Concordia then dominated overtime and rattled off the game’s final 10 points. Sadie Powell led the way with 23 points while Taysha Rushton (16) and Kendal Brigham (15) also reached double figures. The next day, the Bulldogs got the job done with much less drama. They led by four at halftime (36-32) and extended the lead by outscoring the Flying Queens by seven-point margins in both the third and fourth quarters. Four Concordia starters scored in double figures: Brigham (18), Abby Krieser (16), Rushton (14) and Powell (11). For the season, the Bulldogs went 15-2 at home and will enter the final site at 27-6 overall. Head Coach Drew Olson will lead the program to Sioux City for the second time since the NAIA went to one division in 2021. In that ’21 appearance, Concordia knocked off No. 4 Marian University (Ind.) before being eliminated in the national quarterfinals. In the round of 16 on Thursday, the Bulldogs will match up with second-seeded University of Providence (ranked No. 14 in the NAIA coaches’ poll). The winner will play at 1 p.m. on Saturday in the national quarterfinals.
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Women’s Basketball homepage HERE.
· NAIA National Championship final site schedule:
o Thursday, March 21 vs. No. 14 Providence (24-8), 3 p.m. CT – NAIA Round of 16.
o Saturday, March 23 vs. TBD, 1 p.m. CT – NAIA Quarterfinals.
o Monday, March 25 vs. TBD, 6 p.m. CT – NAIA Semifinals.
o Tuesday, March 26 vs. TBD, 7 p.m. CT – NAIA Championship Game.
Men’s and Women’s Tennis
· Current men’s record: 5-8, 0-1 GPAC.
· Current women’s record: 6-5, 1-0 GPAC.
· Recent action – Men:
o Won vs. Central, 6-1, on March 15.
o Lost at Midland, 6-1, on March 16.
· Recent action – Women:
o Lost at Midland, 5-2, on March 16.
· Links: Men’s 2024 Schedule | Men’s 2024 Roster | Women’s 2024 Schedule | Women’s 2024 Roster.
· Notable: This past weekend featured two outings for the men and one for the women. Head Coach Lisa Hart’s men’s team earned a decisive home victory over NCAA Division III Central College (Iowa) on March 15. Concordia took two of three in doubles and five of six in singles from the Dutch. The singles winners included Hugo Fuentes at No. 1, Santiago Abadia at No. 2, Grady Works at No. 4, Michael Bedrosian at No. 5 and Mitch Krumm at No. 6. Fuentes teamed up with Manuel Rodriguez for a win at No. 1 doubles and the duo of Abadia and Bedrosian triumphed at No. 2 doubles. The next day, both the men and women fell at Midland in matches that went down as nonconference contests. Despite the team defeat, the Concordia women are showing they have two of the league’s top players. Mariana Molano and Chakira Derman both earned wins while holding down the Nos. 1 and 2 singles spots versus the Warriors. On the men’s side, the one Bulldog point came via Grady Works, a winner in a tiebreak at No. 4 singles. Works also combined with Krumm on a victory at No. 3 doubles. Overall this season, leaders for the Bulldogs in singles wins are Molano (7-2) and Alana Lopez Pagan (7-4) on the women’s side and Bedrosian (6-7) on the men’s side. Up next, Concordia will play at Morningside on Saturday as conference action heats up.
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Tennis homepages here: MEN | WOMEN.
· This week – Men:
o Friday, March 22 at Morningside, 12 p.m. (First Serve Tennis Center in South Sioux City, Neb.).
· This week – Women:
o Friday, March 22 at Morningside, 12 p.m. (First Serve Tennis Center in South Sioux City, Neb.).
Softball
· Current record: 10-14.
· Last week:
o Lost at Nebraska Wesleyan, 3-2, on March 13.
o Lost at Nebraska Wesleyan, 7-0, on March 13.
o Won vs. Peru State, 1-0, on March 16.
o Won vs. Peru State, 11-6, on March 16.
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | Statistics
· Notable: Last week marked the final one for nonconference play this season. The Bulldogs took on a pair of in-state foes as they dropped two games at Nebraska Wesleyan University before sweeping their home opening doubleheader from Peru State College. Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad has gone 8-4 over its past 12 games while improving its performance following a 2-8 start to 2024. Concordia even swept GPAC Player of the Week awards on March 12 when Megan Eurich and Jennifer Katz were honored with conference accolades. Eurich has been on a tear inside the pitcher’s circle. She fired an eight-inning two-hit shutout while fanning a career high 13 batters versus Peru State. The outing marked Eurich’s sixth shutout already this season. The brightest stars at the plate last week were Julia Van Wey (7-for-13) and Taylor Glause (6-for-12). In addition, Kylie Shottenkirk reached a milestone while recording the 100th hit of her college career. In backing Eurich in the circle, sophomore Taryn Ganstrom worked eight innings last week and allowed only one earned run on six hits and two walks. Conference play will get started on Wednesday with an evening doubleheader at No. 12 Midland, a program that reached the 2023 NAIA World Series. Concordia will be back home to host College of Saint Mary next Tuesday (March 26).
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Softball homepage HERE.
· This week:
o Wednesday, March 20 at No. 12 Midland (21-4, 0-0 GPAC), 5 p.m. DH.
Baseball
· Current record: 16-5; receiving votes in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
· Last week:
o Scheduled GPAC doubleheaders with Doane and Briar Cliff were postponed.
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | Statistics | NAIA Coaches’ Poll
· Notable: The start of conference play was put on hold as scheduled weekend doubleheaders with No. 8 Doane and Briar Cliff were postponed due to the existence of wet field conditions and cold temperatures. That means Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has not played since it left the state of Florida. Concordia’s performances over spring break were enough to impress the coaches that vote in the NAIA national poll. The Bulldogs leapt all the way from receiving votes in the preseason to No. 13 in the coaches’ poll unveiled on March 13. Only the 2021 NAIA World Series qualifying squad (ranked No. 12) has ever landed higher in the NAIA coaches’ poll in the history of the program. The strengths of the team thus far have been the powerful offensive lineup and a bullpen led by closer Maverick Wylder (one run allowed in eight innings). Through 21 games, Concordia is hitting .341 with a .437 on-base percentage and .635 slugging percentage. The Bulldogs have slugged 48 home runs while led by the 13 big flies from Jaidan Quinn. If all goes as planned, Concordia will play three GPAC doubleheaders this week, beginning with today (March 19)’s makeup twin bill at Briar Cliff. The Bulldogs will then host Northwestern for four games Thursday/Friday. The series was moved up a day to avoid poor weather conditions forecasted for Saturday.
· For additional statistics and details, check out the Concordia Baseball homepage HERE.
· This week:
o Tuesday, March 19 at Briar Cliff (7-11, 1-1 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
o Thursday, March 21 vs. Northwestern (12-11, 3-1 GPAC), 5 p.m. DH
o Friday, March 22 vs. Northwestern (12-11, 3-1 GPAC), 2 p.m. DH
Track & Field
· Current NAIA National Rankings (According to USTFCCCA) – no rankings released for 2024 outdoor season.
· Most recent meet:
o Competed at the 2024 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships on Feb. 29 – March 2; women placed third (42 points) and men placed in a tie for eighth (24.5 points).
· Links: 2023-24 Schedule | Roster | TFRRS NAIA outdoor qualifying list
· Notable: Following a quick break at the conclusion of the indoor season, Concordia is ramping things back up for the start of the 2024 outdoor track & field season. It will kick off on Saturday with the Viking Relays hosted by Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. Head Coach Matt Beisel’s programs enjoyed a successful 2023-24 indoor season that saw the women turn in place finishes of first in the GPAC and third in the NAIA while the men placed third in the GPAC and eighth in the NAIA. Fifteen Concordia athletes earned All-America awards in at least one event. Zach Zohner won the NAIA pole vault national title and the women’s 4x800 meter relay sped to a national championship of its own. A recent feature profile on Zohner can be read HERE.
· Keep up with Concordia Track & Field throughout the indoor and outdoor seasons by visiting the team’s homepage HERE.
· Up next:
o The 2024 outdoor season will begin with the Viking Relays hosted by Grand View University on Saturday, March 23.