OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – For the second season in a row, the Concordia University Baseball program has opened a new campaign in Oklahoma City. The Bulldogs weren’t going to simply ease into the 2024 season while up against an undefeated Oklahoma City University squad and seventh-ranked Bellevue University. Despite homering four times on Friday (Feb. 9), Concordia fell twice, slipping by scores of 6-5 at the hands of host Oklahoma City and 12-7 to Bellevue.
The 10th season of Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s tenure leading the Bulldogs is underway. Concordia actually began the ’23 season at 0-4 before recovering for a third-straight 40-win season. Dupic liked many things he saw on Friday beyond the results.
“I thought there were a lot of positive things,” Dupic said. “I thought Caden Johnson threw a nice ballgame in game one. We made some solid defensive plays and were a little bit cleaner at certain positions. The guys had some good responses coming back after some things didn’t go our way. We left some plays on the field in the first one and the second one got away from us a little bit. I saw a lot of good things. Our newcomers really did some good things – guys like Brad Hallock, Matt Rhoades and Jimmy Blumberg. I think we’re heading in the right direction. I’m just glad we’re getting some games in down here.”
The Stars of Oklahoma City (7-0 pending their result versus Bellevue) had already played two three-game series prior to Friday. Meanwhile, Concordia debuted a 2024 lineup chalk full of established veterans in the top five spots: Ty Nekoliczak, Jaidan Quinn, Joey Grabanski, Jay Adams and Alec Blakestad. Out of the No. 6 slot, freshman first baseman Matt Rhoades stole the spotlight while burning Oklahoma City pitching for a two-run homer in the fourth and then a three-run blast in the sixth. The latter homer supplied the Bulldogs a 5-3 lead.
However, the Stars knotted the score, 5-5, with two runs in the bottom of the sixth and then walked it off when Trent Kiraly drove a pitch from Jacob Lycan over the left field wall in the bottom of the seventh. Tristan Williams also homered twice for Oklahoma City, which went up against three Concordia hurlers. Caden Johnson started (30th career start) and went 4.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits and two walks. He recorded six strikeouts before being replaced by Maverick Wylder in the fifth. Wilder went 1.1 innings out of the bullpen.
Bellevue is a familiar foe as a program the Bulldogs saw at the national tournament in 2021 and 2022. The Bruins managed to outslug Concordia with 12 runs on 13 hits. Anthony Lind, Alec Ackerman and Jake Lacey produced a home run apiece as part of the attack. Concordia played the Bruins to a 5-5 tie after five innings before the in-state foe put up two runs in the sixth and five in the seventh. As offensive highlights for the Bulldogs, Hallock cracked a two-run homer in the third and Quinn pulverized his 47th career Concordia homer in the fifth. In addition, Adams doubled in a run and Grabanski singled home two tallies.
Blake Benson covered 4.2 innings (five runs on nine hits and a walk) versus Bellevue. The ball was then handed to Ernie Snyder (0.2 IP), Braxton Greenburg (1.0 IP) and Logan Fragomeni (0.2 IP). For the day, there were four Bulldogs who collected multiple hits: Hallock (3-for-5), Quinn (3-for-6), Adams (3-for-7) and Rhoades (2-for-6). In his first action as a Bulldog, Blumberg got the start at shortstop in both games.
The weekend stay in Oklahoma City will continue on Saturday with a single nine-inning game against the host Stars. The contest is scheduled to get underway at 1:30 p.m. CT from Jim Wade Stadium. Live coverage can be found via Oklahoma City’s athletics website linked HERE.