SEWARD, Neb. – Following GPAC regular season and postseason titles, the Concordia University Baseball team has been rewarded with 10 all-conference awards. As announced by the GPAC on Monday (May 17), star pitcher Jake Fosgett has been named the 2021 GPAC Pitcher of the Year and is one of five Bulldogs to land on the All-GPAC first team. Meanwhile, 19th-ranked Concordia garnered two second team selections and three honorable mention selections.
2021 All-GPAC Honorees
First Team – Jayden Adams (2B); Keaton Candor (OF); Beau Dorman (DH); Jake Fosgett (Pitcher of the Year); Joey Grabanski (OF).
Second Team – Ben Berg (C); Jesse Garcia (UTIL).
Honorable Mention – Nathan Buckallew (RP); Nick Little (SP); Trent Wood (SP).
Fosgett is the program’s second GPAC Pitcher of the Year and first since Nick Little won the award in 2018. A fifth-year member of the program, Fosgett has been dominant in 11 starts in 2021. In 48 innings pitched, Fosgett owns an 8-0 record with a 1.31 ERA and 89 strikeouts (compared to just 12 walks). The native of Carlsbad, Calif., racked up an incredible 17 strikeouts in six innings versus Dordt on March 26. On the NAIA leaderboard, Fosgett ranks first in strikeouts per nine innings (16.69), second in ERA (1.31) and third in lowest opponent batting average (.153). Fosgett ranks second in program history with 235 career K’s. In his career, he is 15-3 with a 3.03 ERA in 151.2 innings. Fosgett was a 2019 first team All-GPAC honoree.
Entering the national tournament, second baseman Jayden Adams paced the team with a .406 batting average. His 71 hits are one off the program single-season record. From the leadoff spot, Adams has produced 60 runs scored, 14 doubles, two triples, five home runs and 40 RBIs and sports a .464 on-base percentage and .594 slugging percentage. Early in the season, Adams was twice named the GPAC Player of the Week and also earned an NAIA National Hitter of the Week award from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. At second base, Adams has successfully handled 127 of 133 chances (.955 fielding percentage).
One of the top power hitters in program history, right fielder Keaton Candor has starred in the middle of the lineup. On the season, Candor is batting .384 (56-146) with 41 runs, five doubles, 10 home runs, 42 RBIs, a .483 on-base percentage and .623 slugging percentage. The native of Merrill, Iowa, has played in 158 career games and has totaled 26 home runs and 120 RBIs while slashing .314/.439/.542 (BA/OBP/SLG). His 26 homers rank behind only Jesse Garcia and Jarrod Pimentel (27 apiece) on the program’s all-time list.
Beau Dorman has taken off in his final collegiate season. While often serving as the designated hitter, Dorman has also seen extensive action at catcher. Offensively, Dorman is hitting .364 (55-151) with 14 doubles, a triple, 10 home runs, 38 RBIs, a .467 on-base percentage and .669 slugging percentage. The native of Scottsdale, Ariz., arrived at Concordia as a transfer via College of the Siskiyous. In 86 career games, Dorman has batted .339 with 22 doubles, 16 homers and 63 RBIs.
Left fielder Joey Grabanski has been one of the top freshmen in the entire NAIA. The native of Grand Forks, N.D., tops all GPAC players in home runs (17) and ranks in a tie for first in RBIs (57). Grabanski is hitting .386 (66-171) with 39 runs, 13 doubles and a .438 on-base percentage and team high .760 slugging percentage. He earned the GPAC Player of the Week award following his four-homer doubleheader versus Morningside. Included in that doubleheader was a two-run, walk-off homer with two outs. Grabanski’s home run and RBI totals both represent school records for a single season.
Berg has realized his vast potential this spring. The catcher from Carroll, Iowa, is hitting .331 (45-136) with 11 doubles, a triple, six home runs, 42 RBIs, a .411 on-base percentage and .537 slugging percentage. Berg entered the national tournament on high having gone 9-for-16 during the GPAC tournament. Also an NAIA Scholar-Athlete, Berg has made just one error on the season and has thrown out five potential base stealers.
Jesse Garcia also took home second team all-conference honors in 2019. The native of El Cajon, Calif., has developed into one of the GPAC’s top power hitters. This season, Garcia is batting .348 (55-158) with 14 doubles, 12 home runs, 42 RBIs, a .483 on-base percentage and .665 slugging percentage. His 27 career home runs are tied for the program’s all-time record. As a first baseman, Garcia has successfully converted all 137 chances (perfect 1.000 fielding percentage) in 2021. He needs just one more RBI for 100 in his collegiate career.
The three honorable mention choices have each been key pieces of the pitching staff. Nathan Buckallew (Urbandale, Iowa) has thrived in the closer role and sports a 1.93 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 23.1 innings (16 appearances). Buckallew has notched six saves (eight for his career). All Nick Little (Lithia, Fla.) does is win. His record this season stands at 7-1. He also owns a 5.23 ERA and has recorded 64 strikeouts in 53.1 innings. Little’s 26 wins are the most in program history. A transfer from Mount Vernon Nazarene University (Ohio), Trent Wood (Troy, Ohio) has been a big boost to the rotation. He is 6-1 with a 3.65 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 61.2 innings.
Entering NAIA Opening Round action, Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad sat at 38-9 overall. The Bulldogs attained a No. 3 seed in the Bellevue Bracket.