OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Even a red-hot Joey Grabanski couldn’t save the 21st-ranked Concordia University Baseball team on Sunday (Feb. 12). As a conclusion to a three-game weekend in Oklahoma City, Okla., the Bulldogs surrendered 23 hits to host and 11th-ranked Oklahoma City University and were run-ruled, 22-12, in a matinee. The rough pitching performance spoiled an all-time great single game effort from Grabanski, who homered three times and drove in nine runs as part of his 5-for-5 day.
Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad went 0-3 in Oklahoma City with two losses coming against the Stars and one versus No. 5 Bellevue University. Concordia will chalk it up as a learning experience.
“They have a good club and they swing it really well,” Dupic said of OCU. “The way that we executed pitches needed to be done at a higher caliber in order to get them out consistently. We saw flashes of it from our staff this weekend, but we’ll have to do better as we go. I’m certainly pleased with the offensive production and how we played defensively for the most part. I think we took some positive steps in that direction. We have to get a little bit healthier and a little bit better on the bump.”
There’s nothing at all wrong with the bat of Grabanski, who went deep five times on the weekend and ran his career home run tally to 40. In Sunday’s action, the native of Grand Forks, N.D., connected for a two-run homer in the second inning, added another two-run shot in the sixth and capped it off with a grand slam in the seventh. The three homers in a single game ties a school record shared with five other players, including current Bulldogs Jay Adams and Jesse Garcia. The nine RBIs are likely a school record (no official record) and surpassed the eight-RBI game Adams enjoyed at the 2022 GPAC tournament.
Grabanski entered this season with a career slugging percentage north of .700, and he might be headed for even better as a junior. Said Dupic, “It was a pretty special day for him. He’s a really good hitter – there’s not a whole lot else to say. He’s really swinging the bat well and continuing to make positive steps. It was really cool to see him do that.”
Teyt Johnson also got on the board for his first homer of 2023 with a solo blast in the fifth. Additionally, shortstop Ty Nekoliczak turned in a 2-for-2 day with a walk and an RBI. Tanner Tompkins also delivered a third-inning RBI single to score Garcia.
The Bulldogs owned a 4-2 lead heading into the bottom of the second, but they were unable to keep Oklahoma City’s potent lineup in check. Starter Frankie Cresta was tagged with 10 runs on 10 hits and four walks as he covered three innings in his Concordia debut. Four hurlers saw action out of the bullpen: Isaiah Malison, Ernie Snyder, Kellen Ingram and Cameron Pickens.
The Stars (4-6) clubbed three home runs, including one apiece from Noah Kang, Felix Chenier-Rondeau and Frankie Danel III. Five OCU batters collected at least two hits, highlighted by a 5-for-5, three-double performance from shortstop Chad Pike. Chenier-Rondeau also knocked in five runs. The Stars dropped both of their games with No. 5 Bellevue this weekend.
The Bulldogs will regroup and prepare for four games next weekend (Feb. 18-19) in Joplin, Mo. The opponents over those two days will be Columbia College (Mo.), No. 14 Central Methodist University (Mo.), William Penn University (Iowa) and University of Saint Mary (Kan.). The site locations will be Joplin High School on day one and Redden Stadium on day two.