SALINA, Kan. – One year after being eliminated at the national tournament in a 16-inning marathon, Concordia University, Nebraska Baseball experienced extra-inning agony once again. A solo homer in the top of the 12th supplied the winning tally for ninth-ranked Kansas Wesleyan University in a 5-4 decision in Wednesday (May 13)’s elimination game as part of the Salina Bracket. The Bulldogs were unable to protect a 4-3 ninth-inning lead and watched the host Coyotes advance to the finals of the bracket at sun-splashed Dean Evans Stadium.
Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad held on for a 9-8 win over Our Lady of the Lake University (Texas) on Tuesday to keep hopes of an NAIA World Series berth alive. The loss to Kansas Wesleyan ended Concordia’s season with a 38-18 overall record.
“I thought the effort was great. The guys played as hard as they could,” Dupic said. “There were some things we left on the table execution-wise. Kansas Wesleyan’s a really good team, so when you get to that point, those things can bite you a little bit. I’m proud of the players and the effort.”
The late one-run lead for the Bulldogs on Wednesday came courtesy of big swings from Jake Tyler and Bronx Lewis off Coyote ace reliever Riley Gwin. Tyler peppered the scoreboard in left field with a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the sixth. An inning later, the Bulldog dugout roared when Lewis belted a leadoff homer to right for a 4-3 lead. The blast was the 25th of the season for Lewis, who rose to superstardom in his final collegiate season.
The right-handed pitching duo of starter Sam Bespoyasny and DJ Andersen kept a potent KWU offense contained for the bulk of the 12 innings. Bespoyasny fired six innings and routinely worked out of jams. Only one of his three runs allowed were earned. A key error helped the Coyotes put two runs on the board in the fourth. After Bespoyasny threw 101 pitches, Dupic turned to Andersen, who put together a fine outing out of the bullpen. Andersen surrendered two runs (on two hits and three walks) and racked up nine strikeouts.
At last, the 4-4 deadlock was broken in the 12th. Leading off the inning, imposing first baseman Fernando Ruvalcaba knocked a 1-0 pitch from Andersen over the center field wall. In the bottom half, Gwin allowed a one-out single to Luke Wilson before inducing a 5-4-3 double play that polished off the contest. Two days after tossing 5.1 innings in a game also decided by a 5-4 score versus the Bulldogs, the crafty lefty Gwin covered the final eight innings in another workhorse effort.
Gwin’s most significant pitches were made in the fifth when he replaced Daniel Turnham with the bases loaded and no one out. Gwin coaxed a popout and then a 1-2-3 double play that kept the Coyotes in the lead, 3-2, at the time. Offensively for KWU (50-8), only Ruvalcaba and Zac Goldenberg managed multiple hits versus Concordia pitching. The Coyotes advanced to play the bracket’s top seed, Johnson University (Tenn.), with a spot in the World Series on the line.
Lewis finished his 2026 season in style. He walked, tripled and homered at the plate and gunned down a runner attempting to tag up and reach third. Fellow first team all-conference outfielder Luke Wilson went 2-for-4 on the day. The first Bulldog runs of the game came in the third when Jaeden Jordahl plated one on a single and Jake Watson drove in another with a sacrifice fly. Layton Rivas doubled and scored as part of that frame.
For Concordia Baseball, the beat goes on, even after the program graduated some of its all-time great players in recent years. The 2026 team redefined itself with the help of a deep and power-armed pitching staff and first team all-conference seasons from the likes of position players in Lewis, Watson and Wilson. For the second year in a row, Alex Johnson earned GPAC Pitcher of the Year honors. Johnson and Caden Bugarske were links back to the 2021 NAIA World Series team. Meanwhile, sophomore Micah Sweeton took a major leap forward and is poised to take over as staff ace in 2027.
After the emotional season ending defeat, Dupic gave credit to the players and their high character.
Said Dupic, “We were all a little uncertain of what things were going to look like even through the winter. For the team to do what they did this year and accomplish so many positive things and do it uphill a little bit and fight through some tough stuff – it’s something I’m really proud of. The guys should be very proud of themselves. They’re tremendous kids and really high-character people. I think it’s one of the more high-character group of kids that we’ve had since I’ve had the opportunity to be here.
“Whenever I was with the players, that was fun. That’s a good thing when you can say that as a coach. This thing has a way of really consuming you, but once you get around the players, they highlight and brighten your day. It’s a group that really brought a lot of joy to me, and I think they experienced that as well.”
Salina Bracket
Site: Dean Evans Stadium | Salina, Kan.
Live Webcasts: Urban Edge Network
Live Stats: Presto Stats
Monday, May 11
Game 1 – (2) Kansas Wesleyan def. (3) Concordia, 5-4 | Box Score
Game 2 – (1) Johnson (Tenn.) def. No. 4 Our Lady of the Lake (Texas), 20-10 (8 inn.) | Box Score
Tuesday, May 12
Game 3 – (3) Concordia def. (4) Our Lady of the Lake, 9-8 | Box Score
Game 4 – (1) Johnson def. (2) Kansas Wesleyan, 10-3 | Box Score
Wednesday, May 13
Game 5 – (2) Kansas Wesleyan def. (3) Concordia, 5-4 (12 inn.) | Box Score
Game 6 – (1) Johnson vs. (2) Kansas Wesleyan, 3:15 p.m.
Thursday, May 14
Game 7 – Game 6 Winner/Loser (if necessary), 11 a.m.