SEWARD, Neb. – Micah Sweeton is all the way back, and the Concordia University, Nebraska Baseball offensive lineup continues its habit of wearing out opposing pitchers. These were the themes that emerged on Friday (April 10) as the Bulldogs earned a doubleheader sweep of Midland, winning by scores of 7-0 and 11-5 at Plum Creek Park. Sweeton fired a seven-inning shutout in his first extended outing since mid-February.
Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has improved to 5-1 on the week with a doubleheader to come on Saturday. Concordia stands at 26-13 overall (14-4 GPAC).
“First thing, it’s good to have Micah back,” Dupic said. “One of the things that probably gets lost a little bit in this season is that he’s thrown 12 innings this year (entering Friday). He had an unfortunate injury, and it’s an injury that can come back pretty quickly if you don’t take care of yourself. We had to be cautious with him. He’s really good. Having him throw a complete game shutout really sets you up for the rest of the weekend. We fell behind (in game two). It was nice to see the way we responded and see a couple bullpen guys do a great job. Alex Griess was awesome. Devin Gonor was awesome – and we were good offensively.”
In the aftermath of his masterpiece, the Temecula, Calif., native Sweeton went into detail about his mix of pitches. Sweeton dazzled with the fastball, curveball and slider while keeping the Warriors off balance. Nine of the 21 outs came on groundballs. In a key at bat in the third, Sweeton coaxed a groundout with the bases loaded to end a threat. Only one of the six hits he allowed went for extra bases. In the seventh, Sweeton slammed the door emphatically by striking out the side.
His health down the stretch will be a major factor for the Bulldogs. Sweeton missed roughly a month due to the injury he suffered in late February.
Said Sweeton of how he persevered, “It was just trust in God. If you put everything into baseball, it will always let you down … Dupic helped me build up a lot of confidence as far as making sure I knew where to locate my fastball and having my slider be on plane with late break. I got a lot of swings and misses. Also, my two-seam ran in on them, so that’s why I got a lot of groundballs – and landing the curveball for a strike helped me a lot.”
In support of Sweeton in game one, first baseman Carson Burnett went 2-for-3 with a two-run double. Concordia led 5-0 after three innings and then tacked on in the fifth when catcher Jake Watson lifted a solo homer to left field and Alex Draper singled home a run. Draper added two hits of his own. Also in game one, Luke Wilson opened the scoring in the second with an RBI double.
Game two appeared headed for a slugfest as the Bulldogs led, 6-5, after three innings. Concordia eventually ran away with it as Alex Griess (winning pitcher) went three shutout frames and Devin Gonor (save) tossed 3.1 innings of scoreless ball in relief. They were backed by strong defensive plays, including a Draper sliding catch in foul territory. Brody Smearer started the game and lasted one inning.
GPAC home run leader Bronx Lewis enjoyed another solid day. He threw a pellet of a throw from right to nail a runner at second that had attempted to stretch a single (in game one). In game two, Lewis blasted his 17th homer of the season – a three-run shot – to provide a 5-2 lead in the second. Lewis later singled and scored as part of a four-run sixth. Lewis and Jimmy Blumberg posted two hits apiece in game two. Meanwhile, Jake Tyler singled and drove in two runs and Jaeden Jordahl walked three times and scored three runs.
Said Dupic, “We did a really good job with that, getting pitches to hit. We put a little pressure on them and they made a few mistakes. Some good things happened. It was a better day today. We need to see some consistency with that over time. That’s what we’re hoping for as we go into tomorrow.”
Midland slipped to 12-25 (7-11 GPAC). Second baseman Dax Wandler recorded two hits in both ends of the twin bill. Warrior pitchers issued 15 free passes (between walks and hit batters) and were taxed to the tune of 332 total pitches on the day.
The Bulldogs will be back in action on Saturday at Sherman Field in Lincoln, Neb., where they will play two with Northwestern (21-15, 9-9 GPAC). First pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT. Between games, Concordia will honor a class of 12 seniors. For more information on the senior class, click HERE.