VIDEO: Ty Nekoliczak's go-ahead three-run homer
SEWARD, Neb. – Chalk up another postseason win for the Concordia University Baseball program, which won a combined 17 postseason contests over the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Instead of doing it the hard way this time, the 24th-ranked Bulldogs took care of business in their opening game of the 2023 GPAC tournament. Sophomore Ty Nekoliczak blistered a go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth on Thursday (May 4) in propelling Concordia to a come-from-behind 7-4 win over seventh-seeded Northwestern.
The Bulldogs lost in this same spot a year ago and came all the way back to win the GPAC tournament title. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has moved to 36-15 overall on the 2023 season. Concordia has earned the right to host a GPAC tournament pod for the third year in a row.
“It was a big swing by Ty,” Dupic said. “I thought Carlos (Benavides) had a really competitive at bat (in the eighth). Jay (Adams) was great today – all day. He hit the ball really hard. It’s nice for us to win a game that was tight where we had to come back late. We had some really big at bats in those situations.”
It always seems to be a dogfight when the Bulldogs get together with the Red Raiders (19-30). That was true once again on Thursday as Northwestern’s Evan Olesen delivered a two-out, two-run single in the top of the sixth, supplying a 4-2 lead for the visitors. The response was immediate. After Alec Blakestad doubled and Ben Berg singled, the GPAC batting average leader Nekoliczak blasted a 2-0 offering from Brady Roberts over the right field wall.
Nekoliczak has become a standout in a lineup loaded with individuals possessing video game-like numbers. Said Nekoliczak, “We knew that guy was primarily fastball-changeup to lefties. He threw me two changeups that were in the dirt. He didn’t have a great feel for the changeup, so I was sitting fastball in – and he threw me fastball in.”
Two innings later, Concordia tacked onto the lead via back-to-back RBI singles from Benavides and Adams. Nekoliczak (walk) and Teyt Johnson (double) came around to score on those base hits. Adams finished his day 3-for-5 with a double, a stolen base and an RBI. Meanwhile, two hits apiece were collected by Ben Berg and Jesse Garcia. Nekoliczak walked twice in addition to his clutch homer. The Bulldogs got on the board in the bottom of the third when Jaidan Quinn lifted his 23rd homer of the season out of the yard.
On the mound, Blake Benson (7-2) emerged as one of the day’s heroes. He entered the game in the fifth and wound up firing 4.2 innings. He fanned six hitters while allowing two runs on six hits and a walk. Caden Johnson covered the first four innings and conceded two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks to go along with seven strikeouts. The staff’s 14th strikeout of the day ended the game as Daniel Rivera came on to notch the final out (and his third save of the season).
Said Dupic, “Getting into these nine-inning games, it’s tough to find a bridge in the middle innings. They made Caden really work. I felt like we needed to make a little adjustment. Blake was just incredible. He had the one hiccup there, but he really settled in and did a terrific job. I was really proud of him. I was just looking for a couple innings out of him, but he just about took us all the way.”
Northwestern (GPAC tournament champion in 2018) will play third-seeded Morningside in an elimination game on Friday afternoon. The Red Raiders started ace Dylan Kirkeby against the potent Bulldogs. Kirkeby tossed five innings and gave up four runs on eight hits and two walks (four strikeouts). Roberts was tagged with the loss after surrendering the homer to Nekoliczak. Offensively, Mo Watson belted a solo homer and Ethan Buckner enjoyed a 3-for-3 day near the bottom of the lineup.
The updated Concordia Bracket schedule can be found below. Concordia will take on sixth-seeded Midland at 12 p.m. CT on Friday. The Warriors upset third-seeded Morningside, 10-9, in 11 innings in the first game of the bracket. The Bulldogs swept a four-game series from Midland during the regular season. Concordia is attempting to defend GPAC tournament titles in 2021 and 2022.
2023 GPAC Tournament – Concordia Bracket
--Full Bracket
May 4-6 | Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)
Thursday, May 4
Game 1 – (6) Midland def. (3) Morningside, 10-9 (11 innings)
Game 2 – (2) Concordia def. (7) Northwestern, 7-4
Friday, May 5
Game 3 – (2) Concordia vs. (6) Midland, 12 p.m.
Game 4 – (3) Morningside vs. (7) Northwestern, 3 p.m.
Game 5 – Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser, 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 6
Game 6 – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 12 p.m.
Game 7 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser, 3 p.m. (if necessary)