SEWARD, Neb. – Consistent wind gusts that blew across the diamond from left to right only worked to strengthen an already prolific Concordia University Baseball offense. The Bulldogs used the jet stream to their advantage and lifted 10 home runs out of Plum Creek Park in Sunday (April 16)’s doubleheader sweep of Briar Cliff. Concordia won by scores of 20-4 and 18-12 while supplied with three home runs from Alec Blakestad and two apiece from Jesse Garcia and Jaidan Quinn. Out of the No. 3 spot in the lineup, Joey Grabanski reached base in eight of his nine plate appearances.
The wind may have prevented the Bulldogs’ right-handed sluggers from pulling home runs to left, but Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has proven adept at adjusting to whatever conditions they face. Concordia (29-11, 15-3 GPAC) has pushed its winning streak to nine.
“I thought we did a really good job, especially that first game,” Dupic said. “We came out really sharp. Our guys had tremendous at bats and really put ourselves in good positions. (Caden) Bugarske was great. He was a good matchup with the way he throws. He did a really good job and helped us get off to a good start. I was pleased with game two as much or more after we got down 6-0. I thought the guys responded really, really well. We stuck with it and stayed patient.”
Winds that routinely exceeded 25 miles per hour made many popups and flyballs adventurous. Any ball driven to right field got a boost, as both teams found out. Briar Cliff (18-17, 6-12 GPAC) eventually found that same jet stream and homered five times in game two. But the idea of attempting to outslug the Bulldogs in their home park is not advised. In game one, Concordia built a 12-0 advantage after three innings. By that point, Garcia had already homered twice and Blakestad and Tompkins went deep once apiece. The Bulldogs finished the opener with 15 hits and 10 walks in the merry-go-round performance.
This was simply the relentless Concordia attack that Bulldog fans have come to know and love. Eight Bulldog hitters registered at least three hits on the day. In game two, Grabanski helped provide insurance with a laser of a two-run homer (21st) of the season that hit high up off the light tower in right field. As part of game one, Garcia became the first player in program history to reach 200 career RBIs. Beyond the slugging, Concordia also keeps stealing bases – adding six more on Sunday.
The following Bulldogs collected at least three hits on Sunday:
· Joey Grabanski: 5-for-6 with four runs, three walks, double, homer, four RBIs
· Tanner Tompkins: 4-for-6 with five runs, three walks, homer, two RBIs
· Alec Blakestad: 4-for-7 with five runs, two walks, three homers, six RBIs
· Jesse Garcia: 4-for-8 with two runs, two home runs, six RBIs
· Jaidan Quinn: 4-for-8, seven runs, two HBP, two homers, seven RBIs
· Jay Adams: 4-for-11, four runs, double, RBI
· Ty Nekoliczak: 3-for-6, four runs, two walks, homer, three RBIs
· Ben Berg: 3-for-8, walk, two doubles
There were a combined 14 errors in a twin bill that turned ugly at times, but Concordia adjusted plenty well enough to take care of business.
Said Dupic, “It was pretty cold this morning during batting practice. We felt like we needed to take it outside because we needed to see the ball off the bat for the outfielders specifically. Offensively we were trying to let the ball travel deeper today and take the ball more to the middle and right side of the field. We tried to keep it relatively the same but also make sure to keep the conditions in mind a little bit.”
Bugarske (4-0 on the season) went four innings in game one and got the win. He allowed just a single run on two hits and three walks to go along with six strikeouts. Bugarske has allowed a grand total of two runs over his past three starts (all wins). In game two, Blake Benson put out the fire and was spotless in 2.2 innings (five strikeouts). Ernie Snyder earned credit for the game two win while recording five outs. Most of the Charger damage came against starter Christian Gutierrez, who shrugged off a rough first frame and covered 4.2 innings.
Weather conditions are expected to be improved on Monday when the Bulldogs will be headed to nearby Crete for a 1 p.m. CT doubleheader at Doane (27-9, 13-5 GPAC). The rivalry clash was originally scheduled to take place on Saturday. The matchup will feature the two programs responsible for last season’s GPAC regular season and GPAC tournament titles.