SEWARD, Neb. – The final week of the regular season has arrived for the Concordia University Softball team. Road GPAC doubleheaders are set for Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday with the Bulldogs set to play College of Saint Mary, Dordt and Dakota Wesleyan. All three opponents are currently situated behind Concordia in the GPAC standings. With six games left to go, the conference tournament seeding remains unsettled.
This Week
Concordia (24-8, 10-6) at College of Saint Mary (7-28, 2-16)
Tuesday, April 27 | 3 p.m. DH
CSM Softball Field | Omaha, Neb.
Webcast: CSM Stretch Live
Concordia (24-8, 10-6) at Dordt (19-21, 8-10)
Saturday, May 1 | 1 p.m. DH
Open Space Park | Sioux Center, Iowa
Webcast: Dordt Media Network
Stats: Dakstats
Concordia (24-8, 10-6) at Dakota Wesleyan (9-21, 1-13)
Sunday, May 2 | 1 p.m. DH
Cadwell Park | Mitchell, S.D.
Webcast/Stats: DWU Stretch Live
Fan Policy: Fans are allowed at this week’s venues. Per GPAC policy, fans are expected to wear masks when proper distancing cannot be achieved.
By the numbers
· There will be no margin for error if Head Coach Shawn Semler’s squad is to claim a top two seed required to host in the GPAC tournament. The Bulldogs (24-8, 10-6 GPAC) currently sit in fifth place in the standings behind Morningside (17-1), Midland (14-2), Jamestown (12-6) and Northwestern (12-6). In the most recent conference tournament (2019), Concordia landed at the No. 3 seed with a GPAC record of 15-7. The Bulldogs would need to win out in order to surpass that conference win total in 2021.
· Concordia went 4-2 last week a doubleheader sweep of Mount Marty sandwiched in between splits with Jamestown and Briar Cliff. The hot hitting has continued for Hhana Haro, who went 8-for-17 (.471) with two doubles and four RBIs on the week. It was also a fine six-game stretch for Camry Moore, who went 8-for-19 (.421) with six runs scored, a double, a triple and five RBIs. As a pitcher, she posted a 1.42 ERA and walked only one batter in 19.2 innings. Moore fired a five-inning, three-hit shutout against Mount Marty.
· Both Haro and Tori Homolka surpassed 100 career RBIs over the weekend (Homolka now at 103 and Haro at 101). They are the ninth and 10th players in program history to drive in 100 runs. Mindy (Evans) Miller remains the school’s all-time leader with 177 career RBIs. A hot run down the stretch could put Haro over the 200-hit mark for her career. She currently has 183 hits to her credit. Only Miller (227) and Clarissa Eloge (208) have reached that total in program history.
· The combination of Moore and Jerzi Rowe did not allow a single earned run in the doubleheader versus Mount Marty. Rowe fired a seven-inning complete in which she allowed two unearned runs on four hits and no walks. She also notched seven strikeouts. On the season, Moore is 15-3 with a 1.92 ERA and 87 strikeouts (only 13 walks) in 102.1 innings. Rowe moved to 7-3 with a 4.00 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 63 innings. Together, Moore and Rowe have combined to cover 165.1 of 201.2 innings in the circle.
· Among GPAC teams, Concordia ranks first in fielding percentage (.963), first in fewest walks allowed per game (1.28), fourth in earned run average (2.92), fourth in runs per game (6.16) and fifth in batting average (.320).
The opponents
College of Saint Mary is 2-16 in conference play with the victories coming over Hastings and Briar Cliff. The team’s top hitter has been Alexis Howe, who is batting .336 with eight doubles, four home runs and 15 RBIs. In conference games only, the Flames have been outscored by a combined total of 137-61. Pitcher Abby Straight has started 21 of the team’s 35 games in the circle. She is 7-14 with a 5.80 ERA in 117 innings.
Dordt is coming off a doubleheader sweep at College of Saint Mary. The Defenders are still trying to secure a spot in the eight-team GPAC tournament. Dordt has a solid pitching combo in Abby Kraemer (10-8, 3.06 ERA) and Rachel Evavold (7-8, 3.44 ERA). Evavold is also a strong hitter, who is batting .336 with 10 doubles and three home runs. The Defenders are scheduled to play Briar Cliff and Waldorf University (Iowa) prior to taking on Concordia.
Dakota Wesleyan’s lone GPAC win came over Mount Marty in the second game of the twin bill. The Tigers have been limited to 45 runs in 14 conference games this season. Stephanie Gabel has been a standout having batted .350 with 10 doubles and four home runs. The team ERA currently stands at 7.22. DWU will need to win a lot in the final week of the regular season in order to have a chance to qualify for the GPAC tournament.
Looking ahead
The GPAC tournament will play out May 5-6 and 8. The top two seeds will earn the right to host separate pods of the tournament.