Head Coach: Ryan Dupic (202-128, 8th year); four GPAC titles; three national tournament appearances (one NAIA World Series berth)
2021 Record: 42-12, 21-7 GPAC (T-1st); NAIA World Series qualifier
Key Returners: Jayden Adams (2B); Ben Berg (C); Nathan Buckallew (RHP); Caden Bugarske (RHP); Keaton Candor (OF); Jose Cevallos (SS); Jakob Faulk (INF); Jesse Garcia (1B); Joey Grabanski (OF); Alex Johnson (RHP); Teyt Johnson (OF); Shane Whittaker (RHP).
Key Losses: Beau Dorman (C); Jake Fosgett (RHP); Nick Little (RHP); Trent Wood (RHP).
Key Newcomers: Jake Davey (LHP); Jaidan Quinn (3B); Daniel Rivera (RHP); Andy Xapsos (SS).
2021 GPAC All-Conference: Jake Fosgett (GPAC Pitcher of the Year; First Team); Jayden Adams (First Team); Keaton Candor (First Team); Beau Dorman (First Team); Joey Grabanski (First Team); Ben Berg (Second Team); Jesse Garcia (Second Team); Nathan Buckallew (Honorable Mention); Nick Little (Honorable Mention); Trent Wood (Honorable Mention).
Outlook
The 2022 Concordia Baseball team takes on the difficult task of following up the 2021 season that stands as the best in the history of the program. Buoyed by the most prolific Bulldog offensive lineup ever and GPAC Pitcher of the Year Jake Fosgett, members of the team realized a dream in reaching the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. Under the leadership of Head Coach Ryan Dupic, the program has blown the top off of all reasonable expectations.
Some outsiders may have felt like Concordia had crashed the party at the World Series, but this was something the program had been building towards. Do the Bulldogs dare talk about taking it even a step further?
“Guys expect to be successful and expect to win,” said Dupic, who enters his eighth season leading the program. “We hear feedback from some of the players about their desire to be able to take the field with any team and feel like they belong. I think that was a transition piece that’s occurred over the past couple years. Some of our guys still feel like we can do better in that from time to time, particularly when you’re playing against the best schools in the country like we had the opportunity to do last year. I absolutely think there is a lot of confidence that has been built. We hope that can carry into this season.”
Opposing pitchers may want to stop reading right here. Concordia returns eight of the nine position players who started the final game of last season at the World Series. The numbers in 2021 were off the charts – school records for home runs (90) and runs scored (468) and an absurd team OPS (on base plus slugging) of .983. Highlights of the campaign included a sweep of GPAC regular season and postseason titles and a monumental NAIA opening round championship at the Bellevue Bracket. The Bulldogs concluded the season with a school record 42 wins.
Time to turn the page. Dupic says he senses a team still hungry for more and focused on proving the program has staying power as a World Series contender. The lineup will be a bear once again as Concordia welcomes back five position players who were named either first or second team All-GPAC in 2021: second baseman Jayden Adams, catcher Ben Berg, right fielder Keaton Candor, first baseman Jesse Garcia and left fielder Joey Grabanski. Add Jakob Faulk to the mix and the Bulldogs boast four returners who went deep at least 13 times last spring.
Says Berg, “It’s a competition every single day. Up and down the lineup there are guys that are going to hit the ball really hard. There’s no break in the lineup. It’s the same thing in practice. When we go compete against each other, I have to hit against Joey Grabanski, Keaton Candor and Jesse Garcia, some of the best hitters the school has ever had here. That level of competition raises the bar and the standard every day. It’s really fun to be part of that. It gets really competitive sometimes. It’s fun to be in that culture where greatness is expected of you, especially on the offensive end with the success we had last year.”
Adams starred as the rock atop the lineup and set new school records last season for runs scored (65) and hits (76). Grabanski broke program standards for home runs (17) and RBIs (60) in a monster freshman season. Meanwhile, Candor and Garcia enter this season tied for the program’s all-time home run record (29 apiece). Pitchers still can’t relax once they move lower in the order. Center fielder Teyt Johnson and shortstop Jose Cevallos lengthened one of the nation’s most lethal lineups. The one departure is a significant one in Beau Dorman, but it’s clear the Bulldogs are well-stocked.
“Our offense took a really big step last year and went to a level they hadn’t previously,” Dupic said. “It’s fair to say we have done that for one year. If you really want to be competitive, you’re going to have to do that on a consistent basis. That’s something we’ve been able to do in various parts of our program, whether it be culture or whatever. We feel like it’s started to sustain itself and be good year after year. Right now we’ve operated at an elite offensive level for one year. I’m really glad we did. Now we have to do it again. Obviously we do want to do better.”
That returning core may make it difficult for newcomers to crack the lineup, but Dupic, and his staff that includes hitting coach Caleb Lang, see the likes of Jaidan Quinn (transfer from Wabash Valley College) and Anderson Xapsos (transfer from NAIA Bluefield College) having an impact. Both possess the ability to help upgrade the infield defense. In the case of Xapsos, he appeared in 45 games over two seasons at Bluefield in Virginia.
On the other hand, the pitching staff is undergoing a bit of a makeover this preseason. The program graduated its top three starters from last season in Fosgett, Nick Little and Trent Wood. Dupic may not have the luxury of leaning upon a true ace like Fosgett or Jason Munsch, but there is potential. Closer Nathan Buckallew returns for his fifth season inside the program after recording seven saves and a 2.22 ERA last season. The bullpen will also include top arms from last season like Jacob Lycan and Shane Whittaker (48 strikeouts in 26.2 innings).
As the starting catcher, Berg has gotten a close look at the staff this offseason. Said Berg, “The pitching staff is definitely new this year, but I don’t think there’s a huge drop off in talent. I just think there’s a little bit of a drop off in experience. Those guys might go through it a little bit in the beginning of the year, but I’m really excited about the talent those guys have and the way they’ve been working. I think the staff will be really good by the end of the year.”
The health and progression of righty hurler Alex Johnson will be something to watch for early this season. Before struggling with injuries, Johnson struck out 23 hitters over his first two starts of 2021 and collected a GPAC Pitcher of the Week award. After beginning last season on the junior varsity, Caden Bugarske emerged as a weapon who registered a 2.49 ERA in 25.1 varsity innings. He is a candidate to get the ball on opening day. Transfers Jake Davey and Daniel Rivera and many others will also factor into the equation.
“Some of the parts are still being pieced together, but we see people improving and that’s really encouraging for us,” Dupic said. “Our starting pitching has talent, but we’re developing skill and experience within that group. Caden Bugarske and Alex Johnson got their feet wet last year and both showed really good progress at times. Alex was really good early in the season and worked through some physical stuff. That’s going to be a really big key moving forward with him. Caden is just an awesome story … Our starting pitching staff is where we took a big hit when you lose guys like that. It’s time for that next group to step up. That’ll be a big key for us.”
As Concordia begins the 2022 season, it knows its offensive firepower and depth will be a strength. The team’s pitching and defense will be the areas that could truly determine whether the program can make a return to the NAIA World Series. Looking more regionally, Dupic expects that the competition within the GPAC will only get more challenging. Concordia wound up sharing the 2021 GPAC regular season title with Doane.
Said Dupic, “We want to be peaking at the right time and see if we can make a run and get back to the World Series and compete on that level. A key step in that is the conference. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun this year. The conference is going to be really good and balanced. I think you’re going to see a lot of teams who are very competitive. It should be a really, really good league this year.”
Added Berg, “Now we’re trying to be more respected on a national scale and make sure last year was not a fluke, that we can get to the World Series multiple years in a row and have some success there and start competing for national championships.”
The 2022 season is slated to officially get started with a four-game series at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan., Feb. 12-13. The conference schedule will open on March 19 when Dakota Wesleyan will visit Plum Creek Park.