SEWARD, Neb. – The travel will be light this go-round at the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round. The Concordia University Baseball team will be headed to the Omaha area for action in the Bellevue Bracket. The third-seeded Bulldogs will start things off by playing second-seeded MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) at 2:30 p.m. CT on Monday. The opening round features a double-elimination format.
NAIA Opening Round – Bellevue Bracket
Site: Don Roddy Field in Bellevue, Neb.
Live Webcasts: Bellevue Stretch Live
Live Stats: Dakstats
Monday, May 17
Game 1 – (4) Bellevue vs. (5) Saint Xavier, 11 a.m.
Game 2 – (2) MidAmerica Nazarene vs. (3) Concordia, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3 – (1) Science & Arts vs. Game 1 Winner, 6 p.m.
Tuesday, May 18
Game 4 – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 11 a.m.
Game 5 – Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 6 – Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner, 6 p.m.
Wednesday, May 19
Game 7 – Game 5 Loser vs. Game 6 Winner, 11 a.m.
Game 8 – Game 5 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner, 2:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 20
Game 9 – Game 8 Winner/Loser, 12 p.m. (if necessary)
Fan information/tickets: Spectators are permitted to attend games at the Bellevue Bracket. Admission can be purchased at the ballpark entrance (no online sales). Ticket prices are $10 for a day pass and $25 for a tournament pass.
For details on Concordia program history at the national tournament, click HERE.
By the numbers
· Several Bulldogs should see their names listed when the GPAC releases all-conference teams in the near future. Ace pitcher Jake Fosgett is a strong candidate for the GPAC Pitcher of the Year award while many Concordia position players have put together seasons worthy of first team all-conference consideration. Due to the abrupt ending of the 2020 season, all-conference teams were not announced a year ago. Back in 2019, Fosgett earned first team All-GPAC accolades while Jesse Garcia landed on the second team.
· We featured the standard setting Concordia lineup in an article that can be found HERE. The 2021 Bulldogs have broken team single-season records for runs scored (428), hits (530) and home runs (80) and are on track to also set a new standard for batting average (.346). There aren’t really any breaks in a lineup that includes five sluggers with at least 10 home runs: Joey Grabanski (17), Jesse Garcia (12), Keaton Candor (10), Beau Dorman (10) and Jakob Faulk (10). The nine most common regulars in the lineup are each hitting .299 or better on the season. Jayden Adams paces the team with a .406 average and is just one hit off the school single-season record of 72 hits by Casey Berg.
· Fosgett’s season is worthy of further examination. The righty from Carlsbad, Calif., was held out of the GPAC tournament, but he’s expected to return for the opening round. 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). He sports a sparkling 8-0 record and has surrendered only 12 walks in 48 innings. If Fosgett were to claim the award, he would be the program’s first GPAC Pitcher of the Year since Nick Little in 2018. Fosgett’s extreme strikeout rate, bolstered by a devastating breaking ball, has caught the attention of professional scouts. He’s recorded 235 strikeouts in 151.2 career innings as a Bulldog.
· The pitching staff performed at a high level during the GPAC tournament. As someone who began the season on the junior varsity, freshman Caden Bugarske has been a revelation. He earned two pitching wins during the GPAC tournament while throwing six shutout innings. Three of the team’s most trusted relievers own ERA’s south of 2.00: Bugarske (1.15), Jacob Lycan (1.50) and Nathan Buckallew (1.93). Buckallew recorded the final six outs of the GPAC tournament championship game versus Doane and picked up his sixth save. In addition, Shane Whittaker (42 K’s in 22.1 innings) has missed a lot of bats out of the ‘pen. Also worth noting, Nick Little is now the program’s all-time winningest pitcher with 26 victories.
· Concordia didn’t just merely win the GPAC tournament, it dominated it. During the GPAC postseason, the Bulldogs outnumbered their opponents 39-10 in runs scored, 50-30 in hits and 7-1 in home runs. The pitching staff posted a 2.25 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 35-to-9. It seems Concordia may be peaking at the right time. It was even declared by Perfect Game USA as a dark horse pick to make a run at the national tournament. The level of competition is about to ramp up.
Bellevue Bracket Opposition
(1) Science & Arts (34-10) – The Drovers are the lone team in the bracket ranked in the NAIA top 10 (No. 9). Science & Arts earned an automatic bid to the opening round by winning the Sooner Athletic Conference tournament title. Pitching and defense have been a particular strength for Head Coach Mike Ross’ squad, which sorts national rankings of second in opponent batting average (.202), fourth in ERA (3.29) and fifth in fielding percentage (.972). Ace Colton Williams (1.59 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 73.2 innings) has won each of his 12 starts. Christian Laboy (11 homers, .704 slugging percentage) paces an offense that averages 8.2 runs per game.
(2) MidAmerica Nazarene (39-14) – The 21st-ranked Pioneers (Heart of America Conference Athletic Conference tournament runner up) are seeded higher than Concordia despite being ranked behind the Bulldogs in the coaches’ poll. MNU possesses a high-powered offense of its own that owns national ranks of third in batting average (.373), fifth in slugging percentage (.614) and eighth in runs per game (9.8). Joshuan Sandoval is one of the nation’s top power hitters having collected 21 doubles, 18 homers and 72 RBIs. Ace pitcher Jhon Vargas is 12-1 with a 2.79 ERA and 129 strikeouts in 96.2 innings.
(4) Bellevue (38-16) – The bracket host Bruins are receiving votes in the NAIA national poll and qualified for nationals as an at-large selection out of the North Star Athletic Association. Bellevue has made 11 all-time national tournament appearances and has twice reached the World Series in its history. Pitching and defense have been a strength for the Bruins, who are listed on the national leaderboard as seventh in opponent batting average (.228), eighth in fielding percentage (.968) and ninth in ERA (3.59). The top starter has been Corey Jackson (8-3, 2.34 ERA) and the offense has been balanced with nine different players who have hit at least four home runs this season.
(5) Saint Xavier (32-25) – The Cougars qualified for nationals by placing as the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament runner up. Saint Xavier has outscored its opponents by a combined total of 410-336 on the season. The most productive hitter has been Evan Orzech (.366 BA, 14 doubles, six triples, five home runs) while Tim Brokop sports a 10-1 record. Nick Crowe (3.71 ERA) has been the team’s top starting pitching arm in terms ERA.
NAIA Baseball World Series
No Concordia Baseball team has ever made its way to the NAIA Baseball World Series. The 2021 Series will be held at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho, May 28 – June 4. The nine winners to emerge from the opening round brackets will join host Lewis-Clarke State College and advance to the World Series.