SEWARD, Neb. – Following four games on the road, the Concordia University Baseball team now gets set for four games at home. The Bulldogs will spend the Easter weekend hosting a four-game set with Dordt. Doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday are slated to get underway at 1 p.m. CT from Plum Creek Park. Concordia has won each of its first four games played in the home park so far in 2023. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad split its four-game series at Northwestern and will enter the weekend at 21-11 overall (7-3 GPAC).
This Weekend
Friday, April 7 vs. Dordt (14-12, 2-6 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats | Location: Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)
Saturday, April 8 vs. Dordt 14-12, 2-6 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats | Location: Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)
By the numbers
· It’s still early, but no one is pulling away in the GPAC standings. There are five teams that are either 7-3 or 8-4 in league play, as of the end of the day on Monday: Concordia (7-3), Morningside (7-3), Doane (8-4), Midland (8-4) and Mount Marty (8-4). In the latest national ratings metrics, the Bulldogs appeared at No. 28 in the Bo Chip and at No. 25 in Massey Ratings. Based on the Bo Chip (essentially an RPI for NAIA baseball), the GPAC had more top 30 teams than any other conference in the NAIA. In the new league ratings released on Monday, Concordia moved back to No. 1 in the GPAC.
· It was a clear advantage to the Bulldogs for the games last Tuesday (March 28) to be moved from Duncan Field to Plum Creek Park, more favorable for home run hitters. Concordia wound up with six home runs against Bronco pitching and tallied a combined 18 runs in the third innings of the two games. Hastings hurlers watched homers soar from the likes of (in order) Jaidan Quinn, Jesse Garcia, Tanner Tompkins, Ben Berg, Ty Nekoliczak and then Berg again. For Nekoliczak, the homer marked the first of his life (at any level). Joey Grabanski also contributed three doubles on the day. The top pitching performances came from Caden Johnson (five innings, one run) and Christian Gutierez (six innings, two runs).
· Grabanski had observers in awe of his prodigious power on March 30 at Northwestern. In that twin bill, the Grand Forks, N.D., native delivered four home runs, including three in the 14-1 game two rout. Grabanski accounted for half the team’s homers on the day as Jay Adams hit two and Berg and Garcia added one apiece. In the four-game series as a whole, Tanner Tompkins went 7-for-10 and Alec Blakestad went 6-for-12 (with one homer). Garcia pummeled a homer in both ends of the twin bill on Monday. In last week’s action, Caden Bugarske fired 5.1 innings and allowed only one run in his start. Caden Johnson again starred with six shutout innings in game four of the series.
· Garcia keeps on climbing the program’s all-time lists and is now tied for first with Keaton Candor for most career RBIs with 188. Not only that, Garcia joined Grabanski as the only two Bulldogs to ever reach 50 career home runs and his 233 career hits are one off the school record of 234 by Zak Goodrich. He’s also one walk off Candor’s program career record of 108. The native of El Cajon, Calif., just might end up having the best season of his career. So far in 2023 (32 games), Garcia is hitting .360 with nine doubles, a triple, 12 home runs, 39 RBIs, a .424 on-base percentage and .772 slugging percentage. Garcia’s career high for home runs in a season was 14 in 2021.
· Grabanski has a shot to lead the NAIA in homers this season. He’s already tied his career high with 18 blasts, putting him No. 2 nationally behind only Cole Turney (21) of Cumberland (Tenn.). Grabanski is hot after the same records that Garcia is pursuing. As just a junior, the Bulldog left fielder has slugged 53 home runs in 144 career games. Among GPAC players, Grabanski ranks No. 1 in home runs, RBIs (51), runs scored (39), hits (44) and slugging percentage (.904). Concordia boasts the league’s top four home run hitters in Grabanski (18), Garcia (12), Jaidan Quinn (10) and Adams (eight). On another note, Zackery Day paces the GPAC with 17 stolen bases.
· The progress of the pitching staff may ultimately decide how successful the Bulldogs can be this spring. At 5.75, the team ERA is certainly higher than Dupic would like for it to be. Caden Johnson emerged last week with only one run allowed over 11 innings in two starts. There have also been moments of brilliance from the likes of Blake Benson, Bugarske, Frankie Cresta and Gutierrez. This week, Cresta will attempt to regain the form that saw him throw a three-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts versus Jamestown. Considering that collection of arms, the depth of the staff is more of a strength than it was in 2022 when the Bulldogs won 40 games.
The opponents
Dordt was picked ninth in the GPAC preseason poll after finishing the 2022 season at 12-32 overall (8-20 GPAC). Head Coach Nathan Bacon’s 2023 squad has surpassed that win total thanks to a solid run through the nonconference portion of the slate. The Defenders roll out an impressive 1-2 punch at the top of their pitching rotation with the presence of Gyeongju Kim (4-1, 4.28 ERA, 12.66 K/9) and Nick Yeger (4-3, 2.76 ERA, 12.76 K/9). The depth of the pitching staff will be tested this week as Dordt played on Monday versus Dakota Wesleyan and will play Tuesday afternoon at Briar Cliff, prior to this weekend's four-game set. From an offensive perspective, Dordt is hitting .289 with a rock solid .405 on-base percentage. Dylan Stanley is hitting .318 with five homers and 23 RBIs. In last season’s four-game Bulldog-Defender series in Sioux Center, Concordia earned the sweep, winning by scores of 3-2, 15-3, 9-2 and 14-5. Dordt’s two GPAC wins came over Midland and Dakota Wesleyan.
Next week
Another six games are coming up next week as the Bulldogs will travel to play at Dakota Wesleyan on April 11, head to No. 19 Doane on April 15 and then host Briar Cliff on April 16. By the end of that stretch, Concordia will be down to eight games remaining in the regular season.