There are hot streaks and then there are Jaidan Quinn hot streaks. The sweet swingin’ lefty belted 11 home runs in an awe-inspiring nine-game stretch that began in the middle of February of this 2024 season. An oven mitt would have been required while high-fiving the Bonner Springs, Kan., native during the power surge that made Quinn the NAIA National Player of the Week on Feb. 27.
It isn’t uncommon for Quinn and fellow baseball masher Joey Grabanski to go back and forth with superhuman exploits. When “Q” is at his best, the opposing pitcher may as well roll the ball to the plate.
“He’s kind of put us in awe a little bit,” said Head Coach Ryan Dupic in early March following two wins over Keiser University (Fla.). “It’s so fun to watch him play. It’s really special. It’s hard to put into words. He’s just a really good hitter and a really good player.”
From day one of arriving at Concordia, Quinn supplied the baseball program with a ready-made dynamic lefty bat. Named an NAIA Second Team All-American in 2023, Quinn has delivered off-the-charts numbers as a key cog for a program that keeps churning out 40-win seasons. In 139 career games as a Bulldog, Quinn has batted .355 (156-for-439) with 59 home runs and 163 RBIs while sporting an on-base percentage of .509 and slugging percentage of .834. In a word, those numbers are absurd.
Dupic was more than happy to welcome Quinn into the program in the fall of 2021. At the time, it didn’t seem possible that the Bulldogs could get any better offensively after the ’21 team piled up 468 runs with the help of 90 home runs in a World Series qualifying season. But that was only because you had no idea what the 6-foot-4 transfer third baseman from Wabash Valley College (Carmel, Ill.) was capable of.
In the case of Quinn, he simply needed to find the right place to accentuate his talents, somewhere he could play free and loose. Says Quinn, “I chose there (Wabash Valley) straight out of high school. It ended up not being a great fit for me. I wanted to transfer, and I previously knew Dupic from my old summer team coach (Luke Town). I had a good connection with Dupic and I played with (current teammate) Alex Johnson my whole life pretty much. He’s another big reason why I came here.”
An Exercise Science major and NAIA Scholar-Athlete, Quinn believes he was born to play baseball. Sure, he tried basketball and football, but they just weren’t his game. Says Quinn, “My mom always tells me I was born with a baseball in my hand.” Quinn followed his passion as a high school player at Olathe West High School and most significantly, as an avid summer baller (coached by Town) throughout his days as a youth. An obsessive commitment to the craft is a major reason why Quinn is able to drive the baseball with the best of them. His laser of an arm initially made him an equally intriguing pitching prospect.
The home run power to all fields is something Quinn possessed before transferring to Concordia, but he’s continued to evolve and refine his approach to the game. “I just trust myself and not put too much pressure on myself,” Quinn said. “I felt like I came in here as an emotional player and sometimes let my emotions get to me too much. Me and Dupic had a sit-down conversation. It’s really about trusting yourself, trusting your preparation and going out there and having fun. College baseball has changed from, I have to do this – to let’s make memories as a team. Do what you can for the team.”
As Quinn sets up in the batter’s box, he showcases a slightly open stance before then tapping his right foot on the edge of the chalk closest to the plate. He can cover pitches inside and out and will stand his ground when a hurler challenges him in tight (59 career hit-by-pitches). Quinn waggles the bat slightly behind his left ear before unleashing a fury of effortless power. When Q connects, the ping of bat to ball lets everyone know – it’s a no-doubter.
The incredible surge Quinn enjoyed early this spring didn’t shock those who watched him take his stardom to a new level in 2023. Most impressively, Quinn homered in his first four at bats in a rout of Midland on April 22, 2023. No player in the history of the program had ever accomplished such a feat. Quinn isn’t in a position to stop and admire his own handiwork, but there will come a day.
Any other player like Quinn in another program likely wouldn’t have any competition on his own team for the status of program home run king. But this isn’t just any team. Quinn and Grabanski have enjoyed a friendly rivalry doing things that will go down as legendary achievements in the program’s history.
“It’s been a blast,” Quinn said. “Last year before the season started, we were like, ‘let’s drop 25 together. Let’s tie for the record.’ He got off to a really hot start and I was like, ‘Man, I’ve got to catch up.’ It ended up working out that way where we both hit 27 home runs. He caught up to me at the last minute.” As Quinn joked, “I was a little salty about that.”
But not as salty as the numbers Quinn will leave behind once he graduates in the spring of 2025. That’s right, Q still has a full year of eligibility remaining beyond this season, and he intends to use it. The extra academic year will work nicely for Quinn as he’s on track to earn a couple of minors in addition to his Exercise Science degree. It’s great news for the Bulldogs and downright frightening news for opposing GPAC pitchers.
The connection between Dupic and Quinn’s summer league coach has paid immense dividends. Not only has Quinn become one of the NAIA’s best hitters, but he’s also one of the highest academic achievers on the Concordia roster. It’s easy to see now that Q was meant to be here. His face lights up as he dives into the circumstances that brought him here. As Quinn researched Concordia, he heard plenty about that Grabanski guy who was already breaking records as a freshman in 2021. It’s now Grabanski that bats third, ensuring that pitchers must come into the zone to Quinn in the No. 2 spot.
Says Dupic, “He’s a special player and a special kid. We love him. We’re very grateful to have him. He can really swing it. He really knows how to hit. He goes on some incredible tears. When he gets hot, he can really, really hit. We saw that last year. We’ve seen that this year. He’s been that way since he’s been here. He’s just a really special player. We’re glad he’s on our side.”
If Quinn can have it his way, he’ll keep destroying baseballs beyond his time at Concordia. His dream is to play the game professionally in some capacity, “but if that doesn’t work out, it will be somewhere in the kinesiology or physical therapy realm.”
It might take a kinesiologist to explain just how Quinn can normalize and consistently repeat his lightning quick flick of the wrists. Cars driving past Plum Creek Park on Karol Kay Boulevard are not safe, not when Quinn is running on one of his heaters.
The loud, crowd-pleasing bombs and the ear-to-ear smiles that follow are a signature of Quinn’s game. All is right in the world of No. 18. Says Quinn of his entire situation as a Bulldog, “It worked out perfect for me.”