ORANGE CITY, Iowa – Two games played with contrasting paces and with varying levels of drama unfolded as the Bulldogs and Red Raiders took advantage of a warm St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) in Orange City, Iowa. Ultimately, the 21st-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Baseball team emerged with the doubleheader sweep, winning by scores of 15-7 and 2-1 in a second-straight road trip to open league play. Matt Rhoades collected four hits in game one while Ty Nekoliczak delivered the go-ahead RBI single in game two in providing just enough run support in a well-pitched game by Braxton Greenburg.
Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has won six of its last seven outings while moving to 15-7 overall (3-1 GPAC). Northwestern has routinely been a tough out for the Bulldogs.
“I’m incredibly pleased,” Dupic said. “When you can win in different ways, that’s a very positive thing. In the first game, we clubbed it very well. In the second game, we pitched and defended really well. We got a huge start out of Braxton Greenburg. He was the key to that game, getting us 15 outs and putting us in position to win. We had some guys step up late, but we had no chance to be in that space if it wasn’t for Braxton.”
After being limited to a combined seven runs by Midland in howling winds this past Friday, the Concordia offense returned to form in Monday’s game one. The Bulldogs blitzed Red Raider starting pitcher Micah De Haan with three runs apiece in the first and second innings. The sophomore first baseman Rhoades opened the scoring with an RBI single before senior catcher Michael Welch doubled home a pair. One inning later, Jaidan Quinn rocked a three-run shot (ninth homer of the season and 82nd of his career), putting the Bulldogs on a path to a rout.
Rhoades tacked on with an RBI single in the third, a two-run base hit in the fourth and a sacrifice fly in the sixth. He wound up with five RBIs. Concordia built a 12-0 lead before Northwestern came to life with a five-run fourth. It wasn’t enough as the Bulldog lineup pounded out 14 hits. In addition to four from Rhoades, four Concordia players notched two hits each: Jimmy Blumberg, Jaeden Jordahl, Nekoliczak and Quinn. Nekoliczak doubled and knocked in two runs.
In game two, Braxton Greenburg took the ball and held the Red Raiders (13-7, 2-2 GPAC) scoreless until the fifth inning. Greenburg completed five frames with one run allowed on five hits and two walks (seven strikeouts). He exited with the score tied, 1-1. The deciding run came in the top of the seventh. After Blumberg was hit by a pitch, Zack Day pinch ran, stole second and then scored on Nekoliczak’s single to center. In relief, DJ Anderson worked a scoreless sixth and Daiten Schmidt retired the side in order in the seventh and picked up the save.
Said Dupic of the game two win, “Jimmy Blumberg made some great plays at shortstop. Zack Day had a big stolen base and Ty had the big knock. Our bullpen was really good. It was a good day. Northwestern is a good club. Any time you can get out with a couple of wins, it’s something you’re really happy about.”
Day swiped four bags on Monday and hit 60 career stolen bases (63 by day’s end) as part of the doubleheader and moved past Zak Goodrich for No. 2 on the program’s all-time list. The junior from Simi Valley, Calif., adds another dimension to a powerful offense. Said Dupic, “He’s a huge weapon. The best baserunners are the ones who can come in late when everybody in the ballpark knows you’re going to take a bag and still find a way to take a bag. That’s what he did there at the end. Getting to second base was a big deal.”
Five different pitchers were used by Concordia in game one. Freshman Micah Sweeton covered four innings (five runs allowed) and was credited with the win. Northwestern put up seven runs in that contest with the help of 10 walks. On the plus side, the Bulldogs did not commit an error. For the Red Raiders, leadoff hitter Luke Wroblewski (4-for-6 on the day) had the most success.
Next up, the Bulldogs are scheduled to play a four-game series at Doane (16-3, 3-1 GPAC), featuring a doubleheader on both Saturday and Sunday. The two programs shared the 2024 GPAC regular season title and played each other in the 2024 GPAC Championship Game (won by Concordia, 5-1). In early conference play, the Tigers swept a doubleheader from Midland and split with Mount Marty.