Hometown: Emmetsburg, Iowa
Alma Mater: Buena Vista University
Ryan Dupic was named Concordia University Head Baseball Coach prior to the 2015 season. He completed his 10th season as Head Coach in 2024, a tenure that was preceded by a stint as Buena Vista University's Associate Head Coach/Pitching Coach. During Dupic's tenure, Concordia has won a combined seven GPAC championships and has advanced to six national tournaments.
Dupic has lifted the Bulldogs to tremendous heights, leading the program to its winningest 10-year stretch in program history (324-178-1). The 2021 season continued the upward trajectory of the program as the Bulldogs advanced to the NAIA World Series for the first time ever. Not only that, Concordia broke school single-season records for wins (42), home runs (90), runs scored (468), hits (599) and pitcher strikeouts (529). As part of the greatest season in program history, Dupic's squad won the Bellevue Bracket of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round and swept GPAC regular season and postseason championships. The Bulldogs defeated Doane in the GPAC postseason title game for the program's first-ever GPAC tournament championship. Jake Fosgett became the second pitcher under Dupic to be named the GPAC Pitcher of the Year. Following the season, Dupic was named an NAIA Regional Coach of the Year by the ABCA and the Midlands Men's Coach of the Year by the Omaha World-Herald.
In 2022, Concordia came within one win of a return trip to the NAIA World Series thanks to a postseason run that featured nine-straight elimination game victories. The '22 team repeated as GPAC tournament champs, won 40 games and reset the program records for home runs (113) and runs scored (516) in a season. Then in '23, the Bulldogs won 40 games once again and made another trip to the national tournament. The 2023 offense, behind GPAC Player of the Year Joey Grabanski, raised the bar by setting new school records for runs scored (581), hits (669), home runs (117), batting average (.357) and stolen bases (98). Grabanski and Jaidan Quinn shared GPAC Player of the Year honors in 2024 as the Bulldogs swept GPAC regular season and postseason titles and equaled the school record of 42 wins. Concordia is one of only six programs nationally to have won 40+ games each season from 2021 through 2024.
At the time, the 2017 team rose to greater heights than any Bulldog baseball team had before, winning the GPAC regular-season title, advancing to the national tournament and claiming victory in a national tournament game. None of those feats had ever before been attained in school history. The 2019 team, led by GPAC Player of the Year Christian Meza, achieved similar results by winning another GPAC regular-season title, reaching the NAIA opening round and winning once during national tournament play.
Prior to Dupic's arrival in Seward, the program had not produced a winning season since 1979. Concordia's most recent conference baseball title had come in 1986. Under Dupic, the Bulldogs reset the school single-season wins standard three years in a row (2015 through 2017 and again in 2021). The 34-win 2017 squad not only broke the program wins record, it set a new standard for pitcher strikeouts (broken again in 2018, 2019 and 2021).
The 2017 and 2019 GPAC Coach of the Year, Dupic has built the premier pitching staff in the conference. After ranking third among GPAC squads in team ERA in both 2017 and 2018, the '19 team led the conference in ERA and shattered the school single-season strikeout record by piling up 501 K's. Four of the five first team All-GPAC pitching spots went to Bulldogs. In 2018, Nick Little (winningest pitcher in program history) turned in perhaps the greatest season ever by a Bulldog pitcher and was named the GPAC Pitcher of the Year. Little went 9-2 with a 2.36 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 91.1 innings. Then in 2020 (a season cut short), lefty Jason Munsch struck out 59 hitters in 26 innings without allowing an earned run. In June of 2020, Munsch signed a MLB rookie contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. During Dupic's tenure, three Bulldogs have been recognized as NAIA Honorable Mention All-Americans: Little (2018), Jake Fosgett (2021) and Jayden Adams (2022). Christian Meza (2019) and Joey Grabanski (2023) were named GPAC Players of the Year.
A native of Emmetsburg, Iowa, Dupic served as an assistant coach at his alma mater from 2007 to 2014. In his seven seasons working with Buena Vista head coach Steve Eddie, the Beavers put together a combined record of 194-109 with IIAC regular-season and tournament titles in both 2010 and 2014. They made NCAA Division III national tournament appearances in 2010, 2011 and 2014, including a 2011 World Series berth. The success was unprecedented for a Buena Vista program that experienced 24 losing seasons in 26 years prior to 2008.
As pitching coach, Dupic worked wonders with the Beaver hurlers, who led the IIAC in ERA and strikeouts over his final six years at BV (2008-14). In 2014 they set a school record for strikeouts in a season during a 37-9 campaign. Over his last six years at BVU, Dupic mentored 13 all-conference pitchers and 21 academic all-conference pitchers. He also aided in the growth of 2014 Major League Baseball draft pick Scott Harris.
Owner of a bachelor’s degree in elementary education (2008) and a master’s in science in education (2011) from Buena Vista, Dupic was a two-sport star for the Beavers. Dupic, who served as team captain, earned first team all-conference accolades in 2006 and 2007, first team all-region in 2007 and team MVP (2007) honors on the diamond. On the basketball court, Dupic received team MVP laurels in 2007.
Dupic began his collegiate career at the University of Iowa (2002-05), where he was a member of the Hawkeye baseball team. He received Academic All-Big Ten recognition for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons.
Following his collegiate playing days, Dupic signed a professional contract with the Sioux City (Iowa) Explorers, a member of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball.
Dupic has been a member of the American Baseball Coaches’ Association (ABCA) and Iowa High School Baseball Coaches’ Association (IHSBCA).
Ryan and his wife Abby reside in Seward with their sons Cole and Cody.
Bulldogs Under Coach Dupic
2015: 26-18 Overall, 8-12 GPAC
2016: 28-27 Overall, 11-9 GPAC
2017: 34-22 Overall, 19-9 GPAC (1st)
2018: 25-22 Overall, 13-13 GPAC
2019: 33-20 Overall, 23-5 GPAC (1st)
2020: 14-7 Overall, 2-0 GPAC (season not completed due to COVID-19)
2021: 42-12 Overall, 21-7 GPAC (T-1st; GPAC tournament champs)
2022: 40-17-1 Overall, 20-8 GPAC (GPAC tournament champs)
2023: 40-18 Overall, 21-7 GPAC
2024: 42-15 Overall, 21-7 GPAC (T-1st; GPAC tournament champs)
Total: 324-178-1 Overall, 159-77 GPAC (10 years)
Hometown: Carroll, Iowa
Alma Mater: Concordia University, Nebraska
Ben Berg immediately transitioned into a coaching role following five years as a student-athlete within the Concordia Baseball program. Ben is the second Berg brother to serve as a coach on Ryan Dupic’s staff, following Bryce Berg, current Minnesota Twins Minor League Hitting Coordinator. In the fall of 2023, Coach Ben Berg was promoted to the role of Assistant Head Baseball Coach.
Ben’s coaching experience began prior to his current role. Berg previously assisted the Johnston High School (Iowa) program for two seasons and spent a summer as head coach of the Carroll Merchants of the MINK League. In Berg's first season on the staff, the 2024 Bulldogs won GPAC regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the NAIA national tournament. The offense again excelled while hitting .326 with 113 home runs on the season.
Named Concordia’s 2022-23 Senior Male Athlete of the Year, Berg held down the catcher spot and appeared in 186 games from the 2019 through 2023 seasons. As a member of four national tournament teams and three that won GPAC championships, Berg earned three career GPAC All-Conference awards, including first team accolades in 2023. He was also recognized as the GPAC’s 2023 Gold Glove catcher and picked up second team all-conference honors in 2021 and was named honorable mention in 2022. As a Bulldog, Berg batted .321 (193-for-602) for his career with 55 runs, 39 doubles, 27 home runs, 148 RBIs and a .523 slugging percentage. Behind the plate, Berg broke school records for fielding percentage (.992) and career putouts (1,385). The native of Carroll, Iowa, played a prominent role for the 2021 Concordia squad that made a historic run to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.
A four-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete who achieved a 3.98 cumulative grade-point average, Berg graduated from Concordia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with a focus in Secondary Education and Physical Education. In 2023, Berg was named an Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators. He saved his best season for his last as he batted .406 (79-for-192) in 2023 while adding 19 runs, 16 doubles and 50 RBIs to go along with a .486 on-base percentage, .652 slugging percentage and .995 fielding percentage. Off the field, Berg has worked as a volunteer with People’s City Mission in Lincoln, helped tutor education majors, served as a member of the Bulldog Council of Student-Athletes and was a three-year Champions of Character representative at the national tournament. He was also honored as the SHAPE Nebraska 2022 PE Major of the Year and earned status on the Concordia honors list every semester.
Ben is pursuing his master's degree in Athletic Administration. He is the son of Rod and Angie Berg. Ben’s three brothers, Bryce, Casey and Kyle, have each been involved in the Concordia Baseball program in either a coach or player capacity.
Hometown: Carlsbad, Calif.
Alma Mater: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Zack Haupt joined the Concordia University Baseball coaching staff beginning with the fall semester of 2023. Haupt serves as a graduate assistant on Coach Ryan Dupic’s staff. Haupt's first season with the Bulldogs yielded GPAC regular season and tournament championships and a trip to the NAIA national tournament.
Haupt moved into coaching following his collegiate playing career at NCAA Division III University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Most recently, Haupt served as head infield and associate pitching coach at UWSP during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In his first year of coaching, he helped the Pointers win their first WIAC postseason title since 2015. The Pointers went on to win both an NCAA Regional and Super Regional to advance to the 2022 DIII College World Series and set the record for wins in a season (42). In 2023, UWSP won the WIAC regular season conference title. UWSP went on to win an NCAA Regional and reached a Super Regional for the second consecutive year. Haupt also worked in the Northwoods Summer League as the Head Pitching Coach for the Battle Creek Battle Jacks in the Great Lakes East Division during the summer of 2023.
As a collegiate player, Haupt earned Honorable Mention All-Conference accolades in 2021 and served as a team captain for three seasons. As a senior, Haupt helped the Pointers win their first conference championship in more than 10 years.
Haupt earned his B.A. in English from Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He is currently pursuing his MBA with a concentration in Marketing from Concordia. Zack is the son of Patrick and Laurie and has a sister Riley.
Hometown: Appleton, Wis.
Alma Mater: Concordia University, Nebraska
A former Bulldog starting position player, Evan Bohman joined the Concordia Baseball coaching staff beginning with the 2023 season. Bohman assisted with the 2023 squad that reached the NAIA National Championship Opening Round and with the 2024 team that won GPAC regular season and tournament titles while advancing to another opening round.
In his career as a student-athlete, Bohman played during the 2018 through 2021 seasons and appeared in 146 games. He batted .281 with a .370 on-base percentage and .409 slugging percentage. Meanwhile, he accumulated 78 runs, 117 hits, 19 doubles, 10 home runs and 73 RBIs. He was part of teams that reached the national tournament in 2019 and 2021. The ’21 squad made history while reaching the NAIA World Series.
Bohman’s coaching experience includes one season (2021-22) as graduate assistant coach at Benedictine College. He also spent the summer of 2023 as bench coach for the Lakeshore Chinooks of the Northwoods League.
Evan earned his Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Concordia. He is the son of Robert and Michele and has a brother Erik. Evan is a sports card enthusiast.
Hometown: Johnston, Iowa
Alma Mater: Concordia University, Nebraska
Nathan Buckallew rejoined the Concordia Baseball program as an assistant coach beginning with the 2023-24 academic year. Buckallew spent the 2018 through 2022 seasons as a student-athlete for the Bulldogs. In his return, Concordia won GPAC regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the NAIA national tournament in 2024.
A native of Johnston, Iowa, Buckallew made 53 pitching appearances during his time as a Bulldog hurler. For the 2021 team that made a run to the NAIA World Series, Buckallew posted a 2.22 ERA, went 4-0 and notched seven saves while covering 28.1 innings (21 games). He was recognized as a 2021 Honorable Mention All-GPAC award winner and garnered Academic All-America honors from College Sports Information Directors of America. Then in 2022, Buckallew logged 25.1 innings (18 appearances) out of the bullpen and posted a 4.26 ERA. He helped Concordia reach the national tournament in 2019, 2021 and 2022.
Buckallew has assisted his high school alma mater, Johnston High School, in four seasons. He coached the sophomore team in 2019 and 2021 and was the varsity pitching coach in 2022 and 2023. Both the ’22 and ’23 seasons resulted in Iowa Class 4A state championships for Johnston.
Nathan graduated from Concordia in 2021 with bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration, Recreation and Sport Studies and Sport Management. He went on to earn his Master of Business Administration in 2022. Nathan is the son of Brian and Julie Buckallew.