SEWARD, Neb. – The 20th-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Baseball team remains on track to open the 2025 season this weekend on the home field of Oklahoma City University. The weekend slate was adjusted and moved up one day to avoid chilly temperatures on Sunday. The Bulldogs will take on No. 23 Oklahoma City and No. 15 Bellevue University on Friday before playing a single game with the host Stars on Saturday afternoon. The revised weekend schedule is included below.
This Weekend (Feb. 7-8)
All seven-inning games
Friday, Feb. 7 at No. 23 Oklahoma City (1-4), 12 p.m.
--Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Jim Wade Stadium (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Friday, Feb. 7 vs. No. 15 Bellevue (1-0), 2:30 p.m.
--Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Jim Wade Stadium (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Saturday, Feb. 8 at No. 23 Oklahoma City (1-4), 1:30 p.m.
--Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Jim Wade Stadium (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s program enters 2025 as one of six NAIA programs nationally to have won at least 40 games in each of the previous four seasons. Naturally, expectations are high once again. Concordia was placed atop the GPAC preseason coaches’ poll and landed at No. 20 in the NAIA national poll. Individually, senior third baseman Jaidan Quinn was lauded as an NAIA preseason All-American after he garnered 2024 NAIA First Team All-America honors. Quinn is one of seven returning Bulldogs who earned 2024 GPAC All-Conference accolades. First baseman Matt Rhoades is back after being tabbed the NAIA National Freshman of the Year by NAIABall last season.
Concordia will trot out an experienced infield that includes NAIA Gold Glove second baseman Ty Nekoliczak and slick fielding shortstop Jimmy Blumberg to go along with Quinn and Rhoades. The Bulldogs also have experience behind the plate with the duo of Tanner Tompkins and Michael Welch. Meanwhile, the outfield will have a new look after the Bulldogs said goodbye to stars Jay Adams, Alec Blakestad and NAIA all-time home run king Joey Grabanski. As for the pitching staff, the rotation could be anchored by the likes of Braxton Greenburg, Christian Gutierrez and Alex Johnson.
For a more detailed look at the 2025 team, check out our season preview linked HERE.
The opponents
A perennially strong program, Oklahoma City finished 2024 at 35-18 overall and qualified for the NAIA Opening Round. The Stars have started this season 1-4 with a win over Sterling College (Kan.) sandwiched between doubleheader that saw them get swept by Friends University (Kan.) and Clarke University (Iowa). Head Coach Keith Lytle’s squad brings back first team all-conference first baseman Trent Kiraly, who slugged 19 home runs last season. They must replace conference player (and pitcher) of the year Chad Pike.
Bellevue is ranked 15th in the NAIA after closing 2024 at 39-14 with an NAIA Opening Round appearance. The Bruins reached the NAIA World Series as recently as 2023 and have been a familiar postseason foe for Concordia. Bellevue brought back outfielder Steven Elsner, an NAIA preseason All-America selection. Head Coach Duane Monlux is closing in on 600 career wins as he begins year 15 at the helm of the program. He’s led the program to the World Series four times. The Bruins took advantage of unseasonably warm weather this past Saturday and defeated Hastings, 17-4, in Omaha to begin their ’25 campaign.
Up next
After wrapping up action in Oklahoma City, Concordia will look forward to playing four games in Joplin, Mo., the weekend of Feb. 15-16. The complete schedule can be found HERE.