SEWARD, Neb. – Eye-popping numbers produced by Joey Grabanksi during the opening weekend of the 2023 season have led to the Concordia University Baseball standout earning national recognition. On Tuesday (Feb. 14), Grabanski was named the NAIA Ball Player of the Week. A media entity especially active on Twitter, NAIA Ball has covered NAIA baseball from a national perspective going back to 2016.

Grabanski’s three-game run this past weekend saw him go 7-for-13 (.538) with five home runs, 12 RBIs, a .600 on base percentage and a 1.692 slugging percentage. The left fielder from Grand Forks, N.D., capped the week off with a 5-for-5, three-homer, nine-RBI performance against 11th-ranked Oklahoma City University. During the three games to open the season, the Bulldogs played No. 11 Oklahoma City twice and No. 5 Bellevue University once.

Already a two-time First Team All-GPAC award winner, Grabanski has slugged 40 home runs and has collected 139 RBIs through his first 115 career collegiate games. He’s gone 158-for-415 (.381) with 103 runs scored, 28 doubles, 306 total bases and a .737 slugging percentage as a Bulldog.

Up next, 21st-ranked Concordia will play four games this weekend (Feb. 18-19) in Joplin, Mo. The full 2023 schedule can be found HERE.

As word spread that Ryan Dupic had become the winningest head coach in the history of Concordia Baseball, the people that felt the greatest elation were all those associated with the program NOT named Ryan Dupic. Now in his ninth season at Concordia, Dupic would rather the accolades and the praise go to the players and staff members who helped accumulate those 250-plus victories since his tenure began with the 2015 season. As of the end of action on Thursday (March 9), Dupic’s all-time record stood at 253-153-1.

The former Buena Vista University standout pitcher and lead assistant coach got his first opportunity to take over his own program when he arrived in Seward. In the era of the GPAC (2000-present), the program had made strides, but there had not been a winning record since 1979 (at the time Dupic was hired as head coach).

Beyond the wins, Dupic’s squads since 2015 have broken just about every program record in the books, have won a combined five GPAC titles, reached four national tournaments and even did something that would have seemed unthinkable, years ago, for Concordia Baseball – appear at the NAIA World Series.

Dupic can deflect credit because he’s put good people around himself. Tweeted Dupic in response to the milestone victory, “My family, our coaches, players, athletic department leadership and Concordia Baseball parents have collaborated to accomplish some things during our time at CUNE. I believe in group accomplishments, not individual. Thank you to so many who have invested in the lives of people (associated with the program).”

In other words, Dupic is just fine celebrating a milestone when it can be placed in the context of the program’s overall success and the people who have come along since 2015. So many of those key individuals felt moved to share their own thoughts via social media. The impact Dupic has had on the players and assistant coaches he’s mentored has been felt in meaningful ways. Players past and present were genuinely ecstatic to share in Dupic’s milestone achievement.

In terms of his humility, Dupic hasn’t changed since the day he arrived in Seward. It isn’t lost on him how the pieces around him came together to make this successful. Dupic reflected briefly on the dynamics that led to this point. If no one had told him, Dupic wouldn’t have realized he was about to rise to the top of the program’s wins list.

Said Dupic, “Caleb Lang kind of prepared me for it. I wasn’t counting it down or anything like that. He said that was coming. I do think it’s a celebration of the program. Angela Muller was down here (in Florida), and I got a text from Devin (Smith). Bryce Berg was at the game, and he obviously played a key role in helping build our program. Caleb is part of our staff now and he’s played a huge role in getting us to another level. Both my parents were here. It was kind of a family dynamic. I got a lot of text messages. I think we have a really good team, so I’m excited about this group being a part of that.”

Just to add to the humility, Ryan’s mother Carol had her son pose for a picture with the game ball after win No. 251. Ryan had done the same after his very first win back in 2015. Parents Rick and Carol Dupic have a lot to proud of (as they are of each of their boys). Ryan overcame cancer in 2017 during a year that saw Concordia win the GPAC regular season title and reach the national tournament for the first time ever. The players rallied around their head coach, who was physically weakened by his cancer.

The Concordia Baseball family helped Dupic through some of the roughest moments of his life while making for some of the best moments of his life. He’s been blown away by the number of people who have reached out to congratulate him on win No. 251. The relationships will be remembered long after any single victory on the ballfield.

Said Dupic of the numerous tweets, texts and calls he received, “It shows how many people have been invested in it. It’s my name on it, but I don’t really view it that way. It’s a cool thing for the program.”

Tweets from the Bulldog Family …

Devin Smith: “Under coach’s leadership, we are a consistent conference contender and a nationally relevant brand. Most importantly, coach is a God-fearing man who readily shares the gospel.”

Caleb Lang: “This has been an amazing three years working with coach. I have learned a tremendous amount and it’s truly been a blessing. Winning is simply byproduct of the work and culture he has put together in his tenure.”

Bryce Berg: “Grateful I was able to see win 251 in person. Truly amazing journey leading this program through these 251 wins. Incredible program builder, developer of men and mentor to so many people. Sko Dawgs and congrats Ryan Dupic!”

Wade Council: “He will likely give all credit to his assistants and players, which is what makes him special.”

Teyt Johnson: “Congrats! Even though all you do is talk into a walkie talkie all game!”

Conner Watson: “This is a byproduct of his ability to build a winning culture, clearly defining expectations, treating everyone like family, and developing people. Eternally grateful for Ryan Dupic.”

Zach Pinkerton: ‘GOAT emoji’

Kevin Tompkins (Concordia parent): “Coach runs a first-class program and treats every player like his own. Very grateful for my son being part of it.”

Accomplishments during Dupic’s tenure:

·        253-153-1 overall record

·        2021 NAIA World Series Qualifier

·        Four national tournament appearances

·        Five total GPAC championships (three regular season, two postseason)

·        School record 42 wins in 2021

·        Other major school season records broken for runs scored, home runs and pitching strikeouts

·        Above .500 record every season (prior to tenure, program had not had a winning season since 1979)

Gutierrez shuts down 13th-ranked Bobcats, Bulldogs rally to win Warner Invite

Mar. 11, 2023

LAKE WALES, Fla. – It was Christian Gutierrez who steadied the ship on Saturday (March 11) when things appeared rocky early on for the Concordia University Baseball team. Gutierrez went six strong innings out of the bullpen and the Bulldogs rallied to beat 13th-ranked St. Thomas University (Fla.), 8-6, in the championship game of the Warner University Invitational. Concordia defeated the Bobcats, of the NAIA’s Sun Conference, three times over the past week of spring break in The Sunshine State.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad won its final three games (and five of its last six) on the road trip to move to 14-8 overall. The Bulldogs began action in Florida a week ago on March 4.

“They came out and got us right away – jumped on us big time,” Dupic said. “It was 6-0 in the top of the first. We got that out (to end the top of the first) and I think a big turning point was us coming back and scoring two in the bottom of the first to put some pressure on them. Christian was just exceptional. He was executing pitches well – I can’t say enough about how he pitched. It allowed our offense to claw back into the game. We chipped away inning by inning and were able to get the lead.”

Concordia starting pitcher Caden Bugarske whirled a gem in the win over Grand View University (Iowa) on March 6, but had to be pulled in the first inning on Saturday. St. Thomas piled up the aforementioned six runs on four extra-base hits in the opening inning, leaving Dupic to turn to Gutierrez. The righty from La Mirada, Calif., proceeded to get 18 outs in relief while allowing just a single run on four hits (no walks) while striking out six.

St. Thomas pitchers Chase Chatman and Carlos Polanco were able to keep the powerful Bulldogs in the park on this particular day. However, the Bulldogs got the clutch hits they needed. They began to chip away in the bottom of the first when the suddenly sizzling Jay Adams plated two runs on a two-out base hit. Adams also knocked in the team’s third run (in the third) on a single. Two batters later, Tanner Tompkins singled home both Adams and Alec Blakestad.

Then in the bottom of the fourth, Concordia took its first lead of the game. Ty Nekoliczak reached on an infield single and came around to score on an error. Soon after, Blakestad reached on an error on the shortstop, scoring Joey Grabanski for the go-ahead run. Some insurance came two innings later when Blakestad’s sac fly scored Jose Cevallos. The Bobcats (15-10) did not mount any threat in the seventh. Gutierrez recorded a strikeout and a flyout before Dan Rivera ended the game with another punch out. Rivera earned the save.

Adams (2-for-4) and Grabanski (2-for-2 with two walks) collected two hits apiece to lead an attack that went wild for a combined 43 runs and nine homers in Friday’s two wins at the Warner Invite. Concordia’s lineup has many ways to beat the opposition.

Said Dupic, “The pitcher we faced today was really good, really good arm. Our guys sure battled hard and competed. We got some big base hits and chipped away. We rely a lot on long balls, but it’s good to see us be able to find another way.”

That’s the end of the nonconference slate for 2023. Of the 22 games to this point, 11 have come against teams that were either ranked or receiving votes at the time of first pitch. The Bulldogs have claimed five wins over top 25 foes.

“Something that stands out to me is we got all 22 nonconference games in,” Dupic said. “I’m not sure we’ve ever had that before. It’s the best competition we’ve played since I’ve been here. The Sun Conference is the best league in the country and we played some very good teams down here. I think being challenged will prepare us for the next steps. I love our team offensively. When we pitch and make plays, we’re pretty good. We have a lot of pitchers who are versatile – can start and relieve – and do different things. If we can hang with that, I think we’ll have a chance to have a nice season.”

Weather permitting, the Bulldogs will make their 2023 home debut next Saturday (March 18) when they are scheduled to host Jamestown (11-7) in a GPAC doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. CT. The twin bill at Plum Creek Park will be a rematch of the 2022 GPAC tournament championship game. Concordia was the preseason pick by league coaches to win the GPAC.

Garcia rakes his way to GPAC Player of the Week award

Mar. 14, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – A productive week over spring break has resulted in Jesse Garcia being named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Baseball Player of the Week, as announced by the GPAC on Tuesday (March 14). The award was based on performances that occurred from March 6-12. A three-time All-GPAC honoree, Garcia has collected the third GPAC Player of the Week accolade of his career with the Bulldogs.

A fifth-year player from El Cajon, Calif., Garcia led the way last week for one of the nation’s most potent offenses. Since last Monday (March 6), Garcia went 14-for-30 (.467) at the plate during action in The Sunshine State. His stat line included eight runs scored, four doubles, two home runs, 10 RBIs and an .800 slugging percentage. Garcia inflicted that damage over eight games, including three against nationally ranked St. Thomas University (Fla.). In the field, Garcia successfully converted 50 of 52 chances.

In his career, Garcia has played in 203 collegiate games and has batted .335 (225-for-672) with 165 runs, 52 doubles, 46 home runs, 178 RBIs and a .621 slugging percentage. Garcia ranks near the top of the program’s all-time lists in nearly all major offensive categories.

Garcia and the Bulldogs (14-8) are scheduled to open conference play this weekend with doubleheaders against both Jamestown and Hastings.

Grabanski resets home run standard, Cresta deals in GPAC opening sweep

Mar. 20, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Sunny skies and temperatures in the 50s meant it was time to play ball at home for the first time this 2023 season. After a layoff of more than a week, the Concordia University Baseball team took a pair of games from visiting Jamestown on Monday (March 20) while going deep three times and getting a sterling pitching performance from righty Frankie Cresta.  In addition, Joey Grabanski became the program's new all-time home run king. The Bulldogs rallied to win the first contest, 7-6, with the help of Alec Blakestad’s walk-off RBI single. They then took the capper, 7-0.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has won five in a row to move to 16-8 overall (2-0 GPAC). Concordia had been idle since finishing its spring break trip in Florida on March 11.

“I thought the offensive guys were fantastic,” Dupic said. “Particularly when you look at that first game, we fell behind and they did an incredible job off the ace of the other team’s staff. We really battled and got a big swing from Joey and got us back into the ballgame. I was really proud because there was a chance for that game to roll away form us a little bit … We kept making the next pitch and the next play. That was a really tough hard-fought win.”

Eventually, the first game was left to the bullpens after Blake Benson covered 5.2 innings for the Bulldogs and Luke Zimmer went five frames for the Jimmies. Jamestown was unable to hold onto leads of 3-0 and 5-3 in the middle innings. The game see-sawed back and forth late in the contest as the Jimmies answered a Tanner Tompkins sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth with a fielder’s choice to score a run. Then in the bottom of the seventh with the game tied, 6-6, Blakestad blooped a base hit to center, chasing home Ty Nekoliczak for the walk-off tally.

Those late heroics were made possible by a three-run blast from Grabanski in the third. The fly ball that left the yard to right center marked Grabanski’s 13th homer of the season and 48th for his career, making him the program’s new all-time record holder (Keaton Candor was the previous record holder with 47). Blakestad wound up with three hits while Nekoliczak added two hits and two runs in game one.

Another strong offensive performance and the best outing of Cresta’s Bulldog career made game two easier on the ticker. Cresta racked up 13 strikeouts to go against just three hits and two walks in his seven-inning complete game masterpiece. Cresta set the tone by striking out the first batter in six separate innings. He also benefited from a 5-4-3 double play in the first and then a strike-him-out-throw-him-out double play to end the game.

The native of Johnston, Iowa, was dealing on Monday afternoon. As Dupic joked, “It feels like I’ve recruited him about five times. I recruited him out of high school and out of junior college. Frankie is a kid that loves to get better and really wants to be good. I was really excited when we had a chance to add him. Today he had his secondary stuff going really well. When he has that, he’s tough.”

Said Cresta, “My fastball and slider felt good – changeup felt good. If I didn’t throw a good one, I was on to the next pitch. My mindset is one pitch at a time and just trying to execute every pitch.”

Cresta had things on cruise control after Concordia put up one run in the first, three in the second and two in the third. Jaidan Quinn led off the bottom of the first with a solo blast (eighth homer this season). In the second, Nekoliczak grounded out to score a run, Grabanski singled in another and Jesse Garcia’s ringing double plated Grabanski. An inning later, Jay Adams hit a no-doubter of homer to left center (sixth of the season) to open a two-run bottom of the third.

Blakestad enjoyed a 4-for-8 day out of the cleanup spot in the order. Meanwhile, Grabanski and Teyt Johnson both went 3-for-6. For the day, the offense generated 19 hits, including seven for extra bases (four doubles and three homers). While Cresta got the game two win, reliever Kellen Ingram got the victory in game one after he recorded two outs to close the top of the seventh.

Jamestown slipped to 11-9 overall (0-2 GPAC) in its first action since March 10. The two Jimmie starting pitchers surrendered a combined 11 earned runs on Monday. In game one, catcher Triston Madison delivered a two-run homer and posted two hits. Jamestown finished with 12 hits on the day.

Currently, the Bulldogs are scheduled to play in South Dakota for doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday. Those games could be altered (location and/or date) due to unfavorable conditions that have persisted farther north. Stay tuned to @cunebulldogs on Twitter for the latest updates and be sure to check the website for possible changes to the upcoming schedule.

Bulldogs split with Mount Marty while led by Berg, Johnson

Mar. 25, 2023

CONCORDIA, Kan. – Two teams with GPAC championship aspirations relocated to Concordia, Kan., for a conference doubleheader on Saturday (March 25) afternoon. The Concordia University Baseball team let game one get away from it (10-4 loss) before responding with a 12-6 victory in game two while up against Mount Marty. In the win, Frankie Cresta continued his impressive week on the mound and Ben Berg and Teyt Johnson went a combined 9-for-9 at the plate.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has won three of four games in its opening week of conference play. The Lancers snapped the Bulldogs’ five-game win streak in the first contest while Concordia (17-9, 3-1 GPAC) came back and halted Mount Marty’s eight-game win streak in the capper.

“The positive is we bounced back well in game two,” Dupic said. “We got a good start from Frankie, who had good tempo. Defensively, we made plays and made pitches. We just didn’t do that the first game. We fell behind by too much and we weren’t able to stop the bleeding. We always feel like we’re in the game with our offense, but we just weren’t clean enough that first game. I’m glad we came back well in the next game, and we’ll go from there.”

Jaidan Quinn led off the day with a solo homer (eighth of the season), but Concordia was unable to score again until if found itself behind by a 9-1 score at the end of five innings. The Lancers managed to tag Bulldog game one pitcher Blake Benson for 12 hits and also took advantage of three Concordia errors. Mount Marty first baseman Kiko Nunez went 3-for-3 with four RBIs as the top performer in game one. Two hits apiece were notched by Bulldogs Teyt Johnson, Ty Nekoliczak and Tanner Tompkins.

It was quite a day for Berg and Johnson. They ensured Concordia did not go home empty-handed. Berg went 5-for-5 with a homer while Johnson went 4-for-4 with three runs, a homer and four RBIs as part of the game two onslaught. Joey Grabanski (first inning), Berg (second inning) and Johnson (fourth inning) each homered for the Bulldogs, who rapped out 18 hits. The homer for Grabanski marked his 14th this season and 49th of his career. Six Concordia hitters collected multiple hits in the win.

Cresta put together an impeccable week that included a seven-inning, 13-strikeout shutout of Jamestown on Monday. In his latest outing, the Johnston, Iowa, native covered eight innings, surrendering two runs on eight hits and three walks to go along with five strikeouts. Some ninth inning trouble resulted in the Lancers cutting the final scoring margin to six runs after the Bulldogs had built a 12-2 lead.

Teyt Johnson finished 6-for-7 with three runs, a walk, a home run and five RBIs for the day. Meanwhile, Berg went 5-for-7 and Nekoliczak turned in a 4-for-8 day. Concordia collected 26 total hits against a Mount Marty team that started out 7-0 in league play. The Lancers ended the day at 24-5 overall (7-1 GPAC).

The Bulldogs will be back at home on Sunday to welcome Dakota Wesleyan (3-14, 0-6 GPAC) to Plum Creek Park. First pitch of the doubleheader has been moved to 2 p.m. CT. In last season’s twin bill in mid-March, Concordia racked up a combined 38 runs while sweeping the Tigers.

Cresta honored as GPAC Pitcher of the Week

Mar. 28, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – An impressive start to conference play led to Frankie Cresta being honored on Tuesday (March 28). The conference announced Cresta as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Pitcher of the Week for his work in two starts between March 20-26. Cresta is the third player from Concordia University Baseball to collect a conference weekly award this season, joining Joey Grabanski (Feb. 28) and Jesse Garcia (March 14).

A native of Johnston, Iowa, Cresta enjoyed his best start as a Bulldog so far when he fired a seven-inning, three-hit shutout versus Jamestown (7-0 win) on March 20. In that outing, Cresta notched 13 strikeouts – the most by a Concordia pitcher since April 2021. He also covered eight innings and allowed two runs in the 12-6 win over Mount Marty on March 25. For the week, Cresta logged 15 innings, allowing two runs on 11 hits and five walks while recording 18 strikeouts. On the season, Cresta has pitched 42.1 innings (seven starts) and is 4-2 with a 4.89 ERA and 44 strikeouts. Cresta arrived at Concordia via Tennessee Tech.

The Bulldogs are getting set to play a 2 p.m. CT doubleheader today (March 28) versus Hastings. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad stands at 17-9 overall (3-1 GPAC).

Six homers, third-inning outbursts fuel two blowouts of Hastings

Mar. 28, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – A late change of venue was just fine with the Concordia University Baseball team, which used the friendly confines of Plum Creek Park to its advantage on a chilly but sunny Tuesday (March 28) afternoon in Seward. The Bulldogs scored a combined 18 runs in the third innings of a doubleheader sweep of Hastings. The men wearing navy jerseys combined for six home runs and a total of 14 extra-base hits while taking care of the Broncos, 13-1 and 11-5. Ben Berg homered twice in game two and Ty Nekoliczak left the yard for the first time in his life.

Originally, Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad was slated to play Tuesday in Hastings. Snow overnight in Hastings resulted in the switch. Concordia is now 4-0 at home and stands at 19-9 overall (5-1 GPAC).

“I thought first game our guys made good adjustments,” Dupic said. “Their guy did a nice job keeping us off balance early. We did a good job of having team at bats, not expanding too much and making sure they got their pitches. We really got things going. The second game, I thought we were pretty good every inning (offensively). We put ourselves in good position early on in both of those games with big innings.”

As a sign of how things went on Tuesday, Joey Grabanski had already doubled three times in game one before the eighth and ninth hitters in the Hastings lineup came to the plate. It almost feels so automatic that it would be easy to take it for granted. The Bulldog powder keg of an offense just keeps churning out big numbers. Bronco pitchers watched homers soar from the likes of (in order) Jaidan Quinn, Jesse Garcia, Tanner Tompkins, Berg, Nekoliczak and then Berg again.

Concordia got all the runs it needed with eye-popping third innings. The Bulldogs sent 16 hitters to the plate in the third inning of game one (resulting in 11 runs) and then trotted 12 more batters to the plate in the third inning of game two (resulting in seven runs). By day’s end, there were nine Concordia players to collect at least two hits. As part of his power surge, Berg drove in a team high six runs. In addition, Teyt Johnson stayed red hot as he went 3-for-7 with a pair of doubles.

There are no breaks in this Bulldog lineup. The highest batting average on the team (.404) is owned by the No. 9 hitter in Nekoliczak. Said Dupic, “Ty’s been good all year and Ben and Teyt had a big games just a couple days ago. The depth of our lineup is a big deal. We know those guys at the top can really swing it, but our ability to lengthen things really makes it tough on the opposition.”

Added Nekoliczak, “We like to stay process-oriented no matter who we’re playing. We make sure that’s a thing no matter what game. Sometimes we might have to see a pitcher through the lineup and then adjust. We made some good adjustments throughout the day.”

The pitching seemingly always gets overshadowed, but the starting combo of Caden Johnson and Christian Gutierrez got fine results on Tuesday. Johnson threw game one and covered five innings, allowing one run on three hits and three walks to go along with three strikeouts. Ernie Snyder then went two scoreless frames out of the bullpen. In game two, Gutierrez spun his way through six innings and limited the damage to two runs on seven hits and no walks (two strikeouts). The only downside was a series of defensive gaffes in the final inning of game two. Those errors let three unearned runs come across for Hastings.

The Broncos (8-18, 2-4 GPAC) are in the process of building their program back up after finishing at the bottom of the GPAC in 2022. Hastings got a home run from Eli Merritt in game one. The most successful pitcher for the Broncos was Alec Fichter, who fired 2.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen in game two.

Concordia will have two days off from game action before beginning a four-game series at Northwestern (11-15, 5-3 GPAC). The two sides are slated to play doubleheaders in Orange City, Iowa, at 4 p.m. CT on Friday and at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Bulldogs and Red Raiders played each other seven times in 2022 with Concordia winning five of those matchups.

Bugarske twirls gem, Grabanski homers four times in split at Northwestern

Mar. 30, 2023

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – It was home run derby on Thursday (March 30) for Joey Grabanski, who keeps mashing majestic blasts as Concordia’s right-handed version of Babe Ruth. Grabanski left the yard four times in the latest doubleheader as the Bulldog Baseball team split with host Northwestern in Orange City, Iowa. After its rally fell short in a game one loss, 6-5, Concordia responded by pummeling the Red Raiders, 14-1, in game two. As a team, the Bulldogs left the yard eight times on Thursday while getting a strong pitching performance from Caden Bugarske.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has moved to 20-10 overall (6-2 GPAC) halfway through a four-game series with Northwestern.

“I really am running out of ways to put words into what Joey’s done offensively,” Dupic said. “I don’t know what else you can say about him. He’s clearly one of the best hitters in the country. He’s a really good hitter and it helps that our lineup has good depth. It’s such a good group.”

Incredibly, Grabanski has recorded three three-homer games this 2023 season while moving to No. 2 on the current NAIA national home run leaderboard. In Thursday’s action, the slugger from Grand Forks, N.D., struck for a two-run homer in the third inning of game one before blasting three long balls in game two: a solo shot in the first, a two-run smash in the fifth and a moonshot of a two-run drive in the seventh. By day’s end, Grabanski pushed his season tally to 18 home runs (53 for his career).

Concordia did its best work in the sixth inning of game two when it turned a 5-0 lead into a 12-0 rout. In that frame, run-scoring hits were contributed by Ty Nekoliczak (two-run single), Jay Adams (two-run homer), Jesse Garcia (two-run homer) and Tanner Tompkins (RBI single). In the game two victory, Nekoliczak, Tompkins and Alec Blakestad notched two hits apiece. While Grabanski drove in five runs, Nekoliczak plated three.

All that production supplied a nice cushion for Bugarske, who went 5.1 innings and picked up his second win of 2023. He limited Northwestern to one run on five hits and a walk while striking out five. He was relieved in the sixth by Ernie Snyder, who worked out of a jam while maintaining the large lead. Daniel Rivera then tossed a 1-2-3 seventh to lock up the win.

Dupic is still mixing things up from a pitching perspective while trying to get the most out of an improving staff. Said Dupic, “We’re trying to be flexible. As we evaluate our team right now, we have guys who can do different things. We just wanted to change things up a little this weekend – we’re not sure what we’ll do the next doubleheader. Frankie (Cresta) has been great. It just didn’t go the way we wanted today. Qwin Zabokrtsky and Blake Benson did a great job keeping us in the ballgame and we got a great start from Bugarske in the second game. I was really pleased and proud of those guys.”

Cresta was pulled after 1.1 innings of game one. He gave up two homers to Kip Cullinan, who belted a two-run shot in the first and then a three-run blast in the second. Those two swings accounted for most of the Red Raider offense for the entire day. Zabokrtsky and Benson combined to throw 4.2 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. This was Benson’s first career relief appearance for the Bulldogs.

In addition to Grabanski’s four homers, Adams crushed two homers and Ben Berg and Garcia added one apiece for the day. The overall leading hitters for Concordia on Thursday were the likes of Grabanski (4-for-8), Tompkins (3-for-5) and Blakestad (3-for-6). Berg has collected four home runs in a six-day stretch.

Northwestern’s GPAC win streak reached five after it won the first game. The Red Raiders (12-16, 6-4 GPAC) managed to hold onto a lead that was cut from 6-2 to 6-5. Brett Shelton picked up the victory on the mound while Ryan Reynolds notched his sixth save of the season for Coach Brian Wede’s club.

The series at Northwestern will resume on Monday with a scheduled first pitch at 1 p.m. CT. The series was reconfigured in an effort to take advantage of the most favorable weather conditions. Originally, the Bulldogs and Red Raiders had been scheduled to play Friday-Saturday.

Garcia, Caden Johnson highlight win in series finale at Northwestern

Apr. 3, 2023

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The completion of a four-game series at Northwestern came on Monday (April 3) afternoon in a doubleheader that resembled the one played four days earlier in Orange City, Iowa. The Concordia University Baseball team settled for another split while falling by a 5-2 score in game one before blowing out the Red Raiders in game two, 10-1. As individual highlights of the day, Jesse Garcia homered in both ends of the twin bill and Caden Johnson fired six shutout frames in game two.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad split the four-gamer at Northwestern and will enter the upcoming weekend slate at 21-11 overall (7-3 GPAC).

“Their guy pitched well in game one and we didn’t get off to a good start,” Dupic said. “It was kind of the same situation (as this past Thursday). We hung around but fell behind by too much obviously. We played really well in the second game – Caden Johnson pitched a good ballgame. That was really good to see.”

Joey Grabanski has stolen plenty of headlines this season with his slugging prowess, but Jesse Garcia has put together quite a career himself in five seasons wearing the navy blue. He pummeled a three-run homer as part of a seven-run explosion for the Bulldogs in Monday’s second game. Garcia recorded a 3-for-7 day with two blasts and four RBIs. That production pulled the El Cajon, Calif., native even with Keaton Candor on the program’s all-time RBI list (188) while making him the second player in school history to reach 50 career home runs. Garcia (233 career hits) is one hit off the all-time program record of 234 by Zak Goodrich.

The game two run scoring was more like it for Concordia, which also got multiple hits from Tanner Tompkins (3-for-3), Ben Berg (2-for-4) and Jay Adams (2-for-5). In addition, Grabanski reached base four times and knocked in two runs with a base hit. It was more than enough to make a winner out of Johnson, who was a First Team All-GPAC honoree last season. The native of Papillion, Neb., worked around four hits and two walks (four strikeouts) in his six shutout frames.

Said Dupic of Johnson, “He had it all going today. He really commanded his fastball and mixed in his secondary pitches. He was really changing things up and had the breaking ball, changeup and fastball working. I thought Jesse Garcia had a really nice day and swung it really well.”

In Thursday’s first game (third game of the series), Concordia was forced to play catch up after Northwestern (13-17, 7-5 GPAC) put up a combined four runs over the first three innings. The Bulldogs attempted to chip away with a solo homer apiece from Garcia and Alec Blakestad, but they never were able to rally all the way back. The Millard, Neb., native Blakestad went 3-for-3 in game one.

The star of the day for the Red Raiders was pitcher Dylan Kirkeby, who logged six innings and allowed two runs on seven hits and a walk while fanning eight. Colby Shelton left the yard and Noa Vogel went 2-for-3 to lead a nine-hit Northwestern attack. The Red Raiders went up against Kellen Ingram (1 IP) and Christian Gutierrez (5 IP). Gutierrez limited the damage to two runs on his six hits and two walks.

A four-game home set with Dordt (13-11, 1-5 GPAC entering Monday) is up next. The Bulldogs will host the Defenders for 1 p.m. CT doubleheaders on both Friday and Saturday. The two sides played a four-game series last season in Sioux Center, Iowa, where Concordia earned a sweep.

Concordia alum Wetzel honored with Kansas City Royals Art Stewart Award

Apr. 5, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Concordia University Nebraska alum Terry Wetzel was honored in March by Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals. The Royals named Wetzel the 2022 recipient of the Art Stewart Award, which recognizes the organization’s most outstanding scout. Wetzel was announced as the award winner on March 6 and was then formally recognized prior to a Royals game at Kauffman Stadium on April 3.

Wetzel is in his second season with the Royals after re-joining the organization in October 2021 as a Major League/Special Assignment Scout. Prior to that, he spent six years as a Special Assistant to the President of Baseball Operations and General Manager with the Washington Nationals, including their 2019 World Series-winning season. During his 39-year scouting career, Wetzel has been honored with several awards, including the 1993 Kansas City Royals Ewing M. Kauffman Scout of the Year Award, the 2000 TOPPS Scout of the Year Award, and the 2003 Colorado Rockies Pat Daugherty Scout of the Year Award.

Wetzel made his way back to the Concordia campus in 2015 when he was honored as a member of Bulldog swimming teams (1977-78 / 1978-79) that were inducted into the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame. Wetzel served as a team captain for the conference championship swim teams of ’78 and ’79. Wetzel earned degrees from Concordia in Mathematics and Computer Science.

This feature article from 2018 explains how Wetzel got into professional baseball following his collegiate swimming career with the Bulldogs: https://www.cune.edu/athletics/teams/baseball/news/concordia-swim-captain-makes-mark-major-league-baseball. Formerly a Lutheran teacher and coach in Houston, Texas, Wetzel became a full-time scout with the Royals in 1985.

Homer happy Garcia's journey one of maturation and all-around success

Apr. 6, 2023

Head Coach Ryan Dupic had good reason to believe that Jesse Garcia would make a major impact on the Concordia University Baseball program. In December of 2017, Garcia was seen driving baseballs out of the park at the home stadium of Major League Baseball’s Miami Marlins. The then 18-year-old Garcia turned heads as he won the 12th annual Power Showcase World Classic while hitting 35 total homers (including one that traveled 470 feet) in the home run derby style event meant to provide exposure for top high school players.

Others who previously won that same competition include the likes of MLB stars Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper and Anthony Rizzo. That’s quite the company for Garcia to keep. Selfishly, Dupic was glad many other colleges missed out on Garcia in the recruiting process.

“We had him on campus, and I remember it really well,” Dupic said. “He came in and hit. It was like the second swing he took and I left the hitting center and called (local San Diego recruiting coordinator) Lou (Birch) and was like, ‘Man, what is this kid’s story?’ You could tell by the second swing he was incredible. We felt like we found a gem there. We had a really good visit with Jesse and his family and took him to Lincoln. We could tell that their values meshed well with us and you could tell from a talent perspective, he had a chance to be really special. Their family was great throughout the whole process.”

The feelings are mutual. Garcia is thankful “Dupe Man” (as he referred to his head coach) found him through a showcase event in San Diego and made the connection. So grateful for his time as a Bulldog, Garcia barely had to think about it when faced with the decision to return for a fifth year in the program. Now 213 games deep into his collegiate career as a Bulldog, Garcia has compiled 172 runs scored, 233 hits, 53 doubles, 50 home runs, 188 RBIs, 438 total bases and 107 walks. Each of those figures rank in the top two on the program’s all-time lists.

For Garcia (a Concordia graduate with a degree in Criminal Justice), his return for a fifth season wasn’t about piling up numbers or breaking any records. Garcia cited a team goal of returning to the NAIA World Series and more as part of his decision. Said Garcia, “I love this team and love being around these guys. If there was an opportunity to play another year with them, why not? It’s the last chance I get before I have to move on with my life.”

Those sentiments are coming from a young man who was born and raised in the San Diego area. While growing up in El Cajon, Calif., Jesse took after his older brother Jorge, who developed a love for the game of baseball. Jorge went on to play his college baseball at California State University, Los Angeles. In some ways, Jesse felt he was a bit overlooked in the recruiting process. Perhaps that led him to play with a chip on his shoulder once he arrived in Nebraska.

In an interview with The Hitting Vault, Jesse’s mother Kendra described the competitive drive she saw in both of her sons. As Kendra stated, “We’ve always told our boys that you have to be serious about this stuff and want to learn and be educated. As parents, we can’t force them into this stuff. For my boys, I never had to do that for them. Baseball and hitting were passions they developed from day one on their own. As they started to see success and the battle of getting noticed heated up, they found that not everyone wanted to take a chance on them. This fueled the fire even more and ultimately led them to prove people wrong.”

Added Jesse in regard to the sibling rivalry, “My brother started before me and I just kind of followed in his footsteps. I had the same hitting instructors as he did. I always played catch up with him and tried to beat him. There’s that bond you have as brothers where you try to compete against each other.”

In the recruiting process, Garcia liked how Concordia genuinely displayed its interest in having him as a member of the program. The 6-foot-2, broad-shouldered Garcia certainly looked the part. Dupic and then assistant coach Bryce Berg were confident in the type of player they would be adding, should they convince Garcia to leave the warmer weather of San Diego.

Like other native Californians that have ventured to the middle of the country for college athletics, Garcia had some adjustments to make. While things were different from back home, Garcia felt the welcoming environment and saw a program that was on the rise. There was something special being built, and the culture of the team was at the forefront.

“It was definitely a big change for me,” Garcia said in recalling his visit to campus. “When I first landed here and drove here, I just saw a bunch of cornfields. I was like, ‘Are we going the right direction?’ I didn’t see any buildings. As soon as I arrived, I took a liking to the town. The campus is easy to get around, which I really enjoy. The facilities are also really nice … I really liked the atmosphere here. It was very welcoming. Coach Dupic offered me a scholarship and I was really excited to come here.”

Garcia was immediately placed in the middle of the Concordia lineup for a 2019 team that won the GPAC regular season title and advanced to the national tournament for the second time in Dupic’s tenure. That was only a start. After the COVID-19 shortened season of 2020, the Bulldogs reached their highest highs in 2021 with a trip to the NAIA World Series. In each of the three full seasons Garcia has wore navy blue, Concordia has celebrated a GPAC championship and has played at the national tournament.

One of the signature individual moments of Garcia’s career to this point occurred on May 19, 2021, when he slugged a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth inning of the 11-10 national tournament win over MidAmerica Nazarene University. Garcia couldn’t help but let out a roar of jubilation as he circled the bases in what amounted to an elimination-game victory. Garcia calls that “one of the best experiences I’ve had” in the game of baseball.

For the rest of his life, Garcia can claim a piece of the golden age of Concordia Baseball when the program captivated observers not only with its winning culture, but its awe-inspiring power. The Bulldogs crushed 90 home runs in 2021, then 113 in 2022 and 64 so far in 2023. There are few breaks in a Concordia lineup that has featured Garcia and prolific teammates such as Jay Adams, Keaton Candor, Joey Grabanski and Jaidan Quinn.

“When I came here there were home runs being hit, but it’s nothing like there is today,” Garcia said. “I didn’t think we would get players like we’ve had. It means we don’t have to rely on one player. We have so many guys who hit for extra bases and hit home runs.”

More than just a power hitter, Garcia is a well-rounded person, teammate and student. He’s been honored as an NAIA Scholar-Athlete and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District award winner. As a graduate student, Garcia is working towards his Master of Business Administration. He says he’s keeping his options open on what his future career might be. As Garcia joked, “All I care about right now is baseball, honestly.”

Earlier this season when Garcia collected his 200th career hit, Dupic chimed in on Twitter to laud the star student-athlete. Dupic referred to Garcia as “one of the best of all time to wear a Concordia uniform and an even better person. I love this young man.”

Dupic expanded upon those thoughts in saying, “There were some questions about how Jesse would adjust academically, and he’s blown every one of those expectations out of the water. I didn’t have questions – I knew he could do it. He’s been incredible in the classroom and works really hard in there. He’s been an example of what it should be in terms of being successful in the classroom and on the field. Jesse is one of the best hitters in the history of the school when you look at the numbers and the consistency he’s had all the way through. I can’t say enough about him and the job he’s done in all facets.”

Almost five years into this Concordia journey, Garcia can speak with confidence in saying he’s a better and more mature person than the one who first made an appearance in Seward. Garcia knows he’s been blessed with the support he’s had back home from family and friends – and with this second family at Concordia. No home run will ever be more important or significant than that aspect of Garcia’s life. That teenager who one put on a powerful show in a big-league park has become a man.

Says Garcia, “My family thought it would be a great experience to step away from home and grow as a person and as an adult. I’m thankful for their support in that. I’ve kind of grown up and matured with my personality and how I communicate with others. The way things have turned out for me has really served me well.”

Garcia, Grabanski break records in demolition of Dordt

Apr. 7, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The slugging prowess of the Concordia University Baseball team knows no bounds. Jesse Garcia and Joey Grabanski continued their rise to the top of program record books on Good Friday (April 7) in two thorough routs of visiting Dordt, 19-5 and 19-2. The Bulldog lineup combined for 38 runs on 35 hits and 15 walks while slugging seven more home runs. Jaidan Quinn led the way in that department with three long balls on the day.

After a bit of a disappointing four-game split at Northwestern, Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has its sights set on remaining perfect at Plum Creek Park. Concordia is 6-0 at home this season and has moved to 9-3 in GPAC play (23-11 overall).

“Offense was great – really good approaches,” Dupic said. “We executed our swings really well and didn’t expand the strike zone. It was just a lot of really good things, and it was fun to see. It put us in a really good situation where we had a lot of breathing room and we could be aggressive. I kind of start to run out of things to say about those guys, but they did a really good job today.”

By day’s end, Garcia became the new program record holder for hits (237), RBIs (191) and doubles (54) while pulling even in walks (108). In addition, Grabanski pulverized two no-doubt home runs and pushed his season tally to 20, representing a school record for a single season. Grabanski drove in seven runs on the day. Quinn hammered a grand slam in game one and Grabanski did the same in game two. Significant offensive achievements from the day are listed below.

Game 1 offensive highlights

·        Ty Nekoliczak: 4-for-4, three runs, double, two RBIs

·        Ben Berg: 3-for-3, run, walk, two doubles, homer, three RBIs

·        Jesse Garcia: 3-for-4, two runs, double, RBI

·        Jay Adams: 2-for-2, two runs, walk, triple, RBI

·        Jaidan Quinn: 1-for-4, run, homer, four RBIs

Game 2 offensive highlights

·        Joey Grabanski: 3-for-3, three runs, two homers, six RBIs

·        Tanner Tompkins: 2-for-3, two runs, double, three RBIs

·        Jay Adams: 2-for-4, two runs, walk, three RBIs

·        Jaidan Quinn: 2-for-5, three runs, two homers, two RBIs

·        Ben Berg: 2-for-3

·        Teyt Johnson: 1-for-1, two runs, four walks

·        Jesse Garcia: 1-for-2, two runs, homer, two RBIs

The relentless attack got to Dordt early and often. The Bulldogs posted four runs in the first inning of game one and then 11 in the opening frame of game two. Concordia managed to chase star Defender pitcher Gyeongju Kim with one out in the bottom of the third in game one. The red-hot Ben Berg joined Quinn with a homer in the opener. It was a five-hit day for Berg. Five Bulldogs collected at least four hits on Friday. Also notable, Zackery Day stole five bases and pushed his season steal count to 22 (two shy of the school record). Day was caught stealing for the first time in 2023 when he attempted a straight steal of home on Friday.

That group included the El Cajon, Calif., native Garcia, who has set a high standard in five seasons wearing Concordia colors. Garcia clobbered one of the team’s five homers in game two. Said Garcia afterwards, “It’s truly an awesome experience for sure to be able to break some school records. That’s not what I had in mind. I just wanted to hit the ball hard. That’s all I ever want to do. It’s pretty awesome to enjoy that with your team behind you and supporting you.”

There was plenty of margin for error for Bulldog pitchers on Friday. In game two, Caden Bugarske was lights out in firing six shutout innings with just four hits and one walk allowed. The Boerne, Texas, native amassed eight strikeouts. In game one, Frankie Cresta allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits and a walk in five innings. Ernie Snyder pitched two scoreless frames to close it out. On the other side of things, the Defenders got just three combined innings from their starting pitchers.

The Bulldogs will be back at Plum Creek Park on Saturday to complete the four-game series with Dordt (14-16, 2-10 GPAC). The action is slated to get underway at 1 p.m. CT. Concordia has had the Defenders’ number in winning each of the past 12 series meetings.

SEWARD, Neb. – Coming off two lopsided wins over the same opponent on Friday, the Concordia University Baseball team did not take Dordt lightly on a pleasant Saturday (April 8) afternoon at Plum Creek Park. In completing the four-game sweep of the Defenders, the Bulldogs won going away, 18-1 and 13-3. In Saturday’s action, three Concordia hitters collected five hits apiece while center fielder Alec Blakestad produced two of the team’s six homers.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad needed the sweep in order to keep pace with the other three top teams in the GPAC. Halfway through the league schedule, the Bulldogs stand at 11-3 in the GPAC (25-11 overall).

“It was a discussion point going into the week that we really needed to stay consistent throughout the weekend,” Dupic said. “The pitcher they had going game one today created its own challenge. He’s a good pitcher. I think, in a way, that kind of helped us stay focused knowing we were going to face a really good arm. The guy game two did a good job too and was competitive out there. We had to be ready to go and the guys answered the bell really well.”

Concordia continues to play MLB The Show with the sliders on rookie mode. It’s about the only way to explain the team’s eye-popping production. Dordt starter Nick Yeager did manage to hold the Bulldogs scoreless in the first inning of Saturday’s opener, but the floodgates eventually opened. The second inning featured a Tanner Tompkins RBI single, a Ty Nekoliczak two-run single and a Jay Adams RBI double. Concordia was off and running. Blakestad homered in the fifth and then again as part of an 11-run merry-go-round in the sixth.

The run total reached ‘only’ 13 runs in the series finale, which saw the Bulldogs score at least once in every inning. Dordt (14-18, 2-12 GPAC) tried to give Concordia a dose of its own medicine when Dylan Stanley and Anthony Rodriguez homered in the fourth. The Bulldogs countered with a long ball apiece from Jaidan Quinn (two-run shot in the first), Jesse Garcia (solo homer in the third) and Adams (solo blast in the seventh). Ultimately, the game ended by the 10-run rule in the eighth when Adams’ bases-loaded walk forced in a run.

When Concordia can combine that offensive explosiveness with quality starting pitching, it’s going to be a bear to beat. The Bulldogs got fine outings on Saturday from the likes of Caden Johnson and Blake Benson. Johnson went six innings and allowed one run on five hits and a walk while striking out seven. Benson got the ball in the series finale and logged 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk to go along with eight strikeouts. Daniel Rivera, Jacob Lycan and Patrick Zeller each saw action out of the bullpen.

Adams, Blakestad and Garcia each finished the day with five hits while Berg and Nekoliczak posted four hits apiece. A fifth-year member of the program, Berg has been particularly hot over the past couple of weeks. Said Berg, “It’s been really fun. Obviously we returned a ton of hitters from last year. We lost Keaton Candor, but Teyt Johnson filled that spot in right field. We’ve just had a really good approach and been really disciplined. We focus every day on coming back to the same thing and having the same approach. We don’t worry about who’s on the mound or what team we’re playing. We’re just grinding out at bats.”

Also noteworthy, Zackery Day stole three bases on the day and broke the school record for steals in a single season with 25. In game two, Joey Grabanski doubled for his 200th career hit. He’s the third player on the current roster to reach 200 hits for a career.

Saturday G1 offensive highlights:

·        Alec Blakestad: 3-for-5, thee runs, two home runs, five RBIs

·        Ben Berg: 3-for-4, run, home run, two RBIs

·        Ty Nekoliczak: 3-for-3, two runs, walk, two RBIs

·        Jay Adams: 2-for-4, run, walk, double, two RBIs

·        Jesse Garcia: 2-for-3, run, walk, double

·        Tanner Tompkins: 2-for-5, two runs, RBI

Saturday G2 offensive highlights:

·        Jay Adams: 3-for-4, two runs, two walks, two doubles, home run, three RBIs

·        Jesse Garcia: 3-for-5, two runs, home run, three RBIs

·        Alec Blakestad: 2-for-3, two runs, two walks, RBI

·        Jaidan Quinn: 1-for-4, two runs, walk, home run, two RBIs

The Bulldogs will be back to action on Tuesday with a makeup doubleheader at Dakota Wesleyan (4-21, 1-13 GPAC). First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. CT from Cadwell Park in Mitchell, S.D. In last season’s matchup in Seward, Concordia swept the doubleheader from the Tigers, winning by scores of 20-10 and 18-3.

Summary of records/milestones achieved this weekend:

Jesse Garcia

–Career program records for …

·        Hits (242)

·        Doubles (55)

·        RBIs (194)

·        Walks (109)

Joey Grabanski

·        200th career hit

·        School record for home runs runs in a single season (20)

Zackery Day

·        School record for stolen bases in a single season (25)

Garcia earns second GPAC weekly honor this season

Apr. 11, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The hot bat of Jesse Garcia continues to get noticed around the league. On Tuesday (April 11), the Concordia University Baseball first baseman was named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Player of the Week. Garcia has earned the distinction for the second time in 2023. Teammates Frankie Cresta (March 28) and Joey Grabanski (Feb. 28) have also garnered GPAC weekly awards this season.

In the middle of the lineup, Garcia is enjoying the best season of his collegiate career. In last week’s action (including a doubleheader at Northwestern and the four-game series with Dordt), Garcia went 12-for-21 (.571) with nine runs scored, two doubles, four home runs and 10 RBIs. He reached base at a .640 clip and slugged 1.238 for the week while also successfully handling all 31 chances in the field. Entering the week, Garcia has batted .391 with 11 doubles, 14 home runs, 45 RBIs and an .820 slugging percentage in 36 games this season.

The El Cajon, Calif., native continues to climb the program’s all-time lists. Over the weekend, Garcia broke Concordia Baseball career records for hits (242), doubles (55), RBIs (194) and walks (109). In 217 career games as a Bulldog, Garcia has also blasted 52 home runs and has slugged .632.

Garcia and the Bulldogs (25-11, 11-3 GPAC) are readying to play a doubleheader today (April 11) at Dakota Wesleyan with first pitch at 1 p.m. CT.

Concordia GPAC weekly awards in 2023
April 11 – Jesse Garcia (Player)
March 28 – Frankie Cresta (Pitcher)
March 14 – Jesse Garcia (Player)
Feb. 28 – Joey Grabanski (Player)

Zabokrtsky spins gem, Bulldogs extend winning streak to seven

Apr. 11, 2023

MITCHELL, S.D. – Strong winds that blew in towards home plate negated some of the impressive power the Concordia University Baseball team brings to the table. As a sign of a championship contender, the Bulldogs found other ways to put runs on the board as they swept a road doubleheader from Dakota Wesleyan on Tuesday (April 11). Qwin Zabokrtsky fired a complete game gem in the second contest and Concordia won by scores of 11-7 and 4-0.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic was pleased to see how his group handled its business, especially after falling behind 3-0 in Tuesday’s first game. The Bulldogs have won seven in a row to move to 27-11 overall (13-3 GPAC).

“It was kind of a tough day – the wind was blowing in really hard,” Dupic said. “It made it kind of challenging for both teams offensively. It made it a little more of a stressful day, but our guys did a good job. We just had to adjust and I thought our guys did a nice job putting some pressure on them and making some things happen on the bases. It was nice to see us be very versatile like that. I’m proud of our defense in game two. We’ve won a lot of high-scoring games this year so it’s nice to see us win a tighter, pitcher-friendly type of game.”

The offense did not come as easily on the heels of Concordia’s four-game sweep of Dordt that featured 69 runs scored and 13 home runs. The Bulldogs were unable to leave the yard even once on Tuesday, but they made up for it with timely hits and solid pitching. The work of Zabokrtsky shined through as the story of the day. The Beatrice, Neb., native covered all seven innings of game two and allowed just three hits without issuing a single free pass. Zabokrstky faced the most adversity in the first inning when Dakota Wesleyan opened with a double and a hit-by-pitch.

Zabokrstky proceeded to retire the next three hitters on his way to a masterpiece. He retired the side in order in four separate frames.

Said Dupic, “He executed his fastball really well and as the game went along, he found his slider. When you’re getting a start like that when it’s just his second career start, that’s pretty key. We got into a jam in the first, but he really settled in after that.”

After digging a 3-0 hole in game one, the Bulldogs righted themselves in the fourth with a six-run inning. That frame included a two-run single by Alec Blakestad, a steal of home by Zack Day, RBI ground outs by Teyt Johnson and Ty Nekoliczak and an RBI base hit by Joey Grabanski. Three Concordia players registered multiple hits in game one: Ben Berg (3-for-4), Grabanski (2-for-3 with two walks) and Adams (2-for-5 with two doubles).

The Bulldogs never trailed in game two, thanks in large part to Zabokrstky’s shutout. GPAC Player of the Week Jesse Garcia doubled home a run in the first to open the scoring. Concordia then got two runs in the third (one via a Jaidan Quinn RBI double) and one in the seventh (via Adams’ sac fly). In the No. 9 spot in the lineup, Nekoliczak reached base four times on the day while scoring three times and driving in two runs. The Tiger pitching combo of Jereko Martinez and Troy Wilhelm did a solid job in limiting the Bulldogs’ potent attack to five hits.

Dupic needed only three pitchers for the entire two games. In game one, Christian Gutierrez got the start and allowed two earned runs in 6.1 innings. He allowed five hits (no walks) and fanned four batters. Ben Coldiron then got the final two outs with strikeouts.

As the opposite of what one might have expected, DWU (4-23, 1-15 GPAC) outhomered Concordia on Tuesday. Seth Christiansen hit the lone home run by either side when he belted a three-run blast in the seventh inning of game one.

GPAC action will resume this weekend with doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday. A pivotal GPAC twill bill will take place on Saturday in Crete, where last season’s GPAC regular season champion Doane (26-8, 12-4 GPAC) will host last season’s GPAC tournament champion Concordia. First pitch is slated for 12 p.m. CT.

Blakestad leads power surge at win-dy Plum Creek Park

Apr. 16, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Consistent wind gusts that blew across the diamond from left to right only worked to strengthen an already prolific Concordia University Baseball offense. The Bulldogs used the jet stream to their advantage and lifted 10 home runs out of Plum Creek Park in Sunday (April 16)’s doubleheader sweep of Briar Cliff. Concordia won by scores of 20-4 and 18-12 while supplied with three home runs from Alec Blakestad and two apiece from Jesse Garcia and Jaidan Quinn. Out of the No. 3 spot in the lineup, Joey Grabanski reached base in eight of his nine plate appearances.

The wind may have prevented the Bulldogs’ right-handed sluggers from pulling home runs to left, but Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has proven adept at adjusting to whatever conditions they face. Concordia (29-11, 15-3 GPAC) has pushed its winning streak to nine.

“I thought we did a really good job, especially that first game,” Dupic said. “We came out really sharp. Our guys had tremendous at bats and really put ourselves in good positions. (Caden) Bugarske was great. He was a good matchup with the way he throws. He did a really good job and helped us get off to a good start. I was pleased with game two as much or more after we got down 6-0. I thought the guys responded really, really well. We stuck with it and stayed patient.”

Winds that routinely exceeded 25 miles per hour made many popups and flyballs adventurous. Any ball driven to right field got a boost, as both teams found out. Briar Cliff (18-17, 6-12 GPAC) eventually found that same jet stream and homered five times in game two. But the idea of attempting to outslug the Bulldogs in their home park is not advised. In game one, Concordia built a 12-0 advantage after three innings. By that point, Garcia had already homered twice and Blakestad and Tompkins went deep once apiece. The Bulldogs finished the opener with 15 hits and 10 walks in the merry-go-round performance.

This was simply the relentless Concordia attack that Bulldog fans have come to know and love. Eight Bulldog hitters registered at least three hits on the day. In game two, Grabanski helped provide insurance with a laser of a two-run homer (21st) of the season that hit high up off the light tower in right field. As part of game one, Garcia became the first player in program history to reach 200 career RBIs. Beyond the slugging, Concordia also keeps stealing bases – adding six more on Sunday.

The following Bulldogs collected at least three hits on Sunday:

·        Joey Grabanski: 5-for-6 with four runs, three walks, double, homer, four RBIs

·        Tanner Tompkins: 4-for-6 with five runs, three walks, homer, two RBIs

·        Alec Blakestad: 4-for-7 with five runs, two walks, three homers, six RBIs

·        Jesse Garcia: 4-for-8 with two runs, two home runs, six RBIs

·        Jaidan Quinn: 4-for-8, seven runs, two HBP, two homers, seven RBIs

·        Jay Adams: 4-for-11, four runs, double, RBI

·        Ty Nekoliczak: 3-for-6, four runs, two walks, homer, three RBIs

·        Ben Berg: 3-for-8, walk, two doubles

There were a combined 14 errors in a twin bill that turned ugly at times, but Concordia adjusted plenty well enough to take care of business.

Said Dupic, “It was pretty cold this morning during batting practice. We felt like we needed to take it outside because we needed to see the ball off the bat for the outfielders specifically. Offensively we were trying to let the ball travel deeper today and take the ball more to the middle and right side of the field. We tried to keep it relatively the same but also make sure to keep the conditions in mind a little bit.”

Bugarske (4-0 on the season) went four innings in game one and got the win. He allowed just a single run on two hits and three walks to go along with six strikeouts. Bugarske has allowed a grand total of two runs over his past three starts (all wins). In game two, Blake Benson put out the fire and was spotless in 2.2 innings (five strikeouts). Ernie Snyder earned credit for the game two win while recording five outs. Most of the Charger damage came against starter Christian Gutierrez, who shrugged off a rough first frame and covered 4.2 innings.

Weather conditions are expected to be improved on Monday when the Bulldogs will be headed to nearby Crete for a 1 p.m. CT doubleheader at Doane (27-9, 13-5 GPAC). The rivalry clash was originally scheduled to take place on Saturday. The matchup will feature the two programs responsible for last season’s GPAC regular season and GPAC tournament titles.

Bulldogs drop two at Doane, slip into three-way tie for first

Apr. 17, 2023

CRETE, Neb. – The race for the GPAC regular season title is heating up – and tightening up. In a key conference doubleheader on Monday (April 17), the Concordia University Baseball team fell twice at Doane, losing by scores of 6-4 and 9-2. For a change, the explosive Bulldog lineup was held in check and limited to a combined 11 hits by Tiger pitching. In another departure from the norm, Concordia was outhomered, 4-0, by rival Doane. This came a day after the Bulldogs rattled off a combined 38 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Briar Cliff.

The results leave Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad (29-13 overall) in a three-way tie for first place atop the GPAC standings. Concordia, Doane and Morningside each sport 15-5 league records.

“I thought they did a good job,” Dupic said of the Tiger pitchers. “We scored enough to win the first game. We pitched it pretty well until the sixth and let things get away. They executed well and got off to a big start obviously in game two. It’s tough to come back when you fall behind like that. They did a good job with their pitching and defense.”

In Monday’s first game, the Bulldogs pushed across two runs (Joey Grabanski RBI single and Alec Blakestad RBI ground out) in the top of the first and held the lead all the way until things unraveled in the bottom of the sixth. Heading into that half inning, Concordia starting pitcher Caden Johnson was cruising along with a 3-1 lead and a no-hitter. Doane’s first hit of the game was a significant one, a game-tying two-run homer by pinch-hitter Misael Cantu. The Tigers kept the line moving with Nate Menski’s two-run triple and Justin Nevells’ RBI single. Doane led at the time, 6-3.

Johnson was pulled with one out in the bottom of the sixth. He wound up allowing four runs (three earned) on two hits and a walk while striking out two. Just before Doane’s splurge, the Bulldogs had added an insurance run via Blakestad’s RBI single. Tiger game one starter Julian Vargas (six innings, three runs) picked up the win while keeping the Bulldogs’ offense contained.

In game two, Doane (29-9, 15-5 GPAC) ambushed Concordia with a seven-run second inning and quickly chased Frankie Cresta from the mound. The Bulldog bullpen of Qwin Zabokrstky (1.1 IP), Jacob Lycan (2 IP) and Daniel Rivera (1.1 IP) performed solidly, but the hole was too large. Concordia got its runs on a sac fly apiece from Jaidan Quinn and Tanner Tompkins. In addition, Teyt Johnson collected two hits and scored a run. On the other side, Joe Osborn, Lukas White and Mensik each homered.

Since the Bulldogs got the best of Doane in the 2021 GPAC tournament title game, the Tigers have won four series meetings in a row. Whichever of the 2023 GPAC championship contenders plays most consistently down the stretch will end up hoisting the trophy. Eight games remain in the regular season. Concordia’s battle-tested veteran roster won’t flinch. Said Dupic, “We’ll have to reset tomorrow and try to get ready to play a little bit better this weekend.”

The Bulldogs will be off from game action for the next four days while prepping for a four-game weekend series with Midland (18-20, 10-10 GPAC). The two sides will square off in Fremont on Saturday before shifting to Seward on Sunday. Doubleheaders are slated to get underway at 1 p.m. CT both days. Concordia took all four games from the Warriors last season.

Quinn smashes program single-game home run record in throttling of Midland

Apr. 22, 2023

FREMONT, Neb. – Jaidan Quinn accomplished a feat never before achieved in the history of the Concordia University Baseball program while leading another awe-inspiring power display. Quinn homered in four straight at bats to begin a day filled with fireworks. The 24th-ranked Bulldogs throttled Midland, 17-8 and 17-0, in Fremont, Neb., on Saturday (April 22). The temperatures were on the chilly side, but that did little to deter an offensive attack that left the yard at Moller Field 12 times.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad effectively bounced back from the pair of defeats at Doane while remaining in the thick of the GPAC championship race. Halfway through the four-game series with the Warriors, Concordia stands at 31-13 overall (17-5 GPAC).

“Our guys did a really good job offensively,” Dupic said. “We got off to a great start in both ballgames and had terrific at bats up and down the order. Jaidan Quinn had an incredible day, hitting four home runs. There were so many, I kind of forget. I certainly don’t recall it (being involved in a game when someone hit four home runs). It was pretty incredible.”

A native of Bonner Springs, Kan., Quinn has been a phenomenal addition since he transferred from Wabash Valley College. Impressively, Quinn slugged a home run apiece in the first, second, third and fourth innings of game one at Midland. Quinn collected six RBIs on those long balls as he became the first player in program history to launch four homers in a single game. Joey Grabanski (solo bast in the first) and Jose Cevallos (two-run shot in the third) also left the yard in game one, which saw the Bulldogs record 16 hits and four walks.

Midland hung in there for a while in game one while getting to Concordia starter Caden Bugarske, but game two was a complete wipe out. The Bulldogs tallied three runs in the first, five in the second, one in the third and four in the fourth before eventually enacting the 10-run rule. Home runs in game two came off the bats of Jay Adams (two), Ben Berg, Alec Blakestad, Grabanski and Ty Nekoliczak. Berg and Quinn produced five hits apiece on the day. Berg drove in five runs in game two.

As usual, the pitching performances were overshadowed, but Ernie Snyder and Christian Gutierrez got terrific results. The Warriors did not score a single run the rest of the day after their one run in the third inning of game one. Snyder came out of the bullpen to fire five shutout innings with three hits and two walks allowed (four strikeouts). The crafty Gutierrez then scattered six hits in a seven-inning shutout (six strikeouts). He threw only 74 pitches (54 for strikes) in an economical outing. The effort marked the team’s fourth shutout of the season. Concordia played error-free ball behind Gutierrez.

Said Dupic, “Ernie did an incredible job. He’s really gotten better as the season has gone on. He was getting his feet wet early in the season. He’s been pitching well in conference play. Christian had all his pitches working today, and I was really pleased with us defensively in the second game. We played clean and much better there. It’s good to see us pitching well.”

Below is a summary of the top hitting performances by Bulldogs in both of Saturday’s games:

Game 1

·        Jaidan Quinn: 4-for-5, four runs, four homers, six RBIs

·        Ben Berg: 3-for-5, double, two RBIs

·        Jesse Garcia: 2-for-3, two runs

·        Joey Grabanski: 2-for-5, run, homer, one RBI

·        Jose Cevallos: 2-for-5, two runs, double, homer, two RBIs

Game 2

·        Jay Adams: 3-for-4, two runs, two homers, three RBIs

·        Alec Blakestad: 2-for-2, three runs, walk, homer, two RBIs

·        Ben Berg: 2-for-3, run, double, homer, five RBIs

·        Jesse Garcia: 2-for-5, two runs, double, two RBIs

·        Teyt Johnson: 2-for-5, run

Prior to Quinn hitting four home runs on Saturday, there had been 10 instances in program history in which an individual belted exactly three home runs in a single game. Among current Bulldogs, Grabanski (three), Adams (two) and Garcia (two) have each enjoyed multiple three-homer games in their careers.

The Bulldogs will be back at home on Sunday to celebrate senior day. The series with Midland (19-22, 10-12 GPAC) will resume at 2 p.m. CT from Plum Creek Park. In between games of the doubleheader, Concordia will recognize five seniors: Ben Berg, Ben Coldiron, Jesse Garcia, Teyt Johnson and Dan Rivera.

Seniors celebrated in completion of dominant four-game set

Apr. 23, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The Jaidan Quinn show continued in a Sunday (April 23) matinee as the 24th-ranked Concordia University Baseball team earned a four-game sweep of Midland. The Bulldogs closed out the dominant four-game set by winning at home, 7-6 and 26-2, while celebrating a group of five seniors. One day after a historic four-homer game, Quinn crushed two more long balls and reached base in seven of his eight plate appearances. Quinn and company produced 35 hits on the day.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad remains undefeated at home (12-0) while moving to 33-13 overall (19-5 GPAC). The Bulldogs will enter the final week of the regular season tied atop the league standings with Doane.

“It’s fun to celebrate senior day. It’s fun to see the players and their families,” Dupic said. “It’s a sense of reflection on how much time they’ve been here and their commitment to the program. It’s been baseball for a long time for those kids. It’s something really special. I thought the guys did a great job. Our offense was really good all weekend. I thought we pitched and defended really well at times. When we do that, we’re a really good team.”

The Bonner Springs, Kan., native Quinn is seeing grapefruits at the plate. Quinn wowed the crowd at Plum Creek Park by lifting the ball over the wall (to right and then right center) in two of his first three at bats. For the series, the slugging third baseman went 10-for-14 (.714) with a double, six home runs, 10 RBIs and 29 total bases. In Joey Grabanski (23) and Quinn (22), Concordia has two players with 20+ home runs on the season (both rank amongst the top four nationally in that category).

Quinn has hammered 41 home runs over his two seasons at Concordia. He didn’t start 2023 the way he wanted, but he’s closing the regular season with a bang. Said Quinn of his feat on Saturday, “It’s just surreal. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that happen. It was just a surreal moment. I was glad I was able to do it for my team. Everyone stuck behind me and just believed every day. Now it’s coming to light.”

Three of the four games with Midland were complete white washings, but game three had some tense moments. Despite the two homers from Quinn, and a two-run homer apiece by Teyt Johnson and Alec Blakestad, the Warriors hung in there. They put two runs up in the fifth to make it a one-run ballgame. One of the seniors who was recognized, Dan Rivera put the fire out and worked an impeccable 2.1 innings of relief. He recorded five strikeouts while notching the game’s final seven outs.

Game two quickly became a rout as the Bulldogs led 10-0 after two innings and 15-0 after three innings. Concordia wore out the base paths with 24 hits (none over the fence), including 18 singles and six doubles. Ty Nekoliczak went 4-for-4 with three RBIs in game two. In addition, Jay Adams, Blakestad and Grabanski tallied three hits apiece. Jesse Garcia and Johnson both drove in four runs. Both teams cycled through five pitchers in the series capper.

On the day, Blakestad, Grabanski, Nekoliczak and Quinn each registered five hits. In the series as a whole, the Bulldogs outscored Midland, 67-16, while batting .463 with a .523 on-base percentage and an .589 slugging percentage. Concordia outhomered the Warriors, 16-1, in the series.

Both Bulldog starting pitchers factored into the decisions on Sunday. Caden Johnson managed his way through four innings (two earned runs allowed) in game one and Blake Benson then covered four frames in game two. Defensively, Concordia committed just one error on the day.

Between ends of the twin bill, the Bulldogs celebrated a senior class that includes Ben Berg, Ben Coldiron, Jesse Garcia, Teyt Johnson and Daniel Rivera. Berg, Garcia and Johnson are each fifth-year members of the program. The senior class has helped the program to its most successful season ever, including the 2021 NAIA World Series campaign.

Concordia will attempt to achieve a perfect regular season home record next weekend (April 28-29) when it will host Morningside (30-12, 16-6 GPAC) for a four-game set at Plum Creek Park. Game times for the doubleheaders are set for 4 p.m. CT on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Said Dupic, “I’m know the guys are well aware of it (what’s at stake). It hasn’t been a point of discussion because I feel like we should be giving our best effort and having a good approach regardless of the situation. I think the guys are aware of where we’re at in the season and what’s on the line. We have to go play as well as we can play.”

Home win streak of 17 on the line versus Morningside

 Apr. 24, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Members of the 24th-ranked Concordia University Baseball team are simply focused on finishing out the 2023 regular season strong – but they know what’s at stake. The Bulldogs enter this week tied with Doane atop the GPAC standings. The ridiculously hot Jaidan Quinn spurred Concordia to a four-game sweep of Midland this past weekend. The Bulldogs won by scores of 17-0, 17-8, 7-6 and 26-2. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has pushed its overall record to 33-13 (19-5 GPAC). The program has hit the 30-win mark for the fifth time in Dupic’s tenure. Concordia will be challenged this weekend with four games at home versus Morningside.

This Week

Friday, April 28 vs. Morningside (30-12, 16-6 GPAC), 4 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats | Location: Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)

Saturday, April 29 vs. Morningside (30-12, 16-6 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats | Location: Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)

By the numbers

·        A debate can be had about which team should be rated higher nationally between Concordia and Doane. The Bulldogs got the nod early last week (prior to the doubleheader played in Crete) in the official GPAC poll. That was enough to push Concordia back into the NAIA coaches’ poll at No. 24 in the rankings released on April 19. The program waited until the 2021 season to crack the NAIA top 25 for the first time ever. The ’21 squad landed at No. 12 in the postseason poll following a trip to the NAIA World Series. That ranking remains the highest in program history. The Bulldogs also climbed as high as No. 18 in 2022 and then were snubbed in the postseason ranking after coming within one win of a return trip to the World Series. The ’23 season marks the sixth year in a row that Dupic’s program has at least garnered votes in the NAIA national poll. Currently, Massey Ratings calculates Concordia as the NAIA’s 17th best team.

·        The Bulldogs have several offensive players capable of putting together awe-inspiring stretches of eye-popping production. The latest Concordia player to grab the headlines has been third baseman Jaidan Quinn, who did the incredible in homering in each of his first four at bats in game one of the series with Midland. In doing so, Quinn became the first player in program history to launch four homers in a single game. Prior to Quinn’s four-homer outburst, there had been 10 instances in program history in which an individual belted exactly three home runs in a single game. Among current Bulldogs, Joey Grabanski (three), Jay Adams (two) and Joey Garcia (two) have each enjoyed multiple three-homer games in their careers.

·        Quinn led the offensive attack to a combined 67 runs in the four-game walloping of Midland (19-24, 10-14 GPAC). For the series, Concordia outscored the Warriors, 67-16, outhit them, 69-33, and outhomered them, 16-1. Quinn went 10-for-14 with 10 runs scored, a double, six home runs, 10 RBIs and 29 total bases (2.071 slugging) for the series. Six of his teammates also collected at least seven hits over the four games: Grabanski (8-for-15), Alec Blakestad (7-for-10), Ben Berg (7-for-13), Ty Nekoliczak (7-for-14), Garcia (7-for-15) and Adams (7-for-17). Adams, Blakestad and Grabanski each contributed two homers on the weekend. One homer apiece came from Berg, Jose Cevallos, Teyt Johnson and Nekoliczak.

·        Continuing with the home run theme, the 16 homers over the past weekend pushed the Bulldogs over 100 for the second season in a row. The 2022 GPAC tournament championship team broke the school record by hitting 113 blasts. The count for 2023 stands at 103 entering the week. Five Concordia players have cracked double digits in homers: Grabanski (23), Quinn (22), Garcia (16), Blakestad (12) and Adams (11) – and Berg (eight) isn’t far off. Entering the week, the Bulldogs can claim the distinction of being the only college baseball program in the nation (including the NAIA, all levels of the NCAA and the NJCAA) to have two players with at least 20 home runs. Grabanski and Quinn enter the week ranked third and fourth in the NAIA, respectively, in home runs.

·        Concordia continues to dominate the GPAC leaderboards from an offensive perspective. The Bulldogs pace the league in runs scored (488), hits (537), doubles (104), home runs (103), walks (209), stolen bases (83), batting average (.366), on-base percentage (.453) and slugging percentage (.651). Individual conference leaders include Nekoliczak in batting average (.428), Grabanski in hits (66), home runs (23), RBIs (67) and slugging percentage (.894), Quinn in on-base percentage (.520) and Zackery Day in stolen bases (32). Grabanski has equaled his own program record for RBIs in a single season. He needs six more RBIs to reach 200 for his career. Garcia remains the program’s all-time RBI king with 207.

·        Several pitchers also performed well in the series with Midland. In a relief role in game one, Ernie Snyder fired five shutout innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out four. In game two, Christian Gutierrez threw a seven-inning, six-hit shutout (six strikeouts) in which he needed only 74 pitches to complete. One of the five seniors honored this past Sunday, Dan Rivera had the good stuff working in a 2.1-inning save. Rivera fanned five hitters. The native of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., owns an impressive rate of 18.21 strikeouts per nine innings (29 strikeouts in 14.1 innings). Also noteworthy, Caden Johnson moved his season record to 7-3 to go along with a 3.80 ERA in 42.2 innings (10 starts). Three other Bulldogs have at least five wins: Gutierrez (5-1), Blake Benson (5-2) and Frankie Cresta (5-4).

·        Concordia has been especially dominant at home, going 12-0 at Plum Creek Park. In those 12 contests, the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents, 178-47, and outhomered them, 36-12. Dating back to last season, Concordia has won 17-straight home games. That run includes five 2022 GPAC tournament victories. The Bulldogs claimed conference tournament titles at home in both 2021 and 2022. During the GPAC era (2000-present), Concordia has never gone undefeated at home (and likely hasn’t in the history of the program).

The opponent

As of Monday (April 24) afternoon, Morningside was in the midst of a doubleheader at Briar Cliff (to close a four-game series). The Mustangs split two Sunday games with their intra-city rival. According to the NAIA Bo Chip ratings (essentially an RPI), the matchup this weekend will feature two of the NAIA’s top 20 teams: No. 17 Morningside and No. 20 Concordia. Head Coach Adam Boeve’s squad has been prolific offensively in its own right. Entering the week, the Mustangs own a team slash line of .345/.421/.506 (AVG/OBP/SLG). They rank second in the league in runs scored (345). Morningside’s top hitter has been Jayson Willers, who is hitting .387 with 24 extra base hits (10 home runs) and 51 RBIs. Eddie Brancato and Alex Calabrese have homered six times apiece. The team’s top arm is Wade Canaday, who is 7-2 with a 3.38 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 58.2 innings. Among GPAC squads, the Mustangs also rank third in ERA (5.06) and fifth in fielding percentage (.956).

Next week

GPAC tournament pod play will run May 4-6 with the top two teams in the final GPAC standings earning the right to host separate four-team pods. In recent years, the Bulldogs have hosted GPAC tournament action in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022, reaching the conference championship game in each instance. The 2023 GPAC tournament title game will take place on May 9.

Quinn slugs way to GPAC Player of the Week honors

 Apr. 25, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – A record-breaking performance from Jaidan Quinn resulted in him being named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Player of the Week, as announced by the conference on Tuesday (April 25). Quinn has collected the award for the first time in 2023 and for the second time in his career. As a team, Concordia Baseball has pulled in five GPAC weekly honors this season. Quinn joins teammates Frankie Cresta, Jesse Garcia (twice) and Joey Grabanski as Bulldogs to be named GPAC players of the week.

Quinn turned heads this past Saturday when he homered in each of his first four at bats in game one of the four-game sweep of Midland. The four home runs in a single game are a new school record. The third baseman from Bonner Springs, Kan., went on to hit two more home runs in the series with Midland. For the period of April 17-23, Quinn batted .647 (11-for-17) with 11 runs, two doubles, six home runs, 11 RBIs and 31 total bases (1.824 slugging percentage) in six games. On the season, Quinn is hitting .352 with 22 home runs, 58 RBIs and a .784 slugging percentage. He leads the GPAC with a .520 on-base percentage.

Quinn is in his second season as a Bulldog since transferring from Wabash Valley College. In 104 games at Concordia, Quinn has batted .346 with a .513 on-base percentage and an .805 slugging percentage. He has also produced 41 home runs and 116 RBIs.

The 24th-ranked Bulldogs (33-13, 19-5 GPAC) are getting set to host Morningside for four games this Friday and Saturday.

Concordia GPAC weekly awards in 2023
April 25 – Jaidan Quinn (Player)
April 11 – Jesse Garcia (Player)
March 28 – Frankie Cresta (Pitcher)
March 14 – Jesse Garcia (Player)
Feb. 28 – Joey Grabanski (Player)

No. 24 Bulldogs split late night doubleheader with Morningside

Apr. 29, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – It was nearly midnight local time when the 24th-ranked Concordia University Baseball team and Morningside wrapped up the first of two in a four-game series at Plum Creek Park. Rainy conditions pushed back first pitch, which came after 7 p.m. in Seward. In game one, the Bulldogs rode a strong pitching performance from Caden Johnson to an 8-1 victory. A series of mistakes then doomed Concordia in a 9-4 defeat at the hands of the Mustangs.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s program had won 18-straight games at Plum Creek Park before dropping game two. At 20-6 in league play (34-14 overall), the Bulldogs hope to secure one of the GPAC’s top two seeds when they finish the regular season on Saturday.

“I thought the first game was as well as we’ve played all year,” Dupic said. “We pitched it really well, we defended really well and our offensive guys were awesome against a really good pitcher. We played super clean and it was fun to watch. It was a great game to be a part of. We didn’t do that the second game, but we can’t dwell on that. We just have to move on. I was pleased with the pitching we got. There were a lot of positives to build on. We got some good bullpen outings. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

The potent Concordia lineup ambushed Morningside ace Wade Canaday with seven runs over the game’s first three innings. Joey Grabanski broke his own single season record for RBIs by knocking in Jay Adams with a double in the first inning. Grabanski also delivered a solo homer (24th of the year) in the third inning. The slugger from Grand Forks, N.D., was one of four Bulldogs with two hits in game one. He was joined in that department by Adams, Jesse Garcia and Teyt Johnson. Johnson drove in a pair of runs out of the No. 8 spot in the lineup.

On the hill, Caden Johnson went six innings and surrendered just one run on four hits and a walk. He notched six strikeouts while pushing his team high win total to eight for the season. Frankie Cresta came on in relief and recorded the final three outs. Cresta also threw 2.2 innings in relief in game two and allowed six runs that were all unearned.

Concordia’s game two pitchers deserved a better fate. Six Bulldog errors let in eight unearned runs for the Mustangs (33-13, 19-7 GPAC). Towards the bottom of the Morningside lineup, Alex Calabrese and Brian Garcia combined for five hits and four RBIs. Concordia starting pitcher Christian Gutierrez covered 3.1 innings before being replaced by Cresta. Ben Coldiron worked a scoreless seventh inning.

Freshman Mustang pitcher Kai Purdy-Burton pitched solidly in limiting the Bulldogs to four runs on six hits in his six innings. Two of those runs scored on a Ben Berg double that was a catchable ball for the first baseman. Berg collected two hits in the game while Adams and Ty Nekoliczak knocked in one run apiece. Morningside managed to contain reigning GPAC Player of the Week Jaidan Quinn (1-for-7 on the day).

The Bulldogs and Mustangs will wrap up the regular season on Saturday with a twin bill set for a 2 p.m. CT first pitch from Plum Creek Park. At stake for both teams is an opportunity to clinch one of the top two seeds for the GPAC tournament. The Nos. 1 and 2 seeds will host separate four-team pods in next week’s conference tournament. Concordia still has a shot at a GPAC regular season title but likely needs to sweep on Saturday (and then hope Doane loses at least one of two games at Midland on Sunday).

Berg caps red-hot weekend, Bulldogs clinch homefield for GPAC pod play

 Apr. 29, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Plum Creek Park will once again serve as a host venue for GPAC tournament pod play. The 24th-ranked Concordia University Baseball team emerged from a four-game home series versus Morningside with a split. In warmer and windier conditions on Saturday (April 29), the Bulldogs won game three of the series, 11-4, before dropping the fourth, 7-5. Fifth-year catcher Ben Berg enjoyed a red-hot weekend that was capped with six hits on Saturday.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is now locked into the No. 2 seed for the GPAC tournament. Concordia has concluded the regular season at 35-15 overall (21-7 GPAC).

“I thought it was a good series. Both teams played pretty well,” Dupic said. “I was glad we were able to get out and get that first one. Blake Benson did a nice job coming on (in game one) and our guys did a nice job offensively. We were pretty competitive in game two – just had an inning get away from us. We’re playing pretty good baseball, and we’re looking forward to the next part of the year.”

The Bulldogs took it to the Mustangs in games one and three of the series. Saturday’s first game got out of hand in the fourth inning when Concordia plated five runs with the help of run-scoring hits by Jesse Garcia (two-run single) and Alec Blakestad (RBI double) and via ground outs from Berg and Ty Nekoliczak. By the end of the fourth, the lead ballooned to 10-3. The run support made a winner out of Benson, who fired 4.2 innings in relief of Caden Bugarske. Benson struck out six Morningside hitters while earning his sixth win of the season.

Berg wore out the Mustangs all weekend. He delivered a two-run homer and an RBI double as part of 3-for-4, four-RBI performance in game three of the series. In game four, the Carroll, Iowa, native added three more hits and an RBI. He batted .643 (9-for-14) with a homer and eight RBIs on the weekend. Other Concordia players with two or more hits in Saturday’s victory were Blakestad (3-for-4 with three doubles, three runs and two RBIs), Jaidan Quinn (2-for-3 with two runs) and Nekoliczak (2-for-4 with two RBIs).

The series finale was there for the taking, but Morningside (34-14, 20-8 GPAC) took the lead with three runs apiece in the fourth and fifth innings. The 6-5 advantage held up as Aiden Bishop, Josh Pratt and Logan Warkentin combined to shut the Bulldogs out over the game’s final five innings. Cade Nolan added an insurance run in the top of the ninth with a home run down the right field line. Concordia used four different pitchers: Qwin Zabokrtsky, Ernie Snyder, Jacob Lycan and Daniel Rivera. Lycan went 2.1 scoreless frames with four strikeouts.

The Mustangs were the only team to defeat the Bulldogs at Plum Creek Park during the regular season. The conditions (along with Morningside’s pitching) played a role in Concordia being limited to two home runs total for the series. Joey Grabanski went deep once on Friday and broke his own school record for RBIs in a single season (currently has 69).

The Bulldogs will be able to remain cozy at home as they look forward to hosting GPAC tournament action beginning this coming Thursday. It’s become the norm for Dupic’s high achieving program.

Said Dupic, “I’m really happy to be at home. I’d rather play at home as much as we can and glad we’ll have a chance to do that. Offensively, we swing it well so I think we can be a challenge to pitch to as the tournament goes on. We have a lot of arms, but we obviously have to get some consistency from that. It’s really on us. We just have to go play well, be crisp and play the way we’re capable of.”

GPAC tournament pod play is up next. Having earned one of the top two seeds, the Bulldogs will host a four-team pod at Plum Creek Park May 4-6. Official pairings will be released by the GPAC when all regular season games are complete. Concordia also hosted GPAC tournament action in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022.

'The Captain' Berg exemplifies program built on family and continuous improvement

May. 3, 2023

In the fall of 2014, the arrival of Casey Berg at 800 North Columbia Avenue helped initiate a transformation of the Concordia Baseball program. Little did anyone know at the time, Casey’s decision would eventually lead to all four sons of Rod and Angie Berg making their way to Seward, Nebraska. It wasn’t on anyone’s lists for college baseball hotbeds, but things were about to change. As the architect behind the GPAC’s premier baseball program (the statistics back that up), Ryan Dupic was building a foundation centered on “family and continuous improvement.”

A young Ben Berg knew nothing of Concordia Baseball. As an eighth grader, Ben saw Casey quickly enjoy success wearing Bulldog Blue. Then Ben watched as oldest brother Bryce caught on with the program as a graduate assistant (before his eventual promotion to a full-time role). Even so, it hadn’t occurred to Ben what this might mean for his own future.

“I had no idea what Concordia was and never heard about it before,” Ben said. “I had no idea where Seward was. Right away when Casey was here that first year, I didn’t really have any impressions. I was in eighth grade and college baseball wasn’t on my radar at that point. I got into high school and I thought there was no way I’d end up at Concordia. I was a naïve, probably pretty arrogant, teenage kid that thought I was going to get drafted and go big time Division I.”

With all due respect to Bryce and Casey (two important figures in the program’s recent past), this is about Ben’s journey. Later in his high school career at Kuemper Catholic, Ben began to see Concordia as his “big time” and a place where he could carve out his own legacy, separate from the Bergs that came before him. Fully healthy and as confident as ever, Ben has enjoyed the type of season that he dreamt of all along. In 2023, Ben has produced career highs across the board while hitting .413 with a .494 on-base percentage and a .677 slugging percentage to go along with 14 doubles, nine home runs and 49 RBIs. On top of that, he has yet to commit an error behind the plate while gunning down nine would-be base stealers.

Beyond the numbers, Ben is looked up to as an unofficial captain of the team. An analytical thinker like his brother Bryce, Ben has carried a near spotless GPA throughout his college career while studying Secondary Education and Physical Education. As slugging third baseman Jaidan Quinn said of Ben, “He’s that guy. He’s the captain. Everybody knows Ben.” ‘The Captain’ has earned his stripes over five seasons and more than 175 games played at Concordia.

He's the type of player and personality Dupic sought as he rebuilt a program that accomplished the unlikely in reaching the 2021 NAIA World Series. As Dupic wrote of Ben in celebration of senior day, “Ben has been a rock in the program for the past five years. He is both a tremendous player and person. I’m greatly appreciative of Ben’s servant heart and his desire to hold himself and others to high standards while having a high degree of empathy and care for the people around him. He has had an outstanding career and is well prepared for the next phase of life. I can’t speak highly enough of him and the incredible impact he’s had in our program.”

Speaking of that fifth season, the extra COVID-19 year of eligibility is what has allowed Ben to remain on the roster through 2023. When he (and all other college spring sport athletes) was robbed of a 2020 season, Ben adjusted his academic track and made a plan to stay as long as he could. Seriously, everyone was pirated of what could have been in 2020 – like a full final year of seeing Jason Munsch put up the most ridiculous pitching statistics in school history (he sported a perfect 0.00 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 26 innings when the season was shut down).

Ben will be able to talk someday about what it was like catching nasty hurlers such as Munsch, Jake Fosgett and Nick Little – and why he stuck around Concordia for five years. It was an easy decision, really.

As Ben explained, “I felt like that (2020) season kind of got taken away from us. I felt like we had a really good team, and we didn’t get to see that all the way through. I just didn’t want to miss out on a whole year of college baseball. I figured if I had the chance to take a whole extra year, why not? I love everything that the program stands for. I’ve had a chance to be part of something bigger than myself and be able to lead people and have a positive impact on people around me. One more year doing that would be a huge deal.”

Ben earned immediate playing time behind the dish in 2019 for a squad that won the GPAC regular season title. As a hitter, Ben was still developing the confidence he would need to become one of the league’s top catchers. After the shortened 2020 campaign, Ben blossomed in 2021 and batted .327 with seven homers and a .515 slugging percentage while helping the program live out a dream in reaching the NAIA World Series. Then, some frustration came in 2022 as Ben missed significant time due to injury (though he still played solidly upon his return). Back to health this spring, Ben has put all facets of his game together in becoming a star. He can stand on his own merit, even in a lineup that includes Jay Adams, Alec Blakestad, Jesse Garcia, Joey Grabanski, Ty Nekoliczak, Quinn and others.

Because of his maturity, Ben seems to understand now what was going on in those instances of struggle – not that they’ve been all that plentiful. In the present day, he can identify when his mentality is beginning to slip, and quickly make the correction. Physical health and an improved mental game have made the difference in 2023.

Says Ben, “Last year was tough missing the first month of the year. I’m really glad to take this extra year because finishing the way I did last year wouldn’t have been the way I wanted to go out. A big part of it is health. I’ve been able to play every game but one this year and I’ve been able to catch a lot. I think I’m just more confident in who I am as a person. I don’t think my skill level as a baseball player has necessarily gone up a lot compared to the last year or two. I was dealing with some stuff early this season where I was a little bit anxious and making the moment too big. After the first weekend of conference play, I sat down with Coach Dupic and talked about it. I got a lot of perspective on who I am and what I’m doing here. I was able to put my life into perspective and realize the results of my baseball career don’t have an impact on the way the rest of my life is lived. I think that gave me a lot of peace and freedom to go out and compete and not be anxious.”

Clearly, the legacy of the Bergs continues to be one of great impact. Last in line in the brotherhood is Kyle, a junior on the roster. When opportunity allows, Bryce (hitting instructor in the Minnesota Twins organization) and Casey (a high school head baseball coach in Colorado) still stop by their old stomping grounds. Ben and Bryce talk frequently on the phone as Bryce travels the country in his role with the Twins. As Ben admitted, “He was here my first year-and-a-half on campus, and it was really hard when he left. We like to keep in touch a lot and we’re a really tight-knit family.”

Teaching the game of baseball is now something being passed down within the family. Ben wasn’t sure he would go that route, but the coaching bug bit him last summer when he assisted with the Johnston High School (Iowa) program. Now he’s readying to become the next graduate assistant coach on Dupic’s staff.

“I figured what better place to try out the GA route than here,” Ben said. “I have tremendous respect for Coach Dupic and Coach (Caleb) Lang and the staff we have here. I think it’s a great opportunity to learn under them and kickstart my coaching career. That’s what I want to do for a while.”

For Ben, that theme of baseball, family and continuous improvement keeps circling back. That’s the Berg way of life.

Nekoliczak three-run homer lifts Bulldogs on opening day of GPAC tournament

May. 4, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Chalk up another postseason win for the Concordia University Baseball program, which won a combined 17 postseason contests over the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Instead of doing it the hard way this time, the 24th-ranked Bulldogs took care of business in their opening game of the 2023 GPAC tournament. Sophomore Ty Nekoliczak blistered a go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth on Thursday (May 4) in propelling Concordia to a come-from-behind 7-4 win over seventh-seeded Northwestern.

The Bulldogs lost in this same spot a year ago and came all the way back to win the GPAC tournament title. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has moved to 36-15 overall on the 2023 season. Concordia has earned the right to host a GPAC tournament pod for the third year in a row.

“It was a big swing by Ty,” Dupic said. “I thought Carlos (Benavides) had a really competitive at bat (in the eighth). Jay (Adams) was great today – all day. He hit the ball really hard. It’s nice for us to win a game that was tight where we had to come back late. We had some really big at bats in those situations.”

It always seems to be a dogfight when the Bulldogs get together with the Red Raiders (19-30). That was true once again on Thursday as Northwestern’s Evan Olesen delivered a two-out, two-run single in the top of the sixth, supplying a 4-2 lead for the visitors. The response was immediate. After Alec Blakestad doubled and Ben Berg singled, the GPAC batting average leader Nekoliczak blasted a 2-0 offering from Brady Roberts over the right field wall.

Nekoliczak has become a standout in a lineup loaded with individuals possessing video game-like numbers. Said Nekoliczak, “We knew that guy was primarily fastball-changeup to lefties. He threw me two changeups that were in the dirt. He didn’t have a great feel for the changeup, so I was sitting fastball in – and he threw me fastball in.”

Two innings later, Concordia tacked onto the lead via back-to-back RBI singles from Benavides and Adams. Nekoliczak (walk) and Teyt Johnson (double) came around to score on those base hits. Adams finished his day 3-for-5 with a double, a stolen base and an RBI. Meanwhile, two hits apiece were collected by Ben Berg and Jesse Garcia. Nekoliczak walked twice in addition to his clutch homer. The Bulldogs got on the board in the bottom of the third when Jaidan Quinn lifted his 23rd homer of the season out of the yard.

On the mound, Blake Benson (7-2) emerged as one of the day’s heroes. He entered the game in the fifth and wound up firing 4.2 innings. He fanned six hitters while allowing two runs on six hits and a walk. Caden Johnson covered the first four innings and conceded two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks to go along with seven strikeouts. The staff’s 14th strikeout of the day ended the game as Daniel Rivera came on to notch the final out (and his third save of the season).

Said Dupic, “Getting into these nine-inning games, it’s tough to find a bridge in the middle innings. They made Caden really work. I felt like we needed to make a little adjustment. Blake was just incredible. He had the one hiccup there, but he really settled in and did a terrific job. I was really proud of him. I was just looking for a couple innings out of him, but he just about took us all the way.”

Northwestern (GPAC tournament champion in 2018) will play third-seeded Morningside in an elimination game on Friday afternoon. The Red Raiders started ace Dylan Kirkeby against the potent Bulldogs. Kirkeby tossed five innings and gave up four runs on eight hits and two walks (four strikeouts). Roberts was tagged with the loss after surrendering the homer to Nekoliczak. Offensively, Mo Watson belted a solo homer and Ethan Buckner enjoyed a 3-for-3 day near the bottom of the lineup.

The updated Concordia Bracket schedule can be found below. Concordia will take on sixth-seeded Midland at 12 p.m. CT on Friday. The Warriors upset third-seeded Morningside, 10-9, in 11 innings in the first game of the bracket. The Bulldogs swept a four-game series from Midland during the regular season. Concordia is attempting to defend GPAC tournament titles in 2021 and 2022.

2023 GPAC Tournament – Concordia Bracket
--Full Bracket

May 4-6 | Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)

Thursday, May 4
Game 1 – (6) Midland def. (3) Morningside, 10-9 (11 innings)
Game 2 – (2) Concordia def. (7) Northwestern, 7-4

Friday, May 5
Game 3 – (2) Concordia vs. (6) Midland, 12 p.m.
Game 4 – (3) Morningside vs. (7) Northwestern, 3 p.m.
Game 5 – Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser, 6 p.m.

Saturday, May 6
Game 6 – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 12 p.m.
Game 7 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser, 3 p.m. (if necessary)

Quinn, Snyder star as Bulldogs roll to finals of Concordia Bracket

May. 5, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The weather held up and the Concordia University Baseball team used a workmanlike performance on Friday (May 5) to defeat Midland, 9-4, as part of GPAC tournament pod play. The Bulldogs have moved to 2-0 within their own bracket and are within one win of a return to the GPAC tournament championship game. In the latest action, Concordia was propped up by a pair of home runs from Jaidan Quinn and an utterly dominant relief outing by Ernie Snyder.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s program is on the hunt for a third GPAC tournament championship in a row. The Bulldogs are now 37-15 overall and have gone 16-2 when playing at Plum Creek Park in 2023.

“Everyone’s going to compete this time of year,” Dupic said. “They did a nice job putting some pressure on us with three runs in the second, but we were able to come back and get a big inning after that. That was a big deal. That gave us a little bit of breathing room – the guys responded really well.”

Two key specific sequences shaped the outcome of Friday’s game. The first of those occurrences came in the top of the third. After Midland took a 3-1 lead, Concordia responded appropriately. Quinn rocked a two-run homer on a 3-0 pitch to knot the score, 3-3. Then with two outs, Alec Blakestad singled in the go-ahead run. Two batters later, Teyt Johnson’s line drive single to center cleared the bases with the help of a misplay in the outfield.

Quinn’s RBI double in the sixth pushed the lead to 8-3, seemingly giving the Bulldogs full control. However, the Warriors (22-28) made a push with an Alex Villanueva solo homer in the sixth and by putting the first two hitters on base in the seventh. That’s when Ernie Snyder rose to the occasion. The freshman from San Diego had the good stuff working. He retired all nine hitters he faced, including six via the strikeout. Snyder struck out the side in the ninth while snuffing out any potential drama.

By game’s end, Quinn surpassed Joey Grabanski as the program’s single-season home run king with 25 long balls in 25. Grabanski’s total remained at 24 as he had two long fly balls that were caught by Midland outfielders at the wall. Both drives seemingly would have been home runs if not for the two impressive plays by the Warriors. Grabanski did manage to double and score a run while playing first base (instead of his usual left field). In addition, red hot catcher Ben Berg went 2-for-4 with his 10th homer of the season while Jesse Garcia added two base hits.

On the mound, Frankie Cresta made his 13th start of the season and went six solid innings. Cresta shook off a bout of wildness (two walks and three hit batters for the game) and limited the damage to four runs (two earned) on four hits. Cresta fanned five hitters while picking up his sixth win of the season. Jacob Lycan then appeared briefly in the seventh before being lifted for Snyder. Bulldog hurlers worked with a bit different defensive alignment as Ty Nekoliczak manned left field with Grabanski moving to first (Garcia slotted into the DH role).

For Snyder, this was the best outing of his young career. Said Dupic, “He was great. He’s been really good for us since we got back from Florida. He kind of got his feet wet early in the year. He’s really done a nice job and been very consistent. There are so many games (in the postseason) and you’re playing nine innings every game, so somebody’s got to step up. He and Frankie both did a really good job today.”

Midland was held to five hits for the contest. Starting pitcher Lucas Hmazeh took the loss while surrendering six earned runs in three innings. Xavior Salazar worked the final six innings and gave up only one earned run against the GPAC’s top offense. Later in the evening, the Warriors let a 6-1 lead slip away and were eliminated by Morningside, 9-6.

The updated Concordia Bracket with Friday’s results can be viewed below. In the finals of the bracket, the Bulldogs will meet up with Morningside (36-15) at 12 p.m. on Saturday. Should the Mustangs win that contest, it would force a winner-take-all if necessary battle for the opportunity to play in the GPAC tournament championship game this coming Tuesday (May 9).

2023 GPAC Tournament – Concordia Bracket
--Full Bracket

May 4-6 | Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)

Thursday, May 4
Game 1 – (6) Midland def. (3) Morningside, 10-9 (11 innings)
Game 2 – (2) Concordia def. (7) Northwestern, 7-4

Friday, May 5
Game 3 – (2) Concordia def. (6) Midland, 9-4
Game 4 – (3) Morningside def. (7) Northwestern, 5-4
Game 5 – (3) Morningside def. (6) Midland, 9-6

Saturday, May 6
Game 6 – (2) Concordia vs. (3) Morningside, 12 p.m.
Game 7 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser, 3 p.m. (if necessary)

Bulldogs mash Morningside, motor to GPAC title game

May. 6, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – GPAC Championship game appearances have become the norm for the Concordia University Baseball program. With a spot in the 2023 conference tournament title contest on the line, the second-seeded Bulldogs mashed their way to a 16-3 over third-seeded Morningside on Saturday (May 6) afternoon at Plum Creek Park. The surface-of-the-sun hot Jaidan Quinn left the yard twice more as Concordia reset the school single season home run record for a third straight year. On the mound, Christian Gutierrez went all nine innings in an ultra-efficient effort.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad went a perfect 3-0 while rolling through the Concordia Bracket of the GPAC tournament. The Bulldogs (38-15) are aiming to defend their 2021 and 2022 GPAC postseason championships. No matter the result next week, Concordia has locked up the conference’s second automatic bid to the national tournament.

“It’s a great experience for our team, players and families,” Dupic said. “We’re really grateful and happy to have an opportunity to do that Tuesday. It’s been a fun run and the guys played really well here. It will be a nice opportunity for us to be part of (the GPAC championship game).

“Morningside did a tremendous job in fighting their way back (after losing to Midland in game one of the bracket). The challenge is you have to use a lot of guys … They were in a position where they had to piece things together, and our guys took advantage of that. Our guys had really good at bats – we didn’t expand the strike zone and stayed with things really well.”

The Mustangs (36-16) won two elimination games on Friday to set up the matchup with Concordia at Plum Creek Park. Gutierrez surrendered one run on three hits in the top of the first, but it was all Bulldogs the rest of the way. In the bottom of the second, Teyt Johnson, Carlos Benavides and Jay Adams went back-to-back-to-back with RBI singles. Then came the back-breaking blow from Quinn, who pulverized a thunderous three-run homer to center. The third baseman from Bonner Springs, Kan., was just getting started on a day that saw him go 4-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs. He reached base safely in all six plate appearances.

Quinn and company just kept piling up runs, putting up one in the fourth, three in the fifth, one in the sixth, three in the seventh and two in the eighth. All the while, the Concordia lineup produced 18 hits and worked 10 walks. Quinn homered again in the seventh while Alec Blakestad (solo shot in the sixth) and Jesse Garcia (two-run blast in the seventh) also exited the ballpark. The homer by Garcia marked a school record 114th this season as a team (topping the previous standard of 113 in 2022).

Five Bulldog batters collected multiple hits on Saturday: Quinn (4-for-4), Joey Grabanski (4-for-5), Adams (3-for-6), Benavides (2-for-4) and Blakestad (2-for-5). Over the past three days of GPAC tournament action, Quinn has gone 8-for-13 (.615) with a double, five home runs and 10 RBIs. He’s increased his school record single season home run total to 27. Meanwhile, Grabanski has increased his school record RBI number to 72 for the year. No record is safe in this lineup.

Said Grabanski, “It’s so much fun. We push each other hard in practice every day. We bond so well – and the ball just happens to fly out of here … It would mean everything (to win a third GPAC tournament in a row). We get to compete and just go out there and have fun.”

A sophomore righty from La Mirada, Calif., Gutierrez is all about changing speeds and locations while keeping hitters off balance. He threw just over 100 pitches on Saturday while limiting Morningside to five hits (and no walks). Gutierrez notched six strikeouts, 12 flyouts and eight ground outs while working beautifully with catcher Ben Berg. The lone two hits for the Mustangs over the game’s final eight innings were solo homers.

Said Dupic, “He was terrific. He had all his pitches working and changed speeds well, located the baseball well. He was so in control of himself and his execution. I just thought he was really crisp. I can’t say enough good things about him. Being in this position, I thought we had a chance to score today. If we could get good pitching and defense, we were going to be in a good spot.”

In each of the four previous GPAC tournament title game appearances in Dupic’s tenure (2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022), Concordia either played at home or at a neutral site (2019 versus Jamestown). This time around, the Bulldogs will be headed to nearby Doane (41-10) for the championship clash. First pitch of the 2023 GPAC tournament title game is slated for 3 p.m. CT in Crete, Neb., on Tuesday, May 9. Concordia defeated Doane in the ’21 championship game held in Seward, 7-2. Both the Bulldogs and Tigers have qualified for the national tournament.

2023 GPAC Tournament – Concordia Bracket
--Full Bracket

May 4-6 | Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)

Thursday, May 4
Game 1 – (6) Midland def. (3) Morningside, 10-9 (11 innings)
Game 2 – (2) Concordia def. (7) Northwestern, 7-4

Friday, May 5
Game 3 – (2) Concordia def. (6) Midland, 9-4
Game 4 – (3) Morningside def. (7) Northwestern, 5-4
Game 5 – (3) Morningside def. (6) Midland, 9-6

Saturday, May 6
Game 6 – (2) Concordia def. (3) Morningside, 16-3

GPAC Championship Game – Tuesday May, 9
(2) Concordia at (1) Doane, 3 p.m.

2023 GPAC Baseball Championship Preview

May. 8, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – For the fourth season in a row, and for the fifth time since 2017, the Concordia University Baseball program has reached the GPAC tournament championship game. The Bulldogs will attempt to defend their 2021 and 2022 conference postseason championships on Tuesday (May 9) when they venture to nearby Doane for the title game. First pitch from the Doane Ballfield Complex is slated for 3 p.m. CT. It will be a matchup of the GPAC’s top two seeds. In the finals of their respective brackets played this past Saturday, Concordia clobbered Morningside, 16-3, and Doane twice defeated Mount Marty, winning by scores of 10-4 and 14-11. The Bulldogs and Tigers also met in Seward for the 2021 GPAC championship, a contest won by Concordia, 7-2. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad stands at 38-15 overall in 2023.

2023 GPAC Championship Game

Tuesday, May 9: Concordia (38-15) at Doane (41-10), 7 p.m.
--Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Den Hartog Field (Lincoln, Neb.)

By the numbers

·        The GPAC tournament success continues under Dupic’s leadership. The program has reached the conference tournament title game in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023. During that stretch, the Bulldogs have gone a combined 18-5 in GPAC postseason games while celebrating tournament championships in 2021 and 2022. As part of the ’22 championship run, Concordia dropped its opening game of the tournament to Northwestern and then rattled off five victories in a row, including three in one day (May 9). Second baseman Jay Adams delivered walk-off RBI singles in the final two games of the tournament – a 5-4 win over Northwestern and a 7-6 (10 innings) win over Jamestown in the championship clash. In the 2023 GPAC tournament, the Bulldogs’ path to the title game has featured victories over Northwestern, 7-4, Midland, 9-4, and Morningside, 16-3. Scores for previous Concordia GPAC championship games were:

o   2022: Concordia 7, Jamestown 6 (10 innings)

o   2021: Concordia 7, Doane 2

o   2019: Jamestown 3, Concordia 0

o   2017: Midland 5, Concordia 3

·        Jaidan Quinn just might be the hottest hitter on the entire planet. Consider his numbers over the last month. Over the past 21 games (April 7 and on), Quinn has batted .440 (33-for-75) with a .543 on-base percentage and 1.213 slugging percentage (91 total bases) while producing 32 runs scored, seven doubles, 17 home runs and 40 RBIs. The slugging left-handed hitting third baseman was appropriately named the Bulldog Athletic Association Athlete of the Month for April and was recognized as the GPAC Player of the Week on April 25. Quinn’s power surge has given him a program single-season home run record of 27. That total leads the GPAC (three in front of teammate Joey Grabanski) and ranks No. 3 on the NAIA national leaderboard. Grabanski is tied for fourth nationally for home runs. A transfer from Wabash Valley College, Quinn has been one of the nation’s top power hitters over the past two seasons with 46 home runs and 127 RBIs in 111 career games as a Bulldog.

·        Concordia went 17-2 in games played at Plum Creek Park in 2023. Over last week’s three GPAC tournament games played at home, the Bulldogs batted .375 and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 32-11. Four Concordia hitters are batting better than .400 in 2023 postseason play: Quinn (8-for-13; .615), Grabanski (6-for-13; .462), Ben Berg (5-for-11; .455) and Jay Adams (7-for-16; .438). Quinn left the yard five times last week while four teammates notched one home run apiece: Berg, Alec Blakestad, Jesse Garcia and Ty Nekoliczak. The GPAC batting average leader during the regular season, Nekoliczak blasted a go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth inning on day one of the tournament. In the 16-3 drubbing of Morningside, Grabanski and Quinn collected four hits apiece.

·        With four home runs in the victory over Morningside, the 2023 Bulldogs broke the program record for home runs in a single season. The total stands at 114 entering the week. The largest home run totals in school history have each come over the past three seasons with 90 in 2021, 113 in 2022 and 114 in 2023. Six Concordia hitters have reached double figures in homers this season: Quinn (27), Grabanski (24), Garcia (17), Blakestad (13), Adams (11) and Berg (10). Quinn, Grabanski and Garcia rank Nos. 1, 2 and 3 on the GPAC home run leaderboard. The top four players on the program’s all-time list for career home runs are Grabanski (59), Garcia (55), Keaton Candor (47) and Quinn (46). The recent binge for Quinn moved him within one homer of Candor, who held the career home run record entering this season. Garcia continues to rank No. 1 all-time for games played (234), hits (264), doubles (58), RBIs (214) and walks (115).

·        During the GPAC tournament, Dupic has turned to a starting rotation of Caden Johnson, Frankie Cresta and Christian Gutierrez (in that order). The best outing last week from a starting pitcher was turned in by Gutierrez, who went all nine innings versus Morningside and allowed just five hits without issuing a free pass (six strikeouts). Johnson got a no decision versus Northwestern despite striking out seven batters in four innings. Blake Benson covered 4.2 innings in relief and earned credit for the win versus the Red Raiders. The next day, Cresta fired six innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks to go along with five strikeouts. Ernie Snyder came on and dazzled in relief as he retired all nine batters he faced, six via strikeout, and picked up a three-inning save. The pitching staff owns a 2.67 ERA in the 2023 GPAC tournament.

·        The offensive numbers for Concordia jump off the page. The Bulldogs lead the GPAC in virtually every offensive category, including runs scored (548), hits (616), doubles (120), home runs (114), walks (234), stolen bases (91), batting average (.363), on-base percentage (.449) and slugging percentage (.639). GPAC individual leaders include Quinn in runs (69), home runs (27), on-base percentage (.519) and slugging percentage (.907), Grabanski in RBIs (72) and walks (36) and Zackery Day in stolen bases (36). Quinn has broken single season school records for not only home runs but also runs scored. Meanwhile, Grabanski’s RBI and Day’s stolen base totals are new program standards.

·        Concordia is chasing a potential third 40-win season in a row. The Bulldogs went 42-14 during the NAIA World Series qualifying season of 2021 and then followed that up with a 40-17-1 record in 2022 while coming up one win shy of a return trip to the World Series. No matter the result on Tuesday, Concordia has locked up a fifth national tournament berth during Dupic’s tenure. Earlier this season, Dupic became the winningest coach in Bulldog Baseball history. His record currently stands at 280-160-1 over nine seasons. During Dupic’s tenure (2015-present), the Bulldogs lead all GPAC baseball programs in overall wins (280), GPAC regular season wins (138), overall winning percentage (.636), conference regular season winning percentage (.663) and total GPAC championships (five).

Scouting Doane

Concordia beat Doane six times during the 2019 season, but the Tigers have had the upper hand in more recent action. Since the Bulldogs topped the Tigers in the 2021 GPAC tournament title game, Doane has won four series meetings in a row (all in the regular season). These two programs have been the standard in the GPAC the past three seasons with GPAC tournament pod play being held exclusively in Crete and Seward each year. Now in year seven as head coach, Josh Oltmans has enjoyed a great deal of success. Over the 2021-23 seasons, Doane has won two outright GPAC regular season titles and shared the 2021 regular season championship with Concordia. The Tigers boast a potent lineup of their own, one that’s headed by the likes of Nate Mensik, Joe Osborn and Lukas White. Those three players have combined for 40 home runs. As a team, Doane is batting .334 with a .426 on-base percentage and .534 slugging percentage. At the top of the rotation, Aaron Forest (9-2, 2.95 ERA, 8.84 K/9) and Kaden Crawford (8-3, 2.97 ERA, 7.43 K/9) have paced the staff. Based on usage this past week, both Forest and Crawford would seem to be candidates to start the GPAC championship game. Forest threw seven innings in the 15-1 win over Briar Cliff on May 4 and has rested since then. A well-balanced team, the Tigers lead the GPAC in ERA (3.92) and fielding percentage (.968). Doane landed at No. 5 in the NAIA Bo Chip rating unveiled on April 30.

NAIA National Championship Selection Show

Concordia and Doane will learn of their placement for the 2023 NAIA National Championship Opening Round via the NAIA Selection Show scheduled for 4 p.m. CT on Thursday (May 11). That show can be viewed by accessing the NAIA YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/PlayNAIA) at that date and time. Morningside will be in the at-large discussion having appeared at No. 16 in the NAIA’s most recent Bo Chip ratings. Opening round host locations were announced by the NAIA on May 1 and can be found HERE. The opening round is slated to play out May 15-18 with the NAIA World Series to follow in Lewiston, Idaho, May 26-June 2.

Pitcher's duel goes to Doane in GPAC postseason championship

May. 9, 2023

LINCOLN, Neb. – A fourth-inning ground out that plated a run was all that Doane needed behind its ace pitcher Aaron Forrest in the 2023 GPAC tournament championship game played on Tuesday (May 9) at Den Hartog Field on the Lincoln East High School campus. The Concordia University Baseball team left the bases loaded in the ninth and was edged, 1-0, while appearing in the GPAC Championship Game for the fourth straight season. The potent Bulldog offense was limited to five hits, all singles, by its arch nemesis.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad will head into the NAIA National Championship Opening Round at 38-16 overall. Concordia wound up one key hit away from adding to the five total GPAC championships won during Dupic’s tenure.

“It was one of the better games I’ve had the opportunity to be part of,” Dupic said. “It was incredibly competitive on both sides. Every pitch was a big pitch, every play was a big play and every at bat was a big at bat. I couldn’t be prouder of our guys. Obviously we were hoping to come through in an at bat or two. I really wish we had been able to do that. On the other side of it, it’s really good for us to have a game like this. When you play really good teams and advance to the national tournament, you have to be able to play clean. We have such faith in our hitters and our guys. I thought we put some really good swings on a few balls today and couldn’t catch a break. All in all, it was such a good ballgame.”

Coming off a 16-3 win over Morningside in the finals of the Concordia Bracket, the Bulldogs never could break the ice on Tuesday night. Tension filled the grandstand at Hartog Field in the top of the ninth. Jay Adams singled to lead it off before a couple of fly outs followed. Forrest proceeded to walk Jesse Garcia and then hit Alec Blakestad with a pitch. Doane decided to turn to the bullpen with the bags full and two out. Tiger reliever Jake Johnson managed to get Ben Berg to ground a 3-2 pitch to second for the final out.

Concordia has seen both sides of championship dogpiles plenty of times in recent years. This time around, three Bulldog pitchers did their part in maintaining hope of a banner evening. Dupic kept the Tiger offense off balance by rolling out Frankie Cresta for three innings (four strikeouts), Blake Benson for 3.2 (four strikeouts) and Daniel Rivera for 1.1 (three strikeouts). From Doane’s perspective, it probably felt as though it should have built more than a one-run lead. The Tigers ended up with just one run in the fourth after putting runners on second and third with no out and then stranded the bases loaded in both the fifth and sixth innings. Impressively, Benson struck out both Lukas White and Nate Mensik in the fifth to put out a fire.

Forrest (10-2) nearly went the distance in a starring performance for the Tigers (42-10), champions of the GPAC regular season and postseason. He allowed five hits and two walks (five strikeouts) in his 8.2 innings of work. A couple of the Bulldogs’ best swings came to start the seventh when Joey Grabanski lined out on a laser to third and Garcia drove a fly ball that was caught by the left fielder up against the wall. Way back in the second inning, Concordia got a pair of singles to put runners on first and second with one out, but the inning was snuffed out on a double play ball. Berg finished 2-for-4 while Adams, Garcia and Teyt Johnson contributed one hit apiece.

While the result was disappointing, the Bulldogs have developed confidence that they can compete on the national stage. The program has won a combined eight national tournament games over the past two seasons. The fifth-year members of the program have now played in four GPAC tournament championship contests.

Said Dupic, “It’s incredible. Ben Berg had mentioned it the other day. When he said that, it dawned on me – that’s incredible. Some players never get a chance to play in a conference tournament. These guys have played in the title game every year and have played in the national tournament every year. The accomplishments they’ve had are truly amazing. I leave this game with an even better feeling about our team as we head to the national tournament. I’m excited for that and I’m looking forward to more baseball with these guys.”

The Bulldogs will learn of their placement for the 2023 NAIA National Championship Opening Round when the NAIA holds its selection show at 4 p.m. CT on Thursday. That show can be viewed live via the NAIA YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/PlayNAIA. Concordia will be headed to one of the 10 opening round locations announced by the NAIA on May 1. That release can be found HERE.

Grabanski tabbed GPAC Player of the Year; eight Bulldogs named to first team

May. 10, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The greatest offensive force in program history was appropriately honored on Wednesday (May 10) as the conference announced 2023 All-GPAC award winners. Slugger Joey Grabanski became the second player in Concordia Baseball history to be named GPAC Player of the Year and was one of eight Bulldogs to garner first team all-conference accolades. Also representing national tournament bound Concordia with first team selections were second baseman Jay Adams, catcher Ben Berg, center fielder Alec Blakestad, first baseman Jesse Garcia, pitcher Caden Johnson, shortstop Ty Nekoliczak and third baseman Jaidan Quinn.

Three others were recognized from Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad: designated hitter Tanner Tompkins (second team), right fielder Teyt Johnson (honorable mention) and pitcher Daniel Rivera (honorable mention). Berg was also honored as the GPAC’s Gold Glove catcher. Each of the award winners have contributed to an overall record of 38-16 and to a team that will appear at the NAIA National Championship Opening Round next week.

Grabanski and Christian Meza (2019) are the lone Bulldogs to ever be named GPAC Baseball Players of the Year. The Grand Forks, N.D., native Grabanski has ranked among the NAIA national home run leaders all season. In 2023, Grabanski has batted .387 (74-for-191) with a .494 on-base percentage and .822 slugging percentage. He’s totaled 67 runs, 11 doubles, 24 home runs and a school record 72 RBIs. He has played error-free ball while spending most of the year in left field. His 24 home runs would rank as a school record for a single season if not for Quinn. Grabanski is now a three-time First Team All-GPAC honoree. In 166 career games, Grabanski has batted .379 (225-for-593) with 164 runs scored. 39 doubles, 59 home runs (school record), 199 RBIs and a .744 slugging percentage.

Adams continues to set the standard when it comes to second basemen in the GPAC. The Waverly, Neb., native has earned First Team All-GPAC laurels for the third consecutive season. On the year, Adams is hitting .320 (70-for-219) with 61 runs, 19 doubles, 11 home runs, 51 RBIs and 13 stolen bases while sporting a .366 on-base percentage and .566 slugging percentage. Adams has successfully fielded 209 of 217 chances in the field. In 186 career collegiate games, Adams has hit .353 (257-for-729) with 53 doubles, 34 home runs, 172 RBIs and 39 stolen bases. Adams was named an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in 2022.

Berg has played his best baseball in every aspect of the game while holding down a roster spot for a fifth season with the Bulldogs. The Carroll, Iowa, native was named Second Team All-GPAC in 2021 and honorable mention in 2022. This season, Berg is hitting .418 (71-for-170) with 17 runs, 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 50 RBIs to go along with a .497 on-base percentage and .676 slugging percentage. At catcher, Berg has handled 356 of 357 chances (.997 fielding percentage) and has caught nine baserunners attempting to steal. Berg stands as the program’s all-time leader for career putouts and has a career batting average of .321 (188-for-585) with 37 doubles, 27 home runs and 148 RBIs.

Blakestad takes the title of the GPAC’s top center fielder. The Millard North High School alum has moved up to the GPAC’s first team after picking up second team honors in 2022. Blakestad added more power to his game this spring and is hitting .380 (70-for-184) with 66 runs, 15 doubles, 13 home runs, 50 RBIs and 17 stolen bases to go with a .452 on-base percentage and .685 slugging percentage. He has committed only one error while manning center for all 54 games in 2023. A season ago, Blakestad batted .383 with five homers and 39 RBIs.

Garcia has raked in his first career First Team All-GPAC award after being tabbed second team in 2019, second team in 2021 and honorable mention in 2022. The El Cajon, Calif., native will depart from the program as one of its all-time greats. Garcia has enjoyed his best season yet while hitting .378 (73-for-193) with 49 runs, 14 doubles, 17 home runs and 65 RBIs while sporting a .454 on-base percentage and .725 slugging percentage. He currently owns program career records for games played (235), hits (265), doubles (58), RBIs (214) and walks (116). He also ranks second to Grabanski for career home runs with 55. Like Berg, Garcia has been a member of four teams that have qualified for the NAIA national tournament.

Caden Johnson has served as the ace of the pitching staff in 2023 while being named First Team All-GPAC for the second year in a row. The Papillion, Neb., native will enter the national tournament with a record of 8-3 to go along with a 3.42 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 52.2 innings (12 starts). Johnson has limited opposing hitters to a .252 batting average. Johnson enjoyed similar success in 2022 when he went 8-2 with a 3.45 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 75.2 innings.

Nekoliczak gets the nod as the GPAC’s top shortstop in 2023. The Greeley, Neb., native topped the conference in batting average during the regular season. Tabbed Honorable Mention All-GPAC in 2022, Nekoliczak has upped his game in 2023 and is hitting .408 (71-for-174) with 47 runs, nine doubles, four home runs, 43 RBIs and nine stolen bases while owning a .475 on-base percentage and .529 slugging percentage. In the field, Nekoliczak has converted 139 of 153 chances. Over two seasons as a Bulldog, Nekoliczak has batted .365 with a .463 on-base percentage.

Entering the national tournament, Quinn ranks No. 3 on the NAIA home run leaderboard with a school record 27 bombs this season. The Bonner Springs, Kan., native has starred as one of the nation’s best power hitters since transferring to Concordia prior to the 2022 campaign. On the season, the left-handed hitting third baseman is batting .352 (62-for-176) with 69 runs, 13 doubles, 27 home runs and 69 RBIs while paired with league highs in on-base percentage (.510) and slugging percentage (.886). Quinn made waves on April 22 when he hit homers in four straight at bats in a win at Midland. Now a two-time First Team All-GPAC selection, Quinn has batted .347 with 46 home runs, 127 RBIs and an .814 slugging percentage in 112 career games as a Bulldog.

Tompkins fought through injury this season on his way to earning all-conference recognition. The native of Normal, Ill., was honored as an Honorable Mention All-GPAC choice in 2022. In 42 games (37 starts) as a designated hitter this season, Tompkins hit .364 (44-for-121) with 28 runs, seven doubles, two home runs and 27 RBIs and sported a .420 on-base percentage and .471 slugging percentage. In 92 career games, Tompkins has hit .333 with 10 home runs, 72 RBIs and a .401 on-base percentage.

Teyt Johnson is playing out his fifth season as a highly valuable member of the program. The Indianola, Iowa, native has started 48 games in right field and has hit .301 (46-for-153) with 39 runs, eight doubles, four home runs and 33 RBIs to go with a .388 on-base percentage and .431 slugging percentage. In the outfield, he’s handled 75 of 78 chances successfully. Johnson has played in 194 career games and has totaled 113 runs, 154 hits, 27 doubles, 17 home runs and 116 RBIs while batting .288.

A two-year Bulldog from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Rivera has racked up strikeouts at an impressive rate. In 16 appearances out of the bullpen this season, Rivera has recorded a 3.50 ERA, three saves and 37 strikeouts in 18 innings. Those figures calculate to a strikeout rate of 18.5 per nine innings. In his two years at Concordia, Rivera has covered 44 innings and has piled up 80 strikeouts.

The Bulldogs will learn of their placement for the 2023 NAIA National Championship Opening Round when the NAIA holds its selection show at 4 p.m. CT on Thursday. That show can be viewed live via the NAIA YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/PlayNAIA. Concordia will be headed to one of the 10 opening round locations announced by the NAIA on May 1. That release can be found HERE.

Bulldogs garner No. 3 seed, sent to Georgia for NAIA Opening Round

 May. 11, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Baseball program’s fifth all-time appearance at the NAIA National Championship Opening Round will take place in Lawrenceville, Ga., home to Georgia Gwinnett College. Opening round assignments were made official on Thursday (May 11) by the NAIA. The Bulldogs were rewarded with a No. 3 seed in the opening round and will take on No. 2 seed Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.) on Monday, May 15. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. CT (3 p.m. local time in Georgia). The opening round features a double-elimination style bracket.

The field for the 2023 Lawrenceville Bracket includes:

·        No. 1 Georgia Gwinnett (47-5)

·        No. 2 Freed-Hardeman (37-19)

·        No. 3 Concordia (38-16)

·        No. 4 Midway (27-22)

·        No. 5 Saint Xavier (31-25)

Location: Grizzly Baseball Complex | Lawrenceville, Georgia

Head Coach Ryan Dupic has guided Concordia to national tournament berths in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The ’21 team made history by advancing to the NAIA World Series while the ’22 squad came within one game of a return trip to Lewiston, Idaho. The 2023 Bulldogs have earned an automatic national tournament berth as the GPAC regular season runner up. During the regular season, Concordia matched up with seven teams that have qualified for the 2023 opening round: Bellevue, Central Methodist (Mo.), Columbia (Mo.), Doane, Grand View (Iowa), Morningside and Oklahoma City.

On Wednesday, all-conference teams were announced by the GPAC. Eight Bulldogs landed on the first team: Jay Adams, Ben Berg, Alec Blakestad, Jesse Garcia, Joey Grabanski, Caden Johnson, Ty Nekoliczak and Jaidan Quinn. Grabanski became the second player in program history to earn GPAC Player of the Year accolades. Heading into the national tournament, the Concordia lineup has broken school single season records runs scored (548) and home runs (114). Quinn (27) and Grabanski (24) both rank among the top five on the NAIA home run leaderboard.

The winners of all 10 opening round sites will head to Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) for the 66th annual Avista NAIA Baseball World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, May 26 – June 2. 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.

Facts about Concordia at the national tournament

·        A 2021 NAIA World Series qualifier, Concordia has appeared in the opening round of the national tournament for the fifth 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 both 2021 and 2022. Concordia is 10-7 all-time in opening round games and has won at least one national tournament game in each of the four prior appearances. Opening round wins have come over Jamestown (2017), Clarke University (2019), MidAmerica Nazarene University (twice in 2021), Bellevue (twice in 2021 and once in 2022), Central Methodist University (2022), Judson University (2022) and Tabor College (2022).

·        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.

·        The ’22 Bulldogs came within one win of a return trip to the World Series. While being sent to Bellevue for a second year in a row, Concordia dropped its first game of the tournament (5-1 to Judson) and then rallied back to claim four straight victories. The Bulldogs turned some heads when they routed host and sixth-ranked Bellevue, 16-2, to force a winner-take-all contest. In that blowout, Concordia went deep six times with one home run apiece coming from Jay Adams, Joey Grabanski, Jaidan Quinn, Keaton Candor, Jesse Garcia and Teyt Johnson. Caden Johnson fired seven strong innings in the triumph. Ultimately, the Bruins took the next game, 5-2, and booked their trip to the NAIA 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 five national tournaments, Dupic (280-161-1) became the winningest coach in program history this season. During Dupic’s tenure (2015-present), the Bulldogs lead all GPAC baseball programs in overall wins (280), GPAC regular season wins (138), overall winning percentage (.635), conference regular season winning percentage (.663) and total GPAC championships (five).

·        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. Five Bulldogs who started the program’s first-ever World Series game are on the current postseason roster: Jay Adams, Ben Berg, Jesse Garcia, Joey Grabanski and Teyt Johnson.

Lawrenceville Bracket Schedule
All times EDT

Monday, May 15
Game 1 – (4) Midway vs. (5) Saint Xavier, 11 a.m.
Game 2 – (2) Freed-Hardeman vs. (3) Concordia, 3 p.m.
Game 3 – (1) Georgia Gwinnett vs. Game 1 Winner, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, May 16
Game 4 – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 11 a.m.
Game 5 – Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner, 3 p.m.
Game 6 – Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Winner, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, May 17
Game 7 – Game 5 Loser vs. Game 6 Winner, 11 a.m.
Game 8 – Game 5 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner, 3 p.m.

Thursday, May 18
Game 9 – Game 8 Winner vs. Game 8 Loser (if necessary), 11 a.m.

Defensive gaffes prove costly on day one of NAIA Opening Round

May. 15, 2023

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – Five errors paved the way for seven unearned runs for Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.), which won Monday (May 15)’s NAIA National Championship Opening Round game simply by playing cleaner baseball. The miscues were the main culprit for a Concordia University Baseball program making its fifth all-time appearance in the opening round. The second-seeded Lions of Henderson, Tenn., emerged with a 7-4 victory on day one of the Lawrenceville (Ga.) Bracket hosted by Georgia Gwinnett College in the sultry Peach State.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic has been at the controls for each of the program’s five trips to nationals. This one stung for the third-seeded Bulldogs (38-17) because they left the park feeling like they had beat themselves.

“We just didn’t play well – really bad defensively,” Dupic said. “I don’t know if there’s any other way to put it. We didn’t deserve to win today. We’re going to have to be better on Tuesday if we want to have a chance to win. We didn’t play the way we’re capable of and that’s not going to get it done against a really good team like Freed-Hardeman.”

In the program’s 18th all-time game in an opening round, Concordia shook off a 2-0 deficit in the middle innings when the bats came alive with a run in the fourth and three in the fifth. Jesse Garcia doubled and scored on a two-out RBI single by Alec Blakestad to get the Bulldogs on the board in the fourth. Then in the fifth, Carlos Benavides tripled in a run and was plated by Jay Adams’ single to left. Concordia’s final tally of the game occurred on Joey Grabanski’s RBI groundout (200th career RBI).

Had the Bulldogs made the plays in the field, that production would have been enough. Frankie Cresta pitched solidly while making his second start in a row (also started the GPAC tournament final). The back breaker came in the sixth when the Lions scored four times on three hits and two errors while regaining the advantage for good. One more insurance run occurred in the seventh after Concordia failed to secure an out when it had a runner picked off first.

Cresta covered 5.1 innings and was tagged with the loss despite all six of the runs he allowed being labeled unearned. The 6-foot-4 righty from Johnston, Iowa, notched six strikeouts and scattered six hits. Blake Benson followed in relief and went 2.2 innings with one unearned run conceded on two hits and one walk. Benson recorded three strikeouts. Said Dupic, “I thought they threw pretty well today and made some big pitches at times.”

On the other side, Freed-Hardeman righty hurler Colton Huntt kept the powerful Bulldogs in the park and went six innings with four runs allowed (three earned) on six hits and two walks. Huntt fanned nine Concordia hitters. Luis Torres-Lopez then got the final nine outs for his fourth save this season. There was only a mild ninth-inning threat by the Bulldogs, who got a one-out single from Ty Nekoliczak. The Lions (38-19) have twice won NAIA opening round titles in their history.

Adams and Nekoliczak both went 2-for-4 on the day. The Bulldog lineup was limited to seven hits, including two that went for extra bases. Grabanski became the second player in school history to record 200 career RBIs, joining Garcia (214).

Concordia will attempt to stave off elimination on Tuesday morning in a matchup with Saint Xavier University (Ill.) (31-26). First pitch is set for 8 a.m. CT / 9 a.m. ET from the Grizzly Baseball Complex. The Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament champion Cougars were beaten on Monday by Midway University (Ky.), 6-5. The Concordia-Saint Xavier winner will play again on Tuesday at 5 p.m. ET in another elimination game. The full Lawrenceville Bracket is listed below.

2023 NAIA Opening Round – Lawrenceville Bracket

Tournament Webpage

Site: Grizzly Baseball Complex | Lawrenceville, Ga.
Live Webcasts: https://ggcathletics.com/watch/
Live Stats: PrestoStats

All times are EDT

Monday, May 15
Game 1 – (4) Midway def. (5) Saint Xavier, 6-5
Game 2 – (2) Freed-Hardeman def. (3) Concordia, 7-4
Game 3 – (1) Georgia Gwinnett def. (4) Midway, 18-1

Tuesday, May 16
Game 4 – (3) Concordia vs. (5) Saint Xavier, 9 a.m.
Game 5 – (1) Georgia Gwinnett vs. (2) Freed-Hardeman, 1 p.m.
Game 6 – (4) Midway vs. Game 4 Winner, 5 p.m.

Wednesday, May 17
Game 7 – Game 5 Loser vs. Game 6 Winner, 11 a.m.
Game 8 – Game 5 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner, 3 p.m.

Thursday, May 18
Game 9 – Game 8 Winner vs. Game 8 Loser (if necessary), 11 a.m.

Four student-athletes from national qualifying Bulldogs named Academic All-District honorees

 May. 16, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – As a result of their work both academically and on the diamond, four Bulldogs from the national qualifying Concordia University Baseball program have been named to the 2023 Academic All-District® Baseball Teams, as selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC) and announced on Tuesday (May 16). The Concordia award winners include Ben Berg, Jesse Garcia, Ty Nekoliczak and Jaidan Quinn. Garcia has earned Academic All-District honors for the fourth time in his career.

The 2022-23 Academic All-District® Baseball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be nominated for this award. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — for each gender.

A First Team All-GPAC and GPAC Gold Glove recipient, Berg has thrived in his fifth season as a member of the program. Entering the national tournament, Berg was hitting .418 (71-for-170) with 14 doubles, 10 home runs, a .497 on-base percentage and .676 slugging percentage. He has made only one error all season (.997 fielding percentage) and has nailed nine baserunners attempting to steal. A three-time All-GPAC performer and NAIA Scholar-Athlete, Berg has totaled 188 hits, 37 doubles, 27 home runs and 148 RBIs while batting .321 with a .526 slugging percentage. He graduated this May with a Bachelor of Science in Education with a focus in Secondary Education and Physical Education.

Like Berg, Garcia has enjoyed the best season of his career in 2023. The El Cajon, Calif., native has garnered four All-GPAC mentions in his career and moved up to the first team this season. Garcia is hitting .378 with 49 runs, 14 doubles, 17 home runs and 65 RBIs to go along with a .454 on-base percentage and .725 slugging percentage. The NAIA Scholar-Athlete owns program career records for games played (235), hits (265), doubles (58), RBIs (214) and walks (116). Garcia earned his degree from Concordia in Criminal Justice and is pursuing his Master of Business Administration.

A native of Greeley, Neb., Nekoliczak got the nod as the GPAC’s top shortstop in 2023. He’s hitting .408 (71-for-174) with 47 runs, nine doubles, four home runs, 43 RBIs and nine stolen bases. He also sports a .475 on-base percentage, .529 slugging percentage and .908 fielding percentage in 54 games. Nekoliczak garnered honorable mention all-conference status in 2022 when he batted .319 with a .450 on-base percentage. He led all GPAC players in batting average during this past regular season. Nekoliczak is studying Agribusiness.

A native of Bonner Springs, Kan., Quinn has starred as the GPAC’s top slugger in 2023. His 27 home runs this season are a school record. Entering the national tournament, he was hitting .352 (62-for-176) with 69 runs, 13 doubles and 69 RBIs. He also paces all GPAC players with a .510 on-base percentage and an .886 slugging percentage in 54 games. Quinn broke a school record for home runs in a single game when he left the yard four times at Midland. He has notched 46 home runs in two seasons as a Bulldog. An NAIA Scholar-Athlete, Quinn is studying Exercise Science.

Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced on June 7.

Bulldogs handle Cougars, will resume NAIA opening round on Wednesday

May. 16, 2023

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – The Concordia University Baseball team has extended its season for at least one more day. The 24th-ranked Bulldogs mounted a significant early advantage with the aid of a four-run second inning while defeating Saint Xavier University (Ill.), 10-3, in a Tuesday (May 16) elimination game in the 2023 NAIA National Championship Opening Round. The Bulldogs were scheduled to then take on Midway University (Ky.) in another elimination game. That contest reached the bottom of the first before lightning struck. Play will resume at 10 a.m. CT (11 a.m. ET) on Wednesday from Lawrenceville, Ga.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is playing with its season on the line after dropping a 7-4 decision at the hands of Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.) on Monday. Concordia (39-17) sits one victory away from reaching 40 for the third consecutive season.

“We did a nice job early in the game offensively – had a couple big hits,” Dupic said. “The four-run inning got us a nice little comfort zone. Caden Johnson was pretty good. The ball really wasn’t on the ground much – lots of strikeouts and lazy popups. That made things easier for us defensively to be a little cleaner. Ben Coldiron did a good job too. I thought we were a hit or two from blowing it open, but Saint Xavier competed well and kept it someone tight.”

An early barrage of doubles allowed the Bulldogs to strike first while up against Saint Xavier starting pitcher Caleb Ziehr. In the first, Joey Grabanski followed a Jaidan Quinn double with a two-bagger of his own. The second inning then set the tone for the remainder of the morning. A Carlos Benavides bunt single chased home a run with the help of an errant throw, leading into a two-run single for Quinn and a sac fly for Grabanski. Concordia kept the Cougars at arm’s length the rest of the way by adding two runs in the third, one in the fifth and two in the seventh.

Saint Xavier (31-27) managed to keep the Bulldogs in the ballpark, but the Lawrenceville Bracket’s No. 3 seed collected 13 hits and worked five walks in a solid offensive display. Quinn and Ty Nekoliczak both went 3-for-5 while Ben Berg went 2-for-4 with a double. In addition, Teyt Johnson reached base twice and knocked in two runs while Jay Adams singled and walked twice. On the bases, Concordia wreaked some havoc with five steals, including a double steal that saw Alec Blakestad swipe home in the third. Blakestad and Nekoliczak notched two stolen bases apiece.

The win went to Bulldog ace Caden Johnson, who had a shutout working through five innings. He wound up tossing 5.2 frames with two runs allowed on seven hits and three walks to go along with seven strikeouts. Ben Coldiron entered the game in a high leverage spot in the bottom of the sixth when the bases were loaded with two outs. Coldiron froze Daniel Barrios for strike three to keep the Concordia lead at 8-2 at the time. An Omaha area native like Johnson, Coldiron got the game’s final 10 outs (five on strikeouts) and earned the save. Johnson and Coldiron combined for 12 strikeouts.

The opposition did manage to rack up 10 hits, but only two went for extra bases. In addition, the Bulldogs played error-free ball one day after defensive miscues prevented a potential win over Freed-Hardeman. Champion of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament, Saint Xavier mixed and matched with five different hurlers on Tuesday while eventually being eliminated from the postseason. Sean Haddlesey paced the offense by going 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI.

Dupic had confidence his team would play at a higher level than it did on Monday. Said Dupic, “At this point in the year, there’s not a lot I can do or say. We’ve practiced all year and played 55 games. If we make plays, have good at bats and make pitches, it’s going to go well. If not, it’s not going to go well. They know what we have to do in order to keep playing.”

The win over Saint Xavier pushed Concordia into game 6 of the Lawrenceville Bracket. The Bulldogs got underway versus fourth-seeded Midway before the storm rolled in. Concordia starter Christian Gutierrez induced three flyouts in a 1-2-3 top of the first. Eagle pitcher Dylan Burton then retired the first two Concordia hitters he faced. Play was stopped before Joey Grabanski could step into the box.

The updated Lawrenceville Bracket schedule is included below. The Concordia-Midway game will pick up where it left off beginning at 10 a.m. CT (11 a.m. ET) on Wednesday. The winner will advance to play No. 2 seed Freed-Hardeman at 2 p.m. CT (3 p.m. ET) in game 7 of the bracket. Because of Tuesday’s adjustment, game 8 will now be played on Thursday. The last team left standing between Concordia, Freed-Hardeman and Midway will have the task of attempting to beat top seed Georgia Gwinnett College twice on its home field.

The Bulldogs have improved to 11-8 all-time in their five NAIA opening round appearances. Concordia has won at least one game in each of those trips to nationals – all of which have come during Dupic’s tenure.

2023 NAIA Opening Round – Lawrenceville Bracket

Tournament Webpage

Site: Grizzly Baseball Complex | Lawrenceville, Ga.
Live Webcasts: https://ggcathletics.com/watch/
Live Stats: PrestoStats

All times are EDT

Monday, May 15
Game 1 – (4) Midway def. (5) Saint Xavier, 6-5
Game 2 – (2) Freed-Hardeman def. (3) Concordia, 7-4
Game 3 – (1) Georgia Gwinnett def. (4) Midway, 18-1

Tuesday, May 16
Game 4 – (3) Concordia def. (5) Saint Xavier, 10-3
Game 5 – (1) Georgia Gwinnett def. (2) Freed-Hardeman, 21-4
Game 6 – (3) Concordia vs. (4) Midway (suspended in B1 due to lightning)

Wednesday, May 17
Game 6 – (3) Concordia vs. (4) Midway, 11 a.m. (resumes in B1)
Game 7 – (2) Freed-Hardeman vs. Game 6 Winner, 3 p.m.
Game 8 – Will be played Wednesday if Freed-Hardeman wins Game 7, 7 p.m.

Thursday, May 18
Game 8 – (1) Georgia Gwinnett vs. Game 7 Winner (if Concordia/Midway), 11 a.m.
Game 9 – Game 8 Winner vs. Game 8 Loser (if necessary), 3 p.m.

Another 40-win season ends in heartbreaking fashion despite Grabanski three-homer day

May. 17, 2023

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. – A golden opportunity to advance to the finals of the Lawrenceville Bracket slipped through the Bulldogs’ fingers on Wednesday (May 17). The 24th-ranked Concordia University Baseball team let a three-run, ninth-inning lead get away while falling at the hands of second-seeded Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.), 11-8, in an elimination game. The Bulldogs went 2-2 at the 2023 NAIA National Championship Opening Round. Their stay in Georgia included an 11-7 win over Midway University (Ky.) in a suspended contest that was completed on Wednesday.

The manner in which the campaign ended is a bitter pill to swallow, but Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s ’23 squad hit the 40-win mark (40-18 overall) while making the program’s fifth all-time appearance on the national stage.

“Undoubtedly, they’ve been part of the best run in the history of the school,” Dupic said of the seniors. “It’s easy to forget that in 2018 we were tied for sixth in the league. When all those guys like Ben Berg, Teyt Johnson and Jesse Garcia were coming in as freshmen, this thing was a long way from us having this year-by-year success. We hadn’t shown that on a consistent basis. All those guys have done is win every year and be terrific teammates and make great experiences for themselves and others. There aren’t enough good things to say about them. I’m happy for all of them.”

It appeared that Joey Grabanski was going to wind up with two game-winning hits on the day. The slugger from Grand Forks, N.D., crushed a go-ahead grand slam (8-7 lead) versus Midway and then pulverized a three-run shot that put Concordia on top of Freed-Hardeman, 8-5, in the bottom of the eighth. The drama was just getting started. With a spot in the finals of the bracket on the line, the Lions (39-20) took advantage of six ninth-inning free passes and a costly Bulldog error. The big blow was supplied by Christian Presley, who walloped a three-run bomb for the game’s final tallies. Suddenly, a three-run lead had turned into a three-run deficit.

Ultimately, Concordia could not overcome the nine walks surrendered and four errors committed in the elimination game. In the two wins the Bulldogs secured in Lawrenceville, they played error-free ball. In the two losses to Feed-Hardeman, they made a combined nine errors and relinquished 14 unearned runs (out of 18 total scored by the Lions). On the other side, FHU did not commit an error in Wednesday’s game while moving on to play top seed Georgia Gwinnett College.

The ending should not overshadow what was a memorable performance from Grabanski, who homered three times, twice victimizing Midway pitching. He racked up 10 RBIs on the day (85 for the season) thanks to his grand slam and two three-run blasts. His final homer (27th of the season) came with two out and two on in the bottom of the eighth versus Freed-Hardeman. The Lions inexplicably chose to pitch to Grabanski, who hit a bullet to left on a hanging breaking ball.

Concordia rallied from a 7-2 deficit in its win over Midway. Blake Benson earned the win while pitching five innings in relief of Christian Gutierrez. Benson notched five strikeouts while also showing off his impressive defensive skills on the mound. Five Bulldogs recorded multiple hits in the win No. 40 on the season: Ty Nekoliczak (3-for-5), Jesse Garcia (2-for-3), Carlos Benavides (2-for-3), Grabanski (2-for-4) and Ben Berg (2-for-5).

The pitching trio of Caden Bugarske (4 IP), Ernie Snyder (2 IP) and Daniel Rivera (2.2 IP) held up well versus FHU until the fateful ninth inning. Rivera got a strikeout with the bases loaded to end the eighth, but wildness became the story in the ninth. Rivera did manage a strikeout for out No. 2 with the bases loaded and an 8-6 lead. An error on the ensuing play brought in two runs to tie the game, 8-8. Presley then stepped up and delivered the game-winning homer.

In summing up the day, Dupic said, “It was a very competitive day on both fronts. We had that big inning in the middle of the first game to get things back. Joey kind of carried us offensively with the two big swings. I thought Blake Benson did a great job and gave us a shot. The second game was another really competitive battle. We’ve played a lot of good baseball teams – I have a ton of respect for Freed-Hardeman. They really play well and play clean. It was a hard-fought college game. I’m proud of our guys. Every time you lose, no matter at what point, you always wish you won one more.”

It was a fine day for Benavides, who collected five hits. As a team, Concordia posted 13 hits versus Freed-Hardeman – three from Jay Adams and two apiece from Garcia and Grabanski. With his three homers to close out 2023, Grabanski pulled even with Jaidan Quinn for a school record 27 blasts in a single season. Grabanski’s 85 RBIs in 2023 are also a school record.

This was the end of the line for three fifth-year members of the program in Ben Berg, Jesse Garcia and Teyt Johnson, and for seniors Ben Coldiron and Dan Rivera. Each played a role in the most successful seasons in the history of Concordia Baseball. The fifth-year players experienced four national tournaments and the ultimate high of reaching the NAIA World Series in 2021. The Bulldogs have hit the 40-win mark in three consecutive seasons and have won a combined 10 national tournament games over that stretch. Under Dupic, Concordia has won at least one game at the NAIA Opening Round in five separate trips.

2023 NAIA Opening Round – Lawrenceville Bracket

Tournament Webpage

Site: Grizzly Baseball Complex | Lawrenceville, Ga.
Live Webcasts: https://ggcathletics.com/watch/
Live Stats: PrestoStats

All times are EDT

Monday, May 15
Game 1 – (4) Midway def. (5) Saint Xavier, 6-5
Game 2 – (2) Freed-Hardeman def. (3) Concordia, 7-4
Game 3 – (1) Georgia Gwinnett def. (4) Midway, 18-1

Tuesday, May 16
Game 4 – (3) Concordia def. (5) Saint Xavier, 10-3
Game 5 – (1) Georgia Gwinnett def. (2) Freed-Hardeman, 21-4
Game 6 – (3) Concordia vs. (4) Midway (suspended in B1 due to lightning)

Wednesday, May 17
Game 6 – (3) Concordia def. (4) Midway, 11-7
Game 7 – (2) Freed-Hardeman def. Concordia, 11-8
Game 8 – (1) Georgia Gwinnett vs. (2) Freed-Hardeman, 7 p.m.

Thursday, May 18
Game 9 – (1) Georgia Gwinnett vs. (2) Freed-Hardeman (if necessary), 11 a.m.

Season-In-Review: 2023 Concordia Baseball

May. 30, 2023

The journey fell short of the desired destination of Lewiston, Idaho, but the 2023 season represented a continuation of the greatest stretch of success in the history of Concordia University Baseball. This spring, Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad pulverized baseballs at a record-setting clip and followed the most prolific scoring offense in program history to a fourth-straight appearance at the national tournament. Joey Grabanski and Jaidan Quinn took turns turning heads with their sheer power and fifth-year seniors Ben Berg, Jesse Garcia and Teyt Johnson soaked up their swan songs.

Dupic is proud to be able to say his baseball program is one of seven in the NAIA to have won 40 games in each of the past three seasons, but that’s only a piece of the total picture. The results are a byproduct of the melding of the right people who have come together to make this one of the very best baseball programs nationally.

Said Dupic shortly after the 2023 season’s final game, “Our senior class is the first thing that comes to mind. Anybody who knows them can really attest to the quality of young men they are and what character they have. They have made a profound impact on the people around them. We’re going to miss those kids. They’re fun to be around. They’re really good baseball players, but you really enjoy them as people. I’m really proud of them and the impact they’ve had.”

The seniors have helped orchestrate the continued rewriting of the program’s record books. From a team perspective, the ’23 squad set new program standards for runs scored (581), home runs (117) and stolen bases (98). The awe-inspiring slugging prowess of the Bulldogs has known no bounds. Hitting coach Caleb Lang has overseen a lineup that has raised the bar with 90 home runs in 2021, 113 in 2022 and 117 in 2023. The powerful exploits in 2023 resulted in a 40-18 overall record, GPAC runner-up finishes in the regular season and postseason and a trip to Georgia for the NAIA Opening Round.

The raw numbers were out of this world as the Bulldogs batted .357 as a team, recorded a .443 on-base percentage and slugged .616. Six Concordia players hit double figures in homers: Grabanski (27), Quinn (27), Garcia (17), Alec Blakestad (13), Jay Adams (11) and Berg (10). Grabanski also broke a school record for RBIs in a season (85) and became the second player in program history to be named GPAC Player of the Year. Grabanski and Quinn seemed to take turns going on ridiculous home run binges. Quinn enjoyed a school record four-homer game (at Midland) and Grabanski belted three bombs on the final day of the season at the national tournament.

Said Quinn following his four-homer outburst, “It’s just surreal. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that happen. It was just a surreal moment. I was glad I was able to do it for my team. Everyone stuck behind me and just believed every day. Now it’s coming to light.”

It was easy to get behind this Concordia team, which showed class in victory and graciousness in defeat. Grabanski was joined with First Team All-GPAC honors by fellow position players in Adams, Berg, Blakestad, Garcia, Ty Nekoliczak and Quinn. Meanwhile, pitcher Caden Johnson landed first team accolades for a second year in a row. Together they inflicted significant damage while playing the most challenging nonconference schedule in program history before going 21-7 in an improving GPAC (the conference qualified three teams for nationals). Concordia also took home a trophy while winning the Warner University Invitational championship in Florida.

Ultimately, it was a rough 11-8 loss to Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.) that eliminated the Bulldogs from the national tournament. Concordia had been one out away from advancing to the finals of the Lawrenceville Bracket. It says something about how far the program has come that there was some disappointment over that finish. Just two years prior, the Bulldogs experienced euphoria when they won the Bellevue Bracket and realized a dream in reaching the NAIA World Series.

However, the ’23 team can stand on its own merit. It was without question one of the most entertaining teams Concordia has ever fielded. “Anytime you have the opportunity to play at the national tournament, it’s always a good thing,” Dupic said. “I was grateful we had the chance to come down to Georgia and compete. We’ve experienced a lot of success at the national tournament the past couple years, and that’s certainly been something we’ve enjoyed. Our goal was to try to get back to the World Series. We fell short of that, but I think looking at the big picture, winning multiple games at the national tournament and winning 40 games for the season isn’t anything to be ashamed of. It’s one of the best seasons in school history. We’re grateful for the season we’ve had and the positive experiences we’ve shared.”

The players were genuinely excited for Dupic when he became the winningest head coach in program history during the team’s trip to Florida over spring break. By season’s end, Dupic’s career record stood at 282-163-1. The team’s unofficial ‘captain,’ Ben Berg had this to say as his college career neared the end, “I love everything that the program stands for. I’ve had a chance to be part of something bigger than myself and be able to lead people and have a positive impact on people around me.”

Behind the plate, Berg handled a pitching staff that wound up with a 4.84 ERA for the year. Caden Johnson finished at 9-3 overall with a 3.39 ERA in 58.1 innings. The team’s other most relied-upon pitchers were Blake Benson (8-2, 4.46 ERA, 72.2 IP), Frankie Cresta (6-7, 5.64 ERA, 68.2 IP) and Christian Gutierrez (6-1, 4.79 ERA, 62 IP). Unfortunately, injuries limited 2022 ace Alex Johnson to just three appearances. In other words, the transfer additions of Benson and Cresta proved critical. Out of the bullpen, Dan Rivera racked up 42 strikeouts in 20.2 innings while Ernie Snyder showed plenty of promise and potential.

Pitching and defense were solid for Concordia, but the offense was certainly the strength that stood out. Impressively, the Bulldogs hit for power while also wreaking havoc with speed on the bases. Zackery Day’s 36 steals are a new school record. While Grabanski and Quinn often stole the show with their prolific home run hitting, Garcia enjoyed the best season of his career. The El Cajon, Calif., departs as the school record holder for career hits (266), doubles (59), RBIs (214), games played (237) and walks (116). Grabanski owns the career home run record with 59 big flies.

While the aforementioned fifth-year players will move on (along with seniors Ben Coldiron and Dan Rivera), Concordia will be set up for success again in 2024. The backbone of the lineup will feature Adams, Blakestad, Grabanski, Quinn, Nekoliczak and Tanner Tompkins (who fought through an elbow injury in ’23). Based on the All-GPAC teams, Concordia will have the conference’s top returning player at second base, shortstop, third base, left field and center field. A return to health for Alex Johnson would be a big boost to a pitching staff that will bring back nearly all of its significant contributors from this spring. This program isn’t going anywhere.

Said Dupic, “We’re trying to finish out our recruiting class as we build into next year, and we want to get a good start on next year’s recruiting class. At the end of every season, we’re trying to determine how we make sure we get guys healthy and have guys back for next year. We lost some guys who were key contributors. I’m proud of the way we worked through that, but it was still very unfortunate. We also want to keep making the players in our program better.”

Records update: 2023 offense resets program standard

May. 31, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – The 2022 Concordia University Baseball team set a high bar for offensive production, but the 2023 team managed to somehow surpass it. The national qualifying Bulldogs of ’23 broke school single season records for runs scored (581), hits (669), home runs (117), batting average (.357) and stolen bases (98). Meanwhile, Joey Grabanski and Jaidan Quinn engaged in a memorable battle for the title of single season home run king and Jesse Garcia put the finishing touches on a remarkable career. This records update highlights the new standards set in 2023 as summarized below. The link above features the complete record book, including extended all-time leaders in all major categories.

The all-time offensive lists are dominated by Bulldogs who have played in recent years. The career home run list has been completely transformed. The top five now includes Grabanski (62), Garcia (55), Keaton Candor (47), Quinn (46) and Jayden Adams (34) while Ben Berg (27) is tied for sixth with Concordia Athletic Hall of Famer Jarrod Pimentel.

Individual Records Broken in 2023

Ryan Dupic

·        Winningest head coach in program history (282-163-1)

Jayden Adams

·        Runs scored, career (216)

·        Games played, season (58)

·        At Bats, season (236)

Ben Berg

·        Putouts, career (1,385) – extended own record

·        Fielding percentage, career (.992)

Alec Blakestad

·        Games played, season (58)

Zackery Day

·        Stolen bases, season (36)

Jesse Garcia

·        Games played, career (239)

·        At Bats, career (801)

·        Hits, career (270)

·        Doubles, career (59)

·        Bases on balls, career (119)

·        Runs batted in, career (216)

·        Games played, season (58)

Joey Grabanski

·        Home runs, career (62)

·        Batting average, career (.378)

·        Games played, season (58)

·        Home runs, season (27)

·        Runs batted in, season (85)

·        Total bases, season (172)

Caden Johnson

·        Pitching wins, season (9)

Ty Nekoliczak

·        Games played, season (58)

Jaidan Quinn

·        Games played, season (58)

·        Runs scored, season (74)

·        Home runs, season (27)

·        Home runs, game (4)

Program Records Broken in 2023

Single Season

·        Runs scored (581)

·        Hits (669)

·        Home runs (117)

·        Batting average (.357)

·        Stolen bases (98)

Single Game

·        Hits (24 vs. Midland, April 23)

Grabanski, Quinn named to NAIA All-America Second Team

Jun. 6, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Single season home run kings of the Concordia University Baseball program, Joey Grabanski and Jaidan Quinn have made more history. On Tuesday (June 6), the NAIA named Grabanski and Quinn as 2023 NAIA Second Team All-Americans. This marks the first time that the Bulldog Baseball program has ever been rewarded with either a first or second team All-America honoree. Previously during Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s tenure, three Concordia standouts garnered Honorable Mention All-America status: Jay Adams (2022), Jake Fosgett (2021) and Nick Little (2018).

Dupic’s 2023 squad finished the 2023 campaign at 40-18 overall while appearing in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round. Grabanski and Quinn were key components of a ’23 lineup that broke school single season records for runs scored (581), hits (669), home runs (117), batting average (.357) and stolen bases (98).

The Grand Forks, N.D., native Grabanski produced the greatest statistical offensive season in program history while being named the 2023 GPAC Player of the Year. This past season, Grabanski batted .382 (79-for-207) with 71 runs, 12 doubles, 27 home runs, 85 RBIs and 172 total bases to go along with a .484 on-base percentage and .831 slugging percentage. Grabanski made only one error while mostly playing left field in 2023. He slugged his way to new school single season records for home runs, RBIs and total bases and is the program’s all-time career leader for batting average (.378) and home runs (62). In 170 career collegiate games, Grabanski has also compiled 230 hits, 212 RBIs and 168 runs while slugging .749. Grabanski has been tabbed a First Team All-GPAC selection in each of his three seasons as a Bulldog.

Quinn put together an otherworldly month of April and also hit 27 home runs for a new school single season record. The native of Bonner Springs, Kan., batted .351 (67-for-191) for the year while adding 74 runs scored, 14 doubles, 72 RBIs and 162 total bases. Quinn paced all GPAC players in on-base percentage (.508) and slugging percentage (.848) and was hit by a pitch 30 times. The two-time First Team All-GPAC third baseman enjoyed a historic day on April 22 (at Midland) when he homered in four consecutive at bats while breaking the school record for home runs in a single game. Over two seasons at Concordia, Quinn has belted 46 home runs while batting .346 with 130 RBIs and a .507 on-base percentage and .797 slugging percentage.

All-Americans during Coach Ryan Dupic’s tenure
2023 – Joey Grabanski, OF (Second Team) / Jaidan Quinn, 3B (Second Team)
2022 – Jay Adams, 2B (Honorable Mention)
2021 – Jake Fosgett, RHP (Honorable Mention)
2018 – Nick Little, RHP (Honorable Mention)

Berg, Garcia recognized as 2023 Academic All-Americans

Jun. 7, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Named Academic All-District honorees in mid-May, fifth-year Concordia University Baseball program standouts Ben Berg and Jesse Garcia were recognized as 2023 NAIA Academic All-America® First Team award winners, as selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC). The organization announced the honorees on Wednesday (June 7). Berg is the lone catcher listed on the first team while Garcia is one of five infielders nationally to garner first team accolades.

The 2022-23 Academic All-America® Baseball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be nominated for this award. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — for each gender.

A 2023 First Team All-GPAC and GPAC Gold Glove recipient, Berg thrived in his fifth season as a member of the program. In 56 games this past season, Berg hit .406 (76-for-187) with 16 doubles, 10 home runs, 50 RBIs, a .497 on-base percentage and .676 slugging percentage. He made only two errors all season (.995 fielding percentage) and nailed 11 baserunners attempting to steal. A three-time All-GPAC performer and NAIA Scholar-Athlete, Berg totaled 193 hits, 39 doubles, 27 home runs and 148 RBIs while batting .321 with a .523 slugging percentage for his career. Berg is the program’s all-time leader in putouts (1,385) and fielding percentage (.992). He graduated this May with a Bachelor of Science in Education with a focus in Secondary Education and Physical Education.

Garcia enjoyed the best season of his career in 2023 and rose to First Team All-GPAC status. He’s been honored as an Academic All-District choice four times. The El Cajon, Calif., native also garnered four All-GPAC mentions in his career. In 58 games this past season, Garcia is hit .373 (78-for-209) with 50 runs, 15 doubles, 17 home runs and 67 RBIs to go along with a .451 on-base percentage and .699 slugging percentage. The NAIA Scholar-Athlete owns program career records for games played (239), hits (270), doubles (59), RBIs (216) and walks (119). Garcia earned his degree from Concordia in Criminal Justice and is pursuing his Master of Business Administration. Both Berg and Garcia played in four national tournaments and were part of three separate teams that won GPAC championships.

Concordia Baseball Academic All-District honorees
Jake Adams (2017)
Ben Berg (2022, *2023)
Nathan Buckallew (*2021)
Jesse Garcia (2020, 2021, 2022, *2023)
Jaydee Jurgensen (2015)
Nick Little (*2018, *2020, *2021)
Ty Nekoliczak (2023)
Jaidan Quinn (2023)
Thomas Sautel (*2020)
*Academic All-American

Grabanski captains All-Midlands Team; nine Bulldogs honored by OWH

Jul. 3, 2023

SEWARD, Neb. – Slugging outfielder Joey Grabanski headlined the list of 2023 All-Midlands Baseball Team selections, as selected by the Omaha World-Herald and revealed on July 2. Grabanski was recognized as the All-Midlands Honorary Captain by the state of Nebraska’s largest newspaper. He was joined on the list of 2023 honorees by eight teammates, including first-teamers Jay Adams, Caden Johnson, Ty Nekoliczak and Jaidan Quinn. Honorable mention was awarded to Ben Berg, Alec Blakestad, Jesse Garcia and Teyt Johnson.

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 2023 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 ’23 squad win 40 games overall and qualify for the national tournament (fifth time in program history).

Grabanski was also named an NAIA Second Team All-American and the GPAC Player of the Year in 2023. His recognition as the All-Midlands Team Captain breaks up the stranglehold Bellevue had on the award in recent years. As Dupic told the World-Herald, “I think his knowledge of how to attack pitchers, his understanding of the strike zone, his understanding of his approach has grown and improved every year. He’s done a really nice job of understanding himself offensively and how he needs to approach it.”

2023 Concordia All-Midlands Team Honorees

Jay Adams | Waverly, Neb.
2023 stats: 58 G, .326 BA, 66 R, 77 H, 19 2B, 11 HR, 53 RBIs, .374 OBP, .555 SLG, 14 SB, .964 FD%

Joey Grabanski | Grand Forks, N.D.
2023 stats: 58 G, .382 BA, 71 R, 79 H, 12 2B, 27 HR, 85 RBIs, .486 OBP, .831 SLG, 6 SB, .991 FD%

Caden Johnson | Papillion, Neb.
2023 stats: 13 starts, 9-3 W-L, 3.39 ERA, 58.1 IP, 59 H, 22 ER, 27 BB, 60 K, .258 Opp BA

Ty Nekoliczak | Greeley, Neb.
2023 stats: 58 G, .411 BA, 51 R, 79 H, 9 2B, 4 HR, 44 RBIs, .475 OBP, .521 SLG, 11 SB, .914 FD%

Jaidan Quinn | Bonner Springs, Kan.
2023 stats: 58 G, .351 BA, 74 R, 67 H, 14 2B, 27 HR, 72 RBIs, .508 OBP, .868 SLG, .868 FD%

Ben Berg | Carroll, Iowa (HM)
2023 stats: 57 G, .406 BA, 19 R, 76 H, 16 2B, 10 HR, 50 RBIs, .486 OBP, .652 SLG, .995 FD%

Alec Blakestad | Omaha, Neb. (HM)
2023 stats: 58 G, .361 BA, 68 R, 73 H, 15 2B, 13 HR, 52 RBIs, .433 OBP, .639 SLG, 20 SB, .991 FD%

Jesse Garcia | El Cajon, Calif (HM)
2023 stats: 58 G, .373 BA, 50 R, 78 H, 15 2B, 17 HR, 67 RBIs, .451 OBP, .699 SLG, .987 FD%

Teyt Johnson | Indianola, Iowa (HM)
2023 stats: 55 G, .295 BA, 43 R, 49 H, 8 2B, 4 HR, 35 RBIs, .388 OBP, .416 SLG, .967 FD%

2023 Omaha World-Herald All-Midlands Baseball Team

P: Kaden Crawford, Doane
P: Blake Crippen, Bellevue
P: Aaron Forrest, Doane
P: Caden Johnson, Concordia
P: Dustin Schorie, Bellevue
C: Logan Grant, Bellevue
1B: Lukas White, Doane
2B: Jay Adams, Concordia
SS: Ty Nekoliczak, Concordia
3B: Jaidan Quinn, Concordia
* OF: Joey Grabanski, Concordia
OF: Kanta Kobayashi, Bellevue
OF: Joe Osborn, Doane
DH: Jake Lacey, Bellevue
U: Colin Lynam, Wayne State

Honorable mention — Bellevue: Conner Barnett, Nick Grade, Anthony Lind, Mathieu Sirois, Drew Staley. Concordia: Ben Berg, Alec Blakestad, Jesse Garcia, Teyt Johnson. Doane: Jake Johnson, Nate Mensik, Julian Vargas. Hastings: Tyler Kissler, Mason Masur, Markus Miller, Jace Valdez. Midland: Hadyn Crawford, Jonathan Foreman, Yealex Lopez, Connor Petersen, Alec Villanueva. Nebraska Wesleyan: John Haimowitz, Tyson Romero, Noah Unger. Peru State: Wes Bradford, Yodelvy Garcia. Wayne State: Carter Thomas, Braden Cannon. York: Ian Heck, Secudino Morales.

*  – denotes honorary captain