2022 Baseball Schedule/Results

40-17-1 overall | 20-8 GPAC (2nd) | Season Stats | Roster

Date	Opponent	Location	Result	Record
Feb. 15	Baker University (Kan.)	Baldwin City, Kan.	L, 0-3	0-1
Feb. 15	Baker University (Kan.)	Baldwin City, Kan.	W, 7-2	1-1
Feb. 19	William Woods University (Mo.) - 1x7	Joplin, Mo.	W, 11-4	2-1
Feb. 19	University of Saint Mary (Kan.) - 1x7	Joplin, Mo.	W, 21-2	3-1
Feb. 20	Viterbo University (Wis.) - 1x7	Joplin, Mo.	W, 14-3	4-1
Feb. 20	William Penn University (Iowa) - 1x7	Joplin, Mo.	W, 8-1	5-1
Feb. 27	Tabor College (Kan.)	Hillsboro, Kan.	L, 5-11	5-2
Feb. 27	Tabor College (Kan.)	Hillsboro, Kan.	T, 5-5 (8 inn.)	5-2-1
	Spring Break: March 5-12
March 5	Cornerstone University (Mich.)	Auburndale, Fla.	W, 15-9	6-2-1
March 5	Cornerstone University (Mich.)	Auburndale, Fla.	W, 14-2	7-2-1
March 6	Indiana University South Bend	Auburndale, Fla.	L, 7-8	7-3-1
March 6	Indiana University South Bend	Auburndale, Fla.	L, 1-2	7-4-1
March 8	Judson University (Ill.)	Davenport, Fla.	W, 10-9	8-4-1
	Warner University Invitational: March 10-12
March 10	Lawrence Tech University (Mich.)	Lake Wales, Fla.	W, 15-2	9-4-1
March 10	Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.)	Lake Wales, Fla.	W, 10-5	10-4-1
March 11	(25) Warner University (Fla.)	Lake Wales, Fla.	L, 0-4	10-5-1
March 11	(10) Bellevue University	Lake Wales, Fla.	L, 0-3	10-6-1
March 12	Concordia University Ann Arbor	Lake Wales, Fla.	W, 15-7	11-6-1
March 19	*Dakota Wesleyan University	Seward, Neb.	W, 20-10	12-6-1, 1-0
March 19	*Dakota Wesleyan University	Seward, Neb.	W, 18-3	13-6-1, 2-0
March 20	*Hastings College	Seward, Neb.	W, 13-5	14-6-1, 3-0
March 20	*Hastings College	Seward, Neb.	W, 10-3	15-6-1, 4-0
March 24	*Northwestern College	Seward, Neb.	W, 4-3	16-6-1, 5-0
March 24	*Northwestern College	Seward, Neb.	W, 4-3	17-6-1, 6-0
March 25	*Northwestern College	Seward, Neb.	W, 7-5	18-6-1, 7-0
March 25	*Northwestern College	Seward, Neb.	L, 13-14	18-7-1, 7-1
April 2	*Midland University	Fremont, Neb.	W, 16-2	19-7-1, 8-1
April 2	*Midland University	Fremont, Neb.	W, 21-6	20-7-1, 9-1
April 3	*Midland University	Seward, Neb.	W, 11-5	21-7-1, 10-1
April 3	*Midland University	Seward, Neb.	W, 12-2	22-7-1, 11-1
April 8	*Morningside University	Sioux City, Iowa	W, 13-4	23-7-1, 12-1
April 8	*Morningside University	Sioux City, Iowa	L, 1-11 (8 inn.)	23-8-1, 12-2
April 9	*University of Jamestown	Jamestown, N.D.	L, 6-10	23-9-1, 12-3
April 9	*University of Jamestown	Jamestown, N.D.	L, 7-8	23-10-1, 12-4
April 15	*Doane University	Seward, Neb.	L, 1-2	23-11-1, 12-5
April 15	*Doane University	Seward, Neb.	L, 2-9	23-12-1, 12-6
April 16	*Mount Marty University	Seward, Neb.	W, 4-1	24-12-1, 13-6
April 16	*Mount Marty University	Seward, Neb.	W, 4-1	25-12-1, 14-6
April 21	*Dordt University	Sioux Center, Iowa	W, 3-2	26-12-1, 15-6
April 21	*Dordt University	Sioux Center, Iowa	W, 15-3	27-12-1, 16-6
April 23	*Dordt University	Sioux Center, Iowa	W, 9-2	28-12-1, 17-6
April 23	*Dordt University	Sioux Center, Iowa	W, 14-5	29-12-1, 18-6
April 28	*Briar Cliff University	Sioux City, Iowa	L, 4-5	29-13-1, 18-7
April 28	*Briar Cliff University	Sioux City, Iowa	W, 8-3	30-13-1, 19-7
April 29	*Briar Cliff University	Sioux City, Iowa	W, 2-1	31-13-1, 20-7
April 29	*Briar Cliff University	Sioux City, Iowa	L, 4-8	31-14-1, 20-8
	GPAC Tournament (Pod Play): May 6-7, 9
May 7	Northwestern College	Seward, Neb.	L, 4-5 (9 inn.)	31-15-1
May 7	Mount Marty University	Seward, Neb.	W, 7-5	32-15-1
May 9	Briar Cliff University	Seward, Neb.	W, 25-6	33-15-1
May 9	Northwestern College	Seward, Neb.	W, 20-10	34-15-1
May 9	Northwestern College	Seward, Neb.	W, 5-4	35-15-1
May 10	Jamestown (GPAC Championship)	Seward, Neb.	W, 7-6 (10 inn.)	36-15-1
	NAIA National Championship Opening Round: May 16-19	Bellevue Bracket
May 16	Judson University (Ill.)	Bellevue, Neb.	L, 1-5	36-16-1
May 17	(11) Central Methodist University (Mo.)	Bellevue, Neb.	W, 10-3	37-16-1
May 18	Judson University (Ill.)	Bellevue, Neb.	W, 8-1	38-16-1
May 18	Tabor College (Kan.)	Bellevue, Neb.	W, 7-5	39-16-1
May 19	(6) Bellevue University	Bellevue, Neb.	W, 16-2	40-16-1
May 19	(6) Bellevue University	Bellevue, Neb.	L, 2-5	40-17-1

2022 Baseball Roster

No.	Name	Pos.	Ht.	Yr.	B/T	Hometown	Previous School
1	Nathan Buckallew	RHP	5-11	Sr.	R/R	Urbandale, Iowa	Johnston HS
2	Kyle Berg	OF	6-3	So.	L/R	Carroll, Iowa	Kuemper Catholic HS
3	Ben Berg	C	6-1	Jr.	R/R	Carroll, Iowa	Kuemper Catholic HS
4	Jose Cevallos	INF	5-7	So.	R/R	Upland, Calif.	Upland HS
5	Anderson Xapsos	INF	5-10	Sr.	L/R	Gasport, N.Y.	Bluefield College
6	Darrell Kundinger	INF/RHP	6-0	So.	R/R	San Antonio, Texas	Jay HS
7	Teyt Johnson	INF	6-0	Jr.	L/R	Indianola, Iowa	West HS
8	Jayden Adams	INF	5-8	So.	R/R	Waverly, Neb.	Waverly HS
9	Caleb Lemon	INF	5-8	So.	R/R	Bellevue, Neb.	Bellevue West HS
10	Shane Whittaker	RHP	6-2	Jr.	R/R	San Diego, Calif.	San Marcos HS
11	Alec Blakestad	INF/RHP	5-8	So.	R/R	Omaha, Neb.	Millard North HS
12	Tanner Tompkins	C	6-0	Fr.	R/R	Normal, Ill.	Normal Community West HS
13	Ty Nekoliczak	INF	5-9	Fr.	L/R	Greeley, Neb.	Central Valley HS
14	Keaton Candor	OF	5-11	Sr.	R/R	Merrill, Iowa	LeMars Community HS
16	Carlos Benavides	INF	6-1	So.	R/R	Aurora, Colo.	Rangeview HS
17	Jake Davey	LHP	6-2	So.	R/L	O'Fallen, Mo.	Metropolitan CC - Maplewoods
18	Jaidan Quinn	INF/RHP	6-4	So.	L/R	Bonner Springs, Kan.	Wabash Valley College
19	Joey Grabanski	INF	6-0	So.	R/R	Grand Forks, N.D.	Grand Forks Central HS
20	Jacob Lycan	RHP	6-4	So.	R/R	Omaha, Neb.	Millard North HS
21	Christian Gutierrez	RHP	5-10	Fr.	R/R	La Miranda, Calif.	La Miranda HS
22	Jackson Eaton	LHP	6-4	So.	L/L	Olathe, Kan.	Olathe North HS
23	Daniel Rivera	RHP	6-0	Jr.	R/R	Poughkeepsie, N.Y.	Point University
24	Michael Welch	C	6-2	So.	R/R	San Diego, Calif.	Cathedral Catholic / Orange Coast
25	Caden Johnson	RHP	6-4	So.	R/R	Papillion, Neb.	Platteview HS
26	Alex Johnson	RHP	6-6	So.	R/R	Olathe, Kan.	Spring Hill HS
27	Jimmy Juergensen	1B	6-3	Jr.	L/R	Cedarburg, Wis.	Grand Canyon University
28	Jesse Garcia	INF	6-2	Jr.	R/R	El Cajon, Calif.	Grossmont HS
29	Cale Mathison	RHP	6-2	So.	R/R	Boerne, Texas	Weatherford College
30	Andrew Bohrer	LHP	6-3	Fr.	R/L	Lincoln, Neb.	Lincoln Southwest HS
32	Thomas Otte	INF/RHP	6-1	Jr.	R/R	Lincoln, Neb.	Indianaola HS
33	Curtis Flint	LHP	6-2	So.	L/L	Omaha, Neb.	Central HS
34	Jakob Faulk	INF	5-11	So.	R/R	Atwater, Calif.	Atwater HS
35	Qwin Zabokrtsky	RHP	6-2	Fr.	R/R	Beatrice, Neb.	Beatrice HS
36	Ben Martin	C	6-0	So.	R/R	Parker, Colo.	Regis Jesuit HS
37	Ben Coldiron	OF/RHP	6-2	So.	R/R	Gretna, Neb.	Gretna HS
38	Caden Bugarske	RHP	6-2	So.	R/R	Boerne, Texas	Boerne-Samuel V Champion HS
	Scott Neidel	UTIL	5-9	Fr.	L/R	St. Joseph, Mo.	Central HS
	Logan Adam	OF/LHP	6-3	Jr.	L/L	Crete, Neb.	Crete HS
	Jacob Aldridge	INF	6-1	Fr.	R/R	Lincoln, Neb.	Lincoln Southeast HS
	Logan Baer	OF	5-10	So.	R/R	Overland Park, Kan.	Blue Valley West HS
	Brayden Becker	RHP	5-8	Jr.	R/R	Sabetha, Kan.	Sabetha HS
	Evan Beran	OF/RHP	6-1	So.	R/R	Gretna, Neb.	Gretna HS
	Michael Buckendahl	OF	6-1	Fr.	R/R	Olathe, Kan.	Olathe South HS
	Colton DeRocher	UTIL	6-1	So.	L/R	Sergeant Bluff, Iowa	Sioux City East HS
	Gerard Dunning	OF	5-6	Jr.	R/R	Grand Island, Neb.	Grand Island HS
	Ricardo Figueroa	INF	5-8	So.	R/R	Chino Hills, Calif.	Ayala HS
	Samuel Firminhac	UTIL	6-3	So.	R/R	Torrington, Wyo.	Torrington HS
	Jonathan Grass	OF	6-0	So.	R/R	Emma, Mo.	Saint Paul Lutheran HS
	Joel Hernandez-Canuelas	RHP	6-0	Fr.	R/R	San Antonio, Texas	Cornerstone HS
	Andrew Iwanicki	OF	6-0	So.	L/L	Loveland, Colo.	Resurrection Christian HS
	Noah Janssen	OF	5-7	Jr.	L/R	Johnston, Iowa	Johnston HS
	Daniel Kuefner	RHP	5-11	So.	R/R	Lexington, Neb.	Lexington HS
	Benjamin Larsen	INF	6-3	Jr.	R/R	Lee's Summin, Mo.	Baymore-Peculiar HS
	Noah Larson	INF	5-11	Jr.	R/R	Gothenburg, Neb.	Gothenburg Public HS
	Tanner Matt	C	5-11	Jr.	R/R	Bellevue, Neb.	Bellevue East HS
	Isaiah McMullen	OF	5-10	Fr.	R/R	Olathe, Kan.	Olathe South HS
	Jacob Melchor	LHP	5-8	So.	L/L	Grand Junction, Colo.	Grand Junction HS
	Ryan Moormeier	INF	6-4	Sr.	R/R	Tukwila, Wash.	Highline HS / Dakota College
	Dominic Philippi	UTIL	5-8	Fr.	R/R	Bruning, Neb.	Bruning-Davenport-Shickley HS
	Brendan Pike	RHP	6-4	So.	R/R	Elkhorn, Neb.	Elkhorn South HS
	Adam Relitz	C	6-1	Fr.	R/R	Medina, Ohio	Medina HS
	Victor Santana	OF	6-2	Fr.	R/R	Boerne, Texas	Samuel V Champion HS
	Carlos Serna	OF	5-8	So.	L/R	Riverside, Calif.	Ramona HS
	Sam Seevers	RHP	6-0	Fr.	L/R	Akron, Ohio	Copley HS
	Peyton Walker	OF	5-11	So.	L/L	Gardner, Kan.	Gardner Edgerton HS
	Nate Weaver	RHP	6-0	Fr.	R/R	Cumberland, Ind.	Mt. Vernon HS
	Nathan Wickham	C	6-0	So.	R/R	Elkhorn, Neb.	Elkhorn HS
	Dresden Wilson	LHP	6-3	Jr.	L/L	Boone, Iowa	Boone HS
	Patrick Zeller	LHP	6-1	Fr.	L/L	La Vista, Neb.	Papillion-La Vista HS

STAFF

Ryan Dupic, Head Coach (8th Year)

Caleb Lang, Assistant Coach

Wade Council, Graduate Assistant Coach

Tanner Wauhob, Graduate Assistant Coach

Logan Ryan, Assistant Coach

Season Preview: 2022 Concordia Baseball

Jan. 28

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.

Bulldogs begin 2022 as GPAC favorite

Jan. 4

 

SEWARD, Neb. – Not surprisingly, Concordia University Baseball will begin the 2022 season as the favorite to win the GPAC. In the 2022 GPAC Baseball Preseason Coaches’ Poll released on Friday (Feb. 4), the Bulldogs scooped up 10 first-place votes and garnered 100 points. The rest of the league’s top five included Doane, Mount Marty, Briar Cliff and Jamestown. Concordia is also ranked 18th in the NAIA national coaches’ poll.

During last season’s thrill ride, Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s 2021 team shared the GPAC regular season title with Doane at 21-7 in league play. Behind a school record-breaking offensive lineup, the Bulldogs went on to win 42 total games and advance to the NAIA World Series. Under Dupic, the program has appeared at the national tournament three times and has won a combined four conference championships.

Concordia expects to pile up runs again this spring while returning five All-GPAC position players in the form of second baseman Jayden Adams, catcher Ben Berg, right fielder Keaton Candor, first baseman Jesse Garcia and left fielder Joey Grabanski. The starting rotation has seen the biggest makeover with the top three starters from last season having graduated.

For a detailed season preview, click HERE. The 2022 season is slated to get underway with a four-game series at Baker University (Kan.) on Feb. 12-13.

2022 GPAC Baseball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
-First-place votes in parentheses
1. Concordia – 100 (10)
2. Doane – 91 (1)
3. Mount Marty – 76
4. Briar Cliff – 69
5. Jamestown – 67
6. Morningside – 52
7. Northwestern – 51
8. Dordt – 32
9. Midland – 31
10. Dakota Wesleyan – 20
11. Hastings – 16

Home run records underlie team success

Feb. 9

By Sam Firminhac, Athletic Communications

In a season of milestones and accomplishments for the Concordia University Baseball team, including the program's first trip to the NAIA World Series, two players found themselves in a battle for the school’s career home run record. On May 19, 2021, both Jesse Garcia and Keaton Candor broke Jarrod Pimentel’s all-time home run record (27), which had stood since 2002. When the season came to an end, Garcia and Candor shared the record with 29 career home runs apiece and are looking to expand the record in the coming season.

There is however a third Bulldog who is starting to make his way into the conversation. Last year, Joey Grabanski smashed 17 home runs which obliterated the previous single-season record. Even more impressive, he did so as a freshman. Incredibly, Grabanski (17), Garcia (14), Candor (13) and Jakob Faulk (13) each broke the previous single-season record of 11 blasts in one year. Now with a new season fast approaching, the chase for the home run title is on.

Candor will be entering his fifth and final season in the program. Although it has been four years in the making, Candor had his eyes set on the home run record when he first arrived on campus. "When I first realized that I could break the home run record would probably be at the beginning of last year,” Candor said. “But I remember one of my first meetings with (former hitting coach) Bryce Berg when I got to campus was about what my goals for my career and we talked about breaking the home run record by the time I left Concordia.”

The Merrill, Iowa, native made a splash in his freshman season with the Bulldogs, starting in 43 games and hitting .305 on the year. His junior season was when his bat truly exploded. He hit five home runs and batted .400 in the COVID shortened season. The next season his bat didn’t cool off – he smashed 13 home runs while hitting .375 and slugging .648.

This season, Candor looks to start right where he left off. Said Candor, “I think some keys to this year that will help me perform at a high level is having the team around me and what Coach Lang has us doing in practice. I think that the dynamic of the team and what we have at Concordia has led me to where I am as a player.” It's safe to say that Concordia baseball wouldn't be in the same spot if it weren’t for Candor, who has started over 160 games and counting in his career.

Although the home run record will be talked about throughout the year, it’s not Candor’s focus. “Individual success is awesome and feels good but having everyone share the experience of winning games when they matter is something that I find most enjoyable.  I will keep my eye on where I am at, but I will not be overly concerned with that.” He has his eyes set on a much bigger price.

Garcia had been hitting home runs long before he arrived in Seward. In high school, he earned himself a trip to LoanDepot Park (then Marlins Park) in Miami, Fla., where he won the Power Showcase Home Run Derby. He then made his presence felt at Concordia where he hit eight home runs, including three in a single game, in his freshman season. He then added seven home runs in the shortened 2020 season. In his junior season, he didn't slow down, slugging .670 and tallying another 14 home runs. “I guess you can say that I had my sights on the school record since the end of my sophomore year,” Garcia said. “I never thought I would break the record my junior year.”

Believe it or not, home runs aren’t Garcia’s main focus when he steps up to the plate. "I have to have the thought process of just performing to the best of my ability in each game that I will play,” Garcia said. “The goal is not to think I have to hit home runs, but to hit the baseball the best that I can.” Going into this season he is focusing on all aspects of the game and not just the numbers in the home run column.

Garcia wants his team to be able to count on him in any situation that they end up in. Said Garcia, “My goals for this year, which is the same for every year, is to perform even better than I did the year before, meaning: average, home runs, extra-base hits, on-base percentage and fielding percentage. That way I am a better asset to the team, and that I'm a guy that they can rely on to get the job done in intense situations.”

For the North Dakota native Grabanski, it's hard to imagine a better start to a college career. As a freshman he started all 54 games, batting .355 with a .680 slugging percentage. He also shattered the previous single-season home run record and crushed four in one day. “When I got closer to the record it began to sit in the back of my mind. I went out there and just stuck to my approach,” Grabanski said. “When I hit the 12th home run, I was ecstatic, but I knew we still had plenty of games to go in the season.”

For Grabanski’s success to continue into this season he looks to stick to his approach that made him successful in 2021 – why wouldn’t he? “I think some keys are to take it one game and one at-bat at a time,” Grabanski said. “I just want to stick to my approach and play whatever role is needed at any given time.”

The 2021 First Team All GPAC slugger is looking to make his sophomore season even more special than his freshman year. If it weren’t for Candor and Garcia, the career home run record would almost certainly be Grabanski’s at the end of his time at Concordia. However, Grabanski admits that it will take some work trying to catch up to the two older players. Said Grabanski, “There is some extra motivation, but it will take some work chasing it down – knowing I get to go out there and compete is all I could ask for.”

While the career home run record is based off individual success it is bringing the three players closer to each other as both teammates and friends. “We want nothing more than seeing each other succeed, especially when it's making the amount of home runs larger and larger for the season record,” Garcia said. The three Bulldogs players are using the record to push each other to be the best that they can be so that the team can succeed at the highest level. “I am very thankful to have a great relationship with Jesse and Joey so it makes it easy to talk with them about the home run record and who will be the one on top of the record board,” Candor said. “I think a big reason I had the success I’ve had is because of those guys pushing me and competing together brings out the best in us.”

While it may be easy to get wrapped up in the individual success of the game, Garcia emphasizes how important selflessness is to the success of the team. “A key would be not being selfish and play for my teammates and the name on the front of my jersey.” The battle for the home run record will, no doubt, provide excitement and intrigue for both fans and players going into the 2022 Bulldog season. However, home runs come secondary to Concordia Baseball’s ultimate goal. Said Candor, “One thing I want to do again is go to Lewiston.”

Weekend games wiped out, Bulldogs to open season Tuesday

Feb. 11

SEWARD, Neb. – Originally scheduled to open the season on Saturday, the Concordia University Baseball team will now wait until Tuesday (Feb. 15) for the first pitch of the 2022 campaign. Doubleheaders slated for Saturday and Sunday have been postponed due to chilly temperatures forecasted for Baldwin City, Kan., home to Baker University. The two sides will begin a doubleheader at 1 p.m. CT on Tuesday

Baker Series Info

Saturday/Sunday (Feb. 12-13) – Doubleheaders canceled due to cold temperatures

Tuesday, Feb. 15 at Baker University, 1 p.m. (DH)
Sauder Field (Baldwin City, Kan.) | Live Stats

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is ready to turn the page following the most successful season in program history. In the preseason polls, the Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 in the GPAC and No. 18 in the NAIA. With so much offensive firepower returning from last season’s NAIA World Series qualifier, Concordia begins the season with lofty goals and hopes of returning to Lewiston, Idaho, in late May. From last year’s 42-win team, the Bulldogs bring back All-GPAC performers in second baseman Jayden Adams, catcher Ben Berg, closer Nathan Buckallew, right fielder Keaton Candor, first baseman Jesse Garcia and left fielder Joey Grabanski.

On Tuesday, Concordia will begin to answer questions about the pitching staff. The Bulldogs graduated top three starters Jake Fosgett, Nick Little and Trent Wood from the ’21 team. Among returning hurlers, Alex Johnson (2-1. 5.84 ERA) made the most starts last season with nine. In addition, Caden Bugarske (2.49 ERA in 25.1 innings last season) figures to take on a larger role this spring. While the starting rotation comes together, Dupic believes the depth of the bullpen will be a strength. That group is headed by the likes of Buckallew and Shane Whittaker.

A member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC), Baker went 19-31 overall last season. In the preseason, the Wildcats were picked eighth out of 14 teams in the HAAC. The top returning hitter for Baker is Jared Parenti, who batted .331 with eight home runs, a .603 slugging percentage and 28 RBIs last season. Concordia and Baker went head-to-head during the shortened 2020 season with the Bulldogs sweeping a doubleheader in Baldwin City.

Next week
If all goes as planned, the schedule for next week will look this:

·        Tuesday, Feb. 15 at Baker University (Kan.), 1 p.m. DH
-Sauder Field (Baldwin City, Kan.)

·        Saturday, Feb. 19 vs. William Woods University (Mo.), 12:30 p.m.
-Joe Becker Stadium (Joplin, Mo.)

·        Saturday, Feb. 19 vs. William Penn University (Iowa), 5:30 p.m.
-Joe Becker Stadium (Joplin, Mo.)

·        Sunday, Feb. 20 vs. Viterbo University (Wis.), 10:30 a.m.
-Wendell Redden Stadium (Joplin, Mo.)

·        Sunday, Feb. 20 vs. University of Saint Mary (Kan.), 3:30 p.m.
-Wendell Redden Stadium (Joplin, Mo.)

 

Adams, strong pitching highlight season opening split

Feb. 15

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – After getting shutout in game one, the 18th-ranked Concordia University Baseball team regrouped with strong pitching of its own in game two and salvaged a doubleheader split at Baker University (Kan.) on Tuesday (Feb. 15). The twin bill marked the opening of the 2022 season for the Bulldogs, who were originally slated to play this past weekend. On opening day, Concordia fell, 3-0, in game one before taking game two, 7-2. In the victory, Alex Johnson retired all 11 batters he faced and Jayden Adams drove in four runs.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has high expectations after coming off an NAIA World Series appearance in 2021.

“I think it looked like our first time out,” Dupic said. “We were a little jumpy the first game and maybe trying to do a bit too much at the plate. You could see us start to calm down into the second game and string together more consistent at bats. I was pleased with our pitching, by and large. I thought we did a good job. It was certainly a pitcher’s day. If you could fill up the zone with a couple pitches, you were going to be in good shape. We had a couple defensive plays get away from us, but I think we’re moving in the right direction. There were a lot of encouraging things.”

After breaking school records in 2021 for most hits and runs in a single season, Adams picked up where left off. It took until the third inning of game two for the Bulldogs to get on the board for the first time in 2022. That’s when Adams delivered a solo homer to right. The Waverly High School product added an RBI double in the seventh and a two-run single in the eighth. As part of the offensive attack in game two, third baseman Jaidan Quinn went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI and Keaton Candor went 1-for-3 with two runs, two walks, a double and an RBI.

Solid outings were turned in by both Concordia starting pitchers on Tuesday. Johnson struck out four hitters in his spotless 3.2 innings in game two. His effort followed game one that saw Caden Bugarske get the ball and toss three shutout innings that featured three strikeouts and two hits allowed. In all, Dupic used nine pitchers to cover 15 innings.

Daniel Rivera relieved Johnson in game two and was credited with the win after he threw 2.2 innings and allowed one unearned run. The rest of the pitching duties were handled by Caden Johnson (1.0 inning), Cale Mathison (0.2 innings) and Nathan Buckallew (1.0 inning). Shane Whittaker and Christian Gutierrez threw a scoreless inning apiece in game one.

Said Dupic, “Early in the year we didn’t want to be pushing people too far. We wanted our pitchers to be fresh for this weekend and we’ll start to stretch them out a little more. Getting out there for the first time, we wanted to get a lot of relievers in the game and get experience. Hopefully we can learn from it and find some consistency.”

In the opener, the Baker pitching duo of Jaxon Kutch (four innings) and Hunter Gudde (three innings) combined on a two-hit shutout. The Wildcats (2-1) got all three of their runs in the fifth inning.

Adams and Candor were responsible for the two hits in game one. Adams went a combined 4-for-8 on the day. Seven of the nine starting position players were returners from last season. Quinn started at third base in both ends of the doubleheader while Anderson Xapsos got the nod at shortstop as part of a new-look left side of the infield.

The Bulldogs are scheduled to spend this weekend in Joplin, Mo. The four-game slate looks like this:

·        Saturday, Feb. 19 vs. William Woods University (Mo.), 12:30 p.m.
-Joe Becker Stadium (Joplin, Mo.)

·        Saturday, Feb. 19 vs. William Penn University (Iowa), 5:30 p.m.
-Joe Becker Stadium (Joplin, Mo.)

·        Sunday, Feb. 20 vs. Viterbo University (Wis.), 10:30 a.m.
-Wendell Redden Stadium (Joplin, Mo.)

·        Sunday, Feb. 20 vs. University of Saint Mary (Kan.), 3:30 p.m.
-Wendell Redden Stadium (Joplin, Mo.)

Bats bust loose, pitching solid in pair of blowout wins

Feb. 19

JOPLIN, Mo. – The bats were hot for the 18th-ranked Concordia University Baseball team, which put up 32 runs in two neutral site games on Saturday (Feb. 19). The Bulldogs faced William Woods University (Mo.) in their first matchup of the day, winning, 11-2. They then turned around and blew out the University of Saint Mary (Kan.), 21-2, later in the evening. Jayden Adams had another stellar performance on the day racking up six hits and three doubles.

After a split doubleheader earlier in the week, Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad came out and showed why they were ranked in the top 20 nationally to begin the 2022 season. They improved to 3-1 in the early season.

“The scoreboard told the story pretty well,” Dupic said. “We were very good offensively today. It was a nice day to play, and our guys had a lot of good at-bats. We were pleased in the second game that we were able to extend it a little better. We came out really fast the first game and scored 10 runs over the first three innings but then slowed down a little bit over the back half of the game. We were very pleased with the second game in terms of the quality of our at-bats.”

Adams wasn’t the only Bulldog who was seeing the ball well. Jesse Garcia had four hits on the day. Keaton Candor managed five hits in the two games, including two doubles. Freshman second baseman Ty Nekoliczak had a great performance with four hits and an RBI. Jaidan Quinn tallied three hits in the second of the two games.

Concordia's pitchers were also dominant in only allowing six runs in total. In the first game, Caden Bugarske got the nod and went five innings, only allowing three hits while striking out three. In the second game, Caden Johnson was lights out, striking out 11 in five innings of work. Johnson only allowed one hit in his scoreless five innings.

Said Dupic, “I was pleased with our pitching, which gets overlooked on days like this. It’s easier to pitch when you have that kind of lead. Caden Bugarske threw five shutout innings in the first game and Caden Johnson threw five shutout innings in the second game.”

Despite the strong performance from the Bulldogs on Saturday, Dupic still feels like there is room for improvement.

Said Dupic, “We need to get better in all facets. Amidst hitting the baseball well, we want to see that same growth on the mound and defensively. We did some good things in those areas today too.”

Concordia will be able to do just that tomorrow, as they play two more games in Joplin MO. The Bulldogs will face Viterbo University (Wis.) at 3 p.m. CT Sunday. They will wrap up their trip with an evening matchup against William Penn University (Iowa). The first pitch for the second game is set for 5:30 p.m. CT.

Perfect weekend completed with wins over Viterbo, William Penn

Feb. 21

JOPLIN, Mo. – A dominant weekend of action in Joplin, Mo., concluded late on Sunday (Feb. 20) night as the 18th-ranked Concordia University Baseball team posted wins by scores of 14-3 over Viterbo University (Wis.) and 8-1 over William Penn University (Iowa). Both contests were seven-inning games that took place at Wendell Redden Stadium in Joplin. On the day, the Bulldogs recorded a combined 24 hits and the pitching staff surrendered only two earned runs.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad also defeated both William Woods University (Mo.) and the University of Saint Mary (Kan.) on Saturday. Concordia (5-1) outscored its four weekend opponents by a combined total of 54-10.

“I was pleased with how we played on Sunday,” Dupic said. “Our bullpen really did a great job in that first game. We went to try to establish some depth. It was great to see our lineup keep pushing runs across and our bullpen step up and do a great job. I think depth needs to be a strong point of our team this year.

“In game two, William Penn’s a good team. They’re going to win a lot of games and have a good season. They’ve always had a good program. Alex Johnson had a really good start and we made some nice defensive plays. Our guys offensively were really solid. It was nice to see consistency across the board with our approach throughout the whole day.”

As Dupic also mentioned, the Bulldogs scored at least one run in every inning in the rout of Viterbo, a member of the North Star Athletic Association. Six Concordia players hammered out at least two hits: Tanner Tompkins (3-for-4, double, three RBIs), Joey Grabanski (2-for-3, one run, two RBIs), Kyle Berg (2-for-3, run, double, RBI), Alec Blakestad (2-for-4, two runs, double, three RBIs), Jayden Adams (2-for-4, three runs, double, RBI) and Jesse Garcia (2-for-5, run, RBI). The Bulldogs busted the game wide open with four runs apiece in the fourth and sixth innings. This year’s team is taking advantage of its speed, as evidenced by the eight stolen bases against the V-Hawks. Alec Blakestad swiped three bases and Adams stole two bases.

As the game one starting pitcher, Daniel Rivera recorded six outs before being pulled from the game (seven walks). In relief, Benjamin Coldiron was credited with the win after he threw 2.2 scoreless innings that included five strikeouts. Christian Gutierrez got the final seven outs without allowing a run (four K’s).

In a more competitive second game, Ty Nekoliczak (3-for-3, run, RBI) and Jakob Faulk (2-for-3, run, three RBIs) were the standouts at the plate. Concordia made it a comfortable seven-run lead by tacking on three runs in the top of the seventh. That frame featured an RBI double by Jaidan Quinn and a two-run single from Faulk. In addition, Grabanski reached base three times (double and two walks).

Alex Johnson picked up the win on the mound while firing 4.1 shutout innings (five strikeouts and no walks). Dupic then turned to Shane Whittaker (1.1 IP), Jacob Lycan (0.1 IP) and Nathan Buckallew (1.0 IP) to close it out. The bullpen surrendered a grand total of one unearned run on the day. They did so against a William Penn program that went 33-18 in 2021 (5-3 so far this season).

Next on the slate for the Bulldogs is a four-game series at College of Ozarks, set for Friday and Saturday in Point Lookout, Mo. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT on Friday and 12 p.m. on Saturday. In last season’s series, Concordia took three of four from the Bobcats.

UPDATE: Series at Ozarks canceled due to inclement weather

Feb. 22

UPDATE (12:20 p.m. CT on Thursday, Feb. 24): The Concordia-College of the Ozarks seris has been canceled due to inclement weather.

SEWARD, Neb. – Instead of a Friday-Saturday series, Concordia University Baseball and College of the Ozarks are now set to play Saturday and Sunday (view specific game times below). The change was announced on Tuesday (Feb. 22). The Bobcats play their home games on turf at Bob Smith Field in Point Lookout, Mo. Head Coach Ryan Dupic also traveled his Bulldogs to the Ozarks last season and they emerged with three wins in a four-game set.

Weekend Series at College of the Ozarks

Saturday, Feb. 26 at Ozarks (3-5), 12 p.m. DH
-Live Webcast/Stats

Sunday, Feb. 27 at Ozarks (3-5), 1:30 p.m. DH
-Live Webcast/Stats

By the numbers

·        18th-ranked Concordia went 5-1 during the opening week of the 2022 season. After a 3-0 loss to Baker University (Kan.) in the ’22 opener, the Bulldogs defeated Baker, 7-2, and then went on to topple William Woods University (Mo.), 11-4, the University of Saint Mary (Kan.), 21-2, Viterbo University (Wis.), 14-3, and William Penn University (Iowa), 8-1. Based on recent seasons, the victory over William Penn was most notable. Last season, the Statemen went 33-18 overall. In the early going, Concordia has outscored its opponents by a combined total of 61-15.

·        First Team All-GPAC second baseman Jay Adams has picked up where he left off during last season’s run to the NAIA World Series. In last week’s action, the native of Waverly, Neb., went 13-for-25 (.520) with 10 runs, four doubles, a home run, eight RBIs and three stolen bases. He also handled all 22 chances in the field without committing an error. Six regulars in last week’s lineup also batted at least .300: Ty Nekoliczak (.583; 7-for-12), Jaidan Quinn (.533; 8-for-15), Keaton Candor (.429; 9-for-21), Jakob Faulk (.333; 5-for-15), Tanner Tompkins (.313; 5-for-16) and Jesse Garcia (.300; 6-for-20). Adams and Joey Grabanski delivered a home run apiece on the week.

·        The pitching staff has begun to answer questions about the starting rotation – one of the only real unknowns heading into this spring. Though they have not yet been stretched out to work deep into games, Caden Bugarske and Alex Johnson have both been impressive. Bugarske has thrown eight shutout innings (two starts), allowing six hits and three walks to go along with six strikeouts. Meanwhile, Johnson has fired eight scoreless frames (two starts), surrendering just three hits and no walks while fanning nine batters. Jake Davey and Daniel Rivera have also started one game apiece.

·        If a starter happens to have a bad day, Dupic feels confident he can get strong results from a deep bullpen. Eleven Bulldogs have already made at least one relief appearance so far this season. Over two outings out of the bullpen, Caden Johnson has been dominant, striking out 12 hitters in six innings with just one hit allowed. There hasn’t yet been a save opportunity, but Concordia returns closer Nathan Buckallew, who notched seven saves last season. He also produced four wins and a 2.22 ERA in 2021. The ‘pen also features Shane Whittaker, who averaged 16.2 strikeouts per nine innings last season.

·        College of the Ozarks will enter the weekend with a 3-5 record that includes two wins over Baptist Bible College and one over Columbia College (Mo.). Head Coach Neale Richardson’s squad went 16-23 last season. The team’s top hitter so far this season has been Spencer Greene, who is 8-for-22 with three doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs. Greene has also covered the most innings on the mound (12). He’s 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA.

Next week
After this weekend, the Bulldogs will have a bit of time before they begin action in Auburndale, Fla., on Saturday, March 5. Concordia will continue play in the state of Florida through March 12 before readying for the start of conference play. The complete schedule can be found HERE.

Sunday twin bill results in one loss, one tie at Tabor

Feb. 27

HILLSBORO, Kan. – The 18th-ranked Concordia University Baseball team went 0-1-1 in its Sunday (Feb. 27) doubleheader at Tabor College (Kan.). After a slow start in the first of two games, the Bulldogs were not able to mount a comeback and fell 11-5. Game two was a back-and-forth extra innings battle that ended in a 5-5 tie (the game was called due to darkness).

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is now 5-2-1 on the young season. After the cancellation of the scheduled weekend series against the College of Ozarks, Concordia made the impromptu trip to Hillsboro, Kan., to take on Tabor (11-3-1), a program it met up with at the 2017 national tournament.

“I fully expect Tabor to compete and in be in the national tournament this year,” Dupic said. “We saw better arms and better players than what we had played against so far. We obviously got off to a slow start in the first game and couldn’t stop their offense. Game two, we were better and had a chance. The disappointment was that we weren’t as sharp as we needed to be in terms of our execution.”

The Bulldogs faced an 8-0 deficit before they were able to get any offense going in game one. Keaton Candor and Jaidan Quinn hit back-to-back home runs, which provide three of the five runs in the first game. Quinn scored a pair of runs in the opener. Freshman catcher Tanner Tompkins went 2-for-3 with three RBIs in the second game of the doubleheader. Freshman Ty Nekoliczak and Jacob Faulk had one RBI apiece in the game. Nekoliczak also had an RBI in game one. Jayden Adams reached via walk four times on the day and also had an RBI.

Said Dupic, “We gave some plays away and gave some pitches away. When you play a good team and you’re not at your best, it’s going to be tough. We almost found a way to get that second one but couldn’t quite make enough pitches or plays.”

The bullpen was very active for the Bulldogs on Sunday – nine pitchers were used. Game one starter Caden Bugarske moved to 1-1 on the season after throwing 2.2 innings and allowing seven earned runs. The trio of Benjamin Coldiron, Cale Mathison and Andrew Bohrer finished out the game on the mound. They allowed four runs, only one of which was earned.

Caden Johnson got the nod in game two. Johnson put in three innings of work and allowed three earned runs. Jacob Lycan and Shane Whittaker both had scoreless outings in relief, striking out two each. Jake Davey and Nathan Buckallew also appeared in the game. 

Concordia won’t be in action again until Saturday (March 5) in Auburndale, Fla., for its annual spring break trip. The Bulldogs’ first matchup of the trip will be a doubleheader against Cornerstone University (Mich.). First pitch is set for 2 p.m. CT. Concordia will also match up against Bellevue University on the trip, which they beat in last year's NAIA Opening Round to advance to the NAIA World Series. That game is set for March 11.

G1 - Tabor 11, CUNE 5

G2 - CUNE 5, Tabor 5 (8 inn.)

 

Baseball spring break rundown 2022

Mar. 2

SEWARD, Neb. – The intensity of the 2022 season is about to pick up with a high volume of games coming up during the week of spring break. Between March 5 – 12, the 18th-ranked Concordia University Baseball team is scheduled to play a total of 10 games while enjoying The Sunshine State. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad will enter this weekend’s action with an overall record of 5-2-1. So far this season, the Bulldogs have ventured to the states of Kansas and Missouri.

After going up against a strong Tabor College (Kan.) squad this past Sunday, Concordia will be tested significantly over the next week-and-a-half. Most notably, the Bulldogs will go up against No. 24 Bellevue University and Warner University (Fla.), which received votes in the NAIA preseason coaches’ poll. The Bulldogs and Bruins met in the opening round last season with a spot in the NAIA World Series on the line.

Through eight games, five regulars in the lineup are hitting above .300 for Concordia: Ty Nekoliczak (.471), Jaidan Quinn (.450), Jayden Adams (.448), Keaton Candor (.393) and Tanner Tompkins (.333). Adams once again serves as the catalyst atop the lineup. He’s now 13-for-29 with four doubles, a home run and nine RBIs at the plate. Tompkins has taken over the team lead with 10 RBIs. The home runs figure to increase as the weather gets warmer. To this point, four Bulldogs have exactly one homer apiece: Adams, Candor, Joey Grabanski and Quinn.

As for the pitching staff, Alex Johnson did not appear this past Sunday and continues to sport a 0.00 ERA over eight innings (two starts). Three relievers with at least two appearances have yet to allow a run: Andrew Bohrer, Christian Gutierrez and Shane Whittaker. The team strikeout leader is Caden Johnson with 13 in nine innings. After two strong outings, Caden Bugarske conceded eight runs (seven earned) in 2.2 innings at Tabor. Through eight games, Concordia sports a team ERA of 3.79 in 57 innings. The Bulldogs remain a high strikeout rate staff with 71 K’s.

Spring Break Schedule

LIVE COVERAGE – For the most updated information, follow@CUNEathletics on Twitter. Several games during the spring break trip will likely not include live webcasts or stats. For games played at the Warner Invitational (March 10-12), check Warner’s athletic website for possible coverage. Game recaps will be available on the Concordia Athletics website at the end of each game day.

For select games, the Presto sports website may display live stats. To view the NAIA’s official live baseball scoreboard, click HERE.

March 5 – Doubleheader vs. Cornerstone University, 2 p.m. CT/3 p.m. ET (Lake Myrtle Park – Auburndale, Fla.)

March 6 – Doubleheader vs. Indiana University South Bend, 2:30 p.m. CT/3:30 p.m. ET (Lake Myrtle Park – Auburndale, Fla.)

March 8 – One game vs. Judson University, 9:30 a.m. CT/10:30 a.m. ET (Northeast Regional Park – Davenport, Fla.)

Warner University Invitational (March 10-12)

March 10 – One game vs. Lawrence Tech University, 8 a.m. CT/9 a.m. ET (Lake Wales HS – Lake Wales HS)

March 10 – One game vs. Calumet College of St. Joseph, 10:45 a.m. CT/11:45 a.m. ET (Lake Wales HS – Lake Wales HS)

March 11 – One game vs. Warner University, 4:15 p.m. CT/5:15 p.m. ET (Warner University – Lake Wales, Fla.)

March 11 – One game vs. Bellevue University, 7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET (Warner University – Lake Wales, Fla.)

March 12 – TBA (matchup based on seeding after previous results at the invite)

 

Offensive firepower, Bugarske gem highlight first day of spring break trip

Mar. 5

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Concordia University Baseball team’s bats were as warm as the weather in Auburndale, Fla., where the high temperature hovered in the mid-80s on Saturday (March 5). The 18th-ranked Bulldogs punished the pitching staff of Cornerstone University (Mich.) in a doubleheader sweep won by scores of 15-9 and 14-2. Joey Grabanski collected five hits on the day and game two starting pitcher Caden Bugarske fired a complete game gem.

These were the first two out of 10 games that Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is scheduled to play in The Sunshine State. Concordia has moved to 7-2-1 overall after its latest display of offensive fireworks.

“I thought the guys were really patient offensively,” Dupic said. “Their pitchers were struggling to find the zone a bit. We did a really good job of not expanding the strike zone and making them come to us. That played out over time and we were able to get to a lot of their bullpen. We strung a lot of hits together and guys swung it well and hit the ball hard.”

In 13 innings at the plate on Saturday, the Bulldogs scored at least three runs in six of those frames as the merry-go-round got spinning. Five Concordia players recorded at least two hits in game one and another seven Bulldogs notched two or more hits in game two. In game one, Grabanski, Jakob Faulk and Tanner Tompkins (four RBIs) each collected three hits. Jayden Adams homered in the opener and then catcher Michael Welch went deep in game two for his first career homer.

For the day, Bulldog hitters produced a slash line of .492/.571/.762 (AVG/OBP/SLG) while racking up 31 hits and 14 walks. While Grabanski led the way with five hits (including a double), Adams went 4-for-7. Meanwhile, Alec Blakestad and Jesse Garcia both went 3-for-6 and Keaton Candor went 3-for-7 on the day. Blakestad doubled, tripled and drove in four runs.

Concordia’s pitching staff allowed nine runs on nine hits and eight walks in game one. Bugarske then settled things down in game two. The native of Boerne, Texas, covered all seven innings and did not allow an earned run while giving up just three hits and one walk. He recorded seven strikeouts and effectively bounced back from a loss last week at Tabor College (Kan.).

Said Dupic, “He was awesome. He was really aggressive tonight and had his pitches working. He was able to be effective with his fastball and really threw the baseball well. It was good to see him get back on track. I think he learned a lot from his last outing and did a really nice job.”

Four pitchers were used in the opener: Alex Johnson, Jacob Lycan, Shane Whittaker and Darrell Kundinger. Whittaker threw 1.1 innings and was credited with the win. On the other side, the Golden Eagles slipped to 5-7 overall. Austin Hurt led Cornerstone in game one with a 2-for-4 performance that included a home run, three runs and three RBIs.

The Bulldogs will be back in action on Sunday at the same venue in Auburndale. Concordia and Indiana University South Bend will begin a doubleheader at 2:30 p.m. CT / 3:30 p.m. ET. The Titans were 2-8 overall entering the weekend. The Bulldogs will have then have Monday off before playing again on Tuesday in Florida.

G1 - CUNE 15, Cornerstone 9

G2 - CUNE 14, Cornerstone 2

Bulldogs fall twice by one-run, drop game two despite combined no-hitter

Mar. 6

AUBURNDALE, Fla. – One day after spraying the ball all over the yard, the 18th-ranked Concordia University Baseball team was on the wrong end of two one-run decisions on Sunday (March 6). Defensive gaffes played a part in the Bulldogs falling at the hands of Indiana University South Bend by scores of 8-7 and 2-1. The Titans took game two without the benefit of a single hit. Five errors on the day proved costly for Concordia in its second day of action in Auburndale, Fla., as part of its spring break slate.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad now stands at 7-4-1 overall. On Saturday, the Bulldogs tallied a combined 29 runs while sweeping a doubleheader from Cornerstone University (Mich.). Concordia will need to shore things back up after the latest results.

“We had an opportunity to see our team play some close games today. That’s helpful,” Dupic said. “If we want to be a really good team, we have to learn to play well in tight games. Right now, we’re not executing well enough pitching or defensively in those situations, whether it’s a poor pitch here or an error. Hopefully we can learn from these experiences. We need to play some cleaner games for sure.”

The no-hitter in game two was spoiled by a lack of offense and Bulldog errors that led to an IU South Bend run apiece in the second and seventh innings. On the mound, Daniel Rivera threw four innings while striking out 10 hitters and Cale Mathison covered the final three innings and notched seven punchouts. Rivera and Mathison combined on the sixth recorded no-hitter in Concordia Baseball history (and first since both Nick Little and Jason Munsch each fired a no-hitter in 2020).

There were more walks than Dupic would have liked to have seen issued, but the pitching staff surrendered only three earned runs the entire day. Said Dupic, “Dan and Cale had really good stuff and created a lot of misses. They showed the ability to be very effective. We have to keep fighting for consistency, but it was a positive step for both guys.”

The Bulldogs let one get away to start the afternoon when they failed to hold a 7-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh. The Titans managed two hits in the frame off of Nathan Buckallew, but they got plenty of help via two errors and three wild pitches. The walk-off run came home with the help of an errant pitch.

All that came after Concordia had produced fireworks in the top of the seventh. With the Bulldogs trailing 4-3, Keaton Candor delivered a clutch three-run homer to left. Joey Grabanski immediately followed with another big fly. The homer marked the 31st in the career of Candor, who is the first player in program history to reach 30 career blasts. Also in game one, catcher Tanner Tompkins went 2-for-3 and center fielder Alec Blakestad drove in a run with a double.

Three Concordia hurlers appeared in game one. Caden Johnson put together a solid start that saw him toss 4.1 innings with one run allowed on two hits and two walks – to go along with three strikeouts. Christian Gutierrez and Buckallew followed. In a noteworthy effort on the other side, pitcher Zach Brooks Dehn threw a seven-inning complete game and held the Bulldogs to three hits while striking out seven.

Concordia will have Monday off before returning to action on Tuesday for a single game in Davenport, Fla., against Judson University (Ill.) at 9:30 a.m. CT / 10:30 a.m. ET. The Warner University Invitational in Lake Wales, Fla., will follow from Thursday through Saturday.

 

Furious comeback win spurred by Grabanski, Quinn long balls

Mar. 8

DAVENPORT, Fla. – Once the Concordia University Baseball team finally cracked the opposition’s bullpen, the game turned in a hurry. Outbursts of six runs in the eighth and three runs in the ninth brought the Bulldogs all the way back from an 8-1 deficit in what concluded as a wild 10-9 win over Judson University (Ill.) on Tuesday (March 8). Joey Grabanski collected three hits, including two home runs as Concordia continued its spring break tour of Florida.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is 3-2 on the road trip and stands at 8-4-1 overall. Each of the past three games have been decided by margins of a single run.

“Two days ago we weren’t as present as we needed to be at times, and that was a discussion point for us to try to learn from,” Dupic said. “There was a lot of excitement heading into the game and then we kind of got hit with an ambush early in the game. That really challenged us. I’m very grateful to see we responded well. Sometimes down here it’s just about learning more about yourself and making progress. I’m pleased with how we were able to come back and have big at-bats late.”

It looked bleak in Davenport, Fla., when the Bulldogs trailed 8-1 after seven innings. In the eighth, Grabanski provided hope with a two-run blast (second homer of the game) to get Concordia within five. Three batters later, Jaidan Quinn lifted a three-run homer to right field. The Bulldogs got one more in the eighth on Ty Nekoliczak’s RBI ground out. Suddenly, the Eagles held a precarious 8-7 lead.

Judson responded with an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth before the Concordia bats went back to work. The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the ninth thanks to a single by Keaton Candor, a walk by Jesse Garcia and a single by Alec Blakestad. Quinn then forced home a run when he was hit by the pitch and Tanner Tompkins followed with a grounder up the middle that eluded the shortstop and drove in two more runs.

Working with a one-run lead, Concordia reliever Shane Whittaker then shut the door with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth featuring three strikeouts. Whittaker was credited with his first win of the season. Among the six Bulldogs who appeared on the mound on Tuesday, Whittaker and Jacob Lycan (scoreless seventh) enjoyed the best results. Ben Coldiron and Andrew Bohrer worked 2.1 solid innings apiece. Starter Jake Davey exited after allowing five runs on three hits and two walks in 1.1 innings.

“Ben and Andrew deserve a lot of credit,” Dupic said. “Those guys helped bridged the gap and keep us in the ballgame. You get behind 5-1 right away, that could have been 11-1 or 12-1. They kept us in the game and gave our offense a chance to swing us back into it.”

Judson slipped to 1-9 this season. For most of the day, Eagle starting pitcher Michael Betancourt had his way. He was finally chased from the game with nobody out in the eighth after Grabanski took him deep. In the leadoff spot, Judson got a 4-for-4, three-run performance from Benjamin Nelson.

Grabanski finished 3-for-5 with two homers and three RBIs. Blakestad and Tompkins notched two hits apiece and Quinn recorded four RBIs. As a team, the Bulldogs produced 11 hits and four walks.

The Bulldogs will have Wednesday off before beginning the Warner University Invitational on Thursday. On day one of the invited held in Lake Wales, Fla., Concordia will play Lawrence Tech University (Mich.) at 8 a.m. CT / 9 a.m. ET and then Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.) at 10:45 a.m. CT / 11:45 a.m. ET. There will be live stats for Thursday’s game via Presto Stats.]

 

Quinn-powered Dawgs leave the yard 14 times in record-setting day

Mar 10

LAKE WALES, Fla. – Never before has a Concordia University Baseball team hit more home runs in a single game – or a single day – than the 2022 Bulldogs did on Thursday (March 10). Led by four blasts from Jaidan Quinn, Concordia muscled up for a combined 14 home runs while defeating Lawrence Technological University (Mich.), 15-2, and Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.), 10-5. Both games were played at Lake Wales High School in Lake Wales, Fla., as part of the Warner University Invitational.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s bunch is proving to be a formidable offensive group once again. The Bulldogs’ eight home runs in the win over Lawrence Tech broke the school record for most in a single game. Concordia moved to 10-4-1 overall.

“We know we have guys capable of driving the baseball,” Dupic said. “Today they did a really nice job of executing their swings and getting their pitch. There’s really not a lot to say when you hit that well. We don’t mind playing on (shorter) fields like that. We had some guys really drive the baseball well and have a really, really good day.”

The full home run list for the day can be found below. Between the two games, multiple big flies were belted by Quinn (four), Jay Adams (three) and Keaton Candor (two). The most impressive fireworks display came in the bottom of the third in the win over Lawrence Tech (4-8). The half inning began with consecutive homers by Jesse Garcia, Alec Blakestad and Quinn. The program’s current all-time home run leader with 33, Candor went 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBIs in the day’s first game. Ten Bulldogs racked up at least one hit in that contest.

Home runs vs. Lawrence Tech:

·        Jay Adams – solo (1st)

·        Jesse Garcia – solo (3rd)

·        Alec Blakestad – solo (3rd)

·        Jaidan Quinn – solo (3rd)

·        Jaidan Quinn – two-run (4th)

·        Keaton Candor – solo (5th)

·        Jimmy Juergensen – two-run (5th)

·        Jakob Faulk – solo (6th)

Home runs vs. CCSJ:

·        Jaidan Quinn – solo (2nd)

·        Keaton Candor – solo (3rd)

·        Michael Welch – solo (4th)

·        Jay Adams – two-run (4th)

·        Jay Adams – solo (5th)

·        Jaidan Quinn – solo (6th)

A Kansas City area native, Quinn is turning heads with how seamlessly he has worked his way into the heart of the Concordia lineup. Quinn has connected for five home runs over the past two days. He’s also help solidify the third base position from a defensive perspective.

Said Dupic, “Jaidan’s someone I’ve known for a long time. He came to our camp a while back. A good friend of mine coached his travel ball team in high school. He was looking for a change and we were ready with open arms. He’s a really good player and has a ton of talent. Things are coming together for him pretty well. It’s fun to see him play so well offensively and defensively. He makes some really nice plays defensively.”

All Adams does is keep sticking the ball at the top of the lineup. Two of his three homers came against CCSJ (4-9). The Waverly, Neb., native was one of four Bulldogs with multiple hits in the capper. The others were Blakestad, Garcia and Quinn. As part of the comeback win (trailed 5-0 after the first inning), catcher Michael Welch also left the yard for the second time this season.

Beyond the offense, Concordia did a lot of other things well on Thursday. Alex Johnson started the first game and got the win while throwing four solid innings (one earned run on three hits and two walks). Johnson and reliever Christian Gutierrez (3.0 IP) combined for 11 strikeouts. Against CCSJ, Caden Bugarske shook off a rough first inning and proceeded to throw a seven-inning complete game. He fanned 10 batters to just one walk.

“It’s pretty clear that the headline is the offense, but our guys were very good defensively and made a lot of good plays,” Dupic said. “That’s a key for our team. Alex Johnson threw well. Caden Bugarske gave up five in the first inning and then put up six zeroes after that – that’s very uncommon. Christian Gutierrez threw the ball well. We played pretty well in all facets today.”

On paper, Friday will be the most challenging day of the road trip for the Bulldogs. They are scheduled to take on No. 25 Warner University at 4:15 p.m. CT / 5:15 p.m. ET and No. 10 Bellevue University at 7 p.m. CT / 8 p.m. ET. Both games will be staged at Royals Field in Lake Wales, Fla., home to Warner. For live coverage of Friday’s games, click the links below at game time.

Warner University live coverage: Video | Stats.

 

Bats muzzled in losses to No. 25 Warner, No. 10 Bellevue

Mar. 12

LAKE WALES, Fla. – The second day at the Warner University Invitational presented a big opportunity for the Concordia University Baseball team to earn some national respect. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs were limited to six combined hits and were shut out by both No. 25 Warner, 4-0, and No. 10 Bellevue University, 3-0, in Lake Wales, Fla., on Friday (March 11). It was a sharp contrast to the previous day when Concordia combined for 14 home runs in two lopsided victories.

With one day left on the Florida trip, Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad now sits at 10-6-1. Said Dupic, “We played two good teams today and were tested. When we made mistakes it cost us more, and we couldn’t get our offense going today.”

Considering the pedigree of the hitters that make up the Bulldog lineup, the opposing pitchers were dealing on Friday. Warner pitcher John Bean fired all seven innings and allowed only five baserunners (four hits and a hit batter) while blanking Concordia. Then in the second game, Bellevue’s Elijah Johnson went all seven and racked up 13 strikeouts. The only two hits he surrendered were singles – one apiece by Alec Blakestad and Joey Grabanski.

On the other side, the Bulldogs got solid pitching from three different arms on Friday. Caden Johnson was credited with a six-inning complete game versus Warner. He gave up four runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk and recorded five strikeouts. In the second game, starter Cale Mathison covered 4.1 innings and allowed only one run on two hits and four walks to go along with six punchouts. Jacob Lycan tossed the last 2.1 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits. He notched two strikeouts.

Warner is now 25-6 this season while Bellevue bumped its record to 13-6. Concordia got the best of the Bruins in the 2021 opening round of the national tournament.

There’s one more game day left in Florida. The Bulldogs will take on Concordia University Ann Arbor (14-6) at 11:30 a.m. CT / 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday as part of the Warner Invite. On Thursday, the Cardinals manage to pick up a win, 14-10, over Bellevue. CUAA is 2-2 at the Warner Invite.

 

Offense returns to form in spring trip finale

Mar. 12

LAKE WALES, Fla. – In a matchup between Concordias, the one located in Seward got the best of the one that calls Ann Arbor, Mich., home. A day after struggling offensively, the Bulldogs returned to form while defeating Concordia Ann Arbor, 15-7, on Saturday (March 12) in the finale of the spring break trip in central Florida. This particular contest was played at Lake Wales High School in Lake Wales, Fla., the same park where Concordia slugged a combined 14 home runs on Thursday.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad went 6-4 during action in The Sunshine State and now stands at 11-6-1 overall on the season. The latest win came over a strong Cardinal program that won 38 games in 2021.

“It’s a good place for us to hit. It plays to our strengths pretty well,” said Dupic of the venue. “It’s been a long weekend for both teams so both sides were a little run down pitching-wise. It made for some favorable offensive matchups. Our guys did a good job taking advantage of that and getting some good swings to give us a big cushion there late.”

The Bulldogs produced 12 hits and worked nine walks on Saturday while parading around the bases. Joey Grabanski homered in both the first and third innings (fifth and sixth of the season) as part of a four-RBI performance. Jakob Faulk also belted a two-run homer in the fifth as the game got out of reach. Another big blow to CUAA was Jay Adams’ bases-clearing double in the third.

Tanner Tompkins (3-for-4, run, double, RBI) led the CUNE attack with three hits. Four Bulldogs collected exactly two hits: Adams (2-for-3 with two walks), Faulk (2-for-3, three RBIs), Grabanski (2-for-4) and Alec Blakestad (2-for-4, two runs, double, two RBIs). In addition, Keaton Candor took three walks and scored three times.

CUAA (14-7) made a game of it early when it struck for four runs in the third via Justin Kozlowski’s grand slam. The Cardinals just didn’t have much success on the pitching rubber while using five different hurlers on the day.

On the other side, CUNE navigated the seven-inning contest with the help of four pitchers. In relief, Christian Gutierrez picked up the win. Ben Coldiron, Andrew Bohrer and Shane Whittaker were also called upon. Whittaker retired all four hitters he faced, three by strikeout.

In sum, the Bulldogs believe they are in a pretty good place heading into conference play. Said Dupic, “We know a lot more about our team than we did when we came here. We played 10 games and played against some really good teams. There were times we had to come from behind and times we scored a lot and didn’t score a lot. There were a lot of different styles of games. I’m hoping we can learn from this experience from our time down here and have some momentum heading into the conference season.”

If all goes as planned, the Bulldogs will open GPAC play at home next weekend (March 19-20) with Dakota Wesleyan and Hastings set to visit Plum Creek Park. The last time Concordia played at home, it celebrated a GPAC tournament championship game victory over Doane. Barring any changes, the remainder of the regular season slate will be made up exclusively of conference games.

BOX SCORE

 

Grabanski slugs way to GPAC weekly award

Mar. 15

SEWARD, Neb. – A strong week of action in central Florida has led to Concordia University Baseball standout Joey Grabanski being named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Player of the Week, as announced by the league on Tuesday (March 15). Grabanski earned the same honor once last season and is the first Bulldog to be recognized this 2022 season. The native of Grand Forks, N.D., has helped the Bulldogs to an 11-6-1 overall record.

Over six games last week, Grabanski batted .429 (9-for-21) with five runs, four home runs and seven RBIs while posting a .500 on-base percentage and 1.000 slugging percentage. The sophomore left fielder collected two home runs against both Judson University (March 8) and Concordia Ann Arbor (March 12). On the season, Grabanski is hitting .362 with 14 runs, two doubles, six home runs, 16 RBIs, a .452 on-base percentage and .707 slugging percentage.

As a freshman in 2021, Grabanski broke school records in a single season for home runs (17) and RBIs (60). He’s already belted 23 home runs in his college career (72 games).

Grabanski and the Bulldogs will open conference play by hosting GPAC doubleheaders with Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday and Hastings on Sunday.

Following spring break, Bulldogs prep for start of GPAC play

Mar. 15

SEWARD, Neb. – Following a run of 10 games in eight days over spring break, the Concordia University Baseball team will catch a breather before opening conference play this weekend. The reigning GPAC champs will host doubleheaders with conference foes Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday and Hastings on Sunday. Barring any schedule changes, the Bulldogs will play exclusively against GPAC opponents for the remainder of the regular season. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad enters the week with an overall record of 11-6-1.

This Week

Saturday, March 19 vs. Dakota Wesleyan (5-4), 2 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats

Sunday, March 20 vs. Hastings (3-13), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats

By the numbers

·        Concordia went 6-4 during its stay in central Florida and showed that it remains a potent offensive bunch. The 2021 NAIA World Series qualifying Bulldogs broke the program single season standard by crushing 90 home runs. The 2022 squad can now claim the school record for most homers in a single game after it went deep eight times in the 15-2 win over Lawrence Technological University (Mich.) on March 10. That same day, the Bulldogs also hammered six home runs in the 10-5 victory over Calumet College of St. Joseph (Mo.). Three Concordia players notched multiple home runs that day: Jaidan Quinn (four), Jay Adams (three) and Keaton Candor (two).

·        Over the 10 games in Florida, the Bulldogs outscored their opponents by a combined total of 87-51 and belted 24 home runs. As part of the trip, Joey Grabanski shined in hitting .441 (15-for-34) with a double, five home runs, 11 RBIs and a .912 slugging percentage. Several other lineup regulars batted better than .300 in Florida, including Tanner Tompkins (12-for-24), Alec Blakestad (13-for-32), Jesse Garcia (9-for-23), Jay Adams (10-for-30), Jakob Faulk (6-for-19) and Keaton Candor (10-for-32). Quinn also posted five home runs on the road trip while Adams collected four.

·        Candor and Garcia are the only players in program history to reach 30 home runs for a career. A native of Merrill, Iowa, Candor is the current leader with 33 home runs while Garcia has hit 30 exactly. In just his second collegiate season, Grabanski is hot on the trail after having produced a school single season record of 17 home runs in 2021. With six big flies this season, the Grand Forks, N.D., native has moved his career homer total to 23. Another powerful bat, Faulk has 17 career homers to his credit. With five home runs already this season, Adams has equaled a career high in that category.

·        In terms of volume of innings, Caden Bugarske has been Concordia’s must trusted pitcher this season. The Boerne, Texas, native fired seven-inning complete games in both of his outings in Florida while earning two wins. Bugarske did not surrender a single earned run in an 86-pitch complete game victory versus Cornerstone University (Mich.). On the season, Bugarske is 3-1 with a 4.38 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 24.2 innings. Bugarske has made five starts while Alex Johnson has made four. Johnson boasts a 1.26 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 14.1 innings.

·        The Bulldogs actually lost a game in which they threw a no-hitter. In a 2-1 loss to Indiana University South Bend, Dan Rivera (4.0 IP) and Cale Mathison (3.0 IP) combined on the sixth recorded no-hitter in program history. Both Rivera and Mathison add length to a staff that continues to miss bats (158 strikeouts in 127.2 innings). Shane Whittaker has been dominant in his six relief appearances, sporting a 1.23 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 7.1 innings. Whittaker and Jacob Lycan lead the team in pitching appearances with six apiece. As a staff, Concordia owns a 4.30 ERA.

·        In the new polls released last week, the Bulldogs remained at No. 1 in the GPAC while landing just outside the NAIA top 25 as the first team receiving votes. Concordia had been rated No. 18 in the preseason poll. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs missed out on opportunities to knock off ranked opponents in Florida when it dropped decisions by scores of 4-0 to No. 25 Warner University (Fla.) and 3-0 to No. 10 Bellevue University. Dominance within conference play will be the ticket to return to the top 25.

The opponents

In terms of quantity of games, Dakota Wesleyan has played the lightest schedule of any GPAC team. The Tigers entered this week at 5-4 overall. After tying for 10th in the GPAC last season, DWU was placed 10th in the 2022 GPAC preseason poll. The Tigers have a first-year head coach in Charlie Dubanoski, formerly the head assistant coach at the University of Sioux Falls. Through nine games, DWU is averaging 8.0 runs per game and allowing 5.1 runs per contest. Matt Bezdicek is off to a hot start having gone 14-for- 36 (.389) with nine extra base hits.

Hastings is another program with a new head coach. Joel Schipper has taken the reins of the Broncos, who placed eighth in the GPAC last season. Hastings dropped two games on Monday and is still in the midst of its trip in Florida. Upon their return, the Broncos will open GPAC play on Saturday at Northwestern before making their way to Seward. Hastings has struggled at the plate to this point and sports a .231 team batting average. Gates Johnson (16.2 IP) has been used most heavily among the team’s pitchers. Johnson has recorded 26 strikeouts but has also allowed 16 walks.

Next week

The homestand to begin conference play will continue as Concordia will host Northwestern for doubleheaders on March 24-25. The Bulldogs will wait until the month of April before going on the road against a GPAC opponent.

Nine more homers belted in GPAC opening sweep

Mar. 19

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Baseball team's bats exploded for 38 total runs in their sweep of Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday (March 19). The Bulldogs took the first game of the doubleheader, 20-10. Following the high-scoring affair, they capped off the evening by winning the second game, 18-3. Jayden Adams stayed hot and led the Bulldogs offense with seven hits, including three home runs on the day.

With the wins, Concordia improves to 13-6-1 (2-0 GPAC) on the season. Head Coach Ryan Dupic was impressed with the offense in their first outing at Plum Creek Park of the season.

“Our offense was excellent today,” said Dupic. “The at-bats were outstanding and they stayed very consistent throughout the doubleheader. It was great to get a cushion in both of those games.”

It didn't take long for the bats to erupt, the second inning to be exact, where the Bulldogs plated 13 runs in that inning alone. In the first of the two games, Jessie Garcia led the way with four RBIs that came off of his two home runs. Adams and Ben Berg both added three RBIs apiece in the scoring barrage of game one. Alec Blackstead displayed his athleticism stealing three bags and scoring four runs. Nine different Bulldogs tallied a hit in the first game, including six players with multiple hits.

The box score was just as impressive in the second game for Concordia. Six players also had multi-hit games in the nightcap, including Adams going 5-for-5 with four RBIs and a homer. Freshman catcher Tanner Tompkins left the yard twice in game two, collecting his first two collegiate home runs. Joey Grabanski also homered in the contest.

Alex Johnson got the start for game one going two innings while allowing two hits and walking three. Dan Rivera stuck out five in 2.2 innings of work but gave up eight runs, seven of them earned. Jake Davey then came on and slammed the door on any potential comeback, striking out six of the 10 batters he faced. In game two, Bugarske collected the win after going four innings, striking out five and allowing three earned runs. Darrell Kundinger then closed out the game going three innings, striking out four and not allowing a run.

For Dupic, there are still places for the team to improve. Said Dupic, "We can improve in our pitch execution and defense. We had an inning get away from us in the first game, and there were some plays defensively we can still make. Hopefully, with time we can keep making progress."

The Bulldogs will be right back in action at Plum Creek Park on Sunday. The Hastings Broncos will be traveling to Seward for the 1 p.m. CT doubleheader. Concordia convincingly took both games of last year's doubleheader against the Broncos.

 

Power surge continues as Bulldogs complete 4-0 weekend in the GPAC

Mar. 20

SEWARD, Neb. – The season is still relatively young, but the Concordia University Baseball team is proving that it will eat mediocre pitching alive. After homering nine times in Saturday’s doubleheader sweep, the Bulldogs went deep another eight times on Sunday (March 20) in a pair of victories over Hastings. It was a bad sign for the Broncos when the day began with a strong wind blowing straight out to left. Concordia won by scores of 13-5 and 10-3 with the help of five hits from Joey Grabanski and two homers apiece from Ben Berg and Jaidan Quinn.

The weekend only confirmed that Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad remains one of the league’s heavyweights. The Bulldogs are now 15-6-1 overall on the strength of a five-game win streak. Hastings slipped to 4-16 (0-4 GPAC).

“It’s kind of the story of the weekend – our offense really carried us and did a great job,” Dupic said. “Days like this when the wind is blowing out (is advantageous for us). We got into some plus counts and we have some guys who can really drive the baseball. A couple big swings really blew the games open today. They did an excellent job all weekend.”

Hastings center fielder Keaton Hoeke even robbed Quinn of a home run or it would have been nine team blasts for a second day in a row. In game one on Sunday, the long balls were delivered by Keaton Candor, Ben Berg (twice) and Jakob Faulk. Then in game two, Grabanski, Alec Blakestad and Quinn (twice) went yard as part of the explosion. By day’s end, Concordia hitters combined for 28 hits, 11 walks and four hit-by-pitches.

Just back from injury this weekend, Berg did not show any rust. He went 4-for-4 with two blasts and five RBIs in game one – this after he went 2-for-5 with a homer on Saturday. Also in Sunday’s opener, Jay Adams, Jakob Faulk, Jesse Garcia and Grabanski collected multiple hits. Faulk’s three-hit game featured a towering solo shot in the second. The Bulldogs did not even blink after the Broncos put four runs on the board in the top of the first. Concordia proceeded to score two in the first, one in the second, three in the third, six in the fourth and one in the sixth.

Blakestad then highlighted the offensive output in game two. He went 4-for-4 with two runs, a home run, four RBIs and two stolen bases. Quinn also drove in four runs with his two homers. Meanwhile, Grabanski went 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Garcia added a base hit and two runs in the second contest.

As for the pitching staff, Christian Gutierrez gave four strong innings in relief in game one, allowing just one run on three hits and two walks to go along with five strikeouts. Gutierrez picked up the win. Nathan Buckallew followed him with 2.1 shutout frames to seal the deal. In game two, Caden Johnson went 5.1 strong innings (two runs allowed) before handing the ball off to Jacob Lycan, Ben Coldiron and Shane Whittaker.

The progress of the pitching staff and defense behind it may ultimately decide whether the Bulldogs repeat as GPAC champions. Said Dupic, “It’s going to be a tough year. There are some good teams in the league and you can see some teams are playing really good baseball right now. We’re just trying to take this one day at a time. We’ll take any wins we can get. That’s why it was a big weekend to start off so well. It’s going to be a really competitive weekend this year. We just have to stay the course and keep trying to get better.”

Over the four weekend games, eight Bulldogs produced at least five combined hits. Grabanski led the way by going 11-for-15 with three doubles, two homers and seven RBIs. Adams and Berg drove in eight runs apiece on the weekend. Nine Concordia players also homered at least once over the weekend.

The Bulldogs will remain at home for a four-game series coming up Thursday-Friday (March 24-25) with Northwestern (10-10, 2-2 GPAC). In their opening weekend of conference action, the Red Raiders were swept at Mount Marty and then rebounded by taking two at home from Hastings.

 

Home stretch continues with four-game series versus Northwestern

Mar. 21

SEWARD, Neb. – A unique eight-game homestand to begin the conference schedule will continue this week as the Concordia University Baseball team hosts Northwestern for a four-game series. The two sides will go head-to-head on Thursday and Friday from Plum Creek Park. The Bulldogs hope to carry over their success from this past weekend when they started 4-0 within the GPAC thanks to doubleheader sweeps over Dakota Wesleyan and Hastings. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad stands at 15-6-1 overall.

This Week

Thursday, March 24 vs. Northwestern (10-10, 2-2 GPAC), 5 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats

Friday, March 25 vs. Northwestern (10-10, 2-2 GPAC), 3 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats

By the numbers

·        The 2022 Concordia edition is shaping up to be just as potent as the ’21 squad that essentially rewrote the program’s entire record book. Through 22 games this season, the Bulldogs are hitting .355 with a .461 on-base percentage and .642 slugging percentage. They have already slugged 45 home runs (halfway to the school single season record set last season). Concordia easily leads the GPAC in each of those aforementioned statistical categories. Nationally, the Bulldogs currently rank third in slugging percentage, fourth in batting average, sixth in on-base percentage and eighth in home runs. Each of the teams listed above Concordia in the home run category has played at least three additional games.

·        Over the weekend, the Bulldogs defeated Dakota Wesleyan by scores of 20-10 and 18-3 and Hastings by scores of 13-5 and 10-3. Returning First Team All-GPAC outfielder Joey Grabanski led the way by going 11-for-15 with six runs, three doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs over the four games. Six other Concordia hitters with at least nine plate appearances on the weekend batted better than .400: Ben Berg (6-for-9), Alec Blakestad (9-for-15), Jayden Adams (9-for-18), Jesse Garcia (5-for-11), Tanner Tompkins (3-for-7) and Ty Nekoliczak (5-for-12). Over the four wins, the Bulldogs outhomered their opponents by a combined total of 17-1 and outscored them, 61-21.

·        Keaton Candor entered this past weekend even with Kaleb Geiger atop the program’s all-time RBI list. Candor moved to No. 1 by producing a combined seven RBIs in the first four games of conference play. The fifth-year Bulldog now stands at the top of the record book for career home runs (35) and RBIs (153). He also sports all-time school ranks of second in runs (138), fourth in hits (191) and seventh in doubles (36). Candor needs nine more hits to become just the third player in program history to reach 200 for a career. Of course the native of Merrill, Iowa, has competition within the current team for spots in the record book. Jesse Garcia has totaled 32 career home runs and Grabanski already has 25 despite being only about halfway through his sophomore season.

·        The catching situation is a healthy one for Concordia. Ben Berg came back from injury over the weekend and did not miss a beat. He went 6-for-9 with three home runs and eight RBIs in his two starts against GPAC foes. A freshman from Normal, Ill., Tompkins has also been hot with the bat. In 14 games, Tompkins has hit .423 (22-for-52) with two home runs, seven doubles and 19 RBIs. Also a catcher, Michael Welch is 4-for-11 with two home runs while appearing in eight games. In other words, the Bulldogs have at least three players at the position worthy of starting.

·        The pitching staff has been overshadowed simply because of how otherworldly the production has been offensively. Dupic’s most trusted starting pitcher has been Caden Bugarske, who is 4-1 with a 4.40 ERA over his first six starts (28.2 innings). In addition, Caden Johnson went 5.1 strong innings (two runs allowed) in the final game of this past weekend. Out of the bullpen, Shane Whittaker may possess the nastiest stuff. He’s fanned 16 hitters in 8.1 innings and has allowed just a single run. Overall, the staff continues to be adept at getting swings and misses. It has recorded 196 strikeouts in 157.2 innings.

·        Leadoff man Jayden Adams has also been going deep more often this season. His seven home runs are the third most on the team (behind Grabanski and Jaidan Quinn with eight apiece) and are already a career high. Adams could wind up being another 200-hit performer before his career is over. He’s up to 133 while hitting .416 with a .505 on-base percentage and .766 slugging percentage in 2022. Adams’ broke program single season records in 2021 with 76 hits and 65 runs scored. The Waverly, Neb., native was named First Team All-GPAC.

The opponent

Northwestern won the GPAC regular season title as recently as 2018 while under the direction of Brian Wede, who has won more than 400 games as a head coach. While Concordia boasts several sluggers, the Red Raiders’ have one of the conference’s top hitters so far this season in Kip Cullinan, who is batting .448 with eight doubles, five home runs and 24 RBIs. Northwestern should also provide a stiffer challenge for the Bulldog bats. The top starter for the Red Raiders has been Brett Shelton, who sports a 2.97 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 30.1 innings. In its start to conference play last week, Northwestern dropped two at Mount Marty before sweeping Hastings at home. The Red Raiders landed at No. 7 in the 2022 GPAC preseason coaches’ poll.

Next week

After completing the four-game series with Northwestern, the Bulldogs will look forward to four with Midland the weekend of April 2-3. The two sides will be in Fremont, Neb., on April 2 before shifting to Seward on April 3.

Grabanski wins second straight GPAC Player of the Week award

Mar. 22

SEWARD, Neb. – Slugging left fielder Joey Grabanski feasted at the plate over the weekend and has subsequently been named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Player of the Week, as announced by the league on Tuesday (March 22). Grabanski garnered the same award last week as part of an impressive first half of the 2022 season. The native of Grand Forks, N.D., has served as a major force for an offense that has already belted 45 homers.

While helping the Concordia University Baseball team to a 4-0 start within the GPAC, Grabanski batted .733 (11-for-15) with six runs, three doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs while slugging 1.333 (20 total bases). Grabanski produced at least two hits in each of the four weekend games as the Bulldogs outscored Dakota Wesleyan and Hastings by a combined total of 61-21. So far this season, Grabanski leads the team in batting average (.438), home runs (eight), total bases (61) and slugging percentage (.836).

A First Team All-GPAC honoree as a freshman in 2021, Grabanski has already totaled 25 home runs and 83 RBIs in 76 career collegiate games. Though still early in his career, Grabanski ranks fourth on the program’s all-time list for career home runs.

The Bulldogs (15-6-1, 4-0 GPAC) are scheduled to continue their GPAC homestand this week by hosting Northwestern for doubleheaders on Thursday and Friday.

Bulldogs take two one-run games from Northwestern

Mar. 25

SEWARD, Neb. – After slugging its way to dominant wins this past weekend, the Concordia University Baseball team showed it could grind out the close ones on Thursday (March 24). The Bulldogs won both ends of the latest doubleheader by identical 4-3 final scores in a sweep of visiting Northwestern on a chilly evening at Plum Creek Park. A strike-‘em-out-throw-‘em-out double play ended game one and then Alec Blakestad supplied a check-swing walk-off RBI single to close out a drama-filled day.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is out to a sparkling 6-0 start within conference play (17-6-1 overall). Concordia is proving that it can win games in different ways.

“Really pleased to be able to make enough pitches and enough plays and have enough good at bats to come up big and win those close games,” Dupic said. “That’s something we haven’t really done a great job of this year. I still think there was a play or two that got away from us that made it a little tighter. We caught a break or two in certain situations. We got a couple big wins against a good team in a tough day.”

The colder temperatures did not necessarily make for a hitter’s paradise, but the Red Raider pitching staff did a commendable job of holding Concordia to a combined nine hits on the day. The Bulldogs came through with the ones they had to have, including a solo homer by Jay Adams in the fourth inning of game one and a two-run shot by Jaidan Quinn an inning later. As part of a three-run fifth, Caleb Lemon also scored on a wild pitch.

That production got the job done with the help of a strong start on the mound by Alex Johnson. He tossed five innings and allowed only one run on three hits and two walks while recording eight strikeouts. Shane Whittaker then polished off game one by notching the final six outs in the process of picking up the save.

In game two, most of the offense came in the second inning. Ty Nekoliczak forced home a run with a bases-loaded walk and Adams came through in the clutch with a two-out, two-run single. The Bulldogs then waited until the bottom of the seventh to score again. The always reliable Adams led it off with a rocket shot of a double to center. Three batters later, Blakestad’s check swing resulted in a looper that cleared the glove of a leaping shortstop and sent Adams racing to the plate.

Said Blakestad, “I was just looking for a ball to hit hard. I saw the slider. I didn’t swing fully, but it ended up working out … Our pitching staff threw really well. They were able to not let them score in some pretty tight situations. It was an impressive job by Shane and Buck (Nathan Buckallew) keep us tight.”

Four Concordia pitchers appeared in game two, including Caden Bugarske, Jacob Lycan, Buckallew and Whittaker. The latter walked the bases loaded in the seventh before freezing a Red Raider hitter with a breaking ball for strike three to end the threat. Whittaker picked up a win and a save on the day.

Adams and Blakestad collected three hits apiece on the day while leading an attack that wasn’t able to explode the way it has in several recent outings. Northwestern’s Brett Shelton worked a solid six-inning complete game in the first contest on Thursday. However, very few teams are able to keep Adams off base at the top of the lineup.

Said Dupic, “Jay is so huge for us. He just hits – the solo home run the first game, the big RBI single and the double in the last inning. He does an exceptional job. Coach (Caleb) Lang and Coach (Wade) Council were adamant this offseason that Alec was fantastic. His at-bats, his practice sessions and his swings were really, really good. We knew he was a plus ahlete. I think last year was good for him to play a little bit and understand what this is about. We’re seeing him operate on a more even keel from day-to-day. When he does that, it allows his talent to come out and he’s a special player.”

The Bulldogs and Red Raiders will go at it again on Friday with another twin bill set for 3 p.m. CT from Plum Creek Park. Dating back to last season, Concordia has won five of the last six matchups with Northwestern (10-12, 2-4 GPAC).

 

Garcia walk-off homer highlights completion of series versus Northwestern

Mar. 25

SEWARD, Neb. – Each contest of the four-game set between the Concordia University Baseball team and Northwestern featured plenty of late-inning drama. As part of Friday (March 25)’s doubleheader, the Bulldogs celebrated a game one win, 7-5, thanks to Jesse Garcia’s walk-off, two-run homer. Then in game two, the Red Raiders mounted a stunning comeback from eight runs down and won, 14-13, in a war of attrition. It took nearly seven hours to play the two contests on a blustery day at Plum Creek Park.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad began the series with two victories by identical 4-3 final scores on Thursday. Concordia now stands at 7-1 within conference play (18-7-1 overall) with all eight GPAC games having been played at home.

Said Dupic, “The last one got away from us. It’s obviously disappointing because we were in a really good position to win that game. In the big picture, it’s good to win the series, especially when you’re playing good baseball teams, and I think Northwestern is a good baseball team. There’s a little bit of a bad taste in our mouth not being able to finish the deal – not making enough pitches and plays to finish that ballgame. I hope it’s an opportunity for our team to learn. Hopefully we can stay on track big picture and move forward.”

The Bulldogs also relinquished a 5-1 lead in Friday’s first game, but Garcia made that easy to forget when he connected on a rocket that left the yard in the bottom of the seventh. Concordia had also walked off a winner late on Thursday night via Alec Blakestad’s game-winning RBI single. As a follow up, Blakestad produced a two-run single in the fourth inning of this series’ third game. Also in Friday’s win, Keaton Candor went 2-for-4 with a run and Ben Berg belted his fourth homer of the season.

On the mound, Christian Gutierrez gave Concordia a strong start in the third game of the series. He worked quickly through six innings before running into trouble in the seventh. Gutierrez allowed four runs on six hits and did not walk a batter while striking out seven. In relief, Jacob Lycan wound up with the win thanks to Garcia’s blast.

In the capper, the Bulldogs appeared to be cruising to a four-game sweep when they put up six runs in the fifth and four in the fourth. Concordia owned a 12-4 lead heading into the eighth inning. The top of the eighth was a nightmare for the Bulldogs. Northwestern scored nine runs on nine hits and an error. The Red Raider bench went wild when Mo Watson struck for a two-run, go-ahead homer that put the Red Raiders in front, 13-12.

After Concordia tied it in the bottom of the eighth, Northwestern pushed across what proved to be the game winner when Isaac Thurm drew a bases-loaded walk. The Bulldogs were held off the scoreboard in the bottom of the ninth despite Ben Berg’s leadoff walk. Somehow, the Red Raiders (11-13, 3-5 GPAC) found a way to win a game in which their pitchers issued 13 free passes.

Four Concordia players notched two hits apiece in the series finale: Jay Adams (2-for-6), Blakestad (2-for-5), Garcia (2-for-4) and Joey Grabanski (2-for-2). Garcia and Ty Nekoliczak knocked in three runs each and Blakestad produced two RBIs. Between the two sides, a combined 40 players were used in the series finale. Caden Johnson started on the mound for the Bulldogs and went 4.1 innings.

There’s no doubt about the potency of Concordia’s offensive lineup, but some other areas need shoring up for the 2022 squad to reach its full potential. Said Dupic, “When the ball’s on the ground we have to get more outs … Mistakes happen. That’s part of the game. You have to respond and come back, but you can’t have so many of them. I’m proud of our hitters for fighting back and really battling offensively and putting good, competitive at-bats together.”

The Bulldogs will have more than a week to prepare for next weekend (April 2-3)’s four-game series with Midland (16-3, 3-1 GPAC). The two sides will be in Fremont on the first day before shifting to Seward for the second day of action. Doubleheaders will get started at 1 p.m. CT on both days.

 

Blakestad honored by GPAC; Bulldogs take third-straight GPAC weekly honor

Mar. 29

SEWARD, Neb. – For the third week in a row, a member of the Concordia University Baseball team has been recognized as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Player of the Week. As announced on Tuesday (March 29), Alec Blakestad is the winner this week after a strong four-game series that included a walk-off RBI single. Joey Grabanski had been honored with the two previous GPAC Player of the Week awards.

An Omaha native, Blakestad went 6-for-14 (.429) at the plate in last week’s four-game series as the Bulldogs took three out of four from Northwestern. Blakestad’s stat line included three runs, two doubles, five RBIs, two walks and a stolen base. In game two of the series, Blakestad produced a walk-off RBI single to lift Concordia to a 4-3 win. Currently in his first season as a full-time starter in center field, Blakestad is hitting .410 with seven doubles, a triple, two home runs and 25 RBIs on the season. He sports an on-base percentage of .495 and a slugging percentage of .603.

Blakestad and the Bulldogs (18-7-1, 7-1 GPAC) are gearing up for this weekend’s four-game series with Midland. The two sides will be in Fremont, Neb., on Saturday before play shifts to Seward on Sunday. Both doubleheaders are slated for a 1 p.m. CT first pitch.

Action to resume with split road/home series versus Midland

Mar. 30

SEWARD, Neb. – Another four-game weekend set is forthcoming for the Concordia University Baseball team, which is preparing to play on the road for the first time in conference play. The Bulldogs will take on Midland for two in Fremont on Saturday and then for two more in Seward on Sunday. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is coming off a four-game home series with Northwestern that resulted in three wins. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad owns an overall record of 18-7-1 (7-1 GPAC). In the most recent NAIA coaches’ poll, Concordia was listed as the second team among others receiving votes.

This Week

Saturday, April 2 at Midland (18-5, 5-3 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2

Sunday, April 3 vs. Midland (18-5, 5-3 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats

By the numbers

·        New sets of GPAC and NAIA national rankings were released last week. In the official conference rating, the Bulldogs were tied with Doane for the No. 1 spot. Concordia also landed just outside of the NAIA top 25 in the latest national coaches’ poll. In addition, the NAIA publishes a national “Bo Chip” ranking (latest edition on March 28) that shows the Bulldogs at No. 52. Meanwhile, Massey Ratings currently lists Concordia as the NAIA’s 27th best team. Both Bo Chip and Massey Ratings are based on computer generated formulas.

·        Chilly and blustery conditions made for less-than-ideal hitting conditions during the series with Northwestern (March 24-25). Over the four games, the Bulldog offensive attack batted .269 with a .450 on-base percentage and .471 slugging percentage. While Concordia was limited to ‘only’ five home runs for the series, the lineup showed how it can wear out an opposing pitching staff with patience. The Bulldogs took 27 walks and were hit by eight pitches over the four games. Concordia remains the GPAC leader in virtually every major offensive category, including runs scored (247), batting average (.343), on-base percentage (.459), slugging percentage (.619) and home runs (50).

·        Leadoff hitter Jay Adams homered twice in the series with Northwestern while continuing his power surge. The second baseman from Waverly, Neb., is tied with Jaidan Quinn for a team high nine home runs this season. Adams has already far surpassed his homer total of five from 2021. A well-rounded hitter, Adams broke program single season records in ’21 for hits (76) and runs scored (65). So far in 2022, six Bulldogs have hit at least four home runs, including Adams, Quinn, Joey Grabanski (eight), Keaton Candor (six), Ben Berg (four) and Jesse Garcia (four). Garcia delivered a walk-off two-run homer in game three of last week’s series. It came a day after Alec Blakestad supplied a walk-off RBI single. Blakestad was recognized as the GPAC Player of the Week on Tuesday.

·        The program’s all-time record holder in home runs (35) and RBIs (153), Keaton Candor is chasing another career milestone. He’s recorded 193 hits, putting him on course to join Zak Goodrich (234) and Christian Meza (216) as the only players in school history to reach 200 career hits. In order to hold onto the career home run lead, Candor will have to keep pace with current teammates. Garcia’s career homer total has reached 33 while Grabanski has belted 25 homers while still in the middle of his second collegiate season. Below is a list of Concordia players all-time with at least 20 career homers.

o   Keaton Candor – 35

o   Jesse Garcia – 33

o   Jarrod Pimentel – 27

o   Joey Grabanski – 25

o   Ross Wurdeman – 22

o   Jack Holmberg – 20

·        Among GPAC pitching staffs, only Dordt (11.98) boasts a higher strikeout rate per nine innings than the Bulldogs (11.17). While Concordia works to improve its infield defense, it hopes to continue striking opponents out at a high rate. From an individual perspective, particularly high K/9 ratios have been produced by the likes of Shane Whittaker (16.2), Daniel Rivera (16.0), Jacob Lycan (13.1), Cale Mathison (13.1), Christian Gutierrez (12.6) and Alex Johnson (11.0). With a strong performance last week, Gutierrez has likely earned himself a regular spot in the starting rotation that includes Caden Bugarske, Caden Johnson and Alex Johnson. At the back end of the bullpen, Whittaker (1.54 ERA in 11.2 IP) has wipe-out stuff.

·        The conference schedule was decidedly frontloaded with home games. After this weekend, only two GPAC home doubleheaders will remain on the 2022 slate. The final eight games of the regular season will all be on the road with four-game sets scheduled at Dordt and Briar Cliff as part of the stretch run. The final big weekend of home action will be April 15-16, just prior to Easter Sunday. Concordia went 13-3 at home last season and is now 7-1 in home games in 2022.

The opponent

A GPAC regular season champion as recently as 2016, Midland has regrouped nicely after it missed out on the GPAC tournament last season. The Warriors have vaulted up to No. 37 in the NAIA’s Bo Chip ratings on the strength of an 18-5 overall record. A well-balanced team, Midland is averaging 8.5 runs per game while slashing .305/.402/.498 as a team. Meanwhile, the pitching staff owns a 4.90 ERA. Offensively, the likes of Chase Reynolds (.386 BA, 13 XBH) and Dakota Thornton (.351 BA, .452 OBP) have led the attack. There likely won’t be any surprises in terms of the starting pitchers that the Bulldogs will face. Head Coach Chad Miller’s top four starters have started all but one game. Statistically, Jay Lambert has gotten the best results. He sports a 3.94 ERA and a K/9 of 10.41. In last season’s four-game series, Concordia won three times.

Next week

The first lengthy road trip of the conference season is coming up April 8-9. The Bulldogs will be at Morningside on the first day of the journey before taking on Jamestown in North Dakota the following day.

 

Bulldogs muscle up for 37 runs, three grand slams in sweep of Midland

Apr. 2

FREMONT, Neb. – The Concordia University Baseball team exploded for 37 runs in the first two games of the NAIAball Big Series of the Week on Saturday (April 2). Concordia blew out Midland in both games of the doubleheader, winning the first, 16-2, and the second, 21-6. The Bulldogs were carried by five home runs, including three grand slams in the second game. Nine total Bulldogs had multiple hits on the day

Head Coach Ryan Dupic's squad improved to 20-7-1 overall and to 9-1 inside the GPAC. Dupic couldn’t have asked for better production offensively.

“I’m really pleased by getting two good starts today,” Dupic said. “That really puts us in a good position for the back half of the weekend. I thought our defense took a huge step forward today and made some nice plays. It was a really good day all around."

Joey Grabanski went an incredible 6-for-8 on the day, driving in four runs in the process. Freshman catcher Tanner Thompkins went 3-for-3, with one of his hits leaving the yard for a grand slam. The other two grand slams came from Ben Berg, who had six RBIs on the day, and Jesse Garcia. Jaiden Quinn went 5-for-7 with three extra-base hits, including a double and a homer. Alec Blackestad also went 5-for-7. Ty Nekoliczak went 4-for-7 and scored six runs in the two contests.

Concordia wound up with 37 hits and produced at least four runs in six separate innings as part of the onslaught. Keaton Candor collected three hits, including the 36th home run of his career (a program record).

Said Dupic, "Offensively, our guys were terrific and had really good at-bats. I thought they did a good job of being patient, getting their pitch to hit and not expanding the strike zone too much. We got some really big swings to stretch the lead in both games.”

While the Bulldog offense was outstanding, Concordia also got solid performances on the mound. Alex Johnson started game one and went six innings, striking out four and only allowing two runs. Andrew Bohrer closed out the game with one scoreless inning of work. Game two starter Caden Bugarske (5-1) struck out four in five innings of work and also allowed two runs. 

“We had a good day today,” Dupic said. “But Midland has a good arm going tomorrow and they’ll be ready to play. It will be a tough series to finish, and we’ll have to be really good tomorrow.”

Midland will now return the favor and travel to Seward for the two remaining games in the series. The game will get underway early afternoon with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.

Bulldogs complete four-game obliteration of Midland

Apr. 3

SEWARD, Neb. – A four-game set that was billed as the @NAIAball Big Series of the Week gave way to a parade of Bulldogs circling the bases. The Concordia University Baseball team wasn’t satisfied until it had completely crushed the soul of Midland in each of the four contests. In Sunday (April 3)’s action at Plum Creek Park, Concordia won by scores of 11-5 and 12-2 (run rule) over a Warrior squad that had entered the weekend at 18-5 overall. In a significant individual achievement, Bulldog outfielder Keaton Candor reached 200 career hits.

Over the four-game series, Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad outscored Midland by a combined total of 60-15. Concordia moved to 22-7-1 overall and to 11-1 within the GPAC.

“We played well this weekend,” Dupic said. “I know I did – I hope our team had a bad taste in our mouth after last weekend, not finishing as strong as we wanted to. I thought we had a good week of practice leading into this and our guys played really well. We had some really good at bats and put ourselves in good situations throughout the week with how good we were offensively. I’m glad we responded on the mound and did well defensively too.”

Even by the incredible standards the Bulldog bats have set since the beginning of last season, this was absurd. After pounding three grand slams in the second game in Fremont on Saturday, Concordia was similarly explosive on Sunday. It’s difficult to know where to start. Four Bulldogs collected at least three hits on Sunday, including Jay Adams, who went 4-for-6 with four walks, five runs, two doubles, two home runs and five RBIs. Midland really couldn’t keep Adams or Jaidan Quinn from reaching base all weekend.

In Sunday’s first game, Concordia built an 11-2 lead on the strength of a four-run second and six-run fourth. Adams and Quinn both homered and Alec Blakestad contributed two hits and three RBIs. Adams also supplied a two-run double out of the leadoff spot. Collectively, the Bulldogs notched 10 hits and worked nine walks. Peyton Garbers smacked a three-run homer for Midland in the fifth to make the score a bit more respectable.

The Warriors (18-7, 5-7 GPAC) never had a chance in game two, which opened with a five-run first for Concordia. Adams led it off with a solo shot to right, Blakestad forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk and Quinn delivered a two-run single. Then in the second inning, Candor RBI bloop single to center signaled his 200th career hit, putting him in an exclusive club of three in program history. Blakestad followed with a two-run blast in the fourth as part of an onslaught that never relented.

All that production lessened the pressure considerably on the Bulldog pitching staff. In game three of the series, Christian Gutierrez started and went five innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six. Darrell Kundinger then fired two scoreless innings in relief. In the series finale, Caden Johnson fanned eight Warriors over six innings. He surrendered two earned runs on six hits and no walks. Jacob Lycan polished off the series with a 1-2-3 top of the seventh.

It was another series of eye-popping offensive numbers. Over the four games, Quinn went 8-for-12 with two doubles, two home runs and six RBIs while also walking four times and being hit by three pitches. Throughout the series, seven of the team’s regulars batted better than .400: Quinn (.667), Tanner Tompkins (.625), Blakestad (.571), Joey Grabanski (.538), Ty Nekoliczak (.500), Candor (.500) and Adams (.471).

Said Adams, “I think we made a lot of strides this weekend against Midland. We turned around after having a rough end to the Northwestern series. We started transitioning into winning every inning. That really helped us overcome a lot. Our offense really started to click too.”

Candor’s career hit total is now 201, putting him behind only Zak Goodrich (234) and Christian Meza (216) in program history. Said Dupic, “It’s really abnormal to get that many hits in a career. It’s hard for me to put into words. You see in a lot of sports landmarks that happen. A landmark in college baseball really isn’t 200 because a lot of people don’t ever get there. He’s been an incredible hitter and a great teammate, somebody everyone connects to. He’s a dangerous bat and a great kid. I’m really proud of him.”

After playing 10 of its first 12 GPAC games at home, the Bulldogs will be on the road for four games next weekend with two at Morningside (17-10, 4-8 GPAC) beginning at 1 p.m. CT on April 8 and two at Jamestown (14-17, 3-7 GPAC) starting at 3 p.m. on April 9.

G1: CUNE 11, MID 5

G2: CUNE 12, MID 2

Quinn pulls in Concordia's fourth-straight GPAC weekly honor

Apr. 5

SEWARD, Neb. – The lineup for Concordia University Baseball keeps on raking – and raking in GPAC awards. On Tuesday (April 5), the conference announced Bulldog third baseman Jaidan Quinn as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Player of the Week. In the three previous weeks, Joey Grabanski (March 15 and 22) and Alec Blakestad (March 29) garnered the same award.

In a thoroughly dominant four-game sweep of Midland this past weekend, Quinn stood out amongst a group of Bulldogs that powdered the ball one through nine. Over the four-game set, Quinn went 8-for-12 (.667) with seven runs scored, two doubles, two home runs and six RBIs. The native of Bonner Springs, Kan., also worked four walks and was hit by three pitches. Quinn’s combined on-base percentage (.789) and slugging percentage (1.333) was greater than 2.000 for the series.

A transfer from Wabash Valley College, Quinn is tied for the team lead with 11 homers this season. In 30 games, Quinn is hitting .358 with six doubles and 34 RBIs to go along with a .539 on-base percentage and .840 slugging percentage. Quinn leads the GPAC in on-base percentage while ranking second in home runs and third in slugging percentage.

Quinn and the Bulldogs (22-7-1, 11-1 GPAC) will be back in action this weekend for road doubleheaders at Morningside on Friday and at Jamestown on Saturday.

Concordia hopes to pack power bats for GPAC road swing

Apr 5

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Baseball team would be happy to bottle up its performances from this past weekend and unleash the same type of offensive fiery throughout the upcoming road trip. Coming off a thoroughly dominant four-game sweep of Midland, the Bulldogs are readying to play doubleheaders at Morningside on Friday and at Jamestown on Saturday. This will be the first significant road trip of the conference schedule for Concordia, which has played 10 of its first 12 GPAC games at home. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad enters the week at 11-1 within the conference (22-7-1 overall).

This Week

Friday, April 8 at Morningside (17-10, 4-8 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2

Saturday, April 9 at Jamestown (16-17, 5-7 GPAC), 3 p.m. DH
--Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2

By the numbers

·        Every team in the GPAC has now played 12 conference games with Concordia and Doane (11-1 GPAC) having currently separated themselves atop the league. Not far back are Mount Marty (9-3) and Briar Cliff (8-4). Those same four teams are listed at the top of the official GPAC ratings released on NAIA.org on Monday. Concordia and Doane were placed in a tie for first. In all likelihood, both teams will continue to receive votes in the NAIA coaches’ poll that will be unveiled on Wednesday. In the most recent poll, the Bulldogs appeared as the second team among others receiving votes. In other words, Concordia has a shot to jump back into the top 25.

·        The four-game set this past weekend looked a lot like the first four games of GPAC play that saw Concordia have its way with Dakota Wesleyan and Hastings. Over four contests with Midland, the Bulldogs outscored the Warriors by a combined total of 60-15 and produced a slash line of .455 BA/.587 OBP/.765 SLG at the plate. Incredibly, four different Concordia players notched at least eight hits in the series: Jaidan Quinn (8-for-12), Alec Blakestad (8-for-14), Keaton Candor (8-for-16) and Jay Adams (8-for-17). Quinn’s series included seven runs scored, two doubles, two home runs, six RBIs and a 1.333 slugging percentage.

·        That production resulted in Quinn being named the GPAC Player of the Week. A Bulldog has pulled in that award for the fourth week in a row with Joey Grabanski (March 15 and 22) and Alec Blakestad (March 29) having garnered the honor prior to Quinn. The honors are indicative of an offense that has been the best in the GPAC to this point. Entering this week, Concordia paces the conference in runs scored (307), batting average (.357), on-base percentage (.477), slugging percentage (.638), home runs (59) and walks (171). The top six hitters in the GPAC in terms of on-base percentage are all Bulldogs.

·        Right fielder Keaton Candor has clearly established himself as one of the greatest hitters in program history. Last week, the native of Merrill, Iowa, became the third player in school history to reach 200 career hits, joining Zak Goodrich (234) and Christian Meza (216). Candor is the program all-time leader in home runs (36), RBIs (161), bases on balls (99) and games played (195) and is sneaking up on Goodrich’s record for runs scored of 152. Candor is currently at 148 runs. On the season, Candor is hitting .353 with six doubles, seven home runs and 33 RBIs. He is in his fifth season in the program while taking advantage of the ‘COVID year.’

·        It’s hard to imagine there being many better leadoff hitters in all of the NAIA than second baseman Jay Adams. The Waverly, Neb., native has perfected the art of driving the ball down the right field line at Plum Creek Park. That ability has helped him pile up 11 home runs – tied with Quinn for the most on the team. Adams currently paces the GPAC in runs scored (41), hits (45) and RBIs (40) while also ranking second in homers. Adams figures to add his name to the 200-hit club list some day. He's a sophomore in terms of eligibility and has racked up 146 career hits while hitting .377 in 104 career collegiate games.

·        It’s easy for the pitching staff to be overshadowed by what the offense is doing, but the Bulldogs got quality work last week from the starting hurlers. All four starters last week went at least five innings. The best results came from the Johnsons – Alex and Caden. Alex went six innings and allowed two earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four. Caden also covered six innings and surrendered two earned runs on six hits and no walks to go with eight strikeouts. Caden Bugarske and Christian Gutierrez also were credited with ins in solid outings. Among GPAC teams, Concordia ranks second in strikeouts/nine innings (12.11) and third in ERA (4.55).

The opponents

Morningside owns a record of 13-2 outside of league play and is 4-8 within the GPAC. There was nothing easy for the Bulldogs about last season’s home doubleheader with the Mustangs. Concordia needed a two-out, walk-off home run from Joey Grabanski to win 5-4 in game one before Morningside took the second game, 11-7. The Mustang offense has produced a sloid slash line of .303 BA/.401 OBP/.472 SLG. The offensive stars have been Jayson Willers (.376 BA, .456 OBP, 29 RBIs) and Alex Calabrese (6 HR, .681 SLG). The team’s top starting pitcher has been Wade Canaday, who is 4-1 with a 3.48 ERA and K/9 ratio of 10.74. Head Coach Adam Boeve is in his fifth season.

Jamestown won the GPAC tournament title in 2019, the program’s first season as a member of the conference. Head Coach Tom Hager is in his 23rd season leading the Jimmies. Jamestown started out 1-7 in conference play before sweeping a four-game series from Hastings over the past two days. The Jimmies are looking for better results from a pitching staff that sports a 6.60 ERA on the season. The offensive lineup is led by Tayler Cullen, who is hitting .394 with a .451 on-base percentage and .670 slugging percentage. On the mound, Payson Mills has started nine games and owns a 5.82 ERA in 38.2 innings.

Next week

Concordia is slated to finish up the home portion of its 2022 regular season schedule next week when it hosts Doane on April 15 and Mount Marty on April 16. The second day of that homestand will serve as senior day

 

Bulldogs take game one in two lopsided contests in Sioux City

Apr. 8

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Concordia University Baseball team opened the weekend of conference play with a doubleheader split against Morningside on a chilly Friday (April 8) in Sioux City, Iowa. It took a while for the bats to come alive in game one, but a ten-run sixth inning blew the contest open, ultimately resulting in a 13-4 victory. The GPAC’s No. 1 offense was uncharacteristically quiet in game two. The Bulldogs could only plate one run in the 11-1 loss.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s team moves to 23-8-1 (12-2 GPAC) on the season. Dupic was impressed with his team’s game one performance, especially pitcher Alex Johnson.

“We played well the first game,” said Dupic. “We got a good start from Alex Johnson and defended pretty well. Our offense did a great job putting together a big inning late in (game one). We didn’t play well in game two. We made too many mistakes defensively and just didn’t prevent runs well enough.”

Johnson tossed five innings while allowing only two hits and one earned run and striking out four. With the win, Johnson improved to 5-0 on the season. Ben Coldiron threw two innings of relief to close out game one, allowing two earned runs. In game two, the tandem of Caden Bugarske and Dan Rivera each allowed five earned runs. Rivera struck out eight in his four innings of work. Bugarske falls to 5-2 as a starter.

Offensively for the Bulldogs, Jaiden Quinn added to his home run tally, hitting his team-leading 12th of the season. Quinn had three hits and three RBIs on the day. Joey Grabanski also circled the bases for the Bulldogs, blasting a grand slam in Concordia's ten-run sixth inning of game one. Grabanski batted in the Bulldogs’ only run of game two. Freshman catcher Tanner Thompkins had a three-RBI day, collecting three hits over the course of the two games. Jayden Adams also had three hits on the day, including one RBI. Ben Berg and Jessie Garcia also notched an RBI apiece.

Defensive struggles contributed to the lopsided game two defeat. The Bulldogs committed four errors in the second game alone and six on the day. Mustang catcher Jayson Willers went 4-for-5 with three RBIs in the second contest. Morningside is now 18-11 overall (5-9 GPAC).

The Bulldogs look to finish the conference road trip strong against Jamestown (16-17, 5-7 GPAC) on Saturday. Last season, the two teams split a doubleheader in Seward. First pitch in North Dakota on Saturday is set for 3 p.m. CT.

 

Bulldogs fall twice in North Dakota

Apr. 9

JAMESTOWN, N.D. – Jamestown found success early against Bulldog starting pitching on Saturday (April 9) and earned a doubleheader sweep of the Concordia University Baseball team. The Bulldogs lost in North Dakota by scores of 10-6 and 8-7 as part of a long night that included two separate delays in the second contest. Concordia dropped the first game despite getting a home run apiece from Tanner Tompkins, Keaton Candor and Ben Berg.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad went 1-3 on the weekend road trip having also split Friday’s twin bill at Morningside. The Bulldogs slipped to 23-10-1 overall (12-4 GPAC). Said Dupic, “They did a better job than we did of making big pitches and defensive plays. That was the difference in the ballgames.”

The two programs had met in the GPAC tournament championship game in 2019. After a 1-7 start to conference play this season, the Jimmies have won six straight within the conference. Their offense clicked on Saturday and chased both Concordia starting pitchers before they could make it through four innings. Jamestown build a 9-3 lead in game one behind a three-homer performance from designated hitter Luke Shekeryk. The Bulldogs never recovered, although a three-run blast by Berg in the sixth made it interesting.

Game two could have gone either way. The Jimmies (18-17, 7-7 GPAC) got the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth on Tayler Cullen’s RBI single. Then in the ninth, Joey Grabanski’s deep drive to center appeared to have cleared the wall, but was brought back thanks to a fine play by Quade Peters. Concordia went 1-2-3 in the ninth.

While not as explosive as last weekend, the Bulldog offense produced solidly on Saturday. Seven Concordia batters collected at least two hits on the day. Jaidan Quinn continues to be an on-base machine. He went 3-for-6 with two walks in the doubleheader. Candor also recorded three hits (and three RBIs) for the day. Ty Nekoliczak came through with a two-run double in the second contest.

Bulldog pitchers surrendered 16 earned runs on Saturday. Christian Gutierrez started the first game and Caden Johnson got the nod in game two. Shane Whittaker used his nasty stuff to strike out five batters in 1.2 innings of relief. Eight total hurlers were used by Dupic in the doubleheader.

The Bulldogs will have plenty of time to recover from the long trip north as they now prepare to host doubleheaders this coming Friday and Saturday (April 15-16) as part of Easter weekend. On Good Friday, Concordia will welcome Doane (24-7, 13-1 GPAC) to Plum Creek Park for a 1 p.m. CT doubleheader. The two programs shared the GPAC regular season title in 2021.

 

Easter weekend features showdowns with Doane, Mount Marty

Apr. 12

SEWARD, Neb. – Each of the top three teams in the GPAC standings will be at Plum Creek Park this weekend as the Concordia University Baseball team hosts showdowns with Doane and Mount Marty. The anticipated matchups provide an opportunity for the Bulldogs to put behind a road trip that saw them drop each of the final three games this past weekend. Concordia split a doubleheader at Morningside before falling twice at Jamestown. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad now stands at 23-10-1 overall (12-4 GPAC). Doane holds a three-game lead over the Bulldogs. Saturday will be senior day for Concordia.

The seniors who will be honored in between games on Saturday are Nathan Buckallew, Keaton Candor, Noah Janssen, Thomas Otte, Shane Whittaker, Dresden Wilson and Andy Xapsos.

This Week

Friday, April 15 vs. Doane (26-7, 15-1 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats

Saturday, April 16 vs. Mount Marty (26-10, 11-5 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats

By the numbers

·        As of Tuesday, every team in the GPAC has played 16 conference games. The top three in the standings are Doane (15-1), Concordia (12-4) and Mount Marty (11-5) with Briar Cliff and Dordt (both 8-8) next in line. Friday’s matchup will feature two squads that shared the 2021 GPAC regular season title and then met in the conference tournament title game. The Bulldogs defeated the Tigers in the postseason championship matchup by a final of 7-2. Concordia is trying to remain the class of the conference. The Bulldogs won GPAC regular season titles in 2017 and 2019, would have been the favorite in the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign and then reigned supreme last spring by the time all was said and done.

·        Heading into this week, the Bulldogs comfortably lead the GPAC in many key offensive categories, including runs scored (334), home runs (64), walks (184), batting average (.348), on-base percentage (.466) and slugging percentage (.613). Six of the GPAC’s top eight hitters, in terms of on-base percentage, are from Concordia: Jaidan Quinn (.545), Alec Blakestad (.527), Ty Nekoliczak (.518), Jesse Garcia (.496), Jay Adams (.487) and Joey Grabanski (.486). The Bulldogs are the only team in the league to have four players with at least eight home runs: Quinn (12), Adams (11), Grabanski (nine) and Keaton Candor (eight).

·        The team’s pitching and defense was leakier last week than it has been most of the season. Concordia allowed a combined 29 runs over the three losses that closed this past weekend. Those results ballooned the team’s ERA to 5.09 for the season. Defensively, the Bulldogs would like to cut back on their average of 1.5 errors per game. Alex Johnson started the team’s 13-4 victory in game one last week at Morningside. He has established himself as Concordia’s top starting pitcher. He’s currently 5-0 with a 1.67 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 32.1 innings. Johnson has been stretched out more in recent starts. He’s pitched at least five innings in each of his last three outings.

·        Candor homered once this past weekend. It pushed his school record career homer total to 37. The outfielder from Merrill, Iowa, is also the program’s all-time record holder in RBIs (164), games played (199) and walks (101). His 149 runs scored are second to only Zak Goodrich (152). A career .320 hitter, Candor has notched 205 career hits, which ranks behind Goodrich (234) and Christian Meza (216) for No. 3 in school history. On the season, Candor is hitting .342 with seven doubles, eight home runs, 36 RBIs and a .607 slugging percentage.

·        A native of El Cajon, Calif., Garcia isn’t far behind Candor on the all-time home run list. In 157 career games, Garcia has collected 34 home runs, in addition to 129 runs scored, 38 doubles, 131 RBIs and 88 walks. His career batting average stands at .322. Garcia has moved up to No. 4 on the program’s career RBI list. Another of the program’s all-time best hitters, Garcia has twice been named Second Team All-GPAC.

·        The combination of Ben Berg and Tanner Tompkins has supplied the Bulldogs with a catching combination about as good as any in the NAIA. Tompkins keeps on sticking the ball. He’s hitting .416 with nine doubles, four home runs and 30 RBIs. Meanwhile, Berg is hitting .288 with six home runs and 20 RBIs. The Bulldogs have gotten both in the lineup in some games by putting Berg at first base. Berg and Tompkins both homered in the first game of the doubleheader at Jamestown.

·        The Bulldogs are 8-1 in their last nine games against Doane. They have also won four in a row and 12 of the past 13 matchups with Mount Marty. In addition, Concordia is 9-1 at home this season after going 13-3 at Plum Creek Park last season.

The opponents

Head Coach Josh Oltmans (sixth season) has done a tremendous job bringing Doane back to prominence. The Tigers went from 12-16 in conference play in 2019 (no GPAC games in 2020) to 21-7 in the league during last season’s co-GPAC championship season. The Tigers boast a prolific offense of their own, led by Joe Osborn. The sophomore outfielder is hitting .361 with 15 home runs, 43 RBIs and an .849 slugging percentage. In conference games only, the pitching staff owns a 2.79 ERA that leads the GPAC by a wide margin. Julian Vargas (5-1, 2.22 ERA) has been the team’s top starter while Thaniel Trumper (0.64 ERA in 28 IP) has been lights out in relief. Doane has moved all the way up to No. 9 in the NAIA’s latest national Bo Chip ratings.

Mount Marty’s offense will also provide a stiff challenge for Concordia pitchers. Catcher Billy Hancock is one of the league’s top hitters. He is batting .366 (.500 OBP/.821 SLG) with 12 home runs and 29 RBIs. As a team, the Lancers sport a .946 OPS and are averaging 7.0 runs per game. Now in his 18th season as head coach, Andy Bernatow has run a strong program. Last season, the Lancer skipper eclipsed 400 career wins. He was named the GPAC Coach of the Year in 2010 after leading the team to a GPAC regular season title and national tournament appearance. Mount Marty’s top four pitchers have each logged at least 40 innings. Myles Brown has been most dominant. He owns a 2.31 ERA while averaging 12.34 strikeouts per nine innings.

Next week

The final eight games of the regular season will all be on the road. That stretch begins with a four-game series at Dordt on April 22-23.

Fifth-year Buckallew redefined own identity in triumph over tribulation

Apr. 14

Nathan Buckallew has been on the mound for the final out in two of the most significant moments in Concordia University Baseball program history. He’ll always hold dear those memories of being chased down by catcher Ben Berg for celebratory bear hugs (or football form tackles?) after winning the GPAC tournament title and then an NAIA Opening Round championship. The hugs with parents Brian and Julie were a bit more emotional than usual on that memorable day, May 20, 2021.

At that point, Buckallew had to feel on top of the world as someone who had triumphed over his trials and tribulations. This was about more than winning any baseball game.

Says Buckallew, “I was going through rough times in the fall (of 2020), both with baseball and overall life in general. Once we won the conference championship and went on to win regionals, it was really emotional to share that moment with my teammates and parents – hugging them after both of those games. I thought about all the time I spent rehabbing and the hard work. It all came to fruition. In that moment it all kind of hit.”

Those types of feel-good moments are the reason why we love sports. After being sidelined for essentially the entirety of the 2019 and 2020 seasons, “Buck” (as his teammates call him) found his ‘why’ again. He had overcome Tommy John surgery, some mysterious shoulder issues and the ensuing self-doubt that had crept in. Those frustrations gave way to jubilation in the spring of 2021 when Buckallew served as the closer for the greatest team in the history of Concordia Baseball. In Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s seventh season, the Bulldogs won 42 games, captured GPAC regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the NAIA World Series.

As part of that campaign, Buckallew got his groove back and recorded a 2.22 ERA and seven saves in 28.1 innings. He was named an NAIA Academic All-American by CoSIDA and an Honorable Mention All-GPAC selection. All of those things came as a byproduct of Buckallew’s improved mental game and the realization that his baseball statistics would not define him. Somehow, Buckallew had found his peace.

Just a few months earlier, Buckallew was in a very different place. At perhaps his lowest point, in the fall semester of 2020, Buckallew paid a visit to Dupic’s office.

Explained Buckallew, “Baseball wasn’t going well and a couple other factors in my life weren’t going well. As everyone kind of feels sometimes where you question whether you’re good enough or not and going through self-confidence things – it was pretty hard. I remember walking into Dupic’s office and told him I was struggling with baseball and other things. He asked me what I seek validation from. It kind of hit home. I was watching an online church service from back home and the pastor was talking about always trying to achieve and seek your own validation through performance or your own work. I was always trying to seek validation from my performance as a baseball player or validation through what other people thought of me.”

It's hard to fault Buckallew for feeling such mental strife. In some ways, Buckallew’s identity truly was tied to baseball. He had won a state championship as a senior at Johnston High School in the Des Moines area and immediately became a key member of the Concordia bullpen as a freshman during the 2018 season. He made 12 appearances as a reliever in ’18 and may have expected a continuous straight line to stardom from there. That would not be the case.

Said Dupic, “Nathan reminded me a bit of myself. He was very driven coming out of high school and was part of a very successful program. He had very high aspirations and ran into some bumps in the road, particularly when he had Tommy John surgery. That’s a tough thing to come back from. There was a point where he was about 14 months out and he showed signs of being able to do good things, but he couldn’t quite find the consistency. I actually don’t remember the conversation (in the fall of 2020) very well. We’ve had that type of conversation with a lot of different kids. I think what makes Nate special is the way he can apply that information and take personal responsibility for what he needed to do. He took the mental stuff to another level. I think it was a big step for him. It was neat because it helped him as a baseball player but ultimately, it helped him as a person.”

Buckallew underwent Tommy John surgery in December 2018 and knew he would miss the entire 2019 season. He did not necessarily expect to be out in 2020. In that COVID-shortened ’20 campaign, Buckallew made two appearances on the mound before being shut down again. His season was over even before the pandemic brought the country to a standstill in mid-March.

Despite some of the mental struggles that Buckallew himself documented, he says he never considered throwing in the towel and quitting college baseball. Something told him he had more to experience. He was supposed to be part of the 2021 World Series qualifier. Beneath the surface of a team that pounded its way to program offensive records across the board, there was Buckallew, an integral piece of the pitching staff. The injuries were behind him.

Only those on the team and those close to Buckallew likely knew all of what he was feeling. Things came together at just the right time.

“I thought I re-tore my UCL (in 2020) so I had to shut down before COVID shut down the season,” Buckallew said. “I got another MRI on my elbow and the doctor said it was still structurally sound. It was one of those weird issues. I took some time off during COVID and used it as a time to build back core strength and arm strength. I started throwing again towards the end of the summer, building up into the fall. I wasn’t pitching great in the fall or winter. Then as spring hit, things clicked and I had a pretty good season.”

This was more like it for Buckallew, who came to Concordia because of a trust he had developed in Dupic. His head coach couldn’t do it for him, but he could help point Buckallew in the right direction. In turn, Buckallew came to trust himself. That kind of growth – and the relationships built at Concordia – will stick with him as he moves on and starts his job in Des Moines as an investment associate. Buckallew smiles at the thought of a sixth season. He does have another season of eligibility – but this spring will be the end.

Says Buckallew, “It was pretty transformational going through that. I realized that I don’t have to earn or achieve anything. I know that Jesus is going to love me the way that I am. That was foundational in a change in my attitude and approach. That was a big reason why I felt like I had success last year. I felt different mentally. I really didn’t feel pressure anymore. I was going to control my process, try my best and the outcomes were going to take care of themselves. It was pretty freeing knowing that I don’t have to achieve my way to anything. That’s why it was really emotional during those times.”

Johnson puts forth strong outing; Concordia beaten twice in pivotal GPAC doubleheader

Apr. 15

SEWARD, Neb. – Doane has been a team on a mission in 2022. After sharing the GPAC regular season title last season with the Concordia University Baseball program, the Tigers have opened up a four-game lead atop the GPAC standings at the conclusion of play on Friday (April 15). In action at Plum Creek Park, Doane edged the Bulldogs, 2-1, in the first game before winning the second in a rout, 9-2. On the bright side, Concordia got another strong start from righty pitcher Alex Johnson.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has dropped five in a row since beginning GPAC play at 12-1. Halfway through a pivotal weekend homestand, the Bulldogs sit at 23-12-1 overall (12-6 GPAC).

“The focus was on us today. I wanted to see how well we could play,” Dupic said. “I thought Alex Johnson did a really nice job competing. He didn’t have his breaking ball today, but he put us in a position to have a chance to win. I thought Caden Bugarske was a little bit better than the numbers show. There were some good things at times. We kind of let that first one slip away – a couple pitches got away. We were better defensively that first game. That was a really good sign. Second game we had a couple slip-ups. It was a tough day to hit for both teams with the wind blowing in. You have to be really clean. Doane has a good club.”

The bleachers were mostly full for game one on a day when the temperature hovered in the 40s. Behind its ace, Johnson, Concordia led the opener, 1-0, at the conclusion of five innings. It felt like the lead should have been at least a run or two greater. The Bulldogs failed to score in the third after a Keaton Candor double put men at second and third with one out (nine left on base for the game). Concordia cracked the scoreboard first when Ben Berg delivered an RBI single in the fourth.

Johnson was relieved by Shane Whittaker with one out and the bases loaded in the top of the sixth. Whittaker limited the damage to one run in that frame. Unfortunately, lack of control was an issue in the seventh when the go-ahead run came home on a wild pitch. Daniel Rivera got the final two outs of the half inning to keep Concordia within one. In the bottom half, Doane’s Thaniel Trumper worked around two walks and picked up the save, making a winner out of Jordan Wisner (6 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, BB, 6 K).

Game two eventually got away from the Bulldogs when they conceded three runs in the fifth, one in the sixth, two in the seventh and one in the eighth. The game had started inauspiciously when Andy Theiler led it off with a no-doubter of home run to right center. Bugarske worked the first 5.2 innings before giving way to Jackson Eaton (3.1 IP) out of the bullpen. Concordia’s two runs in game two were driven in by Jesse Garcia (bases-loaded walk) and Jay Adams (RBI double).

The pitching line for Johnson in game one read: 5.1 innings, three hits, one earned run, three walks and one strikeout. Statistically, the best pitching performance on either side came from the Tigers’ Julian Vargas, who threw seven shutout frames, allowing only two hits and two walks while recording nine strikeouts. Doane entered the weekend leading the GPAC in ERA during conference play by a wide margin.

The two losses meant the Bulldogs dropped back into third place in the GPAC behind Doane (17-1) and Mount Marty (13-5). The focus for Concordia is going to be on playing cleaner baseball (four errors in game two) while trying to get back into the win column on Saturday.

Said Dupic, “I didn’t view today as a day where we had to catch up in the standings. We just need to play better. We did that the first part of the first game but didn’t play as well as we needed to towards the back half. I’m hopeful we can take the positives from today and build on it for tomorrow. Let’s have a good day for our program and celebrate our seniors.”

Saturday’s first pitch from Plum Creek Park is slated for 1 p.m. CT against Mount Marty (28-10, 13-5 GPAC). The Lancers went on the road on Friday and took two from Hastings. In between games of the twin bill, the Bulldogs will honor a senior class that includes Nathan Buckallew, Keaton Candor, Noah Janssen, Thomas Otte, Shane Whittaker, Dresden Wilson and Andy Xapsos.

Gutierrez, Johnson fire gems as Bulldogs bounce back on senior day

Apr. 16

SEWARD, Neb. – On a second-straight day of chilly and breezy action from Plum Creek Park, the Concordia University Baseball team tightened up its pitching and defense and earned a much-needed doubleheader sweep of Mount Marty. The Bulldogs took both ends of Saturday (April 16)’s twin bill by scores of 4-1 while getting masterful starting pitching from Christian Gutierrez and Caden Johnson. In between contests, Concordia celebrated a group of seven seniors, including one of its all-time great hitters in Keaton Candor.

In terms of the GPAC standings, the two wins were significant in that Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad leapfrogged back in front of Mount Marty (28-12, 13-7 GPAC) for second place. The Bulldogs (25-12-1, 14-6 GPAC) aspire to finish as a top-two conference seed.

“The senior day ceremonies between games always make me a little bit reflective and you think back how everybody has a story,” Dupic said. “How that story brings them to Concordia is pretty neat. I’m glad that we were able to have a good day today and honor that situation. It was a couple good ballgames.

“They (Gutierrez and Johnson) mixed their pitches well and have the ability to throw secondary stuff for a strike. That made all the difference. Christian did an excellent job of that right away, kept them off balance and was able to work the changeup in there as well. Caden Johnson has been working really hard on one of his secondary pitches and it was much more effective today.”

Since the start of last season, the Bulldogs have become known as a powerful offense. But the weather conditions made it difficult to play long ball this weekend. That’s no problem when the pitching is this good. In game one, Gutierrez (La Mirada, Calif.) went all seven innings and allowed only one run on two hits and three walks while notching five strikeouts. The Lancers did not get on the board until there was one out in the seventh.

It took until the eighth inning of game two before Mount Marty crossed home plate. Johnson went 7.1 shutout innings and racked up nine strikeouts to go against only one walk (two hits allowed). The righty from Papillion, Neb., surrendered an infield single to start the game and gave up just one additional single the rest of his outing. Nathan Buckallew got the last two outs in the top of the eighth and Jacob Lycan came on to nail down the save in the ninth.

In that first contest, Concordia came up with two-first inning runs with the help of two walks, an error, a wild pitch and a double steal. Alec Blakestad provided some breathing room in the sixth when he belted a two-run homer to left. It was the only homer of the weekend for a Bulldog offense that had to find unique ways to score.

Concordia scored twice in game two via RBI sacrifice bunts, including one apiece from Ty Nekoliczak and Tanner Tompkins. Joey Grabanski and Jay Adams also knocked in one reach each with an RBI single. Every one of those at bats provided a big blow to Mount Marty, which managed only a combined six hits on the day. Ben Berg (2-for-6) and Jaidan Quinn (2-for-5) were the only Bulldogs to collect multiple hits on Saturday.

Concordia won’t complain. In sum, it was a successful senior day. As part of the festivities, Candor received a bat to commemorate his 200th career hit. Said Candor, “It was pretty special. Everybody’s families were here. My whole family was here. It just made it really special. Being around here for five years, I’ve grown very close with everybody. It’s a little hard, but there’s still a lot of baseball to play.”

If the weather warms and the Bulldogs can continue to prevent runs like this, they have the potential to make another postseason push. Said Dupic, “If our pitching and defense can be solid then we have a lot of belief and confidence. The thing I was pleased about offensively today is we did some different things – the double steal in the first game and we had some bunts to get guys home. It’s not something we’ve done a lot this year, but it’s nice to be able to reach into that bag when we have to.”

In addition to Candor, the senior class that was recognized on Saturday includes Buckallew, Noah Janssen, Thomas Otte, Shane Whittaker, Dresden Wilson and Andy Xapsos.

The final eight games of the regular season will all be on the road. Up next, the Bulldogs will be at Dordt (12-24, 8-12 GPAC) for a four-game series next weekend (April 22-23). First pitch is set for 4 p.m. CT on the first day and 1 p.m. on day two. Last season Concordia swept a four-game home set from the Defenders.

Closing road swing begins with four-game series at Dordt

Apr. 19

SEWARD, Neb. – With the regular season home slate in the books, the Concordia University Baseball team now directs its attention to a four-game series at Dordt. The Bulldogs have played 14 of their first 20 GPAC contests at Plum Creek Park, where they have gone 11-3 in 2022. This past weekend, Concordia dropped a pair of games to GPAC leading Doane before bouncing back with a doubleheader sweep of Mount Marty on senior day. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has moved to 25-12-1 overall (14-6 GPAC) with eight games remaining in the regular season.

This Week

Thursday, April 21 at Dordt (12-24, 8-12 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
-- Live Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2

Friday, April 22 at Dordt (12-24, 8-12 GPAC), 4 p.m. DH
 --Live Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2

By the numbers

·        It will be a challenge to catch Doane at the top of the league standings at this point. At 18-2 in the GPAC, the Tigers have opened up a four-game lead over Concordia (14-6), with Mount Marty (13-7) five back and Briar Cliff (12-8) six back. The official GPAC rankings this week are reflective of those standings as Doane moved to the No. 1 spot by itself with the Bulldogs at No. 2. Concordia hopes to at least hold onto the No. 2 spot and earn the right to hose one of the two four-team pods for the GPAC tournament. Under Dupic, Concordia garnered the league’s No. 1 seed in 2017, 2019 and 2021.

·        With the exception of the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the Bulldogs have reached at least 25 wins in each season under Dupic’s leadership. In his eight seasons, Dupic has compiled an overall record of 227-140-1. Since the start of the 2019 season, Concordia has produced a combined GPAC record of 60-18 – far and away the best of any team in the league (next best is Doane at 51-25). The Bulldogs have also enjoyed success in GPAC postseason play, reaching the championship game in 2017 and 2019 before winning it in 2021. In 2016, as Concordia was on the cusp of breaking through, it was one win away from getting to the GPAC title game.

·        In last week’s action, the Bulldogs felt like they let one get away in the 2-1 game one loss to Doane. The Tigers then won in a rout in game two, 9-2. Cold temperatures and a wind blowing in from center field played a role in limiting the powerful Concordia offense. The Bulldogs found ways to manufacture some runs in winning both ends of the doubleheader against Mount Marty by 4-1 scores. In game one versus the Lancers, Concordia came up with two-first inning runs with the help of two walks, an error, a wild pitch and a double steal. Alec Blakestad provided some breathing room in the sixth when he belted a two-run homer to left. It was the only homer of the weekend for the Bulldogs. Concordia scored twice in game two via RBI sacrifice bunts, including one apiece from Ty Nekoliczak and Tanner Tompkins. Joey Grabanski and Jay Adams also knocked in one reach each with an RBI single.

·        The pitching staff stepped up this past weekend and recorded a 2.53 ERA over the four games against Doane/Mount Marty. Particularly noteworthy were the efforts of Christian Gutierrez and Caden Johnson versus Mount Marty. In game one, Gutierrez threw all seven innings and allowed just one run on two hits and three walks to along with five strikeouts. In the second contest, Johnson did not concede a single run while covering 7.1 innings. He notched nine strikeouts and allowed only two hits and a walk. It was an encouraging sign for a pitching staff that had struggled a bit a week earlier in road doubleheaders at Morningside and Jamestown.

·        The offensive numbers took a bit of a hit over the weekend, but the Bulldogs remain the GPAC’s most potent offensive force. In conference games only, Concordia leads the league in runs scored (187), hits (206), home runs (37), walks (112), batting average (.335), on-base percentage (.462) and slugging percentage (.574). Blakestad was the only Bulldog to hit a homer last week and he happens to lead the GPAC (in conference games only) in batting average (.436) and on-base percentage (.544). Three Concordia players have hit exactly six home runs during conference play: Jay Adams, Ben Berg and Jaidan Quinn. A third baseman from Bonner Springs, Kan., Quinn continues to lead the team in overall home runs with 12. Adams is close behind with 11 while Grabanski has slugged nine blasts.

·        A native of Merrill, Iowa, Keaton Candor surpassed 200 career games played this past weekend. Over his career, he’s totaled 207 hits, 150 runs, 38 doubles, 37 home runs, 164 RBIs and 102 walks. He is the program’s all-time leader for games played, home runs, RBIs and walks. As part of senior day festivities, Candor was presented with a bat that commemorated his 200th hit. Only two others in program history have reached that mark: Zak Goodrich (234) and Christian Meza (216). On the season, Candor is hitting .321 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs to go along with a .435 on-base percentage and .565 slugging percentage.

The opponent

Currently tied for eighth place in the GPAC, Dordt has work to do in order to lock down a spot in the GPAC tournament over these next couple of weeks. Head Coach Nathan Bacon’s squad has dropped each of its last five league games and is coming off an 0-4 weekend that included two losses at both Morningside and Jamestown. The Defenders have a shot any time Gyeongju Kim is on the mound. He is the GPAC’s most dominant strikeout pitcher. Within league games, he’s averaged 15.61 strikeouts per nine innings and sports a 1.73 ERA (second only to Doane’s Julian Vargas). The team’s offense has been inconsistent, but Logan Cline (.430 BA, .514 OBP, .793 SLG) is enjoying an outstanding season.

Next week

The regular season will conclude over two days (April 29-30) in Sioux City, Iowa, where Concordia will play a four-game series with Briar Cliff. The GPAC tournament is slated to get started on May 5.

Bulldog pitchers shine, offensive firepower returns at Dordt

Apr. 21

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – The Concordia University Baseball team picked up two conference road wins Thursday (April. 21) against Dordt. Although the Bulldog offense only managed two hits in the first game, the defense and pitching shut down the Defenders in the 3-2 win. The offense got going in the second game, which Concordia won, 15-3. The Bulldogs got stellar starting pitching from the likes of Christian Gutirerrez and Caden Bugarske.

With the pair of wins, Concordia improves to 27-12-1. They move to 16-6 in the conference and are sitting in second place in the GPAC, behind only Doane (18-2 GPAC).

“We knew when they threw their ace it was going to be a pretty tight, competitive game (one),” Dupic said. “Fortunately we were able to scratch out a few runs in the first game. Jesse (Garcia) had a big hit for us and Joey (Grabanski) had a big swing to put us in the lead. Christian did a really nice job again mixing pitches and changing speeds. That was a big one for us.

“Game two we got another good start and Keaton (Candor)’s home run really loosened things up and gave us a little breathing room. We were able to get things going after that.”

Gutierrez got the start on the mound in game one and was lights out. Gutierrez went the full seven innings, only allowing five hits and two earned runs. He struck out nine while not allowing a single walk in the contest. He improved to 5-1 on the season. Caden Bugarske got the nod for game two and was just as impressive, going six innings allowing only three hits and one earned run. Bugarske struck out 10 and only walked two. He bumped to his record to 6-3 on the season.

Offensively, a Grabanski home run (that proved to be the game winner) and a two-RBI double by Garcia were the only hits for the Bulldogs in game one. The Bulldogs knew that offense would be at a premium while up against Gyeongju Kim, who entered the day averaging more than 15 strikeouts per nine innings. Kim surrendered only one earned run while striking out eight.

The stat sheet was full in game two as Concordia pushed across 15 runs on 14 hits and three walks. Grabanski added to his RBI total while going 3-for-4 in game two. He had four RBIs on the day. Garcia also picked up another RBI in the second game and finished with three doubles for the day. Ben Berg went 2-for-4 in the capper with a home run and two RBIs. Jacob Faulk blasted a three-run, pinch-hit homer. As mentioned by Dupic, Candor surfaced with a no-doubter three-run shot that moved the lead from 3-1 to 6-1 in the fifth inning of game two. The big fly marked his ninth this season and 38th career for Candor.

The Bulldogs showed again just how exceptional they can be when marrying all facets of the game together. Said Dupic, “I think we had two errors today – one on a pickoff and one on a ground ball – so we’re moving in the right direction defensively. We have pitched better lately, so that’s really encouraging to see. I always have faith in our offense. I always feel like our offense is going to come around when we get through the lineup multiple times.”

The Bulldogs will be back in action on Saturday (April 23) while aiming to pick up the series sweep of Dordt (12-26, 8-14 GPAC). First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m. CT from Sioux Center, Iowa. Only six games remain in the regular season. Games three and four of the series were moved to Saturday due to the possibility of inclement weather on Friday.

Candor homers three times, Tompkins drives in seven as Bulldogs complete four-game sweep

Apr. 23

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – After a one-day break between doubleheaders, the Concordia University Baseball team returned to Sioux Center, Iowa, and took care of business on a gusty Saturday (April 23) at the ballpark. The Bulldogs used the conditions to their advantage while homering eight times on the day in the process of earning wins over Dordt by scores of 9-2 and 14-5. Program all-time home run king Keaton Candor went deep three times on Saturday and Tanner Tompkins drove in seven runs in game one.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad swept the four-game series from the Defenders and moved to 29-12-1 overall (18-6 GPAC). Concordia is in the midst of playing its final eight regular season games on the road.

“It was kind of a weird weekend with moving the first games up to Thursday and then coming here Saturday,” Dupic said. “There were at least 30 and sometimes 40 mile-per-hour winds. At one point it was blowing out and then it was more of a crosswind towards right. By and large, we handled it well. On a day like today, you can’t give the other team extra opportunities with defensive mistakes or walks. We really needed to throw strikes – we did a pretty good job of that. We had some big swings obviously. We’re happy to get a couple wins and head home.”

As part of a five-hit, three-homer, six-RBI day, Candor became the program’s all-time leader in runs scored while padding his school records for games played, home runs and RBIs. He’s now the first player in program history to reach 40 career home runs. His first blast of the day came as part of a five-run seventh inning that put game one out of reach. Candor then left the yard in the first and third innings of game two, which Concordia led by an 11-1 score after three innings.

The big blows of game one were provided by Tompkins, who crushed a grand slam in the fourth (second this season) and then a three-run bomb in the seventh. In addition, Joey Grabanski homered twice on the day and Jay Adams led off game two with a four-bagger. At the close of the weekend, there is now a four-way tie for the team home run lead this season. Adams, Candor, Grabanski and Jaidan Quinn have each homered 12 times.

Four Bulldogs collected at least three hits on Saturday: Candor (5-for-10), Adams (4-for-9), Alec Blakestad (3-for-6) and Ty Nekoliczak (3-for-8). Blakestad also drew four walks while blazing a path down the first base line. In game two, Ben Berg doubled, tripled and knocked in two runs. In the four-game series as a whole, Candor went 7-for-16 with a double, four home runs and nine RBIs.

On the mound, Alex Johnson fired 6.1 innings in Saturday’s first game and racked up 11 strikeouts. He moved his record to 6-0 while allowing just one earned run on five hits and three walks. Daniel Rivera got the final two outs to seal the third win of the series. In game two, Caden Johnson worked 5.1 innings, surrendering five runs (three earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out six. Relivers Darrell Kundinger, Nathan Buckallew and Jacob Lycan were then called upon.

Dordt (12-28, 8-16 GPAC) is in a fight to try to get into the top eight of the GPAC standings. Star Defender shortstop Logan Cline homered in game two. Dordt made things a bit interesting in the second contest when it chipped the 11-1 deficit to 11-5. Concordia ended any hope of a rally by putting up one run in the eighth and two in the ninth.

The Bulldogs will close out the regular season next weekend (April 29-30) with a four-game series at Briar Cliff (25-15, 13-9 GPAC). The Chargers split a doubleheader at Mount Marty on Saturday in a matchup between the conference’s current third and fourth place teams. Those two sides will square off again on Sunday. Concordia is two games in front (in the loss column) of the Lancers (14-8 GPAC) in the race for the No. 2 spot in the league. The top two teams in the final standings are rewarded with the chance to host separate four-team pods in the GPAC tournament.

Record-breaking Candor honored as GPAC Player of the Week

Apr. 26

SEWARD, Neb. – A monster weekend in a four-game series sweep of Dordt has resulted in Concordia University Baseball standout Keaton Candor being recognized as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Player of the Week, as announced by the league on Tuesday (April 26). As a another show of the Bulldogs’ impressive offensive firepower, the announcement marks the fifth GPAC Player of the Week award this season for a Concordia position player. Candor joins Joey Grabanski (March 15 and 22), Alec Blakestad (March 29) and Jaidan Quinn (April 5) as Bulldogs to garner the weekly honor in 2022.

A native of Merrill, Iowa, Candor burned Defender pitching last week while going 7-for-16 (.438) with five runs, a double, four home runs and nine RBIs. The Concordia right fielder slugged 1.250 over the course of the series. On April 23, Candor became the program’s all-time runs leader when he surpassed previous standard bearer Zak Goodrich. On the season, Candor is hitting .333 with nine doubles, 12 home runs, 45 RBIs, a .438 on-base percentage and a .639 slugging percentage.

Candor also owns program career records for games played (207), runs scored (155), home runs (41), RBIs (173) and walks (102). He is the first player in the history of Concordia Baseball to reach 40 home runs for a career. His 214 hits rank behind only Goodrich (234) and Christian Meza (216) in school history.

The Bulldogs (29-12-1, 18-6 GPAC) will conclude the GPAC regular season this weekend with a four-game set at Briar Cliff. First pitches for the doubleheaders in Sioux City, Iowa, are slated for 1 p.m. CT on Friday and for 12 p.m. on Saturday.

Bulldogs hope to lock up GPAC's No. 2 seed in final week of regular season

Apr. 26

SEWARD, Neb. – For the Concordia University Baseball team, an automatic bid to the national tournament will have to wait. However, the Bulldogs still have hopes of claiming the No. 2 seed in the GPAC tournament and the right to host one of the league's two four-team pods. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is coming off a four-game series sweep of Dordt. The road swing to close the regular season will continue this Thursday-Friday with four contests at Briar Cliff. The Bulldogs stand at 29-12-1 overall (18-6 GPAC) and reside in second place in the GPAC standings.

This Week

Thursday, April 28 at Briar Cliff (25-15, 13-9 GPAC), 11 a.m. DH
 --Live Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2

Friday, April 29 at Briar Cliff (25-15, 13-9 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2

By the numbers

·        On the strength of a six-game win streak, Concordia has put itself in a strong position to be one of the two hosts for the GPAC tournament. The streak began with two home wins over Mount Marty and continued last week with a dominant series sweep of Dordt. The Bulldogs defeated the Defenders by scores of 3-2, 15-3, 9-2 and 14-5. Over the four games combined, Concordia outscored Dordt, 41-12, and outhomered Dordt, 12-4. At 18-6 in the GPAC, the Bulldogs entered Tuesday four games behind first-place Doane (22-2 GPAC) and two games in the loss column in front of Mount Marty (14-8 GPAC).

·        Right fielder Keaton Candor was recognized as the GPAC Player of the Week following a monster series at Dordt. Over the four-game set, Candor went 7-for-16 (.438) with five runs, a double, four home runs, nine RBIs and a 1.250 slugging percentage. The native of Merrill, Iowa, passed Zak Goodrich (152 runs) on the career runs scored list last week and now has 155 runs. Candor also owns program career records for games played (207), home runs (41), RBIs (173) and walks (102). On the season, Candor has notched 12 home runs and 45 RBIs while approaching the career highs he posted last season – 13 home runs and 50 RBIs.

·        The offense gets plenty of well-deserved attention, but the pitching staff has played a key role in the active six-game win streak. Over the six games, Concordia has an ERA of 2.15 with 59 strikeouts and just 11 walks in 46 innings. Bulldog pitchers have held opposing hitters to a .189 batting average during that stretch. Christian Gutierrez has made two starts during the streak and is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 14 innings (two complete games). Of the 46 innings pitched as a staff, the starters have covered all but seven innings.

·        The ace of the pitching staff has been sophomore right-hander Alex Johnson, who still has yet to allow more than two earned runs in any of his 10 appearances this season. In his start at Dordt, Johnson racked up a season high 11 strikeouts (one off a career high) in 6.1 innings. The Olathe, Kan., native held the Defenders to one earned run on five hits and three walks. On the season, Johnson is 6-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 44 innings. After being used carefully early in the campaign (in terms of workload), Johnson has gone at least five innings in each of his last five starts.

·        The Bulldogs used the gusty conditions at Dordt to their advantage last week. Six different Concordia hitters contributed to the home run total of 12 at Dordt: Candor (four), Joey Grabanski (three), Tanner Tompkins (two), Jay Adams (one), Ben Berg (one) and Jakob Faulk (one). The chase for the team season home run lead has intensified. There’s currently a four-way tie between Adams, Candor, Grabanski and Jaidan Quinn, all of whom have gone deep 12 times in 2022. The 2022 team has also begun to creep up on the school record of 90 home runs in a season by the 2021 NAIA World Series qualifying squad. The ’22 team has homered 77 times.

·        With one more victory, Concordia will reach 30 overall wins for the fourth time in seven full seasons during Dupic’s tenure (the 2020 campaign was limited to 21 games due to the COVID-19 shutdown). In each of those seven seasons, the Bulldogs have at least hit the 25-win mark. Prior to Dupic’s arrival, Concordia had reached 25 wins only once in program history. Overall, Dupic sports a career coaching record of 231-140-1. He’s gone 115-61 within conference play. The resume also includes four total GPAC championships (three regular season, one postseason), three national tournaments and an NAIA World Series appearance.

The opponent

Briar Cliff was getting set to take on Mount Marty in a doubleheader on Tuesday. Mathematically, the Chargers could still place as high as second in the GPAC standings. The biggest standouts for Head Coach Corby McGlauflin’s squad include slugger Cam Riemer (.347 BA, 11 HR, .729 SLG) and pitcher Jacob Wesselmann (3-5, 3.44 ERA, 10.15 K/9). Within conference games, Briar Cliff sports GPAC rankings of sixth in runs scored per game (5.4) and fifth in ERA (5.23). During the 2021 season, the Bulldogs won five of six matchups over the Chargers.

GPAC Tournament

Pod play at the GPAC tournament will run May 5-7 with the top two seeds serving as the host teams. The conference tournament championship game is set for May 10. Concordia is aiming to host pod play for the third year in a row and for the fourth time in five seasons.

Bulldogs split at Briar Cliff, notch 30th win of 2022

Apr. 28

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Other than a rough first inning of game one, Concordia University Baseball put together a solid day in a doubleheader split at Briar Cliff on Thursday (April 28). The Bulldog rally from four runs down in game one came up short in a 5-4 loss before Concordia rebounded with an 8-3 victory in game two. Four Bulldogs left the premises at Bishop Mueller Field with a home run apiece: Alec Blakestad and Joey Grabanksi in game one and Jesse Garcia and Tanner Tompkins in game two.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad needs one more victory to sew up the No. 2 seed for next week’s GPAC tournament. Concordia moved its season record to 30-13-1 (19-7 GPAC), marking the fourth time the program has reached the 30-win mark under Dupic.

“We’re still finding ourselves in certain aspects, but our guys have done a pretty good job,” Dupic said. “I think they really enjoy being around each other, so I’m very grateful for that. Hopefully we can keep that ride going as we continue the back stretch of the season …there were a couple situations where a hit here or there would have gotten that thing tied (in game one), but we couldn’t come all the way back. The second game we jumped on top and Caden Johnson threw the ball well for us. Pretty good job all in all.”

In that first contest, the Chargers (26-18, 14-12 GPAC) got four of their five runs in the first inning off Bulldog ace Alex Johnson. Briar Cliff then went scoreless over the next three frames as Johnson settled in and Nathan Buckallew (1.2 scoreless innings in relief) gave Concordia a chance to rally.

All of the Concordia run scoring in game one came via the long ball. Blakestad delivered a two-run shot in the fourth and Grabanski supplied a two-run blast of his own in the seventh. Blakestad collected three of the team’s seven hits in game one. Briar Cliff starter Brett Sitzman picked up the win while striking out eight in five innings of work.

The offensive attack was more consistent in game two for the Bulldogs, who immediately raced out to a 3-0 advantage thanks to one swing of the bat from Garcia. The native of El Cajon, Calif., mashed a three-run shot (35th career homer) in the top of the first. Then in the third, Grabanski singled home a run and Ben Berg doubled in two more. Concordia’s commanding lead grew to 8-0 with Tompkins’ two run homer in the fifth. The Chargers finally got on the board with three runs in the bottom of the seventh.

On the mound, Caden Johnson fired six shutout innings while allowing four hits and three walks. The Papillion, Neb., native also recorded three strikeouts in the process of pushing his record to 6-1 and lowering his season ERA to 2.98. Alex Johnson is also 6-1 after enduring his first defeat of 2022.

Five Bulldogs rapped out multiple hits in the victory: Berg (3-for-4), Garcia (2-for-3), Jay Adams (2-for-4), Jaidan Quinn (2-for-4) and Grabanski (2-for-4). Berg, Garcia and Tompkins combined to drive in seven of the eight runs.

Concordia and Briar Cliff will be back at Bishop Mueller Field on Friday to complete the four-game series. First pitch is slated for 10 a.m. CT. The game time was moved up in hopes of getting the two contests played before potential inclement weather arrives in Sioux City. It will be the final day of the regular season for the Bulldogs.

G1 - BCU 5, CUNE 4

G2 - CUNE 8, BCU 3

 

Gutierrez shines, Quinn homers twice as Bulldogs split regular season's final doubleheader

Apr. 29

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Concordia University Baseball team split its final regular season doubleheader of the year on Friday (April 29) while on the road at Briar Cliff. The first game was a low-scoring pitcher’s duel where two RBIs from senior Keaton Candor were all the Bulldogs needed in the 2-1 victory. The Briar Cliff offense came alive in game two, putting up eight runs which, proving too much for Concordia to overcome in an 8-4 defeat.

Head Coach Ryan Dupics's squad finishes up the regular season at 31-14-1. Their conference record of 20-8 was enough for the Bulldogs secure the No. 2 seed in the GPAC tournament, which begins next week.

“I’m glad we got the two seed,” Dupic said. “From a percentage basis, it puts us in a better possible position to make the national tournament. I’m glad we’re able to be at home for the conference tournament. Our team has seen some real highs at times this year and we’re looking forward to postseason play. I think we’re getting a little bit closer in terms of playing at our best. We sometimes have an inning here or there that gets away from us, but we’re ready for postseason play.”

Freshman Christian Gutierrez threw a gem in the first game of the day. He almost went the distance, throwing 6.2 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run. Gutierrez struck out four in the outing. He now moved to 6-1 on the season. Jacob Lycan came onto record the final out of the ballgame and picked up the save.

Candor provided most of the offense for the Bulldogs in game one with a solo home run and an RBI single. Candor had three hits in the game. The native of Merrill, Iowa, now owns the second most hits in program history with 219. Jayden Adams had four hits on the day, including an RBI in game two. Jaidan Quinn enjoyed a three-hit day that included his team-leading 13th and 14th home runs of the season. Ben Berg picked up an RBI on a double in the second game.

Caden Bugarske got the start for game two. He went five innings while only allowing three hits and two earned runs. He struck out seven and only walked one. Darrell Kundinger came on in relief and allowed five earned runs. Dan Rivera put in 2.2 innings of relief work, only allowing one earned run. Kundinger was charged with the loss.

Said Dupic, “We’ll figure out our roster first (for the postseason). This weekend will be a nice opportunity for us to recharge physically and get ourselves feeling well. We have a couple guys we have to check on. It’ll be a good chance to regroup and then get back at it on Monday and see what we need to work on for a couple days.”

Briar Cliff finished the regular season at 27-19 overall (15-13 GPAC). The Chargers got two solid starts on Friday. Ace Jacob Wesselman was tagged with a loss despite allowing just two runs in a seven-inning complete game. The Chargers will be the No. 6 seed in the GPAC tournament.

Concordia will now get set to host one of the two GPAC tournament pods. Pod play will run May 5-7. The winner of the pod will move on to play in the GPAC Championship game which will be hosted by the highest remaining seed. The championship game will be played on May 10.

2022 Concordia Bracket Preview and Tournament Info

May 3

SEWARD, Neb. – For the third-straight season and for the fourth time in the past five seasons, the Concordia University Baseball program will host one of two four-team pods of the GPAC tournament. As the No. 2 seed, the Bulldogs will welcome third-seeded Mount Marty, sixth-seeded Briar Cliff and seventh-seeded Northwestern to Plum Creek Park in Seward. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s program is the reigning GPAC postseason champion. Play will get underway on Saturday with four games. The action was twice postponed due to persistent rain and wet field conditions.

2022 GPAC Tournament – Concordia Bracket
--Full Bracket

May 7, 9 | Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)
--Live Webcasts/Stats (available for all games with a cost of $10/day)

Saturday, May 7
Game 1 – (3) Mount Marty vs. (6) Briar Cliff, 11 a.m.
Game 2 – (2) Concordia vs. (7) Northwestern, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3 – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 4 p.m.
Game 4 – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, May 9
Game 5 – Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser, 12 p.m.
Game 6 – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser, 5 p.m. (if necessary)

Admission: Admission is $10 for adults/senior citizens and $3 for K-12. Only those with NAIA passes and GPAC student ID’s will be admitted free of charge.

By the numbers

·        Concordia has earned the GPAC’s No. 2 seed after putting together a 20-8 record within conference play. Excluding 2020 when no postseason was held due to COVID-19, the Bulldogs are set to host a GPAC tournament pod for the third-straight season and for the fourth time in five seasons. In each of the previous three instances as a bracket host, Concordia has made it through to the GPAC tournament final. The Bulldogs finished as the conference postseason runner up in 2017 and 2019 and then won the GPAC tournament title in 2021. It marked the first conference tournament championship in program history.

·        During Dupic’s tenure (2015 season to the present), Concordia has been the GPAC’s premier program. Consider that in that stretch, the Bulldogs lead all GPAC baseball programs in overall wins (233), GPAC regular season wins (117), overall winning percentage (.621), conference winning percentage (.650) and total GPAC championships (four). In addition to the 2021 conference tournament title, Concordia seized GPAC regular season crowns in 2017, 2019 and 2021. Prior to Dupic’s arrival, the program had not won a conference championship since 1986. In 2015, the program ended a drought without a winning overall record that had lasted since 1979.

·        One of the program’s all-time greats, Keaton Candor continues to pad his career totals as his college career starts to wind down. Last week, he passed Christian Meza for No. 2 on the program’s all-time hits list with 219. Candor has begun to creep up on the school record of 234 hits by Zak Goodrich. Candor is the program career record holder for games played (211), runs scored (159), home runs (42), RBIs (175) and walks (104). On the season, Candor has produced a .338 batting average with 13 home runs and 47 RBIs. He’s tied a career high for most homers in a single season and needs four more RBIs for a career high in that category.

·        The chase for the team home run lead remains tight heading into the postseason. Jaidan Quinn took over the lead this past week while running his season total to 14. Hot on his heels are Candor (13), Joey Grabanski (13) and Jay Adams (12). It’s been a fine first season in Bulldog blue for Quinn, who sports an otherworldly OPS (on-base + slugging) of 1.248. Quinn is the team leader in on-base percentage (.517) and slugging percentage (.731). A native of Bonner Springs, Kan., Quinn transferred to Concordia after one year at Wabash Valley College. After batting seventh in the order for much of this season, Quinn has recently been moved up to the No. 2 spot.

·        The offense commands a lot of attention with the particularly gaudy numbers it has produced in 2021 and 2022, but the pitching staff played a major role in Concordia going 8-2 in its final 10 games of the regular season. As of late, La Mirada, Calif., native Christian Gutierrez has had the hot hand. In last week’s four-game series at Briar Cliff, Gutierrez threw 6.2 innings and allowed only one run on three hits (no walks) while striking out four. Over his last three starts, Gutierrez has surrendered just four total runs in 20.2 innings (two complete games).

·        Interestingly, each of the Bulldogs’ main four starting pitchers have collected exactly six wins apiece. That group includes Alex Johnson (6-1, 2.23 ERA), Caden Johnson (6-1, 2.98 ERA), Gutierrez (6-1, 4.53 ERA) and Caden Bugarske (6-3, 4.58 ERA). Strong pitching over the past few weeks has lowered Concordia’s team ERA within conference play to 4.58 (No. 3 in the GPAC). In conference games only, the Bulldog offense led the league in home runs (56), walks (142), on-base percentage (.447) and slugging percentage (.583) while ranking second in both runs scored (246) and batting average (.328). Overall this season, the Concordia offense has accumulated 84 home runs (six shy of the school record set in 2021).

Concordia Bracket opponents

(3) Mount Marty (35-14, 19-9 GPAC) – The Lancers enter postseason play having split a doubleheader at Midland on Tuesday. Mount Marty slots into the No. 3 seed in the GPAC for the second year in a row. Head Coach Andy Bernatow’s squad mixes a nice balance between pitching and hitting. During GPAC regular season play, the Lancers ranked second in the GPAC in ERA (3.79) and fourth in the conference in runs scored (178). Catcher Billy Hancock stands out as one of the top players in the GPAC. He’s hitting .358 with a .476 on-base percentage and .768 slugging percentage. The team’s top pitchers have been Clayton Chipchase (6-3, 2.37 ERA) and Myles Brown (6-2, 2.48 ERA). Mount Marty’s one GPAC tournament title came in 2012. It also won the conference regular season championship in 2010.

(6) Briar Cliff (27-19, 15-13 GPAC) – The Chargers are back in the Concordia Bracket for the second year in a row. Briar Cliff went 15-13 in conference play in both 2021 and 2022 while under the direction of Head Coach Corby McGlauflin. The Chargers and Bulldogs split a four-game series last week as the regular season concluded. Briar Cliff ranks near the middle of the GPAC pack within league play in runs scored (sixth) and ERA (sixth). Jacob Wesselmann (3.34 ERA, 64 K in 59.1 IP) heads a solid starting staff. Meanwhile, freshman Cam Riemer has been an impact newcomer while hitting 11 homers and slugging .669 on the season. The Charger program is one of the few in the GPAC that has ever reached the NAIA World Series. Briar Cliff accomplished that feat in 2005.

(7) Northwestern (20-25, 12-16 GPAC) – The Red Raiders will return to Seward after playing a four-game series at Plum Creek Park in late March (three of four won by Concordia). Northwestern is one of only two teams in the GPAC to win a game over the conference’s top two seeds during the regular season. Head Coach Brian Wede led the program to a sweep of GPAC regular season and postseason titles in 2018 when it also appeared in the opening round of the national tournament. A notable absence from the 2022 postseason roster is standout Kip Cullinan, who has not played since April 2. During league games, the Red Raiders posted a team ERA of 5.30 and averaged 5.0 runs per game.

GPAC Championship Game

The winners that emerge from the Concordia and Doane Brackets will meet in a winner-take-all GPAC championship game on Tuesday, May 10 (time TBA). The highest remaining seed will host the title game. The tournament champion earns on automatic bid to the national tournament. As the regular season champion, Doane has locked up one of the league’s two automatic bids to nationals. If Doane happens to win the postseason title as well, the second bid would go to the Bulldogs as the regular season runner up.

UPDATE: Start of Concordia Bracket delayed until Saturday

May 6

GPAC Baseball Tournament games scheduled for the Concordia Bracket on Friday (May 6) have been postponed. The adjustment was made to allow for Plum Creek Park to dry out from persistent rain over the past week. Below is the most updated schedule for the Concordia Bracket portion of the GPAC Tournament. Due to the changes, all games will be seven innings.

For a tournament preview, click HERE.

2022 GPAC Tournament – Concordia Bracket
--Full Bracket

May 7, 9 | Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)
--Live Webcasts/Stats (available for all games with a cost of $10/day)

Saturday, May 7
Game 1 – (3) Mount Marty vs. (6) Briar Cliff, 11 a.m.
Game 2 – (2) Concordia vs. (7) Northwestern, 1:30 p.m.
Game 3 – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 4 p.m.
Game 4 – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, May 9
Game 5 – Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser, 12 p.m.
Game 6 – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser, 5 p.m. (if necessary)

Bulldogs split pair of GPAC tourney nail-biters, stay alive in conference bracket

May 8

SEWARD, Neb. – Both games were well in doubt all the way until the final out was recorded as the Concordia University Baseball team finally got going with GPAC tournament action on Friday (May 7). The second-seeded Bulldogs were defeated in nine innings, 5-4, by seventh-seeded Northwestern before the home team came back to edge third-seeded Mount Marty, 7-5, in the night cap. In all, there were four games played Saturday at Plum Creek Park in Seward as part of the GPAC tournament’s Concordia Bracket.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad faced GPAC postseason elimination in its second game of the day and will do so again when the tournament resumes on Monday. The complete schedule and results for the Concordia bracket are show at the bottom of this release. The Bulldogs are now 32-15-1 overall.

“I thought we played pretty well in both games,” Dupic said. “The first game was just a really good college baseball game. Both teams competed very well and played well. I really wasn’t disappointed – I was just disappointed in the outcome. In the second too – Mount Marty’s a really good team. They had such a good year. It’s a tough game fighting to stay in it. I have a lot of respect for how good of a season they’ve had. I thought the guy’s hung with it. I was really proud of us to come back from 4-0 down and staying with a couple tough things. The guys did a good job.”

After facing that 4-0 deficit in the middle of the third inning versus Mount Marty, the Concordia bats came to life. There were some catchable balls that landed in the outfield during the bottom of the third – and the Bulldogs capitalized. Four-straight Concordia batters delivered an RBI hit – Jesse Garcia (double), Keaton Candor (single), Jaidan Quinn (double) and Ben Berg (single). Tanner Tompkins also drove home the go-ahead run with a ground out.

The Lancers (35-16) couldn’t quite escape the bottom of the sixth. With the score tied 5-5 and two outs, Jakob Faulk blooped a double to center that scored Ty Nekoliczak. Jay Adams tacked onto the lead by lacing an RBI single to left. Those two runs held up in the seventh as starter Caden Johnson got the first two outs and Nathan Buckallew got the last one on a grounder to short. Johnson worked 6.2 innings and moved his record to 7-1 this season.

Northwestern (22-25) has put itself in the driver's seat in the Concordia Bracket by going 2-0 on Saturday. All games were scheduled to go seven innings, but the Bulldog-Red Raider matchup needed nine to decide a winner. In the top of the ninth, Mason Porepp supplied a sac fly that broke the 4-4 tie. In the proceeding half inning, Concordia put a runner on second with one out, but Northwestern reliever Ryan Reynolds got Adams and Candor to ground out and seal the game. The Red Raiders went on to beat Briar Cliff, 9-3, in their next game.

For the Bulldog lineup, no one took better swings on Saturday than Jesse Garcia. He went 4-for-6 with three runs, a double, a home run and two RBIs for the day. Joey Grabanski also homered against the Red Raiders. Grabanski would have had two homers if not for a no-doubter early in that same game being ruled to have hooked foul down the left field line.

Alex Johnson got the ball on the mound in the first game and went four innings before being relieved by Daniel Rivera and Jacob Lycan. For the day, Concordia pitching allowed 10 runs on 18 hits and seven walks in 16 innings.

The Bulldogs hope to get another shot at Northwestern in the bracket, but they will first have to get past Briar Cliff (28-20) in a 12 p.m. CT game on Monday (May 9). The winner of that contest will then have to defeat the Red Raiders twice in order to reach the GPAC Championship Game.

Said Dupic, “We’ll try to be prepared to go get the first one. I think our pitching is okay. We got 6.2 out of Caden. We got multiple innings out of our relievers (versus Northwestern), but I think those guys should be good for Monday. We just have to go play.”

Concordia Bracket | GPAC Tournament

Saturday, May 7
Game 1 – (6) Briar Cliff 7, (3) Mount Marty 6
Game 2 – (7) Northwestern 5, (2) Concordia 4 | 9 inn.
Game 3 – (7) Northwestern 9, (6) Briar Cliff 3
Game 4 – (2) Concordia 7, (3) Mount Marty 5

Monday, May 9
Game 5 – (2) Concordia vs. (6) Briar Cliff, 12 p.m.
Game 6 – (7) Northwestern vs. Concordia/Briar Cliff winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7 – If necessary, 5 p.m.

Adams walk-off sends Dawgs to GPAC Championship Game, caps three-win day

May 9

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Baseball team had reached the GPAC Championship Game three times before, but never like this. After a loss to begin the 2022 conference tournament – and due to the reconfiguration of the schedule – the Bulldogs needed to win three times on Monday (May 9) in order to reach the title game. Behind a monstrous 10-hit day from Jay Adams, Concordia did just that. The Bulldogs ended a muggy spring night at Plum Creek Park with a walk-off celebration near first base.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad earned a win on Monday over Briar Cliff, 25-6, and then two over Northwestern, 20-10 and 5-4. The Red Raiders had entered the day in the driver’s seat of the Concordia Bracket, but it would have been foolish to count out the powerful Bulldogs (35-14-1).

“It took a lot of gutsy performances by a lot of guys,” Dupic said. “The first thing you have to start with is we scored 50 runs in three games and did that in 21 innings. We were able to put so much pressure on people offensively that it allowed us to do some things and make some good decisions. We got some gutsy performances out of Christian Gutierrez and Caden Bugarske. They pitched deep into the game to allow us to have some bullpen options available for the last game. We had guys step up like Alec Blakestad and Shane Whittaker – we have some guys playing hurt and just pushing through.”

The pride of Waverly, Neb., Adams won’t ever forget this day. It started with him belting a home run in each of his first three at bats and concluded with him driving in the walk-off run in the bottom of the seventh of the nail-biting finale with Northwestern. Adams and company effectively completed a comeback from a 4-0 deficit in the winner-take-all Concordia Bracket battle. Fittingly, Adams began the rally with a two-run homer (fourth blast of the day) in the third inning.

Only the eye-popping numbers by Adams could make the team’s total home run output for the day something of a footnote. The hot and breezy conditions on Monday perfectly suited the Bulldogs’ thunderous lineup. In the process of breaking the school record for home runs in a single season (now at an even 100), Concordia went deep 14 times on the day. In addition to four blasts from Adams, Keaton Candor and Joey Grabanski slugged three homers apiece while Jakob Faulk, Jesse Garcia, Teyt Johnson and Jaidan Quinn left the yard once apiece.

Said Adams, “It was do-or-die today and we came out together and fought for each other. It really showed. We just gave it to the next guy – that’s really all we did today. It seemed to work out pretty well for us.”

Adams went 6-for-6 with six runs, three home runs a double and eight RBIs in the demolition of Briar Cliff. Adams tied a program single game record for home runs while breaking school standards for hits and runs scored. As a team, the Bulldogs pounded out 22 hits and took six walks versus the Chargers. The team’s nine homers in that contest set a new school record for one game. All six Briar Cliff pitchers who saw action allowed at least three hits.

It wasn’t just Adams. On the day, Grabanski went 5-for-10 with three homers and 10 RBIs. Garcia went 6-for-13 with a homer and four RBIs. Candor went 5-for-13 with three blasts and eight RBIs. By day’s end, Candor pushed his career homer total to 45. One of his hits was a grand slam that provided plenty of breathing room in the first matchup with Northwestern. The Red Raiders (22-26) had clawed back within 11-10 after trailing 10-0. Concordia responded with a nine-run top of the seventh.

In the day’s first game, Gutierrez tossed all seven innings and got the win. Bugarske then went 5.2 innings in the second game and also picked up a victory. In the capper, Nathan Buckallew and Jacob Lycan were the stars on the mound. Buckallew helped save the Bulldogs’ bacon with 4.1 shutout innings of relief. Lycan then got the final four outs and was credited with the win.

There were plenty of other noteworthy plays and performances. Never an easy out near the bottom of the Concordia lineup, Ty Nekoliczak led off the bottom of the seventh of the final game by being hit by the pitch. He moved to second on Tanner Tompkins’ sac bunt and then aggressively took third on a ball in the dirt. With the Northwestern infield drawn in, Adams clinched another run to the GPAC title game.

“We did a great job of just staying with things,” Dupic said. “I didn’t really sense that anyone was getting too into their own head about it, which I really appreciated. The closer for Northwestern (Colton Schuchart) is outstanding – he’s an exceptional pitcher. He did a really good job, and we really had to scratch and claw for that. I thought our guys really battled and competed.”

Next up is the GPAC Championship Game. As the No. 2 seed, Concordia will host fifth-seeded Jamestown (28-22) with first pitch set for 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday (May 10). Below is a quick rundown on the title matchup. The prize for winning the game will be an automatic berth in the NAIA national tournament.

2022 GPAC Baseball Championship Game

(5) Jamestown at (2) Concordia
Tuesday, May 10 | 6 p.m. CT | Plum Creek Park
--Live Webcast | Live Stats
Admission: Admission is $10 for adults/senior citizens and $3 for K-12. Only those with NAIA passes and GPAC student ID’s will be admitted free of charge.

By the numbers

·        The Bulldogs have advanced to the GPAC Championship Game for the fourth time in program history. The three prior appearances came in 2017, 2019 and 2021. Below are the results of those championship games. Concordia and Jamestown also met in the title game in 2019.

o   2017 – Midland 5, Concordia 3 (Seward)

o   2019 – Jamestown 3, Concordia 0 (Yankton, S.D.)

o   2021 – Concordia 7, Doane 2 (Seward)

·        Not even the NAIA World Series qualifying Bulldog squad of 2021 pounded more homers than this 2022 edition. Concordia entered Monday with 86 homers for the season and ended it at 100. The ’21 team produced 90 homers as part of a 42-win season.

·        The team home run chase of 2022 is still a four-horse race between Joey Grabanski (17), Jay Adams (16), Keaton Candor (16) and Jaidan Quinn (15). With 17 homers, Grabanski has equaled his program single-season record set in 2021. In addition, Grabanski and Adams now both have 60 RBIs in 2022. That ties another program record held by Grabanski (2021).

·        Adams went 10-for-16 with nine runs, a double, four homers and 11 RBIs on Monday. He’s now broken his own program record in a single season for hits with 78. Adams’ previous record of 76 was set last season in 2021. On the season, Adams is hitting .396 with 61 runs, 14 doubles, 16 home runs, 60 RBIs, a .472 on-base percentage and .711 slugging percentage.

·        Concordia will have to be creative with its pitching staff on Tuesday. The Bulldogs have burned their four main starting hurlers over the past few days – Alex Johnson, Caden Johnson, Christian Gutierrez and Caden Bugarske (in that order). Shane Whittaker got the start in the final game on Monday before giving way to the bullpen.

·        Jamestown emerged as the winner of the Doane Bracket while claiming GPAC tournament victories over Morningside, 8-2, Doane, 5-2, and Doane, 13-6, (again). Doane has already earned an automatic bid to nationals by way of winning the GPAC regular season title. The Jimmies have yet to win the conference regular season championship since joining the GPAC (first season in 2019), but they now have their sights set on a second GPAC tournament title. Now in his 23rd season as head coach, Tom Hager has won more than 750 games at the helm of the Jimmies.

 

Adams delivers again as Bulldogs repeat as GPAC tournament champions

May 11

SEWARD, Neb. – The Bulldogs had just the right man at the plate at just the right time. The blowtorch hot Jay Adams ended Tuesday (May 10)’s dramatic GPAC Baseball Championship Game with a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th. For the second day in a row, the Concordia University Baseball team mobbed the heroic Adams. The edge-of-your contest saw the second-seeded Bulldogs outlast fifth-seeded Jamestown, 7-6, resulting in the celebration of a second-straight GPAC title at Plum Creek Park.

Chalk up the fifth total GPAC championship won by the program under eighth-year Head Coach Ryan Dupic. Concordia (36-15-1) also captured the 2021 conference tournament title on its home field. These moments never grow stale.

“I love to see the players celebrate. It really brings me a lot of joy,” Dupic said. “It’s really neat to see the players and the families and see how much joy they get out of all of this. That’s one of the highs for me. I’m just very proud of those guys. It’s been a very busy four-to-five days on a lot of levels, but I’m just very glad with the way the guys hung with it and found a way to get it done.”

This championship came the hard way, but that may have made it all the sweeter. Coming off a three-wins-in-one day marathon on Monday, the Bulldogs showed they still had plenty left in the tank to take on a Jimmie squad that had gone a perfect 3-0 through the Doane Bracket. It helps when you have the superhuman Adams on your side. On Tuesday, standout Jamestown reliever Hayden Brown was one pitch away from pushing the game to an 11th inning, but Adams laced an RBI single to left that chased home Carlos Benavides for the winning tally.

It's fair to proclaim Adams as the unofficial MVP of the tournament. He also delivered a walk-off RBI single versus Northwestern that advanced Concordia into the championship game. Over the six GPAC tournament games, Adams went 16-for-30 (.533) with 12 runs, four home runs, a double and 14 RBIs. The Waverly High School product went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs in the championship game.

Said Adams, “We get to keep playing. That’s beauty of it. We get to keep playing for our seniors. I’m at a loss of words right now for how I feel. It’s crazy.”

In the back-and-forth battle, the Bulldogs mounted a lead three separate times – only for Jamestown to come right back and tie things up each time. After Concordia led 6-3, the Jimmies pulled even in the seventh thanks to a Kendall Yackley RBI single and Tanner Shepard two-run double. A Bulldog error also aided in the rally.

Both bullpens tightened up from there. While Adams deserves plenty of attention for his role in the postseason run, the work of Jacob Lycan on Tuesday was critical. He fired the final 3.1 innings for the Bulldogs and recorded six strikeouts while allowing just one hit and two walks. Lycan struck out the side in the ninth and then stranded runners at first and second in the 10th. Concordia failed to come through with runners on base in the bottom of the ninth, but that just made things even more dramatic.

This was the stuff of Bulldog Baseball lore. There was a built-in-excuse had Concordia lost. It could have succumbed to the fatigue of playing more than 30 innings in two days – or fading pitching depth – but this squad showed the type of grit it possesses.

“The best compliment I can give them is I did nothing,” Dupic said of how the Bulldogs bounced back from losing their first game of the tournament. “I went home, took a break and came back. They did it. A lot of people would probably give me some credit for this, but it’s not me. They took responsibility and ownership for it. They found a way to get it done. I stayed out of the way. I’m just very proud of them for the way they did it.”

Added Adams, “We were all about grit this week. We said that if we’re going to win these three games (on Monday), we might as well go and win it all. That’s how much grit we had.”

In the title game, Joey Grabanski also enjoyed a fine day at the plate as he went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs. Jesse Garcia and Ty Nekoliczak also notched two hits apiece. One of Nekoliczak’s base hits preceded Adams’ walk-off single in the 10th.

Alex Johnson got the start on the mound for the Bulldogs and threw 5.2 innings. He allowed three runs on seven hits in a strong performance on short rest. Nathan Buckallew and Daniel Rivera also appeared out of the bullpen. Lycan was credited with the win. On the other side, Trei Hough started for the Jimmies and went 4.2 innings.

The NAIA’s national championship selection show is scheduled to air at 4 p.m. CT on Thursday (May 12) via the NAIA YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/PlayNAIA. Concordia will be one of 46 teams assigned to one of the 10 NAIA National Championship Opening Round sites. This marks the fourth time that Dupic has led the Bulldogs to the national tournament.

Five named to GPAC's first team, 12 total Bulldogs honored from conference tourney champs

May 11

2022 All-GPAC
First Team
Jay Adams, 2B
Joey Grabanski, OF
Jaidan Quinn, 3B
Alex Johnson, RHP
Caden Johnson, RHP
Second Team
Alec Blakestad, OF
Keaton Candor, OF
Honorable Mention
Ben Berg, C
Jesse Garcia, 1B
Christian Gutierrez, RHP
Ty Nekoliczak, SS
Tanner Tompkins, C/DH

SEWARD, Neb. – Not so surprisingly, one of the nation’s top offensive teams is swimming in all-conference awards. A total of nine position players and three pitchers from the GPAC tournament championship Concordia University Baseball team earned some form of 2022 All-GPAC recognition as part of the league’s all-conference announcement on Wednesday (May 11). First team selections for the Bulldogs include Jay Adams, Joey Grabanski, Jaidan Quinn, Alex Johnson and Caden Johnson. In addition, Alec Blakestad and Keaton Candor landed on the second team and five Concordia players garnered honorable mention status.

Nearly half of the team’s postseason roster wound up with All-GPAC accolades. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad celebrated a 7-6 (10 innings) GPAC tournament championship game victory over Jamestown on Tuesday. The Bulldogs (36-15-1) now await their national tournament draw.

A Waverly, Neb., native, Adams was the unofficial MVP of the GPAC tournament. Now a two-time First Team All-GPAC honoree, Adams is hitting .401 this season with a new program single season record for hits (83). The star second baseman has also totaled 63 runs, 14 doubles, 16 home runs, 62 RBIs and 15 stolen bases while sporting an on-base percentage of .477 and slugging percentage of .708 in 52 games. Adams also owns a .965 fielding percentage. The Waverly High School alum came through with two walk-off hits in the GPAC tournament, including the game winner in the championship game. Adams has racked up 182 hits and 21 home runs in 126 career collegiate games.

Grabanski’s first two seasons as a Bulldog have been phenomenal. The native of Grand Forks, N.D., has earned his second First Team All-GPAC award. On the season, Grabanski is hitting .394 (69-for-175) with 48 runs, nine doubles, 17 home runs and 63 RBIs while getting on base at a .481 rate and slugging a team high .737. The 17 homers have equaled Grabanski’s own school record for a single season and the 63 RBIs have broken his own record of 60 from 2021. Over two seasons at Concordia, Grabanski has compiled 140 hits, 91 runs, 34 home runs and 123 RBIs in 106 games (375 at bats).

There were few newcomers that impacted that GPAC this season like Quinn did. The 6-foot-4 third baseman paces the team with a .505 on-base percentage. He’s hitting .333 (50-for-150) with 51 runs, nine doubles, 15 home runs and 47 RBIs while slugging .693. The Bonner Springs, Kan., native has had three games this season with multiple home runs. Quinn was named the GPAC Player of the Week on April 5 and was recognized as the Bulldog Athletic Association Member Athlete of the Month for April. Quinn is a transfer from Wabash Valley College.

Alex Johnson (Olathe, Kan.) emerged as the ace of the pitching staff after Concordia said goodbye to 2021 GPAC Pitcher of the Year Jake Fosgett. Johnson has filled the role nicely and is 6-1 with a team low 2.79 ERA in 58 innings. He’s recorded 56 strikeouts against 22 walks and has held opposing hitters to a .232 batting average. In nine of his 13 starts this season, Johnson has held the opposition to either one or no earned runs.

Caden Johnson (Papillion, Neb.) broke through as a dependable arm in the starting rotation this spring. Heading into the national tournament, Johnson owns a record of 7-1 to go along with a 3.38 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 64 innings. He’s allowed 26 walks and has held opposing hitters to a .226 batting average. The seven wins are tied for a team high. Johnson’s best performance came on April 16 when threw 7.1 shutout innings (nine strikeouts) versus Mount Marty.

Blakestad has become a star in his first season as a starter. The Omaha native is hitting .383 (51-for-133) with 48 runs, 12 doubles, a triple, five home runs, 39 RBIs and 14 stolen bases. He also sports a .484 on-base percentage and .602 slugging percentage. Blakestad was honored as the GPAC Player of the Week on March 29. Blakestad has collected 16 multi-hit games in 2022.

Candor continues to cement himself as one of the program’s all-time greats. He was named First Team All-GPAC in 2021. In 52 games this season, Candor is hitting .323 (60-for-186) with nine doubles, 16 home runs and 56 RBIs to go along with a .421 on-base percentage and .629 slugging percentage. The right fielder from Merrill, Iowa, owns program career records for games played (217), runs scored (165), home runs (45), RBIs (184) and walks (105). His 225 hits rank second on Concordia’s all-time list. Candor owns a career batting average of .317 and has been part of three separate teams that have won GPAC championships.

Garcia has garnered his third career all-conference mention after being recognized as second team in 2019 and 2021. Garcia has produced career totals of 184 hits, 37 home runs and 145 RBIs. In school history, Garcia ranks second in home runs and third in RBIs. Meanwhile, Berg has picked up his second career All-GPAC award (second team in 2021). The Concordia catcher has produced 17 career home runs and is nearing 100 career RBIs (currently at 96).

The honorable mention group also features three freshmen in pitcher Christian Gutierrez, shortstop Ty Nekoliczak and catcher/DH Tanner Tompkins. Gutierrez is 7-1 with a 4.94 ERA while Nekoliczak and Tompkins have been regulars in the lineup. Nekoliczak has an impressive .466 on-base percentage. Tompkins is hitting .315 with seven homers and 42 RBIs.

Bulldogs sent to Bellevue Bracket for second-straight year

May 12

SEWARD, Neb. – Champion of the 2021 Bellevue Bracket at the NAIA National Championship Opening Round, the Concordia University Baseball program will take aim at repeating last year’s historic achievement. The Bulldogs have been assigned to the Bellevue Bracket for the second year in a row, as announced by the NAIA during a live selection show on Thursday (May 12). As the bracket’s No. 4 seed, the GPAC tournament champions will take on fifth-seeded Judson University (Ill.) on Monday (May 16). Opening round play will run May 16-19.

The field for the 2022 Bellevue Bracket includes:

·        No. 1 Bellevue University (45-10)

·        No. 2 Central Methodist University (42-13)

·        No. 3 Tabor College (37-17-1)

·        No. 4 Concordia (36-15-1)

·        No. 5 Judson University (21-28)

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is riding a high after winning five-straight conference tournament elimination games on the way to claiming the program’s second-consecutive GPAC postseason championship. After falling in the opening game of the 2022 GPAC tournament, Concordia defeated Mount Marty, 7-5, Briar Cliff, 25-6, Northwestern, 20-10, Northwestern, 5-4 and then Jamestown, 7-6 (10 innings), in the championship game. Second baseman Jay Adams emerged as the unofficial MVP of the GPAC tournament. Over six games, Adams went 16-for-30 (.533) with 12 runs, a double, four home runs, a .548 on-base percentage and .967 slugging percentage. Adams delivered walk-off base hits in each of the final two games of the tournament.

Game time for Concordia and Judson is set for 11 a.m. CT on Monday. During the regular season, the Bulldogs played three of the other four teams in their opening round bracket. Back in February, Concordia played a doubleheader at Tabor and lost one game and tied the other (due to darkness). Over spring break, the Bulldogs rallied to beat Judson, 10-9, on March 8. Just a few days later, Concordia dropped a 3-0 decision to then 10th-ranked Bellevue in Lake Wales, Fla.

The winners of all 10 opening round sites will head to Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) for the 65th annual Avista NAIA Baseball World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, May 27 – June 3. For more information on the World Series, click here.

The field consists of 31 automatic qualifiers – given to conference regular-season champions, tournament champions or tournament runners-up – and 15 at-large teams. Conferences with 10-or-more members receive two automatic qualifiers, while leagues with less than 10 get one. 

At-large teams were determined by the NAIA Baseball National Selection Committee (NSC). The NSC consists of one representative from each geographic area, a representative from the National Administrative Council, a member of the NAIA-Baseball Coaches Association Executive Committee and three at-large members. The committee evaluated teams throughout the year on various criteria.

NAIA National Championship Opening Round Schedule

Bellevue Bracket | Don Roddy Field

Monday, May 16:
Game 1: #4 Concordia vs. #5 Judson, 11 a.m.
Game 2: #2 Central Methodist vs. #3 Tabor, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: #1 Bellevue vs. Winner of Game 1, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, May 17:
Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 11 a.m.
Game 5: Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3, 2:30 p.m.
Game 6: Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, May 18:
Game 7: Loser of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6, 11 a.m.
Game 8: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 7, 2:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 20:
Game 9: Same teams as Game 8, noon (If Necessary)

Facts about Concordia at the national tournament

·        Concordia has qualified for the opening round of the national tournament for the fourth time in program history. Each of those appearances have come during the tenure of Ryan Dupic, who first took the Bulldogs to the opening round in 2017. In previous appearances, the Bulldogs made their way to Hutchinson, Kan., in 2017, to Henderson, Tenn., in 2019 and to Bellevue, Neb., in 2021. Concordia is 6-5 all-time in opening round games and has won at least one national tournament game in each of the three prior appearances. Opening round wins have come over Jamestown (2017), Clarke University (2019), MidAmerica Nazarene University (twice in 2021) and Bellevue (twice in 2021).

·        It’s been extremely rare for a GPAC team to reach the NAIA World Series. In fact, only once before Concordia reached that stage in 2021 had a GPAC squad advanced to the World Series – Briar Cliff accomplished that feat in 2005. Two current GPAC members appeared in the World Series either before the GPAC formed or prior to joining the league: Jamestown (2004 and 2008) and Morningside (1960). Briar Cliff went 0-2 in its 2005 trip to the World Series. No GPAC team has ever won a game at the World Series.

·        While going 4-1 during the 2021 opening round, the Bulldogs outscored their opponents, 38-32. Four of the games were played at Brown Park in Omaha while one contest was played at Don Roddy Field in Bellevue. Keaton Candor paced the team at the plate in the opening round by going 8-for-23 (.348) with four doubles, three home runs and eight RBIs. Jakob Faulk also pounded three home runs (including two in the clinching game) and Jesse Garcia belted two blasts. Twelve different pitchers were used. Nick Little (9 IP) and Caden Bugarske (8.1 IP) logged the most innings during the opening round. Nathan Buckallew earned credit for two wins.

·        Dupic has brought about what is certainly the golden age of Concordia Baseball. Prior to Dupic’s arrival in 2015, the Bulldogs had never been to a national tournament. The program had also not experienced a winning season since 1979 and had not won a conference championship since 1986 (8-4 in NIAC play) when Athletic Trainer Randy Baack pitched and played first base. In addition to leading Concordia to four national tournaments, Dupic (234-140-1) is closing in on becoming the winningest head coach in program history. Only one other coach in program history (Jeremy Geidel with 250 wins) has reached the 200-win mark.

·        The 2017 Bulldogs won the GPAC regular season title (tournament runner up) and became the first national tournament qualifier in program history. As part of that run, Casey Berg recorded the program’s first-ever hit at the national tournament with a single in the bottom of the first versus Jamestown on May 15, 2017. That appearance helped pave the way for the success Concordia is enjoying now. The Bulldogs won’t have any fear of the national stage. Seven Bulldogs who started the program’s first-ever World Series game are on the current postseason roster: Jay Adams, Ben Berg, Keaton Candor, Jakob Faulk, Jesse Garcia, Joey Grabanski and Teyt Johnson.

Garcia named Academic All-District by CoSIDA for third time

May 13

SEWARD, Neb. – For the third time in his career, Jesse Garcia has represented the Concordia University Baseball program with recognition as an Academic All-District® Baseball Team honoree. College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) named Garcia to the 2022 NAIA Academic All-District 3 Team announced on Thursday (May 12). District 3 covers NAIA colleges and universities in the states of Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

The 2021-22 Academic All-District® Baseball Teams, selected by CoSIDA, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. The CoSIDA Academic All-America® program separately recognizes baseball honorees in four divisions — NAIA, NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III.

Now in his fourth year as a Bulldog (junior in terms of athletic eligibility), Garcia is studying Criminal Justice. On the field, Garcia has played a major role in the success enjoyed in recent seasons for Concordia Baseball under Head Coach Ryan Dupic. Garcia has been named an all-conference honoree three times while establishing himself as one of the top sluggers in program history. On the season, the native of El Cajon, Calif., is hitting .337 (55-for-163) with 14 doubles, eight home runs, 39 RBIs, a .476 on-base percentage and .571 slugging percentage. On the school’s all-time lists, Garcia ranks second in home runs (37) and third in RBIs (145). In addition to his three Academic All-District awards, Garcia has twice been named Second Team All-GPAC.

First-team Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in June.

Concordia Baseball Academic All-District honorees
Jake Adams (2017)
Nathan Buckallew (*2021)
Jesse Garcia (2020, 2021, 2022)
Jaydee Jurgensen (2015)
Nick Little (*2018, *2020, *2021)
Thomas Sautel (*2020)
*Academic All-American

NAIA Opening Round Preview: 2022 Bellevue Bracket

May 14

SEWARD, Neb. – Another national tournament appearance is coming up quickly for the Concordia University Baseball team. For the second year in a row, the Bulldogs will have the luxury of remaining close to home. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad was tagged with the No. 4 seed in the Bellevue Bracket as part of the 2022 NAIA National Championship Opening Round. In the very first game of the bracket, Concordia will go up against fifth-seeded Judson University (Ill.). Game time is set for 11 a.m. CT on Monday (May 16). The nationals appearance will mark the fourth in the history of the Bulldog Baseball program.

2022 NAIA Opening Round – Bellevue Bracket

Tournament Webpage

Site: Don Roddy Field in Bellevue, Neb.
Live Webcasts: Bellevue Bruins Stretch Portal
Live Stats: PrestoStats

Monday, May 16
Game 1 – (4) Concordia vs. (5) Judson, 11 a.m.
Game 2 – (2) Central Methodist vs. (3) Tabor, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3 – (1) Bellevue vs. Game 1 Winner, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, May 17
Game 4 – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 11 a.m.
Game 5 – Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 6 – Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner, 6 p.m.

Wednesday, May 18
Game 7 – Game 5 Loser vs. Game 6 Winner, 11 a.m.
Game 8 – Game 5 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner, 2:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 19
Game 9 – Game 8 Winner/Loser, 12 p.m. (if necessary)

Tickets: Ticket prices are $10 for a day pass and $25 for a tournament pass. Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge. Tickets must be purchased on site.

By the numbers

·        Concordia earned an automatic bid to the national tournament by way of winning the 2022 GPAC tournament title. The rout was a circuitous one. The Bulldogs immediately faced elimination after being beaten by Northwestern, 5-4 (nine innings), in their opening game of the tournament. On that same day, Concordia kept alive in the bracket with a 7-5 win over Mount Marty. Then on May 9, the Bulldogs won three times on that single day, securing victories over Briar Cliff, 25-6, Northwestern, 20-10, and Northwestern, 5-4, again. Then in the championship game on May 10, Jay Adams delivered the walk-off base hit in the 10th inning in what amounted to a 7-6 triumph over Jamestown. All six games were played at Plum Creek Park in Seward, the same location where Concordia celebrated the 2021 conference tournament championship.

·        Adams would be happy to carry his GPAC tournament production into the national tournament. Over six GPAC tournament games last week, the second baseman from Waverly, Neb., went 16-for-30 (.533) with 12 runs, a double, four home runs, 14 RBIs, a .548 on-base percentage and .967 slugging percentage. That hot stretch pushed Adams’ season batting average above .400 (.401). His 81 hits on the year have broken his own program record for a single season. Adams has also notched 14 doubles, 16 home runs and 62 RBIs while sporting an on-base percentage of .477 and slugging percentage of .708. Three other regulars batted at least .400 during the GPAC tournament: Jesse Garcia (.500; 12-for-24), Teyt Johnson (.417; 5-for-12) and Joey Grabanski (.400; 8-for-20). Adams and Grabanski shared the team lead with four homers apiece during GPAC postseason play.

·        All-conference honors were announced by the GPAC on Wednesday (May 11). Twelve Bulldogs landed All-GPAC awards, including first-teamers in Adams, Grabanski, Alex Johnson, Caden Johnson and Jaidan Quinn. Second team accolades went to Alec Blakestad and Keaton Candor. The five honorable mention selections were Ben Berg, Garcia, Christian Gutierrez, Ty Nekoliczak and Tanner Tompkins. Adams and Grabanski were repeat first team honorees from the previous season. Candor was recognized as first team in 2021.

·        With 16 homers as a team during the GPAC tournament, the ’22 Bulldogs have homered 100 times on the season (fourth most in the NAIA) and have broken the program record of 90 blasts set by the 2021 NAIA World Series Qualifying group. Four Concordia players have belted at least 15 homers this season: Grabanski (17), Adams (16), Candor (16) and Quinn (15). At 17 big flies, Grabanski has equaled his own school record for a single season set as a freshman in 2021. Grabanski has also set a new program standard with 63 RBIs with Adams (62) hot on his heels.

·        Candor enjoyed a monster opening round last season (see notes below). Entering the national tournament, the native of Merrill, Iowa, already owns program all-time career records for games played (217), walks (105), runs scored (165), home runs (45) and RBIs (184). His 225 career hits rank second in program history behind Zak Goodrich’s 234. With another year left to play, Garcia will be in pursuit of many of those totals next season. The native of El Cajon, Calif., has totaled 184 hits, 43 doubles, 37 home runs and 145 RBIs.

·        The pitching staff has featured four main rotation arms throughout 2022: Alex Johnson (6-1, 2.79 ERA), Caden Johnson (7-1, 3.38 ERA), Christian Gutierrez (7-1, 4.94 ERA) and Caden Bugarske (7-3, 4.88 ERA). Out of the bullpen, Nathan Buckallew (4.1 shutout innings vs. Northwestern) and Jacob Lycan (3.1 shutout innings vs. Jamestown) both came through with critical outings during the GPAC tournament. Entering the opening round, the staff owns a collective ERA of 4.61 and has fanned 430 hitters in 381 innings.

Bellevue Bracket Opposition

(1) Bellevue (45-10) – The Bruins jump up to the No. 1 seed this year after being seeded fourth in their own bracket a year ago. Bellevue is hosting an NAIA baseball opening round for the fourth time in its history. Head Coach Duane Monlux (12th season)’s squad enters the national tournament ranked No. 6 in the NAIA Coaches’ Poll. Bellevue earned an automatic bid to the national tournament by winning the North Star Athletic Association Tournament. A regular on the national stage, the Bruins are making their 24th all-time national tournament appearance and will be looking to reach the NAIA World Series for the 15th time. Bellevue has a balanced squad that has excelled at the plate (9.6 runs/game) and on the mound (3.93 ERA). The ace of the pitching staff is Elijah Johnson (10-2, 2.07 ERA), who has averaged 14.17 strikeouts per nine innings. Johnson fired a seven-inning, two-hit shutout against Concordia on March 11 in a 3-0 victory in Lake Wales, Fla. Shortstop Alec Ackerman is hitting .388 with 17 home runs and 69 RBIs to go along with a .738 slugging percentage. In 2021, the Bellevue Bracket ultimately came down to Concordia and the host Bruins.

(2) Central Methodist (42-13) – The Eagles will make their fifth opening round appearance after capturing the Heart of America Athletic Conference tournament title. Head Coach Nate Breland’s squad enters the national tournament ranked 11th in the NAIA Coaches’ Poll. The top of the pitching rotation is a strength for Central Methodist, which will trot out the likes of Nick Merkel (11-4, 2.30 ERA, 11.66 K/9), Beau Atkins (9-0, 2.55 ERA, 11.18 K/9) and Sebastian Escobar (9-1, 3.75 ERA, 11.63 K/9). Opposing pitchers will have to be careful with shortstop Robbie Merced, who ranks fourth nationally in home runs with 24. Merced is slugging 1.006 and has driven in 85 runs. He’s the leader of an offense that averages 8.2 runs per game. Central Methodist reached the NAIA World Series last season and finished as the NAIA national runner up to Georgia Gwinnett.

(3) Tabor (37-17-1) – The Bluejays received one of the 15 at-large bids into the national field and will be making their eighth all-time national tournament appearance. Tabor and Concordia met up in an opening round game in 2017 with the result being a 12-11 win for the Bluejays. The two sides are familiar with each other having also played a doubleheader in Hillsboro, Kan., on Feb. 27. Tabor won the first game, 11-5, before the second contest ended in a 5-5 tie (due to darkness). Head Coach Mark Standiford’s squad is a powerful one that leads all NAIA teams with 115 home runs. The offensive attack churns out 9.4 runs per game. Incredibly, five Bluejays have recorded at least 15 home runs with Kelsey Weems, Jr. (20 homers) leading the way. The pitching staff has an ERA of 6.40. The top starter has been Austen Seidel (8-2, 3.53 ERA, 10.88 K/9). Tabor is receiving votes in the national poll.

(5) Judson (21-28) – The Eagles will make their eighth all-time trip to the opening round. Judson recovered nicely after beginning this season at 1-11 overall. One of those losses came against Concordia, 10-9, in a contest played in Davenport, Fla., on March 8. The Bulldogs scored six times in the eighth and three times in the ninth to erase what had been an 8-1 deficit. Head Coach Mike Guilfoyle’s squad earned an automatic bid to nationals by finishing as the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament runner up. The team’s top hitter has been senior Tommy Moran, who is batting .298 with six home runs and 36 RBIs. The Eagles average 6.5 runs per game while sporting a 6.13 team ERA. Judson’s top starting pitcher has been Brandon Callender (5-6, 4.64 ERA, 9.04 K/9). Back in March, the Bulldogs saw Michael Betancourt (4-2, 3.34 ERA, 9.15 K/9).

Facts about Concordia at the national tournament

·        Concordia has qualified for the opening round of the national tournament for the fourth time in program history. Each of those appearances have come during the tenure of Ryan Dupic, who first took the Bulldogs to the opening round in 2017. In previous appearances, the Bulldogs made their way to Hutchinson, Kan., in 2017, to Henderson, Tenn., in 2019 and to Bellevue, Neb., in 2021. Concordia is 6-5 all-time in opening round games and has won at least one national tournament game in each of the three prior appearances. Opening round wins have come over Jamestown (2017), Clarke University (2019), MidAmerica Nazarene University (twice in 2021) and Bellevue (twice in 2021).

·        It’s been extremely rare for a GPAC team to reach the NAIA World Series. In fact, only once before Concordia reached that stage in 2021 had a GPAC squad advanced to the World Series – Briar Cliff accomplished that feat in 2005. Two current GPAC members appeared in the World Series either before the GPAC formed or prior to joining the league: Jamestown (2004 and 2008) and Morningside (1960). Briar Cliff went 0-2 in its 2005 trip to the World Series. No GPAC team has ever won a game at the World Series.

·        While going 4-1 during the 2021 opening round, the Bulldogs outscored their opponents, 38-32. Four of the games were played at Brown Park in Omaha while one contest was played at Don Roddy Field in Bellevue. Keaton Candor paced the team at the plate in the opening round by going 8-for-23 (.348) with four doubles, three home runs and eight RBIs. Jakob Faulk also pounded three home runs (including two in the clinching game) and Jesse Garcia belted two blasts. Twelve different pitchers were used. Nick Little (9 IP) and Caden Bugarske (8.1 IP) logged the most innings during the opening round. Nathan Buckallew earned credit for two wins.

·        Dupic has brought about what is certainly the golden age of Concordia Baseball. Prior to Dupic’s arrival in 2015, the Bulldogs had never been to a national tournament. The program had also not experienced a winning season since 1979 and had not won a conference championship since 1986 (8-4 in NIAC play) when Athletic Trainer Randy Baack pitched and played first base. In addition to leading Concordia to four national tournaments, Dupic (234-140-1) is closing in on becoming the winningest head coach in program history. Only one other coach in program history (Jeremy Geidel with 250 wins) has reached the 200-win mark.

·        The 2017 Bulldogs won the GPAC regular season title (tournament runner up) and became the first national tournament qualifier in program history. As part of that run, Casey Berg recorded the program’s first-ever hit at the national tournament with a single in the bottom of the first versus Jamestown on May 15, 2017. That appearance helped pave the way for the success Concordia is enjoying now. The Bulldogs won’t have any fear of the national stage. Seven Bulldogs who started the program’s first-ever World Series game are on the current postseason roster: Jay Adams, Ben Berg, Keaton Candor, Jakob Faulk, Jesse Garcia, Joey Grabanski and Teyt Johnson.

NAIA Baseball World Series

The winners of all 10 opening round sites will head to Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) for the 65th annual Avista NAIA Baseball World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, May 27 – June 3. For more information on the World Series, click HERE. For a complete list of the opening round qualifiers, check out the NAIA release HERE.

 

Bats stymied in NAIA opening round loss

May 16

BELLEVUE, Neb. – It wasn’t their day. The Concordia University Baseball team was held without an extra base hit on Monday (May 16) while being stymied by the pitching of Judson University (Ill.) as part of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round at the Bellevue Bracket. The fifth-seeded Eagles followed the lead of righty hurdler Brandon Callender while defeating the fourth-seeded Bulldogs, 5-1. Concordia got its only run on an RBI single by Joey Grabanski.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad (36-16-1) will face elimination on Tuesday at Don Roddy Field in Bellevue, Neb. The Bulldogs are in the midst of their fourth all-time national tournament appearance.

“Their pitcher did a really nice job of pounding away and throwing a good breaking ball,” Dupic said. “Our guys got a little bit in-between at some points and were off balance. We couldn’t quite get it going. We had a good situation in that one inning and couldn’t get the big hit. Their guy pitched a good ballgame.”

Judson’s Tommy Moran belted a solo homer to left in the second inning and the Eagles held the lead the rest of the way. The most significant sequence may have come in the bottom of the fourth when Concordia squandered a bases-loaded, no-out situation. Callender notched two strikeouts and a flyout to left to end the threat.

Judson (22-28) tacked onto its lead with two runs apiece in the fifth and sixth innings. It took until the seventh before the Bulldogs broke up the shutout via Grabanski’s 64th RBI of the season. The Eagles went to the bullpen after Callender navigated seven innings, allowing one run on six hits and two walks. He also recorded five strikeouts.

Concordia went with Caden Johnson on the mound. He sailed along quite smoothly until running into trouble in the fifth. Johnson covered 4.2 innings and surrendered three runs on three hits and two walks to go along with five strikeouts. Out of the bullpen, Nathan Buckallew took care of the final 4.1 innings and conceded two runs on five hits and a walk. The Urbandale, Iowa, native fanned four hitters.

The task now will be a tall one for the Bulldogs, who have hopes of making a run at an NAIA World Series appearance for the second year in a row. It will take five-straight elimination game wins to make that happen. All Concordia will do is try to get the next one and go from there. The Bulldogs are plenty capable of getting hot offensively. They entered the national tournament with a program record 100 home runs on the season.

Said Dupic, “There’s not a lot to say. We’ve played 50-some games now and most of the lessons have been learned by now. At some point you just have to go play – and play well if you’re going to go make a run. We have to play a lot better than we did today. Sometimes it’s not as complicated as coaches make it out to be. At the end of the day, they played well and we didn’t play very well. Hopefully we can play better tomorrow.”

Grabanski finished with two hits on Monday. A hit apiece was contributed by Jay Adams, Teyt Johnson, Ty Nekoliczak and Jaidan Quinn. Nekoliczak scored the lone Bulldog run.

Concordia will play second-seeded Central Methodist University (Mo.) (42-13) at 11 a.m. CT on Tuesday. The winner of that morning contest will move on and play at 6 p.m. on Tuesday in another elimination game. The full bracket schedule and links to live coverage can be found HERE.

Bulldogs win another elimination game, take out 2021 national runner up

May 17

BELLEVUE, Neb. – More than six hours separated the first pitch and the last pitch of Tuesday (May 17)’s elimination game, but the wait was worth it. A lightning/rain delay of nearly three-and-a-half hours was sandwiched in the middle of an eight-run eighth inning that carried the Concordia University Baseball team to a 10-3 victory over 11th-ranked Central Methodist University (Mo.). The Bulldogs are now 1-1 at the 2022 NAIA National Championship Opening Round and remain alive in the Bellevue Bracket being held at Roddy Field in Bellevue, Neb.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad (37-16-1) got a sterling pitching performance from Alex Johnson and a home run apiece from Teyt Johnson, Jay Adams and Keaton Candor on Tuesday. Concordia has claimed its seventh all-time national tournament win.

“It started with Alex Johnson. He did a great job on the mound,” Dupic said. “If you’re going to pitch deep into a game in a regional against this caliber of teams you have to be really good. He pitched really well. He was mixing his stuff, changed speeds and really executed. I was really proud of him and then we got something going late offensively. I’m really proud of the guys after the long rain delay to come back and jump right on them again. That really stretched our lead.”

What had been a tight contest all the way through gave way to Bulldog fireworks in the eighth inning. Ben Berg and Tanner Tompkins helped ignite the outburst with back-to-back one-out singles. After Ty Nekoliczak drove in a run with a sac fly, Teyt Johnson delivered a two-run homer to right and Jay Adams blasted a solo shot to left center. Joey Grabanski followed with a double before lightning strikes put the game on pause. Concordia held a 6-2 advantage at that point.

A wait of three hours and 28 minutes failed to cool down the Bulldogs. They immediately went back to work. The next three batters resulted in Jesse Garcia being hit by a pitch, Jaidan Quinn hammering a two-run triple and Keaton Candor launching a two-run homer to left. All of a sudden, Concordia had built a 10-2 advantage. Eagles starter Beau Atkins was tagged with six of the 10 runs.

By the time the delay hit, Alex Johnson had finished his day’s work. The righty from Olathe, Kan., navigated seven innings and surrendered just two runs on five hits and four walks (two intentional). The breaking ball heavy Johnson also notched five strikeouts while up against a lineup that averages more than 8.0 runs per game. Ben Coldiron came on in relief after the delay and recorded the final six outs. Johnson worked carefully to star Central Methodist shortstop Robbie Merced, who went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Merced was intentionally walked twice.

The First Team All-GPAC Johnson moved his season record to 7-1. Said Johnson, “Me and Dupic talked about hitting spots inside-outside with the fastball. That was my main priority – and throwing my slider for a strike comes with it. That’s what my game plan was going into it.”

Candor and Grabanski led the offensive attack with three hits apiece as part of a 14-hit day as a team. Candor notched the 46th homer of his career. Adams, Candor and Grabanski have each homered 17 times this season. The Bulldogs got their first two runs of the ballgame in the fifth when Grabanski doubled home Nekoliczak and Garcia singled in Grabanski. Central Methodist (42-15) had owned a 1-0 lead prior to that frame.

Concordia effectively knocked out the Eagles, last year’s national runners up. The Bulldogs have won at least once in each of their four trips to the national tournament under Dupic. The seven national tournament wins since the start of 2017 are the most of any GPAC baseball program.

“It means a lot to me,” Dupic said of that national tournament success. “I told the kids I hope it means a lot to them too. You want to represent yourself well at the national level. I have the highest respect for Central Methodist. Nate (Breland) and their staff do an incredible job. They have a great team. They were national runner up a year ago and one of the best teams in the country this year. It’s nice to get a win and we’ll see if we can keep it going for a little bit.”

The dream of returning to the NAIA World Series remains alive but it will take four more wins for Concordia to reach Lewiston, Idaho again. The focus for the players and coaches rests solely on Wednesday’s 11 a.m. CT matchup with Judson University (Ill.) (22-29). The fifth-seeded Eagles defeated the Bulldogs, 5-1, on Monday. Judson then fell later in the day to top seed Bellevue, 4-0, before having Tuesday off. The Concordia-Judson winner will play again at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Counting the GPAC tournament, the Bulldogs have won six-straight elimination games.

Bellevue Bracket (updated)

Monday, May 16
Game 1 – (5) Judson def. (4) Concordia, 5-1
Game 2 – (3) Tabor def. (2) Central Methodist, 5-2 (10 inn.)
Game 3 – (1) Bellevue def. (5) Judson, 4-0

Tuesday, May 17
Game 4 – (4) Concordia def. (2) Central Methodist, 10-3
Game 5 – (1) Bellevue def. (3) Tabor, 7-2

Wednesday, May 18
Game 6 – (4) Concordia vs. (5) Judson, 11 a.m.
Game 7 – (3) Tabor vs. Game 6 Winner, 2:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 19
Game 8 – (1) Bellevue vs. Game 7 Winner, 11 a.m.
Game 9 – Game 8 Winner/Loser, 2:30 p.m. (if necessary)

NAIA Opening Round:

CUNE 10, (11) Central Methodist 3

Gutierrez deals, Quinn mashes as Bulldogs advance to bracket finals

May 18

BELLEVUE, Neb. – They don’t do it the easy way, but the 2022 Bulldogs are a tough out. Facing elimination twice on Wednesday (May 18), the fourth-seeded Concordia University Baseball team earned wins over fifth-seeded Judson University (Ill.), 8-1, and third-seeded Tabor College (Kan.), 7-5, while advancing to the finals of the Bellevue Bracket for the second year in a row. The Bulldogs have reached this point after rallying from a loss on Monday to open the NAIA National Championship Opening Round.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has won eight-straight elimination games this postseason. Concordia (39-16-1) has also moved within two wins of making back-to-back appearances at the NAIA World Series.

“I’m just very proud of the fight of our guys,” Dupic said. “I’m really proud of them for the way they keep coming back and playing. They continue to amaze me the way they find ways to get stuff done. It’s really hard for me to put into words. It’s been an incredible run to see them keep coming back and fighting for the next pitch and the next game and the next inning. The guys have found a way. We have to just keep riding it.”

The brightest stars for the Bulldogs on Wednesday included pitcher Christian Gutierrez and third baseman Jaidan Quinn. Gutierrez worked the longest outing of his career in throwing a nine-inning complete game masterpiece in the victory over Judson. The righty from La Mirada, Calif., enjoyed a lead all day after Concordia struck for five runs in the bottom of the first. Quinn blasted a two-run homer in that frame and then slugged a game-defining grand slam in the fourth inning of the victory over Tabor.

Tanner Tompkins also connected for a three-run shot in Wednesday’s first game. In other words, it took some big swings with runners on base, coupled with the fine pitching of Gutierrez and Caden Bugarske. What can't be measured or quantified is this team’s grit.

Said Quinn, “We never let that loss (to Judson on Monday) bother us. We just wanted to come back and do what we do … We’re just gritty. We call it grit week for a reason. We don’t want to lose – we don’t want to go home.”

The line for Gutierrez in his nine innings read: five hits, one earned run, one walk and 10 strikeouts. The Eagles (22-30) finally broke up the shutout with two outs in the ninth inning. Gutierrez effectively saved the bullpen moving forward. Bugarske then followed Gutierrez and picked up the win by going 6.2 innings. Bugarske surrendered four runs on eight hits and two walks. He notched four strikeouts. Nathan Buckallew then got the next four outs (three on strikeouts) and Jacob Lycan picked up the save while closing it out in the ninth.

Eleven of Concordia’s 15 runs on the day came out of just two innings – a five-run first versus Judson and a six-run fourth versus Tabor. The homers by Quinn and Tompkins against Judson allowed the Bulldogs to capitalize on an error. As part of the six-run frame that doomed Tabor, Ty Nekoliczak doubled in a run and Jay Adams knocked in another with a sac fly. Nekoliczak produced two hits in that contest while Keaton Candor and Quinn notched two hits apiece in the first win of the day.

Concordia has increased its season home run total to 106. Four Bulldogs have each tied the program’s single season record with 17 blasts in 2022 – Adams, Candor, Joey Grabanski and Quinn. Under Dupic, the Bulldogs now keep stacking national tournament wins. They have won seven over the past two seasons and nine total over four national tournament appearances (2017, 2019, 2021, 2022) during Dupic’s tenure.

Said Dupic, “I’m grateful to continue to have a chance to play in games like this. It will be fun for our guys to go out there and have a chance to compete (on Thursday). To be honest, I have to wrap my head around this a little bit yet and figure out what we do tomorrow, but I know I’d rather be in this position having a chance to play. We’ve played a lot of baseball in a short period of time and some of our guys are probably a little bit tired, but we’re going to play for one more day and see what we can do.”

Notable defensive plays in the opening game of the day were turned in by center fielder Teyt Johnson, who made a diving catch in the third, and by right fielder Keaton Candor, who snagged a deep fly out to the fence in the seventh.

Another significant test of Concordia’s endurance will come on Thursday as it goes up against the bracket host and top seed Bellevue University (47-10). The sixth-ranked Bruins have beaten Judson, 4-0, and Tabor, 7-2, while moving within one win from an NAIA World Series berth. The Bulldogs will need to beat Bellevue twice in order to reach Lewiston, Idaho, again. Thursday’s first pitch will be at 11 a.m. CT from Roddy Field in Bellevue, Neb. The “if necessary” game is slated for 2:30 p.m.

Bellevue Bracket (updated)

Monday, May 16
Game 1 – (5) Judson def. (4) Concordia, 5-1
Game 2 – (3) Tabor def. (2) Central Methodist, 5-2 (10 inn.)
Game 3 – (1) Bellevue def. (5) Judson, 4-0

Tuesday, May 17
Game 4 – (4) Concordia def. (2) Central Methodist, 10-3
Game 5 – (1) Bellevue def. (3) Tabor, 7-2

Wednesday, May 18
Game 6 – (4) Concordia def. (5) Judson, 8-1
Game 7 – (4) Concordia def. (3) Tabor, 7-5

Thursday, May 19
Game 8 – (1) Bellevue vs. (4) Concordia, 11 a.m.
Game 9 – (1) Bellevue vs. (4) Concordia, 2:30 p.m. (if necessary)

No-quit Bulldogs come up one win short of NAIA World Series return

May 19

BELLEVUE, Neb. – One of its patented home run binges put the Concordia University Baseball on the brink of a second-straight NAIA World Series appearance. However, the Bulldogs came up dry in clutch offensive situations in the winner-take-all duel with Bellevue Bracket host and top-seeded Bellevue University in the NAIA National Championship Opening on Thursday (May 19). Concordia forced the “if necessary” game by pummeling the Bruins, 16-2, in the first contest of the day. Bellevue ultimately celebrated an opening round title by taking the second game, 5-2.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad grinded through the Bellevue Bracket with four-straight wins after losing its opening game on Monday. The Bulldogs finished the season at 40-17-1 overall. Nine of the wins came during the postseason for perhaps the grittiest team – and certainly the most powerful – in program history.

“My heart breaks to see it end, but my heart’s also at peace because there’s no way to be angry or disappointed,” Dupic said. “I can only feel grateful for just how much these guys have given. I see guys in the dugout with electrical stim units on in between games and guys playing through pain – and Ben Berg catching endless amounts of innings. I just can’t feel anything but appreciation. They’re a special group of people and they really love each other. I’m very grateful having been through all that.”

Needing to win two on Thursday in order to book another trip to Lewiston, Idaho, Concordia got halfway there with a performance that stunned just about everybody in attendance. Six different Bulldogs pulverized a home run apiece in a contest that had already been decided by the middle of the fifth. At that point, it was a 13-0 Concordia lead. In order, the homers were delivered by Jesse Garcia (three-run), Joey Grabanski (solo), Teyt Johnson (two-run), Jay Adams (solo), Jaidan Quinn (two-run) and Keaton Candor (solo). Mentally, everyone had time to prep for another nine innings.

The second game was a different story. Quinn homered for the second time on the day (19th of the season), but Bellevue starting pitcher Alexandro Celiceo always made the big pitches when they mattered most. The Bulldogs recorded nine hits, three walks and two hit batters off Celiceo. On two occasions, Concordia left the bases loaded. A four-run third carried the NAIA sixth-ranked Bruins (48-11) to their 15th all-time World Series berth. It was a measure of revenge after the Bulldogs defeated Bellevue a year ago with a trip to the World Series on the line.

So many of the things the Bulldogs needed to happen on Thursday fell into place. In the first contest, Caden Johnson came back on two days of rest and allowed only two runs in seven innings while picking up his eighth win of the season. He cruised along while the offense kept raking. In game two, it was Cale Mathison who stepped up in a big way. He covered 4.2 innings without surrendering a run. For the day, Concordia outscored Bellevue, 18-7, and outhit the opposition, 30-14.

On the national stage, the Bulldogs proved their lineup is an elite one. Quinn homered twice on Wednesday and then twice more on Thursday and finished as the team leader with a program single season home run record of 19. Concordia went deep 13 times over its six national tournament games and pushed the program record for team home runs in a single season to 113. Adams, Candor and Grabanski belted 18 homers apiece this season and the Bulldogs also set a new school record with 516 runs scored.

Said Dupic, “Last year we had such a good season (offensively) that I couldn’t really expect it to be that good again. I just thought it was so good that how could we do that again. They raised the bar again. It speaks to the players. It speaks to Coach (Caleb) Lang and to Wade (Council) and to all of the guys investing in them. It’s really special. They make it look easy – it’s really hard.”

On Thursday, six Bulldogs collected at least three hits, including five apiece from Garcia and Grabanski. Garcia got things rolling in the first inning of the first game with a two-out, three-run blast. In his final day as a college baseball player, Candor rapped out three hits and was greeted near home plate with a 12-pack of Mountain Dew after his home run. It was also a fine tournament for Teyt Johnson, who went 3-for-4 with a homer on Thursday.

Of the 12 Bulldogs who earned all-conference recognition in 2022, 11 will return next spring. The lone exception is Candor, a five-year regular and one of the program’s all-time greats. The native of Merrill, Iowa, owns program career records for games played (123), runs scored (170), walks (108), home runs (47) and RBIs (188). He finished one hit shy of Zak Goodrich’s program career hits record of 234.

Champion of the GPAC tournament, this 2022 Concordia team leaves a lasting mark. It played the absolute maximum number of postseason games in the conference and national tournaments (opening round) while shaking off losses to begin both tournaments. The Bulldogs have won a combined 82 games over the past two seasons.

“It’s incredibly hard,” Dupic said of winning nine-straight elimination games. “These guys played six games in the last few days at a national tournament against nationally relevant teams. It really speaks to the heart of the team and the job these kids did fighting until the end.”

Added Dupic, “I think we have one of the best programs in the country over the past two years.”

Rewriting of school record book continued by powerful 2022 squad

May 23

SEWARD, Neb. –  The 2022 Concordia Baseball team followed up the greatest offensive season in program history with an even better campaign, at least when measured by home runs and runs scored. Below is a listing of all new standards set this spring (according to available records) by a 2022 squad that won the GPAC tournament title and came within one win of a return trip to the NAIA World Series. Only one team in the entire NAIA hit more home runs this season than the Bulldogs, who powered 113 big flies over the wall. The previous standard was 90 homers in 2021.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad finished the campaign at 40-17-1 overall. As just the second team in program history to hit the 40-win mark, the ’22 squad was just two wins shy of the program standard for a single season.

Said Dupic immediately following the conclusion of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round, “Last year we had such a good season (offensively) that I couldn’t really expect it to be that good again. I just thought it was so good that how could we do that again. They raised the bar again. It speaks to the players. It speaks to Coach (Caleb) Lang and to Wade (Council) and to all of the guys investing in them. It’s really special. They make it look easy – it’s really hard.”

The chase for the individual single season home run record came all the way down to the final at bats of the season. Newcomer Jaidan Quinn wound up on top with a new program standard of 19 homers after he hit four over the final two days of opening round action. Jay Adams, Keaton Candor and Joey Grabanski were right on Quinn’s heals with 18 home runs apiece. The power surge was something new for Adams, who made his mark as one of the best second basemen in the nation. His 6-for-6, three-homer performance in the GPAC tournament drubbing of Briar Cliff resulted in a series of new program single-game records.

It's worth noting that Jesse Garcia ranks within the top five of nearly all key statistical offensive categories. The native of El Cajon, Calif., will be back in 2023 and will be chasing many of the career records currently owned by Candor. Candor’s six program career records are listed below. He departs from the program as its all-time leader for home runs and RBIs. He finished just one hit shy of another career standard.

Team Records Broken in 2022

·        Most Runs Scored in a Season – 516

o   Previous Record – 468 (2021)

·        Most Home Runs in a Season – 113

o   Previous Record – 90 (2021)

·        Most Home Runs in One Game – 9 vs. Briar Cliff on May 9, 2022

o   Previous Record – 8 vs. Lawrence Tech on March 10, 2022

·        Most Postseason Wins in a Season – 9

o   Previous Record – 7 (2021)

·        Most Consecutive Elimination Game Wins, Season – 9

·        First team with 7+ wins from four different starting pitchers

o   Caden Bugarske (8), Christian Gutierrez (8), Caden Johnson (8) and Alex Johnson (7)

Individual Records Broken in 2022

Jay Adams

·        Runs Scored, Season – 67

·        Hits, Season – 86

·        Total Bases, Season - 154

·        Most Stolen Bases without CS, Season – 15

·        Games Played, Season (Tie) – 58

·        Hits, One Game – 6 (vs. Briar Cliff)

·        Runs, One Game – 6 (vs. Briar Cliff)

·        Home Runs, One Game (Tie) – 3 (vs. Briar Cliff)

·        Runs Batted In, One Game – 8 (vs. Briar Cliff)

Ben Berg

·        Most Putouts, Career – 1,026

Caden Bugarske

·        Most Games Started (Pitcher), Season (Tie) – 14

Keaton Candor

·        Games Played, Career – 223

·        At Bats, Career – 733

·        Runs Scored, Career – 170

·        Home Runs, Career – 47

·        Runs Batted In, Career – 188

·        Bases on Balls, Career – 108

·        Games Played, Season (Tie) – 58

Joey Grabanski

·        Batting Average, Career – .376

·        Games Played, Season (Tie) – 58

·        Runs Batted In, Season – 67

Alex Johnson

·        Most Games Started (Pitcher), Season (Tie) – 14

Jaidan Quinn

·        Games Played, Season (Tie) – 58

·        Home Runs, Season – 19

Adams recognized as Honorable Mention All-American

June 7

SEWARD, Neb. – One of the top leadoff men and second baseman in the nation, Jay Adams pulled in All-America accolades, as announced by the NAIA on Tuesday (June 7). Adams was recognized as a 2022 Honorable Mention All-American following a season that saw him lead the Concordia University Baseball team to a GPAC tournament championship and within a game of an NAIA World Series berth. Adams joined former teammates Jake Fosgett (2021) and Nick Little (2018) as recent Honorable Mention All-America award winners.

A two-time First Team All-GPAC honoree, Adams led all GPAC players with a school record 86 hits in 2022. The Waverly, Neb., native also broke the program’s single season record for runs scored with 67. In addition, Adams batted .371 with 14 doubles, 18 home runs, 65 RBIs, a .440 on-base percentage, .664 slugging percentage and 15 stolen bases in 58 games this past season. At second base, Adams successfully fielded 228 of 235 (.970) chances. In memorable postseason performances, Adams delivered walk-off RBI singles to beat Northwestern and Jamestown (GPAC title game) and produced a 6-for-6, three-homer effort in a blowout of Briar Cliff. Adams set the table for a potent lineup that reset program single season records for home runs (113) and runs scored (516).

Adams has appeared in 132 collegiate games as a Bulldog and has batted .367 (187-for-510) with 34 doubles, 23 home runs, 121 RBIs, 60 walks and 26 stolen bases. Over the three seasons (partial 2020 campaign) Adams has played, Concordia has gone a combined 96-36-1 with two national tournament appearances, including an NAIA World Series trip in 2021.

Honorable Mention All-Americans during Coach Ryan Dupic’s tenure
2022 – Jay Adams, 2B
2021 – Jake Fosgett, RHP
2018 – Nick Little, RHP

GPAC tourney champs finish just outside NAIA top 25 in postseason poll

June 8

SEWARD, Neb. – While making a run to the finals of the 2022 NAIA National Championship Opening Round, the Concordia University Baseball team made a strong case for a spot in the season’s final top 25 ranking. As part of the release on Wednesday (June 8), the Bulldogs wound up just outside of the 2022 NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad pulled in 74 points in the poll and was listed third among “others receiving votes.”

This marks the third time during Dupic’s tenure that Concordia has finished a season either ranked or receiving votes nationally. The historic 2021 squad vaulted up to No. 12 in the NAIA postseason poll after making an appearance at the NAIA World Series. The 2019 GPAC regular season champion Bulldogs also received votes at the close of that campaign.

In 2022, Concordia began the season ranked 18th in the NAIA and then settled into the receiving votes category throughout much of the spring. The ’21 edition was the first in the history of the program to crack the official NAIA top 25 poll. From the 2018 through the 2022 campaigns, the Bulldogs have been listed as receiving votes at least once each year.

This past season, Dupic led Concordia to a 40-17-1 overall record with a GPAC tournament championship. The Bulldogs won nine postseason games between the conference and national tournaments. As part of the Bellevue Bracket at the national tournament, Concordia defeated two teams that landed in the NAIA postseason top 25: No. 6 Bellevue University and No. 15 Central Methodist University (Mo.). The Bulldogs also knocked off Tabor College (Kan.), which received votes.

The 2022 squad emerged as the most potent offensive group in school history, breaking program standards for most home runs (113) and runs scored (516) in a single season. On Tuesday, second baseman Jay Adams was recognized as an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American. For more on the school records set in ’22, click HERE.

Season-In-Review: 2022 Concordia Baseball

June 9

The 2022 Concordia Baseball team faced the difficult task of following up the greatest season in program history, one that resulted in a historic trip to the 2021 NAIA World Series. Behind a powerful offense that reset school standards for home runs and runs scored – and a whole lot of postseason grit – the Bulldogs came within one win of returning to Lewiston, Idaho. Though it came up short of that destination, Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s program proved it had staying power on the national stage.

This was a squad you could never count out. Concordia rallied to win a game in Florida that it had trailed 8-1 after seven innings and it put together an unforgettable postseason run that included nine-straight elimination game victories. The Bulldogs shook off some of the bumps in the road, won the GPAC tournament title and finished at 40-17-1 overall.

The results are a byproduct of the talent that has accumulated within the program – and also the strong relationships Dupic has helped foster between teammates, members of the coaching staff and supporters. Said Dupic, “I’m very grateful for the players and the relationships that we share with the parents and families and the support that we’ve received. It was a very special team that did a great job with their backs to the wall and finished strong in the back part of the season. I think that says a lot about them. There were a lot of opportunities for character development in our young men. I’m very proud of them for the way they finished.”

Based on the results, the 2022 campaign goes down as the second most successful season in program history. Four different Bulldogs mashed their way to 18 or more home runs, led by the school record 19 big flies from Jaidan Quinn (followed closely by Jay Adams, Keaton Candor and Joey Grabanski with 18 apiece). The collection of sluggers made the nation take notice on May 19 when Concordia pummeled six home runs in a 16-2 blowout of sixth-ranked Bellevue University. The Bulldogs were suddenly one victory away from securing another NAIA World Series berth. However, the Bruins responded by winning the second game, 5-2.

Not only did Concordia earn a victory over the No. 6-ranked team during national tournament play, it also toppled then 11th-ranked Central Methodist University (Mo.) and defeated a Tabor College (Kan.) foe that was situated just outside the top 25. By the time first pitch arrived on May 19 at the Bellevue Bracket, the Bulldogs were one of only 15 teams left standing across the country. That should have put Concordia in the NAIA postseason top 25, but it landed third among others receiving votes in the poll released on June 8.

The thrilling run at nationals came after the Bulldogs triumphed in five-straight elimination games in the process of capturing the GPAC tournament championship. The conference tourney was highlighted by the play of Adams, who delivered walk-off base hits to sink both Northwestern and Jamestown (GPAC title game) in some of the most memorable moments in Plum Creek Park history. An exhausting few days involved more than the six GPAC tournament games played by Concordia. Members of the team had served as the grounds crew and were tasked with making the field playable following heavy rains. Center fielder Alec Blakestad even gave it a shot with a broken wrist.

Said Dupic of the postseason extravaganza, “Our guys made it really fun to watch them play. I feel a sense of admiration for them to take me on a ride like that. They played so well. That (Bellevue game) was probably one of the best games we’ve played. We swung the bats so well and Caden Johnson did an exceptional job pitching on short rest. So many guys stepped up and pushed through pain, injury and fatigue to really do some special things.”

A Twitter thread from catcher Ben Berg provided a well-written summary of the ups and downs that came with the 2022 season including its share of trials and tribulations. Berg himself missed a good portion of the first half of the campaign with an injury. Ranked 18th nationally in the preseason, the Bulldogs did not receive any top 25 votes when the GPAC tournament rolled around. At one point in the season, Concordia dropped five conference games in a row and had to chase GPAC regular season champion Doane all spring. After a loss to Northwestern in the opening game of the conference tournament, the Bulldogs saw their season hanging in the balance. Nine postseason wins later, the feeling about 2022 had completely turned around.

Tweeted Berg, “I had the feeling of overwhelming gratitude for being part of such a gritty, close-knit bunch. Man I love these guys … this year made me appreciate how special it is to make the national tournament and how difficult it is to make it to Lewiston. We didn’t quite get it done this year, but get ready to see CUNE again real soon.”

As hitting coach Caleb Lang noted, 11 of the 12 Bulldogs who earned All-GPAC honors will be back in 2023. That list includes first teamers in Adams, Grabanski, Alex Johnson, Caden Johnson and Quinn. Adams was also recognized as an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American. Adams was the catalyst for an offense that totaled 113 home runs and 516 runs scored – both school records.

“I think it’s a perfect summary of multiple variables coming together at the same time,” Dupic said. “The most important part is we have good, talented players. Those guys are good hitters. We have to start with a foundation of talent and skill and then you have to work hard to develop, grow and improve and come together as a group. Coach Lang and Coach (Wade) Council have done an exceptional job of leading them. Multiple things came together at the same time to put together something special.”

As Berg mentioned in his Twitter thread, the pitching staff lost a lot from 2021 and made significant strides over the course of the ’22 campaign. The four main starters, Caden Bugarske, Christian Gutierrez and the Johnsons, each won either seven or eight games. All four were instrumental in the postseason run and the bullpen got strong work from the likes of Nathan Buckallew, Jacob Lycan, Shane Whittaker and others. The team’s final ERA rested at 4.47.

No one player will be able to replace the production – or personality – of Candor. He returned for a fifth year in 2022 and leaves with school records for games played (223), runs scored (170), home runs (47), RBIs (188) and walks (108). Candor has played a significant role in propelling the program to places it had never previously been.

“I think the perception of us locally, within the region and even nationally has grown a lot over the course of the past couple years,” Dupic said. “Last year’s trip to the World Series was definitely a breakthrough. I’m as proud – or prouder – of this year’s team to come back the next year and be right on the doorstep again. It showed it wasn’t just a one-year ride. These last couple years have been very special and something that’s been building up for years, dating back to the ’15, ’16 and ’17 teams and the breakthrough with the ’19 team. It’s been building from player to player. I’m very proud of our guys for it.”

Considering the returning firepower and the presence of what will be a more experienced pitching staff in 2023, Concordia Baseball plans on turning a special two-year run into a special three-year run.

Adams, Grabanski, Quinn highlight World-Herald's All-Midlands team selections

June 13

SEWARD, Neb. – Nine Bulldogs from the 2022 GPAC tournament championship Concordia University Baseball team have picked up postseason honors from the Omaha World-Herald, as announced on Sunday (June 12). The state of Nebraska’s largest media outlet recognized standout position players Jay Adams, Joey Grabanski and Jaidan Quinn as 2022 All-Midlands Baseball Team selections. Six other Concordia players were rewarded with honorable mention status on the team: Alec Blakestad, Keaton Candor, Jesse Garcia, Alex Johnson, Caden Johnson and Tanner Tompkins.

The World-Herald’s All-Midlands Baseball Team features the top players from Nebraska four-year colleges and universities outside of the NCAA Division I level. The 2022 team (listed at bottom) includes players from NAIA and NCAA Division II and III institutions. The nine Bulldog honorees helped Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s ’22 squad win 40 games overall and reach the finals of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round Bellevue Bracket.

Concordia All-Midlands award winners

Jay Adams | Waverly, Neb.
2022 stats: 58 G, .371 BA (86-for-232), 67 R, 14 2B, 18 HR, 65 RBIs, 15 SB, .440 OBP, .664 SLG, .970 F%

Joey Grabanski | Grand Forks, N.D.
2022 stats: 58 G, .396 BA (80-for-202), 54 R, 14 2B, 18 HR, 67 RBIs, .480 OBP, .733 SLG

Jaidan Quinn | Bonner Springs, Kan.
2022 stats: 58 G, .341 BA (59-for-173), 59 R, 10 2B, 1 3B, 19 HR, 59 RBIs, .506 OBP, .740 SLG

Alec Blakestad | Omaha, Neb.
2022 stats: 46 G, .383 BA (51-for-133), 51 R, 12 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 39 RBIs, 14 SB, .484 OBP, .602 SLG

Keaton Candor | Merrill, Iowa
2022 stats: 58 G, .324 BA (68-for-210), 59 R, 10 2B, 18 HR, 60 RBIs, .424 OBP, .629 SLG

Jesse Garcia | El Cajon, Calif.
2022 stats: 56 G, .333 BA (63-for-189), 41 R, 15 2B, 9 HR, 43 RBIs, .466 OBP, .556 SLG, .981 F%

Alex Johnson | Olathe, Kan.
2022 stats: 2.77 ERA, 7-1 W-L, 14 GS, 65 IP, 53 H, 26 BB, 61 K, .228 BAA

Caden Johnson | Papillion, Neb.
2022 stats: 3.45 ERA, 8-2 W-L, 12 GS, 75.2 IP, 61 H, 29 BB, 79 K, .221 BAA

Tanner Tompkins | Normal, Ill.
2022 stats: 50 G, .308 BA (45-for-146), 14 R, 9 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 45 RBIs, .386 OBP, .548 SLG

2022 Omaha World-Herald All-Midlands Baseball Team

* denotes honorary captain

C - Brenton Davis, Sr., Bellevue

1B - Derek Kolbush, Sr., Nebraska Wesleyan

2B - Jay Adams, So., Concordia

SS - Alec Ackerman, Jr., Bellevue

3B - Jaidan Quinn, So., Concordia

OF - Conner Barnett, So., Bellevue

OF - Kanta Kobayasi, Jr., Bellevue

OF - Joe Osborn, So., Doane

DH - Joey Grabanski, So., Concordia

U - Lukas White, Jr., Doane

SP - Blake Crippen, So., Bellevue

* SP - Elijah Johnson, Sr., Bellevue

SP - Andrew Staebell, Jr., Wayne State

RP - Thaniel Trumper, So., Doane

Honorable mention: Bellevue: Andrew Ashii, Alex Celiceo, McGrane Pledger, Alex Stufft. Concordia: Alec Blakestad, Keaton Candor, Jesse Garcia, Alex Johnson, Caden Johnson, Tanner Tompkins. Doane: Kyler Beekman, Nate Mensik, Justin Nevells, Andy Theier, Jack Tillman, Julian Vargas, Jordan Wisner. Hastings: Camden Brichacek, Keaton Hoeke, Tyler Welsh. Midland: Keegan Adams, Peyton Garbers, Lucas Hamzehm Chase Reynolds, Dakota Thornton. Nebraska Wesleyan: Evan Kling, Kaleb Knox, Noah Unger. Peru State: Sebastian Rodriguez, Jose Solis, Jesus Tavarez. Wayne State: Andrew Hansen, Alex Logelin, Colin Lynam. York: Luke Juarez, Jesus Licon, Daniel Polo, Daniel Tomkiewicz.

Few can Dew it better: looking back at Candor's remarkable career

Jul 12

“Let’s get weird,” Keaton Candor told his teammates as they would stride towards the dugout between innings during action at the opening round of the 2022 NAIA Baseball National Championship. It was in those tense moments that Candor provided a calming, humorous presence. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why Concordia Baseball was at its best when its back was against the wall.

Prior to games, Candor would often take swigs from a bottle of Mountain Dew, and then go out and crush baseballs. There was something different about the smalltown Iowan. He wasn’t trying to train for the Olympics. He’s a ballplayer – one that played better when he was relaxed, caffeinated and telling jokes.

“My sophomore year I tried to do the serious guy thing and take everything serious,” Candor said. “I just didn’t have a good year. Junior year I came back and I just wanted to be myself. At times I probably got a little carried away. I don’t know how happy Coach (Ryan) Dupic was when I’d crack a joke in a serious situation. I think a lot of guys kind of needed that just to remember that you can have fun in tough situations.”

The Mountain Dew became a superstition for the native of Merrill, Iowa, and former standout at Le Mars Community High School. Out of the home of Blue Bunny Ice Cream came a stout, power-hitting outfielder who would go on to help transform Concordia Baseball. This past May, Candor reached the finish line on a five-year Bulldog career that saw him rise to the top of the program’s all-time record book for games played (223), runs scored (170), home runs (47), RBIs (188) and walks (108). He also became just the third player in school history to reach 200 career hits.

There may have been a few in-game moments when Dupic rolled his eyes after Candor opened his mouth, but the Bulldog skipper likely laughed about it later. There was no reason to mess with an approach that worked. Keaton became a beloved figure within the dugout – and it wasn’t about the school records. He was a personality that helped define the togetherness of the program.

Wrote Dupic as part of this past season’s senior day recognition, “Keaton is one of the best hitters in the history of the program. He has been very consistent during his time here at Concordia and has been one of the most feared hitters in the league over the last few years. While his accomplishments are many, I’ll remember Keaton much more for his infectious personality, his sense of humor and the way he brings people together. I’m proud of Keaton and the man he has become.”

The growth he experienced personally translated to the field. The sophomore season of 2019 that Candor referenced ended with him batting .225. It wasn’t all bad though, as he contributed eight home runs and an .831 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage). However, it still fell below the expectations he had for himself. Then in 2020, Candor appeared on his way to a monster year when he was batting .400 with five home runs at the point the season was shut down by COVID-19.

Candor really hit it big over his final two seasons while being named First Team All-GPAC in 2021 and Second Team All-GPAC in 2022. There was no official opening round MVP award in 2021, but if there had been, it surely would have gone to Candor. During the five games played at that year’s Bellevue Bracket, Candor went 8-for-23 (.348) with four doubles, three home runs and eight RBIs.

The son of Buena Vista University Hall of Fame athlete Todd Candor, Keaton first began thinking about Concordia when he attended a camp at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) in Mason City, Iowa. That’s where Keaton, a junior in high school at the time, first talked extensively with former Bulldog assistant coach Bryce Berg. There was also the natural connection considering Keaton’s older brother Kendall had played at Buena Vista when Dupic had served as the top assistant for the Beavers.

Recalls Keaton, “My dad had said, it’s probably going to be a pretty good program now that Dupic’s there, and he was right. My first impression (of Concordia) was mainly about how committed the coaching staff was and still is as far as connecting with players. That’s always been one of their big emphases. Every Wednesday Bryce would give me a call and just check in. Then when I came on a visit, it was super awesome.”

Berg took the lead on recruiting Candor at a time when Dupic was in the process of triumphing over cancer that had weakened him during the 2017 GPAC championship season. Candor recalls how Dupic was up front about his situation and how it would briefly limit the contact that Dupic would be able to have with prospective recruits or current players.

It didn’t take long for Candor to see that the program was trending in the right direction. He had a chance to be part of something special. Along the journey that took Candor and the Bulldogs to Lewiston, Idaho, for the 2021 NAIA World Series and then to within one game of getting back there in 2022, lessons were learned. Friendships grew tighter. All reasonable expectations for Concordia Baseball had been blown away.

“When I came in it was right after they won their first conference championship,” Candor said. “Obviously we didn’t follow it up the next year. We didn’t do as well as we wanted. That kind of made me realize it’s not going to be easy to stay on top. Every year we wanted to push it farther. I remember sophomore and junior year we were saying, we’ve proven that we can win the conference. One of the goals we had then was to try to win more than one game at regionals. We didn’t just say, ‘We’re going to the World Series.’ That was always the big picture, but there were a lot of small goals that I don’t think people think about when you’re building up to that.”

For Candor personally, it just took a little fuel from a certain carbonated soft drink, a lot of work in the cages with Berg and current hitting coach Caleb Lang and the right attitude adjustment. When Candor belted Concordia’s fourth homer of the fifth inning in the recent 16-2 stunning blowout win over sixth-ranked Bellevue at the national tournament, he was greeted appropriately by his teammates. A 12-pack of Mountain Dew was the prize after Candor touched home plate.

“I’ve always liked Mountain Dew, I’m not going to lie,” Candor said. “I remember being a kid trying to sneak a couple past my parents when they thought I had enough. I don’t know why, but I kind of have a little bit of a superstition. If I didn’t have one, I felt like I was going to have a bad game. I enjoyed having that around. It took on a life of its own. I remember Evan Bohman, another fellow Mountain Dew enthusiast, brought a little life to it. The guys really liked it. It was something fun that everyone could share in.”

That moment back in May exemplified how Candor and his teammates have shared in each other’s joy. It means something to be part of the Bulldog Baseball family. The players are something close to rock stars in the eyes of Coach Dupic’s sons, Cole and Cody. Before almost every at bat over the past couple of years, Keaton and Cole would bump fists. Keaton and his teammates always had time for Cole. That’s just who they are.

It will be strange in 2023 not to see Candor holding down a spot in the outfield and in the middle of the lineup. Concordia and baseball will always be a part of him. This summer, Candor has coached the Waverly High School freshman reserves. Just a couple months after his final Concordia game, Candor tried to put into words what the last five years have meant to him. No doubt the bat he received from the program in commemoration of his 200th career hit will always be a cherished item.

Says Candor, “I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity and all the different coaches who have come along the way and helped push this program forward. I think the program is in really good hands with Coach Dupic and Coach Lang and anybody else they bring in. The school as a whole is really special with the emphasis on both athletics and academics. You have professors talking to you about the game that you had. Them being engaged with it makes it even a little more special.”