SEWARD, Neb. – A tight race between the 20th-ranked Concordia University Baseball team and Doane atop the GPAC standings will come to a finish this weekend. With four games left to play in the regular season, the Bulldogs reside in first place and own a one-game lead. Concordia will attempt to wrap up its third GPAC championship under Head Coach Ryan Dupic will playing road doubleheaders at Hastings and at Dakota Wesleyan over the next few days.
This Week
(20) Concordia (31-8, 18-6) at Hastings (12-26, 10-14)
Friday, April 30 | 4 p.m. DH
Duncan Field | Hastings, Neb.
Webcast/Live Stats: Hastings Stretch Live
(20) Concordia (31-8, 18-6) at Dakota Wesleyan (14-23, 7-17)
Sunday, May 2 | 1 p.m. DH
Cadwell Park | Mitchell, S.D.
Webcast/Live Stats: Dakota Wesleyan Stretch Live
Fan policy: Fans are allowed to attend games at both of this weekend’s venues and are encouraged to wear face coverings when proper distancing cannot be maintained.
By the numbers
· If the Bulldogs can take care of business this weekend, they can capture the GPAC regular season title for the third time in four seasons. Dupic also guided the program conference championships in 2017 and 2019 (no champion awarded in 2020). Prior to 2017, the program had not won a conference title since 1986. Under Dupic, Concordia has also produced the only three 30-win seasons in school history and the first two national tournament berths. At 31-8 overall, the current team has a chance to break the school single season record of 34 wins (achieved in 2017).
· Freshman Joey Grabanski likely thrust himself into the conversation for GPAC Player of the Year after he went off for four home runs in Monday’s doubleheader split with Morningside. Grabanski played the role of the hero in game 1 by crushing a walk-off, two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. The native of Grand Forks, N.D., has now distanced himself from the previous school record for home runs in a season (11). Grabanski leads the GPAC with 16 home runs in 2021. He also ranks first in total bases per game (2.77), second in slugging percentage (.771) and fourth in RBIs (45).
· Jake Fosgett was named the GPAC Pitcher of the Week after he tossed five shutout innings in this past Sunday’s win over Jamestown. Fosgett added to his strikeout total with 12 more while allowing three hits and two walks. Fosgett’s stuff has been on another level this spring. He leads all NAIA pitchers in strikeouts per nine innings (17.14). He’s also the GPAC leader in ERA at 1.50. In his career, Fosgett is 14-3 with a 3.15 ERA and 226 strikeouts in 145.2 innings. He sports a 7-0 record this season.
· Grabanski’s surge helped push the team home run total for the season to 71. That figure shatters the program’s previous single season record of 40 by the 2019 squad. Five Bulldogs rank in the top 11 of the GPAC in home runs: Grabanski (first with 16), Jesse Garcia (fifth with 11), Keaton Candor (sixth with nine), Jakob Faulk (sixth with nine) and Beau Dorman (11th with eight). In addition, second baseman Jayden Adams tops the league with a .457 batting average.
· Prior to this season, the Bulldogs had never appeared in the top 25 of the NAIA coaches’ poll. Concordia has now been ranked in four-straight polls after landing at No. 20 in the ranking released on Wednesday. That poll position represents the highest ranking in program history.
The opponents
Hastings has been much more competitive within the GPAC this season than it was in 2019 when it posted a 6-21 conference mark. The Broncos are 10-14 in 2021 and are coming off a doubleheader split at Dakota Wesleyan. Head Coach Steve Spongberg’s squad won’t play long ball very often (12 homers as a team), but Camden Brichacek has been a reliable hitter while sporting a .360 average and .474 on-base percentage. In conference games, Hastings has been outscored by a combined total of 146-118. Top pitchers Gates Johnson (3.86 ERA) and Josh Merithew (4.10 ERA) have been solid.
Realistically, Dakota Wesleyan needs to win each of its remaining games (and get some help) if it is to qualify for the GPAC tournament. The Tigers have struggled on the mound with a 7.47 team ERA and 48 home runs allowed. DWU’s most powerful hitter has been Tyler Torres, who is slugging .500 with five homers and 27 RBIs. In conference play, the Tigers have been outscored, 188-132.