The 2022 Concordia Baseball team will be tasked with following up the greatest season in program history. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad arrived back to campus this fall knowing the standard has been forever changed. In some ways, the Bulldogs have simply picked up where they left off thanks to the return of a talented group of position players that includes five players who were named either first or second team all-conference last season.
The veteran players on the roster know the drill by now. Dupic has even referred to the fall as “mundane” in certain aspects. The memorable images of last season’s dogpiles will live on, but the fall signaled a chance to move on and form an identity for 2022.
“I’m really grateful for the team atmosphere and chemistry that we have,” Dupic said. “I like the environment and the leadership has been solid. I think that was established very well this fall. It feels like from an offensive perspective, our offensive players are really being challenged with some of the environments we’ve set up. We’re trying to make some progress from a defensive perspective, and I think some of those steps are being made. Our focus is on how we can continue to improve.”
As for the structure of the fall practice season, Concordia has found a formula that has worked nicely for the program. Dupic says that not much changed from last season. The Bulldogs do not play outside competition, choosing to keep the focus on improving internally. In addition to intensive work in regards to individual skill development, Concordia played a series of intrasquad scrimmages during the fall. Not so surprisingly, the offense has had the upper hand.
The Bulldogs banged the ball around (and out of) the yard last season while breaking school records for home runs (90) and runs scored (468). The most significant departure from the lineup is Beau Dorman, but there’s no reason to think that the 2022 team won’t be similarly productive. All-GPAC returners include Jayden Adams, Ben Berg, Keaton Candor, Jesse Garcia and Joey Grabanski
“We’re certainly grateful to have the guys back that we do and I think we’ve added some more good players to the mix,” Dupic said. “I don’t think it’s unfair to say that this is the best depth we’ve had since we’ve been here. We lost a really quality player in Beau Dorman. He was such a good hitter and so consistent. That combo of he and Ben Berg at that catcher spot was so valuable in terms of their production. That’s a big loss, but we have a lot of other players back. We can’t complain. We have some new guys in the mix. We certainly feel like our offense is where we’re most close to having a high-level group. I think that group is ahead of our other groups. We’re hoping to build on that strength.”
While hitting coach Caleb Lang continues to tutor another potential offensive juggernaut of a lineup, Dupic has been at work developing a pitching staff that will look much different in the starting rotation. Concordia said goodbye to its top three starters from 2021 in GPAC Pitcher of the Year Jake Fosgett as well as Nick Little and Trent Wood. However, Dupic sees the bullpen as a potential strength. Back for a fifth year in the program is closer Nathan Buckallew, who enjoyed an excellent 2021 season.
While the offense has taken off over the past few years, the Bulldog pitching staff has progressed into one of the top swing-and-miss groups in the country. Only one team in the entire NAIA had a higher strikeout rate than Concordia’s 28.8 percent in 2021. There are question marks on the staff, but Dupic has proven he can develop a strong collection of arms each year.
Said Dupic, “It feels like starting fresh in some ways. The biggest losses are in the starting rotation. I like our bullpen, although we lost some good bullpen arms – some guys who were really key for us down the stretch. We also have some guys back who have done some really good things for us. I’d like to think our bullpen will be a strength for us. Our starting pitching is definitely a new group. We lost something like 75-80 percent of our starts to graduation. What Jake Fosgett, Nick Little and Trent Wood did to stabilize us was really valuable. We have some guys we feel are capable, but they have plenty of work to do. We got to see guys get out and compete this fall. Basically everyone had a good outing and a not-so-good outing at some point in time. We’re working towards consistency and trying to focus on getting better as much as we can.”
The emphasis on power bats and strikeout arms has been a trend across all levels of baseball. It’s no coincidence that Concordia’s rise to an elite stature in both areas resulted in an NAIA World Series berth. Dupic is seeing signs that the Bulldogs will again be successful in those two aspects of the game.
Said Dupic, “It just so happens that a lot of guys we recruit mesh with those skills, particularly on the offensive side. We found a lot of guys who have the ability to hit for power. I still think that will be a part of who we are. Driving the baseball is something we’ve done better the last couple of years. I still think we’ll strike out a decent amount of guys. We’ve lost some really big strikeout pitchers the last two years. I’m not sure we’ll do it at the same rate, but I don’t think we’ll be a pitch-to-contact team as we move forward. I think we’ll be able to create some swings and misses.”
Concordia Baseball had never entered an academic year with a larger profile, either regionally or nationally. The Bulldogs found themselves at No. 18 in the NAIA preseason poll released earlier this month. Dupic isn’t the type of person to do cartwheels over any preseason recognition. He’s kept his team grounded following last season’s thrill ride. This fall has been about getting back to basics while hitting the reset button. However, it’s clear that a blueprint for success is in place.
“We need to get better in our starting rotation and take steps defensively,” Dupic said. “You never want to forget about your strengths. Our focus is to create a really dynamic offense, take some steps to make sure certain guys are healthy and develop that pitching depth. It’s been a similar offseason to the past. I like our team and I like our guys. It’s a good collection of guys.”