OWH NAIA/NCAA Division II, III All-Nebraska Baseball Team
SEWARD, Neb. – Seven members of the GPAC regular-season champion Concordia University baseball team landed on the 2019 NAIA/NCAA Division II, III All-Nebraska Baseball Team, as announced by the Omaha World-Herald on Saturday (June 22). GPAC Player of the Year Christian Meza was joined on the All-Nebraska squad by Bulldog pitchers Dylan DuRee and Jason Munsch. Four Concordia players were chosen for honorable mention accolades: Wade Council, Jake Fosgett, Jesse Garcia and Sasha Jabusch.
Head coach Ryan Dupic’s club placed six players on the All-GPAC first team: Meza, Council, DuRee, Fosgett, Jabusch and Munsch.
Meza is the first ever Bulldog to be awarded the title of GPAC Player of the Year. By the time his career concluded, Meza owned school all-time rankings of first in doubles (53), second in hits (216), second in RBIs (141), sixth in runs scored (117) and seventh in batting average (.340). The San Diego native was a two-time first team All-GPAC choice and had three total all-conference honors in his career. This past spring, Meza hit .339 (60-for-177) with a .446 on-base percentage and .480 slugging percentage. He totaled 36 runs, 16 doubles, three home runs and 40 RBIs and produced a fielding percentage of .954.
DuRee, an Elkhorn, Neb., native, was lights out at the back end of the bullpen. In 30.2 innings of work this season, he allowed just two earned runs. DuRee recorded 36 strikeouts and held opposing hitters to just a .185 batting average. His nine saves rank as the second highest single season total in program history. DuRee made 18 appearances on the mound this season after making 10 as a junior.
Munsch is a two-time first team All-GPAC honoree. The lefty from Campbell, Calif., went 6-4 with a 2.44 ERA and 106 strikeouts in 66.1 innings (11 starts). He held opposing hitters to a .185 batting average. Munsch is the only pitcher in program history to eclipse 200 strikeouts for a career (currently at 222). In 29 career collegiate starts, Munsch owns a 3.23 ERA over 158.2 innings. He was named the GPAC Pitcher of the Week on April 16 after posting a career high 16 strikeouts in a win over Jamestown.
A mainstay at the top of the lineup, Council was the 2019 GPAC Gold Glove right fielder in addition to earning first team all-conference honors. He batted .303 (57-for-188) with 12 doubles, three triples, two home runs and 31 RBIs to go along with a .384 on-base percentage. As just a freshman, Garcia took well to the middle of the lineup. He hit .300 (45-for-150) with seven doubles, eight home runs, 36 RBIs, a .451 on-base percentage and .507 slugging percentage.
Fosgett and Jabusch were two more major contributors to the GPAC’s top pitching staff. Fosgett threw like an ace, going 6-2 with a 3.09 ERA and 85 strikeouts over 55.1 innings (nine starts). The native of Carlsbad, Calif., fanned a career high 11 hitters on four different occasions. Jabusch has made a significant impact in his first season at Concordia after he transferred from Clark College (Wash.). The native of Kelso, Wash., was on the mound when the Bulldogs clinched the GPAC regular season title on April 27. He notched 17 strikeouts in that performance. On the season, Jabusch went 6-3 with a 4.09 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 61.2 innings (11 starts).
Named GPAC Coach of the Year, Dupic guided his 2019 team to a 33-20 overall mark and a berth in the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round, in addition to the GPAC title.
NAIA/DIVISION II, III All-Nebraska Baseball Team
P: Stephen Knapp, Bellevue, sr. 10-3, 2.67 ERA, 8 CG, 5 shutouts
P: Matt Lindsley, York, sr. 12-2, 3.10 ERA, 104 Ks, 3 CG
P: Jason Munsch, Concordia, jr. 6-4, 2.44 ERA, 5 CG, 106 Ks in 66⅓ innings
P: Ryan Obrecht, Wayne State, fr. 7-2, 2.04 ERA, 50 Ks, no HRs allowed
P: Dylan DuRee, Concordia, sr. 18 appearances, 9 saves, 0.59 ERA
C: Travis Tanaka, Bellevue, sr. .370, 56 RBIs, 14 2B, 35 runs
1B: Riley Baasch, Bellevue, jr. .342, 11 HR, 60 RBIs, 18 2B, 56 runs
2B: Christian Meza, Concordia, sr. .339, 16 2B, 40 RBIs, 36 runs
SS: Kory Longaker, Bellevue, sr. .376, 12 HR, 29 2B, 58 RBIs, 83 runs, 19 SB
* 3B: JT Patterson, Bellevue, sr. .367, 24 HR, 91 RBIs, 72 runs
OF: Lawyer Braun, York, sr. .372, 13 HR, 43 RBIs, 43 runs, 15 SB
OF: Tommy Hansen, Bellevue, jr. .328, 6 HR, 39 RBIs, 12 SB
OF: Alex Logelin, Wayne State, so. .317, 21 2B, 53 runs, 6 HR, 29 RBIs
DP: Eduardo Yanez, Doane, sr. .287, 15 2B, 10 HR, 41 RBIs
U: Kyle Thompson, Wayne State, sr. .343, 8 HR, 44 RBIs
* — honorary captain
Honorable mention — Bellevue: Austin Alexander, Cody Banks, Stuart Eurich, Jarrett Poh. Concordia: Wade Council, Jake Fosgett, Jesse Garcia, Sasha Jabusch. Doane: Aaron Mason, Lukas White. Hastings: Camden Brichacek, Dylan Fitzgerald. Midland: Matt Abdelnour, Austin Hamilton, James Scurto. Nebraska Wesleyan: Derek Kolbush, Josh Seifert. Peru State: Adam Cendejas, Darren Hasch, Alberto Rosario, Sterling Rupp, Eddy Tavarez. Wayne State: Bryce Bisenius, Andrew Hanson, Charles Hasty, Brendan Madsen, Hunter Wienhoff. York: Luke Jackson, Spencer Jones, Ethan Lanz, Matt Nunes.