2022 Softball Schedule/Results

23-24 overall | 10-12 GPAC (T-6th) | Season Stats | Roster

Date	Opponent	Location	Time/Result	Record
Feb. 20	Benedictine College (Kan.)	Atchison, Kan.	W, 4-2	1-0
Feb. 20	Benedictine College (Kan.)	Atchison, Kan.	L, 8-9 (9 inn.)	1-1
Feb. 21	University of Saint Mary (Kan.)	Leavenworth, Kan.	L, 0-3	1-2
Feb. 21	University of Saint Mary (Kan.)	Leavenworth, Kan.	W, 6-1	2-2
Feb. 26	Mayville State University (N.D.)	Aberdeen, S.D.	W, 3-2	3-2
Feb. 26	Mayville State University (N.D.)	Aberdeen, S.D.	W, 12-2 (5 inn.)	4-2
Feb. 27	Mayville State University (N.D.)	Aberdeen, S.D.	W, 8-4	5-2
Feb. 27	Mayville State University (N.D.)	Aberdeen, S.D.	W, 3-2	6-2
	Friends University Invitational: March 4-5
March 4	Graceland University (Iowa)	Wichita, Kan.	W, 4-0	7-2
March 4	Waldorf University (Iowa)	Wichita, Kan.	W, 12-1 (5 inn.)	8-2
March 5	Mount Mercy University (Iowa)	Wichita, Kan.	L, 5-6 (8 inn.)	8-3
March 5	Peru State College	Wichita, Kan.	W, 11-3 (6 inn.)	9-3
	Tucson Invitational: March 7-11
March 7	William Penn University (Iowa)	Tucson, Ariz.	L, 0-8 (5 inn.)	9-4
March 7	Roosevelt University (Ill.)	Tucson, Ariz.	W, 11-1 (5 inn.)	10-4
March 8	University of St. Francis (Ill.)	Tucson, Ariz.	L, 6-7 (8 inn.)	10-5
March 8	(9) Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.)	Tucson, Ariz.	L, 2-9	10-6
March 9	Dickinson State University (N.D.)	Tucson, Ariz.	L, 6-7	10-7
March 10	Buena Vista University (Iowa)	Tucson, Ariz.	L, 3-4 (8 inn.)	10-8
March 11	(19) Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.)	Tucson, Ariz.	W, 12-4 (6 inn.)	11-8
March 11	Aquinas College (Mich.)	Tucson, Ariz.	L, 2-11 (5 inn.)	11-9
March 19	*Midland University	Fremont, Neb.	L, 1-2 (8 inn.)	11-10, 0-1
March 19	*Midland University	Fremont, Neb.	L, 0-7	11-11, 0-2
March 26	*Dordt University	Seward, Neb.	L, 0-2	11-12, 0-3
March 26	*Dordt University	Seward, Neb.	W, 4-2	12-12, 1-3
March 29	*Doane University	Seward, Neb.	W, 6-1	13-12, 2-3
March 29	*Doane University	Seward, Neb.	W, 13-5 (6 inn.)	14-12, 3-3
April 2	*Northwestern College	Orange City, Iowa	W, 3-1	15-12, 4-3
April 2	*Northwestern College	Orange City, Iowa	L, 4-6	15-13, 4-4
April 4	*College of Saint Mary	Seward, Neb.	W, 2-0	16-13, 5-4
April 4	*College of Saint Mary	Seward, Neb.	L, 7-10	16-14, 5-5
April 5	Nebraska Wesleyan University	Lincoln, Neb.	W, 1-0	17-14
April 5	Nebraska Wesleyan University	Lincoln, Neb.	L, 3-4	17-15
April 8	*University of Jamestown	Seward, Neb.	W, 2-1	18-15, 6-5
April 8	*University of Jamestown	Seward, Neb.	L, 7-8	18-16, 6-6
April 9	*Dakota Wesleyan University	Seward, Neb.	L, 1-4	18-17, 6-7
April 9	*Dakota Wesleyan University	Seward, Neb.	W, 12-6	19-17, 7-7
April 12	*Morningside University	Sioux City, Iowa	L, 1-2 (9 inn.)	19-18, 7-8
April 12	*Morningside University	Sioux City, Iowa	L, 3-7	19-19, 7-9
April 22	*Briar Cliff University	Sioux City, Iowa	W, 5-1	20-19, 8-9
April 22	*Briar Cliff University	Sioux City, Iowa	W, 7-2	21-19, 9-9
April 23	*Mount Marty University	Yankton, S.D.	L, 6-7	21-20, 9-10
April 23	*Mount Marty University	Yankton, S.D.	L, 7-10	21-21, 9-11
April 26	*Hastings College	Hastings, Neb.	L, 3-6	21-22, 9-12
April 26	*Hastings College	Hastings, Neb.	W, 10-6 (10 inn.)	22-22, 10-12
	GPAC Softball Tournament (Pod Play): May 4-5
May 4	Northwestern College	Orange City, Iowa	L, 0-8 (5 inn.)	22-23
May 4	College of Saint Mary	Orange City, Iowa	W, 6-5	23-23
May 6	Northwestern College	Orange City, Iowa	L, 3-4	23-24

2022 Softball Roster

No.	Name	Pos.	Ht.	Yr.	B/T	Hometown	Previous School
1	Jerzi Rowe	P	5-3	So.	L/L	Gretna, Neb.	Gretna HS
2	Kylee Nixon	2B	5-2	Jr.	R/R	York, Neb.	York HS
4	Taylor Glause	C/OF	5-7	So.	R/R	Malcolm, Neb.	Malcolm HS / Cloud County CC
5	Kylie Shottenkirk	1B/SS	5-8	Fr.	R/R	Lincoln, Neb.	Lincoln North Star HS
6	Julia Van Wey	1B	5-10	So.	R/R	San Diego, Calif.	Cathedral Catholic HS
7	Shelby Ziegler	OF	5-10	So.	R/R	Waco, Neb.	Centennial Public HS
8	Creighton Taylor	OF	5-0	So.	R/R	Gretna, Neb.	Gretna HS
9	Caitlyn McGarvie	OF	5-8	So.	R/R	Valparaiso, Neb.	Lincoln North Star HS
10	Maggi Hughes	INF	5-3	So.	R/R	Sabetha, Kan.	Sabetha HS
11	Aubrey Bruning	OF	5-4	Fr.	L/L	Lincoln, Neb.	Lincoln Southeast HS
14	Stormie Gonzales-Dorn	2B/OF	5-4	Fr.	L/R	Beatrice, Neb.	Beatrice HS
16	Gillian Mettenbrink	OF	5-10	So.	R/R	Seward, Neb.	Seward HS
17	Grace Boganowski	INF	5-2	So.	R/R	Omaha, Neb.	Concordia Lutheran HS
19	Bethany Thomas	SS/2B	5-2	Fr.	R/R	Libby, Mont.	Libby HS
20	Jennifer Gilotti	P	5-11	So.	R/R	Cheyenne, Wyo.	Cheyenne Central HS
21	Mara Hjermstad	C	5-4	So.	R/R	Gretna, Neb.	Gretna HS
22	Zoie Isom	P/1B	5-10	Fr.	R/R	Fillmore, Calif.	Fillmore HS
23	Grace Newcomer	OF	5-8	Fr.	R/L	Omaha, Neb.	Skutt Catholic HS
24	Camry Moore	P/1B	5-11	Jr.	R/R	Crete, Neb.	Crete HS
26	Sydney Schildt	INF	5-7	So.	R/R	Pleasant Dale, Neb.	Milford HS
29	Alexis Tachovsky	INF	5-6	So.	R/R	Wilber, Neb.	Wilber-Clatonia HS
30	Ryley Vrbas	1B	5-4	Fr.	L/L	Imperial, Neb.	Chase County Schools
31	Autumn Henkel	C/3B	4-11	Fr.	R/R	Galva, Iowa	Ridge View HS
32	Hanna Bowers	UTIL	5-5	Fr.	R/R	Surprise, Ariz.	Willow Canyon HS
33	Brooke Townsend	P	5-7	So.	R/R	Long Beach, Calif.	Saint Anthony HS
35	Katie Stachura	P/OF	5-3	So.	R/R	Columbus, Neb.	Scotus Central Catholic / Midland
37	Megan Eurich	P/1B	5-10	Fr.	R/R	Gretna, Neb.	Gretna HS
40	Lex Campos	OF	5-3	Fr.	R/R	Santa Paula, Calif.	Santa Paula HS

STAFF

Tatum Edwards, Head Coach (1st Year)

Bre Hamilton, Graduate Assistant Coach

Tristen Edwards, Graduate Assistant Coach

Season Preview: 2022 Concordia Softball

jan 31

Head Coach: Tatum Edwards (1st year)
2021 Record: 32-13, 15-7 GPAC (T-3rd); NAIA national qualifier
Key Returners: Caitlyn McGarvie (OF); Camry Moore (P/1B); Kylee Nixon (2B); Jerzi Rowe (P); Julia Van Wey (1B).
Key Losses: Hhana Haro (3B); Tori Homolka (IF); Jenessa Jarvis (OF); Regan Karel (OF); Allysia Thayer (C).
2021 GPAC All-Conference: Hhana Haro (First Team); Caitlyn McGarvie (First Team); Camry Moore (First Team); Tori Homolka (Honorable Mention); Jenessa Jarvis (Honorable Mention); Kylee Nixon (Honorable Mention).

Outlook
After having had the full fall semester to get acclimated, first-year Head Coach Tatum Edwards and members of the Concordia University Softball program are ready to get the 2022 season underway. Not only is there a new leader at the top, but the Bulldogs are also in the process of replacing five regular starters from last season’s national qualifying squad. A former star at the University of Nebraska, the energetic Edwards has begun to put her stamp on the program.

With everything being so new, Edwards isn’t talking about specific expectations in terms of wins and losses. Officially, Concordia did appear at No. 4 in the GPAC in the preseason ratings released by the NAIA. The focus during the preseason has been on internal improvement.

“I’ll see what we have when we step on the field and play some games against somebody else,” Edwards said. “I have an idea of what it looks like for us to compete. For each player to give their best – I’ve seen what that looks like. My expectation is that if I see that from every player on the field, we’re in a good place. Our competition is going to see what we do. It’s not so much about what everybody else is doing. I think they’re ready to compete and show what they’ve got against somebody else. I’m really excited to see it.”

This past season, the Bulldogs graduated two of the top hitters in program history in third baseman Hhana Haro and shortstop Tori Homolka. On the plus side, the ’22 team will be able to lean upon the veteran leadership of returning All-GPAC performers in outfielder Caitlyn McGarvie, pitcher Camry Moore and second baseman Kylee Nixon. All three played a significant role in leading the 2021 Bulldogs to the GPAC Championship Series and a spot in the national tournament (the program’s first national appearance since 2015).

A First Team All-GPAC selection last season, Moore put things together in a big way with both the bat and her arm in 2021. As a pitcher, she went 20-6 with a 1.78 ERA and only 14 walks in 157 innings. At the plate, Moore hit .386 with 22 extra base hits and 41 RBIs. Moore says she’s being pushed by Edwards to elevate her game another rung higher this spring. The Crete High School product also sees progress from the younger players in the program.

“We lost quite a chunk of our starting lineup from last year, but our freshmen have really come in and worked their tails off to compete for those starting spots,” Moore said. “They’re challenging some of our upperclassmen. I think we’re going to be able to compete using everyone we have and finding where people fit in best. That will be cool to see.”

Like Moore, Nixon made an immediate impact upon arriving at Concordia. She’s produced a career .347 batting average and can be counted upon near the top or middle of the order. The York High School alum has accumulated 90 hits in her collegiate career. As for McGarvie, she enjoyed a breakthrough in 2021 when she batted .325 and was named to the GPAC’s first team. McGarvie is the lone returning starter in the outfield with Jenessa Jarvis and Regan Karel having graduated.

Other returning position players who saw extensive action last season were first baseman Julia Van Wey and catcher/outfielder Brena Brown, both of whom made at least 25 starts in 2021. As a freshman, Van Wey batted .314 while Brown belted a pair of homers.

Said Edwards, “They’re all different. It’s been fun to see how they all work. I’m starting to see more personalities come out as we’ve gotten closer to the season. They all bring something different to the table. Cam is going to be that leader by example. Kylee is going to come in and do her job, and she knows exactly what she needs to do. Caitlin just works really hard. I know she holds herself to a standard. All of them bring something different and show it in a different way. They all play different positions so they are impacting people around them, which is great.”

Naturally, there will be some new faces in the lineup. Watch out for the likes of outfielder Lex Campos, catcher Taylor Glause and infielder Kylie Shottenkirk as potential impact newcomers. Glause has a shot at filling the void left by Allysia Thayer, who saw the bulk of the action behind the plate over the past four seasons. A native of Malcolm, Neb., Glause hit .440 with 20 extra base hits and 45 RBIs in 109 at bats last season for Cloud County Community College (Kan.).

Glause is likely to work frequently with Moore, who covered 157 of 286.1 innings pitched by Concordia hurlers last season. Once again, the Bulldogs are working on developing pitching depth behind Moore. As a freshman last season, Jerzi Rowe served as the No. 2 pitcher and went 8-4 with a 3.89 ERA in 81 innings. Rowe worked a fine six innings against Science & Arts of Oklahoma last season at the national tournament. In addition, Brooke Townsend fired 18.2 innings.

Position battles may continue leading up to the season opener in mid-February. Said Edwards, “It’s been healthy competition. We have some depth in a lot of different places. As a coach, you want to push them to be their best every single day and get them to understand why they do that every day. If you’re helping the person next to you do that every day, you’re getting better too. It makes Concordia better. We have some options to move defense around and have some different lineups. I’m really confident that we can make changes if we have to do that. It’s all about being ready when your name is called. If you put in the work, you should feel confident that you’re going to get the job done.”

Moore says she and her teammates are responding well to what “Coach T” has been preaching. Practice plans look a little bit different, but many of the changes have been met positively. “She’s brought a lot of good things to our program,” Moore said. “She’s my first ever head female coach, which has been different. She’s also younger and can relate to us a little bit more. She just has so much knowledge of the game and has different things to incorporate into practice that make us work harder and get better. It’s been cool to learn some new things. She’s added a lot of things in practices that I’ve never seen or done before, which is really cool. It will be good to see all of that work on the field when we start playing games.”

According to the GPAC preseason ratings, Morningside, Jamestown and Midland will be the teams to beat inside the conference. As for the Bulldogs, there are certainly some unknowns, but also plenty of excitement about the opportunities that lie ahead. Of course Edwards wants to win. In order to do that, the fundamentals have to be mastered first.

Says Edwards, “I hope people can say that we play hard. I hope they can say that we do the small things right. That’s really what I take pride in – doing fundamental small things right all the time. I also want us to play for each other. Those are the main things I would say. It’s about the pride you take in the university that you play for and going out and doing my best for Concordia every single time I get a chance. We want to do the small things right and have fun while we’re doing it, and just be really competitive.”

The 2022 season is slated to get underway on Feb. 19 with a doubleheader at the University of Saint Mary (Kan.). If the weather holds, the Bulldogs will make their home debut early on – Feb. 25-26 versus Mayville State University (N.D.). GPAC play is scheduled to get started on March 19 with a twin bill at Midland.

All that and Moore

Feb 3

Expectations were incredibly high for Camry Moore when she officially signed with Concordia University Softball on Nov. 20, 2017. Said Shawn Carr, her high school head coach, at the time, “All the little kids in Crete say they want to be Camry, my daughter included.” There were wide grins that day for Moore, who wasn’t far removed from leading Crete High School to a Class B state championship.

Moore had changed her college choice after originally selecting NCAA Division II University of Sioux Falls. Considering all the accolades, Moore was looked at as a big-time recruit. If she felt the pressure, it’s been hard to tell. Moore has thrived while doing what she loves.

Says Moore in her modesty, “I don’t really feel like I’m standing out. I do what I do and have fun doing it. The community support both in Crete and here in Seward – seeing the familiar fans in the stands when you play – is really special and super cool.”

The spotlight tends to find you when you accomplish the feats Moore has achieved. In her third collegiate season, Moore flourished in earning First Team All-GPAC honors. She’s become one of the very best in the conference with both the bat and pitching arm. On back-to-back days in May 2021, Moore led the Bulldogs to two conference tournament wins over arch nemesis Morningside. In one of those games, Moore crushed two homers. In the other, she fired a two-hit shutout.

Coming up big in big moments is what Moore does. Carr wasn’t lying when he said he had never coached anyone with greater composure. Moore’s cool demeanor helped her enjoy one of the finest seasons ever turned in by a Bulldog Softball player – and was a key factor in advancing the 2021 team to the national tournament. Now a senior, Moore knows just what she’s capable of at this level.

“I feel like my maturity at the college level was something I was starting to build sophomore year when the season got shut down,” Moore said. “Last year I could play and be confident in what I was doing. It’s a different level than summer ball and high school. Being able to go out and play and be a leader out there is something I feel like I was starting to get control of last year. I’m excited to continue that and help lead this team again.”

This preseason has already provided a new experience for Moore, who as a child looked up to former Nebraska Cornhusker star Tatum Edwards. She had no idea that Edwards would one day be her head coach. They share each other’s fierce competitiveness. The pairing with Edwards just might elevate Moore’s game another rung this spring.

“It’s been pretty cool because she’s seasoned in what she does,” Edwards said of Moore. “She’s a senior, she knows how she works. We’re talking things out and learning from each other. I want to know how she works and what works best for her. I’ve challenged her to explain things a little bit more. That for her has been different, but I think it helps her understand what makes her succeed. We know how to communicate exactly what we want to achieve. I love how she works and how she has her eyes on the prize. She’s going to do the work that she needs to do.”

Edwards is determined to push Moore to her maximum potential. Moore may have recorded a sparkling 1.78 ERA and she may have batted .386 in 2021, but there’s no resting on such laurels. Also a high achiever in the classroom, Moore is something of a perfectionist. Academically, she has pursued mathematics, computer science and criminal justice.

In the circle, Moore can’t stand the sight of watching an opposing batter take a free pass. She’s walked only 31 batters in 344.2 career innings pitched. Her precision is nearly impeccable. Can she really be much better? Edwards intends to find out.

“She’s pushed me,” said Moore of her new head coach. “There have been days I’ve walked out of my pitching sessions just beaten down, sad and upset because I wasn’t doing as well as I should have. She just has such a high expectation for you and she’s not going to let you be satisfied. It’s something I kind of struggle with at times. It’s awesome to be pushed like that and see where your potential can go. She’s working hard with us pitchers and I’m learning a lot. It will help me some day when I potentially coach young girls or coach a team of my own.”

This may be Moore’s final season, but the example she sets will reverberate for years to come as “Coach T” puts her stamp on Concordia Softball. Moore has shown a path to success for those who choose to pay attention. She doesn’t complain or cause unnecessary drama, Moore just digs in and does her job – and does it exceptionally well.

At the age of five, Moore began whirling softballs, something she’s done so countless times with her father Alan (an assistant softball coach). The game simply suited her personality and provided a sense of purpose. Says Moore, “It’s just fun. The challenge is that everything comes with little details that you have to get right in order to be successful. Working to get those little details right is a process I’ve enjoyed. I love being outdoors and playing in all kinds of weather. A lot of girls don’t like playing when it’s cold. I don’t mind playing when it’s cold.”

She doesn’t ask for it, but Moore understands what it’s like now to have eyeballs on her when she’s on the diamond. It’s hard to miss the 5-foot-11 Moore, who impacts every game in so many ways. It’s not just what the statistics show. For Moore personally, she’s going to miss playing the sport and the friendships that come within the team atmosphere. There will be one ‘Moore’ ride with good friend and fellow senior Kylee Nixon and Concordia Softball.

“The past three years have been as much as I could have asked for,” Moore said. “I think the biggest thing I’m going to take away from it are the friendships and relationships I’ve built with my teammates. Even some of the freshmen coming in this year have been great – great additions to our team and personalities to be around. I’ve gotten to build those relationships and continue playing the sport we love. The school has brought so much to me and has taught me a lot with softball, life and academics.”

Concordia picks up one first-place vote, pegged fourth in GPAC

Feb 4

SEWARD, Neb. – With the first season of Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ tenure on the horizon, the Concordia Softball team has been picked fourth in the 2022 GPAC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll released on Friday (Feb. 4). The Bulldogs garnered one first-place vote and a total of 95 points in the poll. The teams pegged above them were Jamestown, Morningside and Midland.

A year ago, Concordia placed in a tie for third in the GPAC regular season standings with a 15-7 conference mark. The Bulldogs went on to finish as the conference postseason runner up and earned an automatic bid to the national tournament. That run marked the program’s first national tournament appearance since 2015.

The 2022 team will have a bit of a different look after graduating five starting position players from the ’21 squad. Edwards will lean upon returning All-GPAC players in the form of outfielder Caitlyn McGarvie, pitcher Camry Moore and second baseman Kylee Nixon. The team also has high hopes for transfer Taylor Glause, who batted .440 last season at Cloud County Community College (Kan.).

For a detailed season preview, click HERE. The season is slated to get underway on Feb. 19 with a doubleheader at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan.

2022 GPAC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
-First-place votes in parentheses
T1. Jamestown – 112 (6)
T1. Morningside – 112 (4)
3. Midland – 99 (1)
4. Concordia – 95 (1)
5. Northwestern – 81
6. Doane – 70
7. Mount Marty – 60
8. Dordt – 51
9. Briar Cliff – 40
10. Hastings – 32
T11. College of Saint Mary – 20
T11. Dakota Wesleyan – 20

Bulldogs set to open 2022 season in Kansas

Feb 16

SEWARD, Neb. – The head coaching debut is drawing near for Tatum Edwards, who is eager to unveil the 2022 edition of Concordia University Softball. The Bulldogs will get the season started within the state of Kansas with a doubleheader at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth on Saturday and another twin bill at Benedictine College in Atchison on Sunday. Both foes are repeat opponents from the 2021 nonconference slate.

Opening Weekend

Saturday, Feb. 19 at Saint Mary (0-1), 1 p.m. DH
-Live Video | Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2

Sunday, Feb. 20 at Benedictine (2-0), 12 p.m. DH
-Live Video

For those who followed Concordia last season, names such as starters in outfielder Caitlyn McGarvie, pitcher Camry Moore, second baseman Kylee Nixon and first baseman Julia Van Wey will be familiar. McGarvie and Moore both landed on the All-GPAC first team in 2021. Moore is coming off a season that saw her hit .386 with seven home runs and 41 RBIs and go 20-6 with a 1.78 ERA in 157 innings as a pitcher. The aforementioned veterans will be leaned upon as the Bulldogs continue to work on replacing five starting position players from the ’21 squad that reached the national tournament.

The losses due to graduation leave plenty of opportunities for newcomers. Potential impact newcomers include the likes of third baseman Hanna Bowers, outfielder Lex Campos, catcher Taylor Glause and infielder Kylie Shottenkirk, among others. Their arrivals will help make up for the loss of two of the top hitters in program history, Hhana Haro and Tori Homolka, on the left side of the infield.

Edwards became the program’s sixth head coach during the GPAC era. In previous stops as an assistant, Edwards worked at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Purdue University and the University of Nebraska-Omaha. As a star Cornhusker student-athlete, Edwards twice earned All-America honors and was named the 2013 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year. Edwards’ staff at Concordia includes graduate assistants Bre Hamilton, Tristen Edwards (younger sister) and Alan Moore.

Early last season, Concordia went a combined 3-0 against Benedictine and Saint Mary. The wins over Benedictine were tight – 6-4 and 3-2 (eight innings). In the season 2021 season opener in Atchison, Moore notched a career high 15 strikeouts. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs run-ruled Saint Mary, 9-0, as part of the Friends Invitational. So far this season, Saint Mary (13-32 record in 2021) is 0-1 with a loss to Briar Cliff. Benedictine (32-22 record in 2021) is 2-0 with two one-run wins over Doane.

After wrapping up this weekend’s action, the Bulldogs hope to host Mayville State University (N.D.) in doubleheaders on Feb. 25-26. Recently, opponents and game times were announced for the 2022 Friends Invitational set to run March 4-5. The complete schedule can be found HERE.

Concordia splits season opening doubleheader at Benedictine

Feb 20

ATCHISON, Kan. – Tatum Edwards made her official debut as a head coach on Sunday (Feb. 20) as the Concordia University Softball team got the 2022 season started. The Bulldogs had their chances to come away with a doubleheader sweep, but they settled for a split at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan. Concordia won the first game, 4-2, before falling in the second, 9-8, in nine innings. Camry Moore threw a complete game in the opener and then went 5-for-5 in game two.

Edwards rolled out a new-look lineup that featured familiar names in veterans Kylee Nixon and Moore at the top. This was something for the Bulldogs to build upon.

“It was just really nice to see them compete against another team and have that adrenaline and those nerves,” Edwards said. “In practice you can only try to recreate that in so many ways. We pieced together some good at-bats and scored some runs with two outs throughout the day. It was nice to see us come through with some clutch hits and pass the bat. Camry had some stolen bases too – putting on the wheels. I was pretty pleased with the performance with not having played a game in a long time.”

In a swift moving first game, Concordia got all of its runs in the third inning and Benedictine pushed its two runs across in the fourth. Nixon began the flurry in the third with a leadoff single. Five batters later, freshman shortstop Kylie Shottenkirk delivered a two-run single. Two more runs came home on the next hitter thanks to an error charged to the Raven first baseman. Shottenkirk went 3-for-3 with a stolen base in game one.

Moore opened the 2021 season with 15 strikeouts in a win at Benedictine. This time she fanned 10 hitters while scattering seven hits over seven innings. The Ravens got three of their hits in the fourth when Clare Heitz tripled and scored. Moore regrouped and held Benedictine scoreless in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings in the process of earning her 40th career win (fourth most in program history).

Game two turned into more of a slugfest. Not only did Moore go 5-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs, Taylor Glause (3-for-4), Zoie Isom (2-for-5, two RBIs) and Nixon (2-for-6, two runs, double) each collected multiple hits. In addition, Shottenkirk went 1-for-2 with a run, three walks and two RBIs. Concordia was credited with 13 stolen bases for the day. A five-run outburst in the sixth gave Concordia a 7-4 lead that it was unable to protect.

After the Bulldogs failed to score in the top of the ninth, Benedictine took advantage. Lenae Salinas singled to left center to score the walk-off tally. The two sides combined for 25 hits in game two. Brooke Townsend threw seven innings in relief for the Bulldogs and allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits. Benedictine (3-1), which took two one-run games from Doane early in the week, used four different pitchers on Sunday.

Shottenkirk went 4-for-5 and reached base a total of eight times throughout the doubleheader. She is a newcomer to keep an eye on. Said Edwards, “She stayed really poised in the box. She had some at-bats where she was down in the count and was able to battle back. She showed great maturity in understanding the strike zone. She was making adjustments from at-bat-to-at-bat, which is really good to see from a freshman.”

The Bulldogs will be back in action in the state of Kansas on Monday for a 1 p.m. CT doubleheader at University of Saint Mary, which calls Leavenworth home. The Spires own a 3-3 record that includes a win over Briar Cliff. Concordia and USM met once last season with the result being a 9-0 Bulldog win in five innings.

Offense rebounds, Rowe shines in game two win at Saint Mary

FEB 21

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. – After getting shutout in the first of two at the University of Saint Mary on Monday (Feb. 21), the Concordia University Softball team rebounded with nine hits in game two and emerged with a doubleheader split. The action took place at USM Softball Field in Leavenworth, Kan., where the Bulldogs fell, 3-0, and then won, 6-1. Freshman Kylie Shottenkirk stayed hot at the plate and Jerzi Rowe fired a masterpiece in the game two victory.

Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad opened the season on Sunday by splitting a twin bill at Benedictine College (Kan.). Concordia is 2-2 while breaking in a new-look lineup in 2022.

This was a significant confidence booster for Rowe, who covered all seven innings of game two and allowed just a single unearned run on three hits and three walks. The defense did solid work behind her as 10 outs were recorded on groundouts and eight were put away via flyouts. A Gretna, Neb., native, Rowe held the Spires scoreless over the game’s final six innings.

The offensive attack got going in game two with the help of three Concordia players who collected two hits apiece: Lexi Campos (2-for-3, double, two RBIs), Camry Moore (2-for-4, run, two RBIs) and Shottenkirk (2-for-4, run, double, RBI). In addition, Kylee Nixon tripled and scored a run. The Bulldogs turned a 2-1 lead into a comfortable margin by putting one run on the board in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.

That production was a contrast from game one. Saint Mary pitcher Mariela Tinoco tossed a three-hit shutout in which she recorded only one strikeout. She was able to out-duel Concordia ace Camry Moore, although she was solid in surrendering just two earned runs on five hits and no walks. More fanned five hitters. The Spires (4-4) got the only runs they needed in the third inning.

At the plate, the lone Bulldog hits in game one were registered by Zoie Isom (single), Nixon (double) and Shottenkirk (single). A Lincoln North Star High School alum, Shottenkirk has gone 7-for-12 with four walks over the first four games of her collegiate career. Meanwhile, Moore has started this season 8-for-15 in the box.

The Bulldogs are scheduled to host Mayville State University (N.D.) for a four-game series this Friday and Saturday. Should the weather be an obstacle, Concordia will explore other options for playing this weekend. The Friends Invitational is also coming up March 4-5.

Scheduled weekend home softball canceled

FEB 22

SEWARD, Neb. – Due to cold and wintry-like conditions in the forecast, the Concordia University Softball program has canceled home doubleheaders it had scheduled with Mayville State University (N.D.) this Friday and Saturday (Feb. 25-26). Based on the current schedule, the Bulldogs will hope to host their home opener on March 23 versus College of Saint Mary.

Next up on the slate is the Friends University Invitational set to run March 4-5 in Wichita, Kan. The opponents for those two days will be Graceland University (Iowa), Benedictine College (Kan.), Mount Mercy University (Iowa) and Peru State College. The trip to Wichita will lead into the Tucson Invitational over spring break (March 7-11).

Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad managed to open the season the past two days and split doubleheaders at Benedictine and at the University of Saint Mary (Kan.). After four games, four regulars are hitting better than .300: Kylie Shottenkirk (.583; 7-for-12), Camry Moore (.533; 8-for-15), Zoie Isom (.400; 4-for-10) and Kylee Nixon (.333; 5-for-15). Nixon has produced two doubles and a triple. A freshman from Lincoln North Star High School, Shottenkirk made an immediate impact. Not only does she lead the team in batting average, she’s also driven in five runs and has stolen five bases. In the pitching circle, Moore and Jerzi Rowe have earned one win apiece.

The updated softball schedule can be viewed HERE.

Bulldogs sweep doubleheader from Mayville State

FEB 26

ABERDEEN, S.D. – In a pair of games played inside the Presentation College Dome in Aberdeen, S.D., the Concordia University Softball team emerged with two wins over nonconference foe Mayville State University (N.D.). The Bulldogs rallied for a 3-2 win in game one before taking the second contest by the run rule in five innings, 12-2. Originally, the two sides had been scheduled to play in Seward.

Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad returned to action for the first time since spitting back-to-back twin bills against the likes of Benedictine College (Kan.) and University of Saint Mary (Kan.) on Feb. 20-21. Concordia is now 4-2 overall.

“In that first game we fought and made adjustments,” Edwards said. “We got a clutch hit when we really needed it. The second game, we were hitting the ball hard, making good contact and putting the ball in play. We were passing the bat.

“It’s good to have that type of high-pressure situation (in game one) and get the heart rate up. That’s what the postseason feels like. I’m glad we were able to work through that – and Jerzi (Rowe) threw and awesome game. She kept us in it the whole time and made some great pitches when we needed it.”

In game one, the Bulldogs trailed 2-0 after four innings and remained behind, 2-1, heading into the sixth. The rally in the top of the sixth started with a Camry Moore and continued with a double from Hanna Bowers and the back-to-back base hits from Taylor Glause and Lex Campos. It was a big game for the center fielder Campos, who went 3-for-3 with four stolen bases and a run. Rowe was able to make that lead hold up. She worked all seven innings of game one while allowing two runs on six hits and two walks. She recorded six strikeouts.

Game two lacked that kind of drama. Concordia racked up four runs in the first and seven in the second inning as part of the run-rule shortened affair. Moore went 3-for-4 with two runs, a double and four RBIs at the plate while also covering four innings in the circle. After surrendering a first-inning homer, Moore was spotless the rest of her outing. In addition, Kylie Shottenkirk went 3-for-4 with two runs and a double while Aubrey Bruning and Glause notched two hits apiece. Glause tripled, scored two runs and drove in three.

The Comets dropped to 1-5 on the season. The Bulldogs tagged Mayville State pitching for a combined 23 hits, including 16 in game two. First baseman Jocelyn Ontiveros hit a two-run homer in the first inning of game two before the Comets then went quiet with the bats.

The Bulldogs will be right back at the Presentation College Dome on Sunday for a 10 a.m. CT doubleheader with Mayville State. Following Sunday’s twin bill, Concordia will look forward to the Friends Invitational in Wichita, Kan., March 4-5.

Van Wey powers two more wins over Mayville State

FEB 27

ABERDEEN, S.D. – The Concordia University Softball team polished off a successful weekend road trip on Sunday by sweeping another doubleheader from Mayville State University (N.D.). Instead of meeting in Seward as originally planned, the two sides played four games at the Presentation College Dome in Aberdeen, S.D. After taking two from the Comets on Saturday, the Bulldogs won by scores of 8-4 and 3-2 on Sunday while powered by four hits from Julia Van Wey.

Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad has moved to 6-2 on the strength of a five-game win streak.

“We did a really good job of team offense,” Edwards said. “We got bunts down and moved runners really well. We had some kids come up and get extra-base hits and just did a solid job one through nine and making things happen when we needed it.

“Some of them had to adjust their eyesight a little bit (due to playing in the dome). Other than that, it was a smooth adjustment.”

In game one, Concordia broke a 4-4 tie in the sixth thanks to a four-run outburst. The game-winning surge began with a base hit from Hanna Bowers and was spurred by a double apiece from Van Wey and Lex Campos (two RBIs). Aubrey Bruning also added a run-scoring hit for some insurance. Bowers, Campos and Van Wey each notched two hits in Sunday’s morning contest.

In the circle, Megan Eurich did fine work while picking up her first career win. The Gretna, Neb., native covered 4.1 innings in relief and surrendered just one baserunner in a near spotless performance. Eurich was called upon after Brooke Townsend started and threw 2.2 innings.

By day’s end, Van Way collected a home run, two doubles and three RBIs. She led off the bottom of the third of game two with a blast to left field. Another run came home in that frame via an error. Van Wey then struck for the go-ahead RBI double in the fourth, supplying the game’s final tally. Caitlyn McGarvie and Kylee Nixon both contributed a hit and a run scored in the win.

The three runs were just enough for game two pitcher Camry Moore. The Bulldog ace fired a complete game in which she allowed five hits and one walk and recorded four strikeouts. Moore managed to work out of a jam in the sixth when Mayville State’s Bailey Larkin led off with a double. Following a sacrifice bunt, Moore coaxed two infield pop outs to end the threat. She then worked a 1-2-3 seventh to cap the four-game sweep.

Concordia knows it can count on Moore. It is also developing depth alongside her on the staff. Said Edwards, “All of our pitchers did a really good job keeping us in every ballgame we played this weekend. Megan threw awesome and gave us a shot to win. She moved the ball around really well. Of course Camry does what Camry does. I’m proud of the whole pitching staff for performing their roles.”

Next up will be the Friends University Invitational next weekend (March 4-5) in Wichita, Kan. Over the two days, the Bulldogs will take on Graceland University (Iowa), Benedictine College (Kan.), Mount Mercy University (Iowa) and Peru State College.

Softball spring break rundown 2022

MAR 2

SEWARD, Neb. – The 2022 schedule is about to heat up for the Concordia University Softball team. Following a four-game sweep of Mayville State University (N.D.) this past weekend, the Bulldogs are getting set for trips to Wichita, Kan., and Tucson, Ariz., over spring break. Between March 4 – 11, Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad is slated to play a total of 11 games. Concordia will enter this weekend’s Friends Invitational with an overall record of 6-2.

Based on the NAIA preseason coaches’ poll, the toughest opponents over the next week-and-a-half will be ninth-ranked Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.), Aquinas College of Michigan (receiving votes), Dickinson State University of North Dakota (receiving votes) and Mount Mercy University of Iowa (receiving votes). The Bulldogs will also have a rematch with Benedictine College (Kan.), a squad they split a doubleheader with on Feb. 20.

Camry Moore has also been the team’s leading hitter to this point with a .483 batting average (14-for-29). The Crete High School product has a team high 10 RBIs. In the circle, Moore is 3-1 with a 2.33 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 24 innings. Five other Bulldogs are batting better than .300: Aubrey Bruning (.462), Kylie Shottenkirk (.400), Lex Campos (.400), Hanna Bowers (.400) and Zoie Isom (.375). On the season, Concordia is hitting .320 with a .388 on-base percentage and .414 slugging percentage. The pitching staff owns a team ERA of 2.58.

The pitching staff was a strength this past weekend. Four pitchers combined to limit Mayville State to a total of 10 runs on 18 hits and four walks over 26 innings. In her complete game performance, Jerzi Rowe conceded two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six. Over two weekend starts, Moore fired 11 innings and allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk. She notched 10 strikeouts. In relief, Megan Eurich fired 5.1 scoreless innings with just one hit allowed. She picked up her first career win.

Spring Break Schedule

LIVE COVERAGE – For the most updated information, follow@CUNEathletics on Twitter. Several games during the spring break trip will likely not include live webcasts or stats due to them being played at neutral sites in Arizona. For the Friends Invitational, check the Friends athletics website for possible live streaming. Game recaps will be available on the Concordia Athletics website at the end of each game day.

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

Friends Invitational – Wichita, Kan. (March 4-5)

(All single games)

March 4 – vs. Graceland University, 2 p.m. CT

March 4 – vs. Benedictine College, 4 p.m. CT

March 5 – vs. Mount Mercy University, 10 a.m. CT

March 5 – vs. Peru State College, 12 p.m.

Tucson Invitational – Tucson, Ariz. (March 7-11)

(All single games at Lincoln Park in Tucson)

March 7 – vs. William Penn University, 12:15 p.m. MT/1:15 p.m. CT (Field 8)

March 7 – vs. Roosevelt University, 2:30 p.m. MT/3:30 p.m. CT (Field 8)

March 8 – vs. University of St. Francis-Ill., 2:30 p.m. MT/3:30 p.m. CT (Field 8)

March 8 – vs. Olivet Nazarene University, 4:45 p.m. MT/5:45 p.m. CT (Field 5)

March 9 – vs. Dickinson State University, 2:30 p.m. MT/3:30 p.m. CT (Field 5)

March 10 – vs. Buena Vista University, 2:30 p.m. MT/3:30 p.m. CT (Field 7)

March 11 – vs. Aquinas College, 12:15 p.m. MT/1:15 p.m. CT (Field 5)

Moore fires no-hitter as win streak moves to seven

MAR 4

WICHITA, Kan. – Camry Moore was up to Camry Moore type of things on Friday (March 4) as the Concordia University Softball team began its spring break tour that starts with Wichita, Kan., and will continue with Tucson, Ariz. In a 4-0 shutout of Graceland University (Iowa) as part of the Friends Invitational, Moore fired a seven-inning no-hitter for her first career no-hitter at the college level. The Bulldogs then steamrolled Waldorf University (Iowa), 12-1 in five innings, in their second game of the day.

With Moore leading the way, Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad has won seven games in a row to move to 8-2 overall. The start is especially impressive considering the amount of newcomers that fill the lineup. It sure helps to be able to lean upon an ace like Moore.

“She did such a good job of communicating what she wanted to do,” said Edwards of Moore. “She was moving the ball and doing a really good job of watching the hitters’ swings and making adjustments pitch-to-pitch. She knew how she wanted to get them out. It was fun to sit back and watch her do her thing and get into that zone that everyone talks about. It was fun watching her compete.”

As a star at Crete High School, Moore notched 14 no-hitters and four perfect games. She was so close to perfection on Friday. The only baserunner all game for the Yellowjackets came via an error to begin the seventh inning. Moore mesmerized Graceland while striking out 13 batters and also recording five flyouts and three groundouts. She became the first Concordia pitcher to throw a no-hitter since Jordana Goncalves did so in five innings versus Central Christian College (Kan.) in 2015. The most recent seven-inning no-hitter for the program had been achieved in 2007 by Amanda Hehn.

In the win over Graceland, the Bulldogs got all of their runs in the second inning. Hanna Bowers came through with a two-run single, another run came home thanks to an error and Aubrey Bruning drove in a run with a ground ball that resulted in another error. Catcher Taylor Glause went 2-for-3 with a run scored and Caitlyn McGarvie contributed a hit and a run.

In the white washing that followed, Concordia collected 17 hits and scored at least one run in each of the five innings. The big outbursts featured four runs in the third and five in the fourth. Four Bulldogs generated at least two hits: Moore (3-for-3, one run, two doubles, one RBI), Brena Brown (2-for-3, two runs, one double, one home run, two RBIs), Bruning (2-for-3, two runs) and Julia Van Wey (2-for-3, one run, one double, two RBIs). In addition, Kylee Nixon doubled in drove in three runs and Lex Campos delivered a two-run single.

Said Edwards, “If we can just think about passing the bat and having team offense with moving runners we can continue to be successful. It’s not on one- or two-people’s shoulders. It’s on everybody. These last few games we’ve seen one through nine contribute. We had several outs that moved runners up in our second game. It’s going to take everybody doing the job.”

In the circle, Jerzi Rowe covered three innings and got the win. Megan Eurich finished off the game by working the fourth and fifth frames. Collectively, they allowed just two hits and did not walk a single batter. Graceland slipped to 2-6 while Waldorf is now 0-10.

The Bulldogs will be back at it at 10 a.m. CT on Saturday while concluding the Friends Invitational. Mount Mercy University (Iowa) will serve as the first opponent before Concordia goes up against Peru State College at 12 p.m. The Bulldogs will quickly get back on the road and be ready for the start of the Tucson Invitational on March 7.

Bulldogs go 3-1 in Wichita, cap weekend invite with rout of Peru State

MAR 5

WICHITA, Kan. – A one-run loss in extra innings wound up as the lone blemish during the Concordia University Softball team’s weekend stay in Wichita, Kan. In action on Saturday (March 5), the Bulldogs rallied to tie Mount Mercy University (Iowa) before falling in eight innings, 6-5. To cap the day, Concordia rebounded by pummeling in-state Peru State College, 11-3, in six innings. Both contests were part of the Friends University Invitational.

The loss to Mount Marty snapped a seven-game win streak, but Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad will take a strong 9-3 overall record into this coming week’s Tucson Invitational.

“We’ve shown we can make great adjustments and really fight,” Edwards said. “That’s the type of team that we are and that I want us to be. Being able to come back in that first game was great to see and was a good experience for us. That’s what a lot of games are going to be like later in the season. We’ve shown that we can do well in those games. We didn’t come out on top that first game, but we showed good fight and I was proud of them for that.”

In the final game in Wichita, the Bulldogs pounced early when Caitlyn McGarvie doubled home two runs in the top of the first. Then in the second, Kylee Nixon drilled a two-run homer as part of a three-run second inning. Both the second baseman Nixon and right fielder Maggi Hughes went 4-for-4 in the game. Nixon scored three runs while Hughes notched two stolen bases. In addition, Camry Moore went 2-for-3 with three runs and two walks and Taylor Glause collected two hits, a run and an RBI. Concordia tagged Peru State pitching for 18 hits (10 Bulldogs registered at least one hit).

Said Edwards, ““That team offensive mentality is what will get us where we want to be. We had people step up. Maggi had an awesome game and Alexis Tachovsky did a really good job. We want everyone to be ready.”

A day after firing a seven-inning no-hitter, Moore threw five innings against Peru State and surrendered just one earned run on five hits. She was credited with the win. The Crete High School produced allowed a grand total of one baserunner (via error) in Friday’s outing. Megan Eurich also threw one inning against Peru State.

A four-run third inning for Mount Mercy put the Bulldogs in a 4-1 hole in the day’s first game. Concordia chipped away with the help of Aubrey Bruning’s RBI single in the fifth and then with RBI sacrifice bunts from McGarvie and Hanna Bowers in the sixth. Those efforts in the clutch eventually forced extra innings. In the top of the eighth, the Sam Lee connected for a two-run homer that proved to be the game winner. In the bottom half, Glause singled home a run before the Mustangs (6-7) recorded the game’s final out. Moore and Kylie Shottenkirk both went 2-for-4 in the contest.

In the circle, Jerzi Rowe covered 5.1 innings against Mount Mercy and allowed just one earned run on five hits and two walks. Brooke Townsend started and pitched 2.2 innings before being relieved by Rowe. On the other side, Kalli Minger picked up the win while throwing two innings in relief.

While the Bulldogs will be off from competition on Sunday, they will hop on a plane headed to Tucson, Ariz., for the Tucson Invitational. Concordia will begin action from The Grand Canyon State on Monday with games against William Penn University (Iowa) at 1:15 p.m. CT and Roosevelt University (Ill.) at 3:30 p.m. CT. The Bulldogs are slated to play seven games before leaving Tucson. Said Edwards, “We’re looking forward to being in the sun, being with each other and having a good time on spring break. Bring it on.”

Moore named GPAC Pitcher of the Week following no-hitter

MAR 8

SEWARD, Neb. – Thanks to a no-hitter on March 4, Camry Moore has been named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Pitcher of the Week, as announced by the conference on Tuesday (March 8). The GPAC also named Doane’s Shelby Downard as the GPAC Player of the Week as part of the first awards release of the 2022 softball season. Heading into Tuesday’s action, Moore has led the Concordia University Softball team to a 10-4 record to begin the campaign.

Named a Second Team All-GPAC honoree in 2019 and a First Team All-GPAC award winner in 2021, Moore has already established herself as one of the GPAC’s top players. After firing 14 no-hitters and four perfect games during her time at Crete High School, Moore notched the first no-hitter of her collegiate career in her masterful outing versus Graceland University (Iowa). Moore tossed a seven-inning complete game that included 13 strikeouts. The only baserunner to reach came via an error. In her next outing on March 5, Moore got the win while throwing five innings versus Peru State College. She allowed one earned run on five hits and no walks to go along with three strikeouts.

On the season, Moore owns a 6-1 record, a 1.71 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 41 innings. At the plate, she is batting .489 with three doubles, a triple and 12 RBIs. Moore ranks fourth in school history with 45 career pitching wins.

McGarvie notches three hits, Bulldogs drop two in Tucson

MAR 8

TUCSON, Ariz. – Two strong nonconference opponents out of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference greeted the Concordia University Softball team in its second day of action at the Tucson Invitational. In afternoon play on Tuesday (March 8), the Bulldogs let a 6-4 extra-inning lead slip away in a 7-6 loss to the University of St. Francis (Ill.) in extra innings and then were defeated by ninth-ranked Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.), 9-2. Caitlyn McGarvie starred with three hits in the first game.

Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad is 1-3 to start the Tucson Invite and is 10-6 overall. Concordia split a pair of run-rule games on Monday, falling at the hands of William Penn University (Iowa), 8-0, before bouncing back to pummel Roosevelt University (Ill.), 11-1.

“In tough games like that when we get down fast, we’ve got to battle back,” Edwards said. “It’s going to be about us staying together and figuring out how to fight together. We want to be that annoying team that’s going to scratch and claw until the end. It’s how you respond and how you fight.

“Caitlyn hit the ball really well all day long and was making plays in the outfield. She definitely came to play for us. It’s to see her get into a groove and trusting her swing. I’m proud of her for that.”

In the first game of the day, McGarvie doubled and tripled twice to lead an offensive attack that piled up 12 hits. The Bulldogs appeared poised for a victory in the eighth inning when Taylor Creighton and Lex Campos delivered RBI singles to make it a 6-4 lead. However, the Saints rallied back with three runs in the bottom half and celebrated a walk-off winner. Both Brittany Osborne and Madisen Tucker produced three hits apiece for St. Francis (6-3).

Concordia had tagged the Saints for three runs immediately in the first inning. Not only did McGarvie rack up three hits, three Bulldogs notched two hits apiece: Hanna Bowers, Campos and Creighton. Bowers drove in two runs.

In the second game against top 10 rated Olivet Nazarene, Concordia never recovered after digging a 6-0 hole. Kylie Shottenkirk went 2-for-4 with a run out of the leadoff spot for the Bulldogs. In addition, Zoie Isom went deep for her first career home run. Aubrey Bruning also singled and drove in a run. On the other side, Haley Dobson wore out Bulldog pitching with four hits.

Three Concordia pitchers combined to cover both games. That group included Megan Eurich, Jerzi Rowe and Brooke Townsend. The latter threw five innings against Olivet Nazarene without surrendering an earned run. Townsend allowed three unearned runs on seven hits and a walk.

The Bulldogs will play Dickinson State University (N.D.) at 2:30 p.m. MT / 3:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday as the Tucson Invitational continues. Concordia will also play once on Thursday and Friday before heading back to Nebraska.

Defensive mistakes, early deficit too much to overcome

MAR 9

TUCSON, Ariz. – Five errors were a major part of the story on Wednesday (March 9) for the Concordia University Softball team, which took to the diamond in Tucson, Ariz., for a third day in a row. The Bulldogs dug an early hole while up against Dickinson State University (N.D.) and never could fight all the way back in what concluded as a 7-6 loss. Concordia fell despite collecting 13 hits and four walks.

Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad has dropped three straight, including two by one-run margins. The Bulldogs are 10-7 overall and 1-4 at the Tucson Invitational.

“We’re beating ourselves with some of the mistakes we made,” Edwards said. “We’re asking a lot of our pitching staff. We’re fighting in the box, we’re coming back and making adjustments. We’re doing some good things, but we need to take care of ourselves. We put some great at-bats together – we just didn’t get the big hit when we needed it. I’m proud of that part of it in terms of our fight at the plate.”

It looked like Concordia just might make up for the mistakes when it loaded the bases with only one out in the bottom of the seventh. Blue Hawk Dallis Mitchell then came through with some clutch pitches while striking out Kylie Shottenkirk and Kylee Nixon to end the threat. Mitchell worked the final three innings and picked up the save.

Had the Bulldogs been tighter defensively, it would not have come down to that. Two errors in the top of the first let in three unearned runs as part of a four-run first inning for Dickinson State (8-7). The Blue Hawks managed 11 hits off of ace Camry Moore (seven-inning complete game), but only three of their seven runs were earned. Dickinson State stayed one step ahead of Concordia with the help of Ari Martinez’s two-run homer in the fourth.

Offensive punch was not lacking for the Bulldogs, particularly in the two through four spots in the lineup, held down by Nixon (3-for-5, two runs), Caitlyn McGarvie (4-for-4, one run) and Moore (3-for-4, one run, triple, three RBIs). Out of the No. 6 spot, Zoie Isom went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Concordia put up three runs in the first, two in the fourth and one in the sixth. As a pitcher, Moore did not walk a batter and notched four strikeouts.

Named the GPAC Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday, Moore achieved a milestone on Wednesday by reaching 100 career RBIs (11th most in program history). Earlier in the road trip, Nixon moved past 100 career hits.

Three more games remain on the Tucson Invite slate. In Thursday’s action, the Bulldogs will take on NCAA Division III Buena Vista University (Iowa) at 2:30 p.m. MT / 3:30 p.m. CT. Buena Vista will provide live coverage via the links below.

Thursday (March 9) live coverage: Stats | Video.

Well-played extra-inning battle won by Buena Vista

MAR 10

TUCSON, Ariz. – A clutch hit in the bottom of the seventh helped extend the game, but the Concordia University Softball team came out on the wrong end of another extra-inning clash. The RBI single by Rylee Cain in the eighth inning proved to be the game winner for NCAA Division III Buena Vista University (Iowa), which emerged with a 4-3 win in Tucson, Ariz., on Thursday (March 10) night. The Bulldogs never grabbed a lead, but also never trailed by more than a run all evening.

Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad has dropped its past four outings (three by a single run and two in extra innings) at the Tucson Invitational and stands at 10-8 overall. However, this performance was a step forward, particularly from a defensive perspective.

“We played well,” Edwards said. “I told them, I’m super proud of the fight. Jerzi (Rowe) threw an awesome game and Camry (Moore) came in and gave us a good switch. Our offense stayed at it and made them make plays. It was all-around good softball. There’s no need to hang our heads with that. I’ll take us showing up to play like that every day. I was proud of how we fought and gave ourselves a chance to win until the very end.”

The final few innings saw a back-and-forth battle unfold. Concordia’s Aubrey Bruning tied the game, 2-2, with her run-scoring base hit in the bottom of the sixth. In the top of the seventh, Buena Vista’s Chloe Wells doubled in a run to make it a 3-2 Beaver advantage. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, the Bulldogs pulled even again when Julia Van Wey’s blooper down the right field line chased home Moore all the way from first. The game ended in the bottom of the eighth when Buena Vista pitcher Kennedi Claycomb recorded a strikeout with a runner on third.

The Concordia pitching staff limited the damage despite the Beavers tallying 13 hits. Rowe worked 6.1 innings and allowed two runs on 10 hits before giving way to Moore. The Bulldog ace threw the final 1.2 innings and ended up being tagged with the loss.

Moore remained red hot at the plate while going 3-for-3 with a run and a stolen base. Van Wey collected two hits out of the No. 5 spot in the lineup. Zoie Isom also singled and drove in one run. Kylee Nixon added a hit and a stolen base. Concordia finished with nine hits and one error. Buena Vista bumped its season record to 11-5 while overcoming four errors.

Friday will be Concordia’s final day at the Tucson Invite. The Bulldogs will look to finish it strong while taking on 19th-ranked Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) at 10 a.m. MT / 11 a.m. CT and then Aquinas College (Mich.) at 12:15 p.m. MT / 1:15 p.m. CT. Concordia will attempt to avenge its 9-2 loss to Olivet Nazarene from Tuesday.

Bulldogs run-rule No. 19 Olivet Nazarene as highlight of final day in Tucson

MAR 11

TUCSON, Ariz. – A stretch of 12 games in eight days is in the books for the Concordia University Softball team. On the final day of their stay at the Tucson Invitational, the Bulldogs pummeled No. 19 Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.), 12-4, in six innings before falling to red hot Aquinas College (Mich.), 11-2, in five innings. Julia Van Wey drove in six runs as part of the victory over the Tigers.

Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad will head north with an overall record of 11-9. Concordia went 2-6 during its stay in Tucson, Ariz., where three of the defeats came by the margin of a single run.

“The first game we hit the ball hard,” Edwards said. “We really paid attention to what we needed to do and didn’t let the last game we played against them affect how we came out today.

“We have a lot of potential. We have so many good pieces. We have to figure out how it fits together every single time we play. We have really good fight. We have to make sure we’re not beating ourselves. The thing I like is this team shows a lot of fight. We don’t give up. We have some things to work but there’s so much potential.”

Van Wey capitalized on her opportunities with runners on base. The San Diego, Calif., native cleared the bases in the third with a double and then abruptly ended the contest by the run rule in the sixth with a two-run double. Van Wey also produced a sac fly as part of her big day. In the Nos. 2 and 3 spots in the lineup, Camry Moore and Kylee Nixon came through with two hits apiece. Moore scored three runs and drove in three more. At the top of the order, Caitlyn McGarvie singled and scored three times. At the bottom, Aubrey Bruning collected two hits and two runs.

The run support versus Olivet Nazarene made a winner out of Moore, who covered six innings in the circle. She allowed four runs on eight hits and one walk and fanned eight hitters.

Despite three hits from McGarvie in the second game, the outcome against Aquinas (14-3) was a different story. The Saints outhit Concordia, 11-7, and got all of their runs over the game’s first three innings while running away with it. Aquinas received votes nationally in this week’s poll. Zoie Isom went 2-for-3 with an RBI as part of the Bulldog offensive attack.

The Bulldogs will now make their way back to Nebraska. Next up on the schedule is a doubleheader at Nebraska Wesleyan slated for 5 p.m. CT on March 17. The start of GPAC play will follow with a twin bill at Midland on March 19.

Upon return from Tucson, Concordia preps for doubleheaders at NWU, Midland

MAR 15

SEWARD, Neb. – After returning from the Tucson Invitational, the Concordia University Softball team is looking forward to playing within the state of Nebraska for the first time in 2022. The Bulldogs will be at University Park Place in Lincoln, Neb., for a Thursday doubleheader with former GPAC member Nebraska Wesleyan University. Then on Saturday, Concordia will begin GPAC play with two games at Midland. Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad enters the week with an overall mark of 11-9.

This Week

Thursday, March 17 at Nebraska Wesleyan (11-2), 5 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats

Saturday, March 19 at Midland (13-3), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats: G1 – G2

By the numbers

·        A takeaway from the Tucson Invite was that the Bulldogs have a lot of potential. While it went 2-6 in Arizona, Concordia lost three games by a single run (two in extra innings) and won by the run rule, 12-4, over 19th-ranked Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.). The other victory last week came by an 11-1 score over Roosevelt University (Ill.). Seven of the eight games at the Tucson Invite were played against NAIA opponents (one versus NCAA Division III Buena Vista University). During the trip, the Bulldogs were outscored by a combined total of 51-42.

·        It’s been an impressive start to the season for returning First Team All-GPAC performer Camry Moore, who was named the GPAC Pitcher of the Week on March 8 after throwing a no-hitter versus Graceland University (Iowa). At the plate this season, Moore is hitting a team high .508 with 18 runs scored, four doubles, two triples and 18 RBIs. As Bulldog ace pitcher, Moore owns a 7-3 record, a 2.25 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 56 innings (10 appearances). She’s walked only three batters. During the stay in Tucson, Moore eclipsed a milestone by passing 100 career RBIs. Her 46 career pitching wins rank fourth in program history behind only Mindy Evans (83), Nicole Sempek (66) and Michaela Woodward (48).

·        The team’s top hitters in Tucson based on batting average were Caitlyn McGarvie (.545; 12-for-22), Moore (.474; 9-for-19), Kylee Nixon (.368; 7-for-19) and Julia Van Wey (.364; 8-for-22). McGarvie tallied eight runs, two doubles and two triples while Van Wey totaled four doubles, a triple and 10 RBIs. A home run apiece was belted by Taylor Glause and Zoie Isom. During the eight games in Tucson, the Bulldogs hit .316 with a .355 on-base percentage and .460 slugging percentage. Also noteworthy, Nixon surpassed 100 career hits earlier this season.

·        While Moore and Nixon are the veteran standouts on the team, Concordia has broken in plenty of newcomers into the starting lineup. Freshman Kylie Shottenkirk is the only Bulldog to have started all 20 games this season. She’s hitting .286 while often being placed near the top of the lineup. Other newcomers to start at least 10 games include Hanna Bowers, Aubrey Bruning, Lex Campos and Zoie Isom. Concordia was certain to have a new-look lineup this season after graduating two of the program’s all-time best hitters in Hhana Haro and Tori Homolka.

·        From a ratings perspective, the Bulldogs are a bit off the national radar. In the official GPAC ratings released on March 7, Morningside and Northwestern were ranked in a tie for first with Jamestown at No. 3 and Midland at No. 4. The Red Raiders have jumped out to an impressive 21-3 record while Midland is 13-3.

The opponents

NCAA Division III Nebraska Wesleyan is out to a strong 11-2 start. Like the Bulldogs, the Prairie Wolves are returning from a recent spring trip. NWU traveled to Florida and went 8-1 while down there. It wrapped up the trip by knocking off 12th-ranked The College of New Jersey. Head Coach Mary Yori’s squad has gotten big production from the likes of Emma Alfieri (.462 BA) and Hanna Roth (.422 BA). The Prairie Wolves are hitting .328 as a team. Pitcher Kailey Meyer is 7-1 with a 2.08 ERA in 43.2 innings.

Midland is the reigning GPAC regular season and tournament champion. The Warriors have a first-year head coach of their own in Beth Singleton, who was the top assistant for former Head Coach Mike Heard (now at the University of Nebraska-Omaha). Midland enters this week having won 10 games in a row. It recently played at invites hosted by Friends University (Kan.) and McPherson College (Kan.). Roni Foote is one of the GPAC’s top players and is hitting .511 with five home runs and 24 RBIs this season. The team’s top pitcher is Aliyah Rincon (7-2, 2.45 ERA).

Next week

The Bulldogs will be at home for the first time this season when they host doubleheaders next week with College of Saint Mary on March 23 and Dordt on March 26.

Bulldogs fall twice at Midland despite strong pitching from Moore

MAR 19

FREMONT, Neb. – A stiff challenge greeted the Concordia University Softball team as it opened conference play on the home field of defending GPAC champion Midland on Saturday (March 19). Despite a strong pitching performance from Camry Moore in game one, the Bulldogs were defeated by a 2-1 final (eight innings) before being tripped up in game two, 7-0. The Warrior pitching staff limited Concordia to a combined six hits on the day.

Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad has now lost six times by a margin of a single run this season. The Bulldogs stand at 11-11 overall (0-2 GPAC).

“Camry did awesome. She was making adjustments after every pitch,” Edwards said. “That may have been the game I’ve seen the most swings and misses on her pitches, so clearly she was moving the ball well. We kept fighting. We had better at-bats later in the game, which was great to see. We came up on the losing end of it, but that first game was a really good softball game.

“It shows us where we’re at, the things we need to work on and what we can get better at. The first game showed that we belonged and we can compete against anybody.”

A First Team All-GPAC performer, Moore had already proven she can match up with the best of the best. Moore covered all 7.1 innings of game one in the circle. She allowed just one earned run on nine hits and no walks (five strikeouts). Midland pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the eighth when star third baseman Roni Foote singled to right field with one out. Concordia got its only run of the day when Zoie Isom plated Kylee Nixon with an RBI single in the fourth inning of game one.

It was a masterful day of pitching for the Warrior duo of Hailee Fliam and Aliyah Rincon. Both hurlers were credited with complete games in winning efforts. Rincon was especially impressive in recording eight strikeouts while allowing just one baserunner (via a Kylie Shottenkirk single). Rincon faced the minimum number of batters possible (21) in the contest.

Game two got away from the Bulldogs in part due to the three errors they committed (leading to three unearned runs). Sheridan Wayne homered in helping fuel the game two attack for Midland (15-4, 2-0 GPAC), which has a first-year head coach in Beth Singleton.

The Bulldogs will dip back outside of conference play on Monday when they take on Nebraska Wesleyan (11-2) in a 5 p.m. CT doubleheader on Monday. The games will be played at University Place Park in Lincoln, Neb. The twin bill had originally been scheduled for this past Thursday but was postponed due to inclement weather.

First home games of 2022 on tap for this week

MAR 21

SEWARD, Neb. – A scheduled doubleheader at Nebraska Wesleyan University on Monday (March 21) was wiped out by rain. That leaves two conference twin bills on this week’s slate for the Concordia University Softball team. The Bulldogs look forward to hosting Dordt on Saturday and then College of Saint Mary on Sunday in the first Plum Creek Park action of 2022. Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad (11-11, 0-2 GPAC) will attempt to bounce back from a pair of defeats at Midland this past weekend.

This Week

Saturday, March 26 vs. Dordt (10-7-1, 0-0 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats

Sunday, March 27 vs. College of Saint Mary (3-12, 0-0 GPAC), 5 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats

By the numbers

·        The GPAC opening doubleheader at Midland on March 19 featured a pitcher’s duel in game one that went to the Warriors, 2-1, in eight innings. It was a tough-luck loss for Camry Moore, who went 7.2 innings and allowed only one earned run on nine hits and no walks. She also recorded five strikeouts. The story of the day was the work of Midland pitchers Haliee Fliam and Aliyah Rincon, who combined to limit the Bulldogs to just six hits in the doubleheader. Rincon notched eight strikeouts and tossed a one-hitter in game two, which ended in a 7-0 Warrior win. Midland (15-4, 2-0 GPAC) is the reigning GPAC regular season and tournament champion.

·        Concordia got its only run of the day at Midland when Zoie Isom singled home Kylee Nixon in the fourth inning of game one. Five Bulldogs produced exactly one hit apiece in that contest. Shortstop Kylie Shottenkirk then came up with Concordia’s lone hit of the game two. It marked the third time this season that the Bulldogs have been shut out.

·        While Concordia has slipped to 11-11 overall, it isn’t far from having a much better record. The Bulldogs have dropped six games by a one-run margin, including four that have been decided in extra innings. Through 22 games, Concordia has outscored its opponents by a combined total of 119-95. Offensively, the Bulldogs are hitting .317 with a .364 on-base percentage and .424 slugging percentage. The pitching staff sports a team ERA of 3.45. With new starters all over the diamond, Concordia expected some degree of growing pains. The key now is to get over the hump in the close games.

·        Moore looks to be on her way to producing another First Team All-GPAC type of season. The Crete High School product is hitting .470 with four doubles, two triples and 18 RBIs while slugging .591. In the circle, Moore is 7-5 with a 2.08 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 64 innings. She has issued only three free passes. In her career, Moore has won 46 games as a pitcher while throwing more than 400 innings. Entering this season, Moore owned the second lowest career ERA (2.11) by a Concordia pitcher in school history. She needs three more wins to pass Michaela Woodward (48) for No. 3 on the program’s all-time list.

·        Entering this week, the Bulldogs boast six lineup regulars hitting better than .300 on the season: Moore (.470), Kylee Nixon (.328), Caitlyn McGarvie (.321), Aubrey Bruning (.320), Zoie Isom (.311) and Taylor Glause (.305). Nixon has been a mainstay at second base while playing in 112 career games as a Bulldog. She’s notched 111 career hits while batting .344 as a Bulldog. Meanwhile, McGarvie is coming off a First Team All-GPAC season and the remainder of the .300+ hitters are newcomers.

The opponents

College of Saint Mary sports an overall mark of 3-12 having lost seven straight games. The Flames will be opening conference play in Seward on Wednesday night. Last season, Head Coach Carolyn Todd Bray’s squad finished at 9-31 overall (4-18 GPAC). CSM landed in a tie for 11th in the 2022 GPAC preseason coaches’ poll. So far this season, the Flames are hitting .248 and have been led by Rylee Scholl, who is batting .471 (16-for-34) with 10 RBIs. In the circle, Emma Schnell (3-5, 3.78 ERA) has been the team’s top pitcher.

Picked eighth in the GPAC preseason poll, Dordt is slated to play doubleheaders against Briar Cliff and Jamestown before traveling to Seward on Saturday. The Defenders made some waves during spring break with quality wins over No. 8 Indiana Wesleyan University and over a Saint Xavier University (Ill.) team that is receiving votes in the national poll. Head Coach Jeff Zomer has presided over the program since 2010 and has won more than 200 games. From an individual perspective, Dordt’s most important asset has been pitcher Abby Kramer, who is 6-3 with a 1.33 ERA and 76 strikeouts in 63.1 innings.

Next week

The Bulldogs are slated to host Doane for a doubleheader on March 29 before heading to Orange City, Iowa, for a twin bill on April 2. The doubleheader scheduled for this Monday (March 21) at Nebraska Wesleyan has been moved to April 6. That matchup will take place in Lincoln.

Softball postpones home opener until Sunday

MAR 22

The Concordia University Softball Team will have to wait just a little bit longer for its first home games of 2022. Due to inclement weather, the scheduled Wednesday (March 23) doubleheader with College of Saint Mary has been moved to Sunday (March 27) at 1 p.m. CT. The home Saturday doubleheader with Dordt remains as scheduled.

This Weekend

--Saturday vs. Dordt, 1 p.m. DH (Plum Creek Park)

--Sunday vs. College of Saint Mary, 1 p.m. DH (Plum Creek Park)

For a preview of the weekend action, click HERE.

Strong pitching the story in home opening split with Dordt

MAR 26

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Softball team came away with its first conference win of the season on Saturday (March 26) while welcoming Dordt to a chilly Plum Creek Park for the first home action of 2022. The Bulldogs split the afternoon doubleheader, losing the first game, 2-0, but later bouncing back to win the second game, 4-2. Camry Moore led the Bulldogs with three hits on the day.

Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad now moves to an even 12-12 on the year (1-3 GPAC). Edwards was impressed with how her team battled back to split the doubleheader.

“I’m proud of how we fought back in that second game,” Edwards said. “We were more aggressive in our at-bats in the second game. I know that first game Camry did an awesome job pitching, she moved the ball around. We just weren't as aggressive in that first game. Jerzi (Rowe) pitched awesome again and gave us a chance to win. It was a good day to be at home.”

The Bulldogs were unable to get the bats going in the first game of the doubleheader. Moore and Caitlyn McGarvie were the only two bulldogs to reach base, both via singles. Moore was also given the start in the game and went the distance. Through seven innings she only allowed one earned run and stuck out eight along the way in another masterful performance.

In game two the Concordia bats showed signs of life. After a McGarvie triple and Moore RBI single, the Bulldogs were up early. Kylee Nixon singled in a run and Julia Van Wey delivered a two-RBI double to cap off a three-run fifth inning for Concordia. Rowe shut the door on the Defenders, who had the bases loaded in the final inning, to secure the victory. Rowe threw a seven-inning complete game and only allowed two runs on seven hits. The drama ended on a fly ball to right with the bases loaded.

The Bulldogs are hoping the pitching combination of Moore and Rowe will be a formidable one throughout conference play. Their different styles have proven difficult for opposing teams this year.

Edwards said, “Camry throws hard, she’s going to go on both sides of the plate and come at your hands. Jerzi is a really good spinner. She has a nice changeup too. It’s a very different look going from Cam to Jerzi. They do a really good job of complimenting each other and what their strengths are.”

For Dordt, Abby Kraemer put forth a near flawless performance in the circle for the Defenders (11-8-1, 1-1 GPAC) in game one. She threw a complete game shutout while only allowing two baserunners. Karli Olsen had a two-RBI day, one in each game. Jessica Flaherty and Ivy Terpstra had one RBI apiece.

The Bulldogs will be right back at Plum Creek Park on Sunday with another 1 p.m. CT GPAC doubleheader. College of Saint Mary (5-14, 2-0 GPAC) will make the trip to Seward to face Concordia. The Bulldogs split the season series against the Flames in last year's matchups.

Sunday home softball postponed

MAR 26

Concordia University Softball and College of Saint Mary have postponed their scheduled meeting on Sunday (March 27) due to cold temperatures in the forecast. The makeup date is set for Monday, April 4 with first pitch of the doubleheader at 5 p.m. CT from Plum Creek Park in Seward.

Head Coach Tatum Edwards' squad made its 2022 home debut on Saturday (March 26) and split a doubleheader with Dordt. The Bulldogs won the second game, 4-2, behind a complete game pitching performance from Jerzi Rowe.

Conference play to heat up with matchups against Doane, Northwestern

MAR 28

SEWARD, Neb. – The action has come at a slow trickle through the first two weeks of conference play. After dropping a pair at Midland on March 19, the Concordia University Softball team appeared at home for the first time in 2022 and split a doubleheader with Dordt on March 26. A twin bill slated for this past Sunday was postponed due to cold temperatures. A cluster of games is on the horizon. Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad will host Doane on Tuesday before heading to Northwestern on Saturday. The Bulldogs stand at 12-12 overall (1-3 GPAC).

This Week/Beginning of Next Week

Tuesday, March 29 vs. Doane (6-13, 0-2 GPAC), 5 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats

Saturday, April 2 at Northwestern (22-6, 1-3 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats

Monday, April 4 vs. College of Saint Mary (5-14, 2-0 GPAC), 5 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats

By the numbers

·        In last week’s chilly doubleheader with Dordt, the visitors took the first game, 2-0, before Concordia rebounded with a 4-2 victory in game two. The pitchers from both teams were the story of the day. The Defenders’ Abby Kraemer tossed a two-hit shutout in game one while out-dueling Camry Moore in a battle of aces. Then in game two, Bulldog sophomore Jerzi Rowe fired a seven-inning complete game in a winning performance. Rowe managed to coax a flyout to right with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh. Moore and Rowe combined to allow just three earned runs on the day. Moore notched eight strikeouts without a single walk in her seven innings of work.

·        One of the more impressive stats relating to Bulldog softball is the fact that Moore has walked only three batters in 71 innings pitched this season. In 415.2 career innings pitched, the Crete High School alum has walked a grand total of 34 batters. Her career pitching totals also include 46 wins and 294 strikeouts. She needs six more strikeouts to become the seventh pitcher in program history (on record) to notch 300 for a career. As a hitter, Moore has produced career numbers of 144 hits, 104 RBIs, 102 runs, 26 doubles, 14 home runs and seven triples.

·        While the pitching has been solid in the early part of conference play, Concordia now will try to get its offense back on track. Through four GPAC games, the Bulldogs have scored a total of five runs while batting .163. Moore has gone 4-for-13 (.308) in conference play as the team’s top hitter. Overall this season, Concordia is hitting .309 with a .353 on-base percentage and .412 slugging percentage. The Bulldogs are scoring an average of 5.1 runs per game.

·        Moore and Nixon are the two active Bulldogs with at least 100 career hits. In 114 career collegiate games, Nixon has totaled 113 hits, 82 runs, 66 RBIs, 24 doubles, nine home runs and three triples. So far this season, the York, Neb., native is hitting .329 with four doubles, a triple, a home run and nine RBIs. She’s successfully fielded 69 of 73 chances in the field. Since the start of the 2019 program, Moore and Nixon have helped the program to a combined record of 84-39 with a national tournament appearance in 2021.

·        A First Team All-GPAC honoree in 2021 along with Moore, Caitlyn McGarvie has filled a role at the top of the lineup. McGarvie came through with one hit in both ends of the doubleheader with Dordt and is hitting .328 on the season. The native of Valparaiso, Neb., tripled and scored a run in the first inning of the game two win over the Defenders. She batted .325 with a .393 on-base percentage last season. Another of the team’s most experienced players, Julia Van Wey is hitting .281 with eight doubles, a home run and 17 RBIs this season. That RBI total ranks second on the team behind only Moore (19).

The opponents

Doane got conference play started over the weekend and lost two one-run decisions to Mount Marty, 4-3 and 3-2. Head Coach Jordan Olson is in her second season leading the program, which is coming off an overall record of 26-24 last season. The Tigers returned Second Team All-GPAC honoree Shelby Downard, who is a standout two-way player. She sports a 2.88 ERA as a pitcher and is batting .245 with two homers and 14 RBIs. Doane is averaging 4.1 runs per game and has a team ERA of 4.50.

A strong run through nonconference play allowed Northwestern to garner votes in last week’s NAIA coaches’ poll. Head Coach Shane Bouman’s program is coming off a 27-18 season in 2021. The Red Raiders brought back two Second Team All-GPAC honorees in Jennifer Boeve and Emily Strasser. Boeve is hitting .480 with 11 doubles, two triples and two home runs. In addition, Bri Giordano is hitting .483 with 12 doubles, three home runs and 29 RBIs. In the circle, Kate Kralik is 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 94.2 innings.

Monday, April 4 opponent – College of Saint Mary sports an overall mark of 5-14 after having taken two over Dakota Wesleyan to start GPAC play. Last season, Head Coach Carolyn Todd Bray’s squad finished at 9-31 overall (4-18 GPAC). CSM landed in a tie for 11th in the 2022 GPAC preseason coaches’ poll. So far this season, the Flames are hitting .263 and have been led by Rylee Scholl, who is batting .471 (16-for-34) with 10 RBIs. In the circle, Emma Schnell (4-6, 3.87 ERA) has been the team’s top pitcher.

Next week

As shown above, the Bulldogs will begin next week by hosting College of Saint Mary on April 4. The busy stretch will continue with a doubleheader at Nebraska Wesleyan on April 5 before home twin bills versus Jamestown on April 8 and Dakota Wesleyan on April 9. Concordia will honor seniors Camry Moore and Kylee Nixon on April 9.

Isom big swings, Moore pitching fuels sweep of Doane

MAR 29

SEWARD, Neb. – A surprise visit from her mother may have added just a bit of extra motivation for Fillmore, Calif., native Zoie Isom on Tuesday (March 29). Isom helped set the tone for the day when she delivered a 3-2, two-out grand slam to left center in game one of the home doubleheader with Doane. Isom’s bat and Camry Moore’s pitching arm paved the way to a 6-1 win in game one before the bats of Concordia University Softball really busted loose in a 13-5 run-rule game two victory. Somewhat surprisingly, Isom’s slam was the only homer of the day on a night when the wind blew straight out.

Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad improved to 14-12 overall (3-3 GPAC) as it played at home for the second time in 2022. This was the type of offensive outburst the Bulldogs had been seeking.

“Offensively to come back after they had scored a couple runs to make the game (two) close, and to see them explode like that at the end of the game, was great,” Edwards said. “You just felt their presence in the box. I’m really proud of how we continued to fight in our at bats. I really wanted to see more production towards the bottom of the lineup and you saw that one through nine. To see everybody through the lineup contribute and pass the bat is a really good thing.”

In game one on a warm and windy Tuesday, the Bulldogs got all the offense they needed in the third inning. Isom provided the big blow while taking advantage of four free passes issued in the frame by Tiger pitcher Shelby Downard. Prior to Isom’s grand slam, both Caitlyn McGarvie and Moore forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk apiece. Concordia made its three hits off Downard count.

With Moore working in the circle, those six runs were plenty enough. The Crete High School product covered all seven innings while allowing six hits (mostly soft ones) to go with three strikeouts and no walks. Incredibly, Moore has walked only three batters in 78 innings this season. She lowered her ERA to 1.79.

Isom (who played first base and DP) also supplied a two-run double in game two while leading the team with six RBIs on the day. Surely she made her mother proud. Said Isom, “I believed in myself more than what I have been and just trusted what I can do … It was definitely a great moment. Everyone was like, your mom’s here. That was really nice for her to be here.”

In the second contest, Doane made it a one-run game (6-5) with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. The seven-run inning that followed enacted the run-rule. That’s when Isom’s two-run double came. It was soon followed by Moore’s two-run single that made it an eight-run spread. The frame also featured three hit-by-pitches and two walks.

But the Bulldogs did plenty of hitting in that second game, which saw McGarvie, Moore, Kylee Nixon, Kylie Shottenkirk and Julia Van Wey each produce two hits. Nixon scored four runs while Moore drove in four. In addition, Maggie Hughes came through with a two-run double in the fifth. In game two, Concordia hitters reached base a combined 21 times via either a hit, walk or hit-by-pitch.

Jerzi Rowe won her second-straight start against GPAC competition. She went 5.2 innings (four earned runs allowed) before Megan Eurich recorded the final out in the top of the sixth. The Bulldogs believe the pitching combo of Moore and Rowe will continue to give them opportunities to win within the GPAC.

Said Edwards, “They compliment each other really well. To see Camry come out and do what she does, that’s just what we expect from her. With Jerzi, she’s learning to bring that confidence every team she goes out there. She knows what she can do and she just needs to trust that process.”

Concordia will return to action on Saturday with a GPAC doubleheader at Northwestern (22-6, 1-3 GPAC). First pitch from Orange City, Iowa, is slated for 1 p.m. CT. The Bulldogs split last season’s twin bill with the Red Raiders.

Shottenkirk homer lifts Bulldogs to game one win in split with Northwestern

APR 2

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The heroics of Kylie Shottenkirk in game one helped make the Concordia University Softball team a winner as part of a doubleheader split at Northwestern on Saturday (April 2). The Bulldogs also got a stellar pitching performance from Camry Moore as they took game one, 3-1, before falling in game two, 6-4, in Orange City, Iowa. Kylee Nixon produced three hits in the second contest.

Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad remains at .500 in conference play with a 4-4 league mark (15-13 overall).

“We kept pushing in that first game,” Edwards said. “We had quite a few strikeouts but when we needed a clutch hit, we got one from Kylie Shottenkirk. She battled through her at bat after getting down in the count. No matter where we are in the count or what is going on, we have to battle to the end. It showed what can happen when you do that with Kylie’s at bat.”

In game one, Concordia waited until there were two outs in the top of the sixth before cracking the scoreboard. With runners on second and third, Shottenkirk sent Kameryn Etherington’s pitch over the wall in left field for a home run that turned a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead. Caitlyn McGarvie (walk) and Moore (single) were along for the ride.

That one swing of the bat provided enough support for Moore, who faced only two batters over the minimum in yet another pitching gem. Moore surrendered the one run on two hits and did not allow a walk while striking out five. She managed to outduel Etherington (10-2), who racked up eight strikeouts and allowed five hits and three walks.

“We’ve really been on the same page,” Edwards said of Moore. “I’m just excited to continue to work with her for as long as we can.”

A four-run fifth inning for the Red Raiders in game two proved too much to overcome. However, the Bulldogs gave themselves a shot in the top of the seventh. Concordia cut its 6-2 deficit in half via Nixon’s two-run single. McGarvie followed with an infield hit that put two runners on with two outs. Etherington, who came on to get the save, got Moore to fly out to left to end the day.

Over the two games, the Bulldogs outhit Northwestern (receiving votes in the most recent national poll), 14-9. Zoie Isom collected two hits in both ends of the twin bill. Nixon went 3-for-4 with a run, a double and two RBIs in game two. McGarvie also notched two hits in the second contest. Meanwhile, Shottenkirk went 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI in the game two.

Jerzi Rowe got the game two start in the circle and went five innings. She gave up five runs (three earned) on six hits and one walk while striking out two. Defensively, four Concordia errors contributed to two unearned runs. For the Red Raiders (23-7, 2-4 GPAC), Kate Kralik earned the pitching win and Gwen Mikkelsen recorded two hits, including a home run.

A hectic week is coming up for the Bulldogs, who will quickly turn around and host College of Saint Mary (7-15, 3-1 GPAC) for a doubleheader at 5 p.m. CT on Monday. This matchup had twice been postponed due to lack of cooperation from the weather. The two programs split last season’s twin bill that was played in Omaha. As part of next week’s slate, Concordia is also scheduled to be in action on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.

Moore continues masterful pitching in split with CSM

APR 4

SEWARD, Neb. – Since conference play began, Camry Moore has elevated her pitching prowess to a new level of dominance. Moore twirled a four-hit shutout in the first of two games with College of Saint Mary on Monday (April 4). While riding that performance, the Bulldogs won a pitcher’s duel, 2-0, before slipping in game two, 10-7. Moore also collected three hits while helping lead the offensive attack.

Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad has split three of its first five GPAC doubleheaders and sits at 16-14 overall (5-5 GPAC). Concordia always has a chance when Moore is in the circle.

“Camry again was making a whole bunch of adjustments from pitch to pitch,” Edwards said. “She shut them out. She’s done such a good job of understanding the game. I think her and I are on a really good page as far as attacking hitters and communicating during innings. I love watching her throw.”

This was essentially a continuation of what Moore has been doing most of this spring. All four hits she surrendered were singles. The Crete High School product really got on a roll in the latter innings of game one. The only runner Flames batter to reach base over the fifth, sixth and seventh innings came after strike three got away from the catcher. Moore’s stat line included six strikeouts, eight fly outs and six ground outs.

It was a fine day on the other side for CSM ace pitcher Emma Schnell. The Bulldogs got the only runs they needed off Schell in game one during the third inning. That frame began with Kylee Nixon’s leadoff walk and was highlighted by an RBI single apiece from Moore and Julia Van Wey. Relief pitcher Mickayla Larsen then held Concordia scoreless the rest of the way.

Game two was a much different story. The Flames (8-16, 4-2 GPAC) mounted a 10-0 lead while putting up at least one run in five separate innings. Maddie Nekola and Marissa McCargill both belted home runs while putting CSM on the brink of winning by the run rule. To the Bulldogs’ credit, they didn’t give in an actually had the potential tying run in the on-deck circle with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. That’s when Schnell coaxed a foul out to the catcher to put the game on ice.

Concordia had fought back in game two with a four-run sixth that included an RBI single from Van Wey, a unique sac fly from Kylie Shottenkirk and a booming two-run homer to center from Zoie Isom. Then in the seventh, Moore doubled home a run and Shottenkirk brought home two more with a double. Of the seven runs Schnell allowed in game two, only one was earned (due to two errors).

The Bulldogs had waited too long to get the bats going in the second game. Said Edwards, “If we would have shown up as the team that did in the sixth and seventh inning, that game looks completely different. I told our team, ‘We can’t be two different teams in the same game.’ Every single pitch matters. Every time you step in the box matters. We showed that we can fight back.”

With her efforts in game one, Moore recorded the 49th pitching win of her career, putting her alone at No. 3 on the program’s all-time wins list. She also lowered her career ERA to 2.00 (within striking distance of the program’s career record of 1.95). In six pitching appearances in conference action this season, Moore owns a 0.58 ERA and 29 strikeouts (against two walks) in 36 innings.

Three more doubleheaders remain on this week’s slate. In a rescheduled twin bill, Concordia will be at Nebraska Wesleyan for a 5 p.m. CT first pitch on Tuesday. Conference action will resume this weekend with home doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday.

Eight-game week to culminate with Saturday senior day

SEWARD, Neb. – Already having started the week with a home doubleheader versus College of Saint Mary, there’s a lot more yet to come for Concordia University Softball. The Bulldogs will look for consistency as they play at Nebraska Wesleyan on Tuesday before coming back home for doubleheaders with Jamestown on Friday and Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday. The Saturday twin bill will mark the end of the regular season home schedule and will be used to honor seniors Camry Moore and Kylee Nixon. Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad enters Tuesday’s games at 16-14 overall (5-5 GPAC).

This Week

Tuesday, April 5 at Nebraska Wesleyan (12-5), 5 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast

Friday, April 8 vs. Jamestown (16-14, 3-3 GPAC), 5 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast/Stats

Saturday, April 9 vs. Dakota Wesleyan (9-20, 1-7 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH (Senior Day)
--Live Webcast/Stats

By the numbers

·        The Bulldogs have completed five of their 11 scheduled conference doubleheaders and are hovering in the middle of the GPAC standings. According to the official GPAC ratings released on Monday, the top four teams in the league are Morningside, Midland, Jamestown and Northwestern. Concordia certainly looked like it belonged on the same field last week as Northwestern. Camry Moore held the Red Raiders to just one run on two hits in a sterling complete game as part of game one. In that 3-1 Bulldog victory, Kylie Shottenkirk came through with a clutch three-run homer in the sixth that proved to be the game winner. Concordia was swept by Midland but still has yet to play Morningside or Jamestown.

·        Moore has always excelled as a Bulldog, but she’s taken things to a new level of late. The Crete High School product has allowed just one earned run over her last three starts (three complete games) while dominating conference opponents. In GPAC games only, Moore has made six pitching appearances (36 innings) and owns a 0.58 ERA to go along with 29 strikeouts and two walks. Conference foes are hitting .213 against her. The precise control of Moore continues to be a marvel. She has walked only five batters in 92 innings overall this season. Among GPAC players, Moore ranks third in overall season ERA (1.60). At the plate, she ranks fourth in the league in batting average (.456).

·        Moore keeps rising up the program’s all-time rankings. From a pitching perspective, Moore sports school career rankings of second in ERA (2.00), third in wins (49), sixth in innings pitched (436.2) and seventh in strikeouts (308). As a hitter, Moore ranks fifth in RBIs (112), seventh in home runs (14), seventh in runs scored (109) and 10th in doubles (29). Recently, Moore eclipsed 300 career strikeouts. She still has a shot at becoming the program’s all-time leader for lowest ERA if she can move hers below the 1.95 ERA of Celine Lassaigne.

·        As part of a home doubleheader on Saturday, the Bulldogs will celebrate seniors Camry Moore and Kylee Nixon (listed as juniors in terms of playing eligibility). Both Moore and Nixon have been key parts of the team since they arrived in the fall of 2018. The duo has helped the program to a combined four-year record of 88-41 with a national tournament appearance in 2021 (after reaching the GPAC Championship Series). In 120 career games, Nixon has batted .347 (121-for-349) with 89 runs scored, 27 doubles, nine home runs, 68 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. On last season’s honor roll, Moore was named First Team All-GPAC while Nixon was chosen as Honorable Mention All-GPAC.

·        What Moore provides has been stable and constant. The progress of those around her will have a lot to do with how successful Concordia can be as a team. Among the freshmen, first baseman/DP Zoie Isom and shortstop Kylie Shottenkirk have been the most dependable players. Over the past six games, Shottenkirk has gone 8-for-18 (.444) with a home run and seven RBIs while heating back up. Meanwhile, Isom leads the team with three homers on the season. The native of Fillmore, Calif., has flashed a powerful bat. She belted a grand slam in the 6-1 win over Doane and then crushed a booming two-run shot in Monday’s doubleheader.

·        As the No. 2 pitcher, Jerzi Rowe has proven capable of winning within the GPAC. Back on March 26, Rowe fired a seven-inning complete game and allowed just two runs on seven hits in a 4-2 win over Dordt. The Gretna, Neb., native has worked three complete games this season and owns a 5-6 record and 4.68 ERA in 55.1 innings. Brooke Townsend (25.1 IP) and Megan Eurich (23.1 IP) have added depth to the pitching staff.

The opponents

The doubleheader with Nebraska Wesleyan has been rescheduled three different times. The former GPAC member Prairie Wolves are 12-5 with two of the losses having come recently at Hastings. One of NWU’s top players is a former Bulldog in Val Gerlach, who is hitting .404 with a home run and 21 RBIs. Head Coach Mary Yori is in her seventh season leading the program, which is coming off a 16-21 record in 2021.

Jamestown went 34-13 last season and finished in a tie with Concordia for third in the GPAC. Like the Bulldogs, the Jimmies recently split a doubleheader with CSM. Jamestown ended the month of March by taking a game from 24th-ranked Morningside. Kevin Gall is in his 22nd season as head coach at Jamestown, where he led the program to a school record 44 wins in 2018. The Jimmies have a lockdown ace of their own in Kat Miska, who is 9-3 with a 2.06 ERA with 94 strikeouts in 74.2 innings.

Dakota Wesleyan has struggled to a 1-7 start to GPAC play with the lone win coming at Mount Marty on March 19. The Tigers have a new head coach in Derek Lien. As one of the team’s top players, Alyssa Burke has produced 41 hits in 106 at bats (.387 batting average). McKinnely Mull paces the squad with 21 RBIs. The pitching staff sports an ERA of 7.01.

Next week

In the only outing of next week, the Bulldogs will be at No. 24 Morningside for a 3 p.m. doubleheader on April 12.

Dawgs win one, lose one in close matchups with former GPAC rival

APR 5

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Concordia University Softball team split its midweek doubleheader against nonconference opponent and former GPAC rival Nebraska Wesleyan University on Tuesday (April 5). In game one, the Bulldogs were led by Camry Moore in the low-scoring pitcher’s duel, winning 1-0. They couldn’t quite pick up the sweep falling, 4-3, in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the seventh. Head Coach Tatum Edward's squad is sitting just above the .500 mark at 17-15 on the year.

Moore has been nearly untouchable on the mound as of late, only one earned run combined in her last four starts. Tuesday’s performance was her second straight complete-game shutout, moving her to 11-6 on the season. With the victory, Moore also picked up her 50th career win, a feat that only three other players in the program have been able to accomplish. Mindy (Evans) Miller currently holds the record with 83 career wins.

“Camry’s showing her maturity,” Edwards said. “She knows her strengths and the adjustments she has to make. She takes ownership when she misses a pitch. That’s what you want to see from a senior pitcher. I think she’s pitching very maturely.”

On the offensive side for Concordia, their lone run in the first game came from an RBI double by Alexis Tachovsky. Julia Van Wey had three hits on the day, including an RBI in game two. Lex Campos and Caitlyn McGarvie had one RBI apiece in the second game. Aubrey Bruning had three hits and scored a run. Moore was also productive offensively, reaching base three times and scoring a run in the second game.

Said Edwards, "Offensively, I think we saw over 300 pitches tonight. We were fouling pitches off and fighting in our counts. It looked like one through nine everyone who came up had good at-bats."

Jerzi Rowe (5-7) got the nod in the circle for game two. Rowe threw 6.2 innings, allowing four earned runs and striking out four. The back and forth second game was tied going into the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, Nebraska Wesleyan senior Sydney Nickerson was able to drive in the winning run with a base hit to left. The throw to the plate had beat the runner, but the Concordia catcher was ruled to have inhibited the runner’s path.

Although the Bulldogs weren't able to pull off the doubleheader sweep, Coach Edwards liked the team's resiliency.

“In those later innings (of game two), they were getting people on base with less than two outs and putting pressure on us to make plays and to pitch well – and we did,” Edwards said. “Jerzi was jamming them all game and making pitches when we really needed them. I was really proud of that.”  

Concordia will be back in action on Friday (April. 8) with an evening doubleheader against GPAC opponent Jamestown. The Bulldogs split their doubleheader with Jamestown last season. The Jimmies are currently 16-14 (3-3 GPAC). First pitch for Friday's action is set for 5 p.m. CT.

Moore outduels Miska in battle of aces

APR 8

SEWARD, Neb. – Two of the very best pitchers in the GPAC went head-to-head on a blustery Friday (April 8) evening at Plum Creek Park. As part of the doubleheader between Concordia University Softball and Jamestown, ace pitchers Camry Moore and Kat Miska combined to allow only one earned run in a 2-1 game one victory for the Bulldogs. The visiting Jimmies responded with an 8-7 victory in game two, which Miska finished off while earning the save.

Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad has split each of its last four doubleheaders while seeing its record run to 18-16 overall (6-6 GPAC). This weekend marks the final home action of the 2022 regular season.

“The wind (blowing in) was a big factor,” Edwards said. “We actually hit a lot of balls hard where on another day might have been gap shots or possibly home runs. I was really happy to see that. We kept working to hit the ball hard on the ground. We knew we had to do that to put pressure on their defense to make plays. That’s what we did to walk it off (in game one). It was great to see two top pitchers compete against each other. You could kind of envision that going in of how tight it was going to be. Camry again showed why she is so good.”

The run Moore is on has been something to behold. She used the elements to her advantage on Friday and surrendered only three hits (no walks) in another seven-inning complete game effort. It actually took two extra outs (error and a passed ball on a strikeout) for Jamestown to break through with a run in the fourth inning of game one. It’s the only run Moore has allowed in 21 innings of work this week.

The Crete High School product Moore also scored the game-tying run in Friday’s opener. With Concordia still trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth, Moore singled to left with one out. Two batters later, she scored on Julia Van Wey’s RBI single to right. Those were two of the five hits allowed in game one by Miska, the 2021 GPAC Pitcher of the Year.

The contest appeared to be destined for extra innings. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Taylor Glause reached on an error on the pitcher. On the ensuing play, Aubrey Bruning chopped the ball to the third baseman, whose throw was wild and went up the line. The error chased Glause home all the way from first for the walk-off run.

Game two looked much different. There were a combined 26 hits. The Jimmies (17-15, 4-4 GPAC) did most of their damage in the first and fourth innings with three runs apiece in those frames. Out of the No. 2 spot in the Jamestown lineup, La La Romero went 4-for-4 with three runs and an RBI. The Bulldogs were able to make it interesting in the bottom of the seventh with Van Wey’s two-out RBI single. Miska then recorded the game’s final out via the strikeout.

Moore does it all for Concordia. She collected four hits on the day, including two doubles. In the second contest, Zoie Isom, Caitlyn McGarvie and Van Wey each posted two hits and multiple RBIs. Isom knocked in three runs in continuing a productive freshman season. The winning pitcher was Katie Merchant while the loss was tagged on Jerzi Rowe.

The final home games of the 2022 regular season will take place on Saturday as the Bulldogs get set to host Dakota Wesleyan (9-22, 1-9 GPAC) for a 1 p.m. CT doubleheader. Between games, Concordia will celebrate seniors Camry Moore and Kylee Nixon with a senior day ceremony. In action at Midland on Friday, the Tigers dropped a pair, falling by scores of 14-11 and 11-3 (six innings).

Moore, Nixon play final regular season home games as Bulldogs split with DWU

APR 9

SEWARD, Neb. – At long last, sunny and warmer weather greeted a Concordia University Softball team that wrapped up the regular season home slate on Saturday (April 9). As part of the happenings, the Bulldogs celebrated accomplished seniors Camry Moore and Kylee Nixon in between games of a doubleheader. The Concordia bats were kept quiet by Dakota Wesleyan in a 4-1 game one loss before an eight-run inning in game two powered a 12-6 victory to cap the day on a high note.

Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad split each of its four doubleheaders over the past week. The Bulldogs stand at 19-17 overall (7-7 GPAC).

“That was the most aggressive team we’ve seen against Camry,” Edwards said. “They forced us to make adjustments in our pitch calling and what levels we were trying to hit. She got better as the game went on. We just didn’t produce what we needed offensively. The second game – getting down early – we could have rolled over. Offensively, we came back and were swinging the bat. Our timing got better. Everyone throughout the lineup has to be part of it. To see them come back and win that second game was good going into next week.”

Dakota Wesleyan did not look like a team that entered the day with an eight-game losing streak. After taking the first contest on Saturday, the Tigers put themselves in position for a potential sweep while taking a 4-0 lead into the fourth inning of game two. Finally, things turned around as Zoie Isom doubled in a run, Kylie Shottenkirk singled in two and Moore singled home two more as part of an eight-run fourth. For good measure, Taylor Glause and Aubrey Bruning added an RBI single apiece in the fifth and Isom delivered a sac fly in the sixth.

The sudden springing to life of the offense saved the Bulldogs from being stunned on senior day. Concordia struggled mightily in game one while up against pitcher Meghan Daffern. She retired the first 14 batters she faced before hitting Caitlyn McGarvie with a pitch. The Bulldogs then got their lone run of the game when McGarvie stole second and scored on Shottenkirk’s base hit to left.

Knowing Moore’s ability to pound the strike zone, DWU went on the attack. The Tigers (10-23, 2-10 GPAC) managed to accumulate nine hits off Moore, who had been nearly spotless all week. Even so, the Crete High School alum battled and gave up just two earned runs and notched nine strikeouts. In 28 innings this past week, Moore surrendered a grand total of two earned runs.

In game two, Megan Eurich ate up all seven innings in the circle and earned her second win of the season. After a tough start, Eurich allowed only two runs over the game’s final five innings. Eurich registered six strikeouts.

Unless Concordia rattles off a significant win streak down the stretch, Moore and Nixon have made their last home appearances. Senior day is always a special occasion, especially for two Bulldogs so essential to the program over the past four seasons.

Said Moore, “It really means a lot. It doesn’t hit you when other girls are graduating in front of you, but I think it hit a little bit harder today. Just seeing the support from everyone is really awesome. It means a lot to all of us.”

Added Nixon, “All I can think about are the laughs I’ve shared with the girls over the years. It’s not so much about softball the game itself. It’s super cute for Camry and I to be able to do this together because we’ve been best friends for four years and lived together for three out of those four.”

Nixon had a base hit in the first game and made a number of nifty plays at second base on Saturday. After another solid pitching outing, Moore collected three hits, three runs and two RBIs in the game two win. Bruning and Shottenkirk also produced two hits apiece in the victory.

Said Edwards of the seniors, “Camry and Kylee have done nothing but give good things to the program. I am truly thankful to be part of it for one year of their careers. It’s been fun to get to know them on a personal level. They have really bright futures.”

The Bulldogs will be on the road for the final eight games of the regular season. That stretch begins on Tuesday with a trip to Sioux City, Iowa, for a 3 p.m. CT doubleheader at Morningside (16-10, 4-4 GPAC). Concordia managed to defeat the Mustangs twice on their home turf during the 2021 GPAC tournament. The Bulldogs wound up as the conference postseason runner up.

Lighter week features doubleheader at Morningside

APR 11 

SEWARD, Neb. – Fresh off playing four doubleheaders over a six-day stretch, Concordia University Softball will have a calmer slate this week. The only varsity competition of the week will take place on Tuesday as the Bulldogs head to the Jensen Softball Complex in Sioux City, Iowa, for two games against perennial GPAC powerhouse Morningside. Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad has split each of its last five twin bills and stands at 19-17 overall (7-7 GPAC). There is work to do to ensure that Concordia locks up a spot in the postseason.

This Week

Tuesday, April 12 at Morningside (16-12, 4-6 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Video | Live Stats: Game 1 | Game 2

By the numbers

·        The doubleheader splits came last week against College of Saint Mary (April 4), NCAA Division III Nebraska Wesleyan University (April 5), Jamestown (April 8) and Dakota Wesleyan (April 9). Two of the four defeats came by one-run margins. Due to the way the schedule sets up, the Bulldogs hosted their senior already this past weekend. The final eight games of the GPAC regular season will be on the road for Concordia. So far, the only road conference action has come at Midland and at Northwestern. The reigning GPAC regular season and postseason champion, Midland (12-2 GPAC) is the frontrunner once again atop the league standings.

·        Senior day festivities took place in between games of the doubleheader versus Dakota Wesleyan. A youthful squad, Concordia has only two senior players, but both have made a huge impact on the program – Camry Moore and Kylee Nixon. The Bulldogs also honored second-year graduate assistant coach Bre Hamilton and senior student manager Kaetlyn Todd. As for Moore and Nixon, they have helped Concordia to a combined four-year record of 91-44 with a national tournament appearance in 2021. That ’21 squad qualified for nationals thanks to a run to the GPAC Championship Series.

·        Speaking of last year’s GPAC tournament run, it included three wins at the Jensen Softball Complex, including two over host Morningside (the No. 2 seed in the bracket). If she hadn’t been considered a star already, Moore definitely rose to stardom on May 5-6, 2021. Moore picked up the pitching wins in both games against the Mustangs while also going a combined 4-for-6 (with two walks) at the plate. Moore homered twice in the 9-3 victory over Morningside on May 5. Prior to those wins over the Mustangs, no one on the 2021 Concordia roster had ever beaten Morningside. The advancement to the GPAC Championship Series earned the Bulldogs an automatic bid to nationals (program’s first appearance since 2015).

·        Moore will go down as one of the top players in program history for her abilities with both her bat and pitching arm. From an offensive perspective, Moore sports program career rankings of third in RBIs (114), fifth in runs scored (117), sixth in batting average (.392), seventh in home runs (14), 10th in doubles (31) and 12th in hits (160). On the program’s all-time pitching lists, Moore ranks first in ERA (1.94), third in wins (51), sixth in innings pitched (457.2) and seventh in strikeouts (327). Incredibly, Moore has issued only 36 walks in her college career as a pitcher. She was named Second Team All-GPAC in 2019 and First Team All-GPAC in 2021. Over last week’s outings, Moore allowed a combined two earned runs in 28 innings.

·        Nixon has also enjoyed a fine career as a mainstay at second base. Over 126 career collegiate games, the York High School product has compiled 124 hits, 90 runs scored, 28 doubles, 16 stolen bases, nine home runs and 68 RBIs. Her career batting average is .337. Nixon garnered Honorable Mention All-GPAC accolades last season. In 2022, Nixon is hitting .312 with eight doubles, one triple, a home run and 11 RBIs. She also owns a .968 fielding percentage having successfully fielded 121 of 125 chances at second base.

·        Greater consistency from the next wave of Bulldog standouts will be a key down the stretch this season. Concordia has gotten steady play from third-year outfielder Caitlyn McGarvie, who is hitting .342 with 21 runs scored, four doubles, three triples and 12 RBIs. Seven regulars in the lineup are batting at least .280: Moore (.463), McGarvie (.341), Nixon (.312), Zoie Isom (.298), Julia Van Wey (.294), Kylie Shottenkirk (.292) and Aubrey Bruning (.282). Isom paces the team with three home runs.

The opponent

Morningside will try to get back on track after having lost five of its last six games. The program’s head coach since 1999, Jessica Jones-Sitzmann has led the Mustangs to incredible heights that include 10 national tournament appearances and 16 total GPAC titles. Morningside returned each of its First Team All-GPAC selections from last season: Ellie Cropley, Morgan Nixon and Lexie Stolen. Nixon has been the team’s top hitter this season with a .387 batting average, six home runs and 29 RBIs. The team’s two main pitchers are Grace Buffington (9-4, 2.34 ERA) and Katherine Wurtz (7-8, 3.25 ERA). Morningside was ranked 20th in the NAIA preseason poll and landed just outside the top 25 of the latest coaches’ poll.

Next week

The road swing will continue the weekend of April 22-23 as Concordia is slated to play at Briar Cliff and at Mount Marty. The regular season is scheduled to conclude with a doubleheader at Hastings on April 26.

Morningside pitching stars as Bulldogs fall twice

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Concordia University Softball team waited until the seventh inning of both ends of Tuesday (April 12) afternoon’s doubleheader before cracking the scoreboard. In action at Jensen Softball Complex in Sioux City, Iowa, host Morningside won a nine-inning pitcher’s duel, 2-1, in game one before completing the sweep with a 7-3 victory in game two. Bulldog ace Camry Moore fired eight strong innings and drove in the team’s only run in game one.

Coming into play, Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad had split each of its previous five doubleheaders. Concordia slipped to 19-19 overall and to 7-9 in conference play.

“The first game we had some hard hits to the outfield, but they were right at people,” Edwards said. “We couldn’t get much to drop for us. Defensively, we made some plays to save run from scoring in the bottom of the seventh. That was great to see. Offensively, we were making some adjustments, but couldn’t get anything to land or get hits when we needed to.”

Moore went head-to-head with Katherine Wurtz as pitching counterparts in game one. The only player who did much damage off of Moore was First Team All-GPAC slugger Morgan Nixon, who belted a solo homer in the second and then a walk-off blast leading off the bottom of the ninth. Moore spent most of the day inducing ground ball outs – 17 to be exact – in her typical stellar outing. She allowed five hits and one walk while striking out two.

The second game got away from the Bulldogs in the fourth inning when Morningside struck for five runs. After six innings, the Mustangs were in control with a 7-0 lead. A bright spot for Concordia was the top of the seventh that saw it string together some of its best at bats of the day. Taylor Glause singled and scored on Grace Boganowski’s RBI triple. Aubrey Bruning also earned credit for an RBI on a play that resulted in an error and Moore singled home one more run.

The Morningside pitching duo of Wurtz and Grace Buffington combined to limit Concordia to one earned run on 10 hits in 16 innings. As part of Nixon’s monster day, she also went 2-for-4 with an RBI in game two. A team that was just outside of the most recent NAIA coaches’ top 25, the Mustangs (18-12, 6-6 GPAC) picked up some needed momentum after entering the day having lost five of their last six.

In game two, Jerzi Rowe (3 IP) and Megan Eurich (3 IP) split the pitching duties for the Bulldogs. Rowe was tagged with the loss after she allowed five earned runs on eight hits. Rowe managed to hold Morningside off the scoreboard for the game’s first two innings.

The Bulldogs will have the remainder of Holy Week off from competition. Next up on the schedule will be another trip to Sioux City where Concordia will take on Briar Cliff (17-12, 7-5 GPAC) for a doubleheader on April 22. Only six games remain on the regular season slate.

G1 - M'side 2, CUNE 1 (9 inn.)

G2 - M'side 7, CUNE 3

 

Road stretch continues with doubleheaders at Briar Cliff, Mount Marty

APR 19

SEWARD, Neb. – If all games are played as scheduled, the Concordia University Softball team will have completed the regular season by the end of the day next Tuesday (April 26). The final six games of the regular season slate are all on the road. The Bulldogs will be at Briar Cliff on Friday and at Mount Marty on Saturday. Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad has been idle since falling twice at Morningside on April 12. Concordia enters this week at 19-19 overall (7-9 GPAC).

The schedule below is subject to change, pending the weather. Please check the schedule page HERE for the latest updates.

This Week

Friday, April 22 at Briar Cliff (17-14, 7-5 GPAC), 3 p.m. DH
--Live Video | Live Stats

Saturday, April 23 at Mount Marty (23-9, 11-3 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Video | Live Stats

By the numbers

·        The games this week will be pivotal as the Bulldogs attempt to secure a spot in the GPAC tournament. As things currently stand, Concordia resides in eighth place. It would appear the battle for the final few spots could be tight down the stretch. Making things more complicated at this time is the fact that the number of GPAC games played varies from team to team. While the Bulldogs have six GPAC games (three doubleheaders) left, other GPAC teams still have as many as 10 conference games to go. In other words, this week will be needed to provide more clarity.

·        The Bulldogs always have a chance when Camry Moore is in the circle. She enjoyed another stellar outing last week at Morningside while throwing an eight-inning complete game in the 2-1 loss. The only hitter to do any damage against Moore was Morgan Nixon, who accounted for both Morningside runs with a solo homer in both the second and ninth innings. Moore allowed two runs on five hits and a walk. In game two, Concordia found itself in a 7-0 deficit before putting three runs on the board in the seventh. Grace Boganowski tripled home a run and Moore singled in another. It was simply too little, too late. The Mustang pitching duo of Katherine Wurtz and Grace Buffington held the Bulldogs to a combined 10 hits on the day.

·        Moore will go down as one of the top players in program history for her abilities with both her bat and pitching arm. From an offensive perspective, Moore sports program career rankings of third in RBIs (116), fifth in runs scored (117), sixth in batting average (.390), seventh in home runs (14), 10th in doubles (31) and 12th in hits (161). On the program’s all-time pitching lists, Moore ranks first in ERA (1.94), third in wins (51), sixth in innings pitched (465.2) and seventh in strikeouts (329). Incredibly, Moore has issued only 38 walks in her college career as a pitcher. She was named Second Team All-GPAC in 2019 and First Team All-GPAC in 2021.

·        Although Moore’s ERA within conference is an impressive 0.84, her record in GPAC games is 4-5. That record has mostly been a result of the team’s inconsistency offensively. Concordia has managed to average 4.1 runs per game within conference play despite a team batting average of .241, on-base percentage of .296 and slugging percentage of .312 in GPAC games only. In terms of batting average within conference games, the leading Bulldog hitters have been Moore (.408), Caitlyn McGarvie (.318), Kylie Shottenkirk (.302) and Zoie Isom (.279). Concordia has homered only three times in conference play – two from Isom and one from Shottenkirk.

·        In GPAC games this season, Concordia has split five of the eight doubleheaders. The Bulldogs earned a sweep of Doane, got swept by both Midland and Morningside and split with Dordt, Northwestern, College of Saint Mary, Jamestown and Dakota Wesleyan. A year ago, Concordia went 15-7 in GPAC play and placed third in the regular season. Dating back to the 2014 season, the Bulldogs have finished at .500 or better in league play each year. Their highest place finish was a tie for second in 2017.

The opponents

Briar Cliff also has not played since April 12 when it dropped two games at Dakota State University (S.D.). A doubleheader versus Northwestern slated for April 13 was postponed. In conference play, Briar Cliff has been strong in the pitching department (2.61 team ERA). The ace of the staff is Kayla Guerrero, who is 6-3 with a 2.38 ERA in 73.2 innings. Like Concordia, the Chargers do not rely heavily on the home run, but Alexis Westercamp (five homers) has shown pop. Karina Cupples is hitting .390 to lead the way for Head Coach Erin Bly’s squad.

Mount Marty remains in the GPAC title hunt, currently one loss behind Midland (14-2 GPAC) at the top of the standings. Under first-year Head Coach Kayla Bryant, the Lancers have broken school records for overall wins and GPAC wins in a season. Mount Marty boasts perhaps the leading candidate for GPAC Player of the Year in Elliot Burns, who paces the GPAC in batting average (.538), home runs (13) and RBIs (51). The potent Lancer offense averages 6.8 runs per game. The pitching staff owns an ERA of 3.38 behind Kaylee Rogers (8-3, 3.05 ERA).

Next week

The 2022 regular season is set to conclude next Tuesday (April 26) with a 5 p.m. doubleheader at Hastings. The GPAC tournament will begin with pod play on May 4.

 

Moore, Rowe throw gems, Boganowski stars as Bulldogs take two from Briar Cliff

APR 22

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – A stretch of nine-straight days without a game didn’t phase the Concordia University Softball team. Camry Moore and Jerzi Rowe both put together stellar complete game pitching performances on Friday (April 22) as the Bulldogs captured a pair of road wins, 5-1 and 7-2, over Briar Cliff in Sioux City, Iowa. Taylor Glause and Caitlyn McGarvie spurred the offensive attack with four hits apiece and Grace Boganowski drove in four runs on the day.

The results on Friday were significant as Concordia aims to lock up a spot in the GPAC tournament. Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad earned a second GPAC doubleheader sweep this season and moved to 21-19 overall (9-9 GPAC).

“On both sides of the ball, we did a really good job,” Edwards said. “Grace Boganowski has stepped up and has really taken the opportunity and ran with it. She hit the ball really well and made some great defensive plays at shortstop. Camry pitched really well and we scored a lot of runs with two outs. It’s a dagger when you’re scoring with two outs. It just hurts a little bit more … Jerzi pitched really well. It was all good softball. I hope we take this and we run with it the next couple games.”

There just aren’t adequate adjectives to describe Moore’s dominance. She’s been the best and most consistent pitcher in the GPAC in 2022. On Friday, the Crete High School product allowed one run on four hits while collecting five strikeouts. She got plenty of run support in game one thanks to the Bulldogs tallying one run in the second, two in the third, one in the sixth and one in the seventh.

As mentioned by Edwards, Boganowski has capitalized on her opportunity. She went 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs in the first game on Friday. She also went 1-for-3 with two RBIs in the second game. With her help, Concordia never faced a deficit the entire day.

Seven Bulldogs tallied two or more hits on Friday. In addition to the four hits each from Glause and McGarvie and three hits from Boganowski, Kylie Shottenkirk and Julia Van Wey contributed three hits apiece. In game two, Concordia took control of the contest by pushing across four runs in the fourth inning. It owned a 7-0 lead before the Chargers managed to score twice in the seventh.

Those tallies were too little too late for Briar Cliff (17-16, 7-7 GPAC), which was shut down by Rowe. The Gretna, Neb., native scattered nine hits over her seven innings and allowed only one earned run while fanning six hitters. As the star at the plate in game two, Glause went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

The recent break seemed to be a nice refresher for the Bulldogs. Said Edwards, “I think it was good for us to reset a little bit. It’s kind of weird to get a break like that in-season but they were excited to play. They came out focused on themselves and the preparation we’ve put into practice the last couple days. Everyone was excited to be at the field today. We have nothing to lose. Hopefully we can take that into the next game that we have.”

Moore owns a career pitching record of 52-24 with a program record low ERA of 1.94. Her ERA this season within conference games only is a microscopic 0.86.

The Bulldogs will be back in action on Saturday for a doubleheader at Mount Marty (24-10, 12-4 GPAC). First pitch from Yankton, S.D., is set for 1 p.m. CT. Led by star Elliot Burns, the Lancers have broken school single season records for overall wins and conference wins.

Concordia pushes Lancers in tight road losses

APR 23

YANKTON, S.D. – The Concordia University Softball team dropped two high scoring contests in a windy weekend doubleheader against a Mount Marty opponent that is enjoying its best season in school history. The 13 runs Concordia plated on the day weren’t enough to get a win on Saturday (April 23). The Bulldogs lost the lead late in game one and ultimately ended up slipping by the final score of 7-6. In game two the offense was productive again, but Mount Marty proved to be too much in a 10-7 decision. Mount Marty’s bats were hot on the gusty day, hitting five home runs.

The Bulldogs fell to an even 21-21 on the season. With only two conference games left in the season, Concordia is sitting near the middle of the pack at 9-11 in the GPAC. Despite dropping two games, Head Coach Tatum Edwards was impressed with the offense her team provided.

“We hit the ball just as well as Mount Marty,” Edwards said. “They hit a couple more balls into the wind that carried out of the park. I’ve never seen wind blow that hard during a game. I was really proud of our offense. We just kept battling through our at bats. We kept finding holes. We’re starting to peak at the right time. If we can make the postseason, I think we can be a dangerous team.”

Kylee Nixon hit her tenth career home run and racked up three RBIs in game one. Camry Moore had four hits on the day, one of which was a triple. She picked up four RBIs along the way. Caitlyn McGarvie and Julia Van Wey each had three hits apiece over the two games. Kylie Shottenkirk added two RBIs in game one. Zoie Isom, Lex Campos and Grace Boganowski each batted in a run for the Bulldogs in game two.

Game one starter Camry Moore went six innings (complete game), allowing seven earned runs and eight hits. She struck out two and walked two. Jerzi Rowe got the nod for game two and went three innings, allowing eight earned and striking out two. Megan Eurich came in relief of Rowe and struck out four in three innings of work while only allowing one earned run.

The Lancers (26-10, 14-4 GPAC) remain in the hunt for a conference regular season title, currently situated one loss behind first-place Midland (17-3 GPAC). Mount Marty has broken program records for overall wins and conference wins in 2022. Concordia managed to limit Lance star shortstop Elliot Burns to one hit on the day – although it was a three-run homer.

Said Edwards, “For us to do what we did yesterday and come here today and really compete was a good sign. Again, Grace Boganowski has done a really good job at shortstop. It seems like everybody is starting to find what they’re best at. You love to see that later in the season, especially with the postseason coming around. We showed we can compete and hang with Mount Marty. That should give us some confidence and some momentum moving forward.”

The Bulldogs will wrap up the regular season on Tuesday with a trip to Hastings, Neb. First pitch of game one is set for 5 p.m. CT. In last season’s matchup with the Broncos (19-22, 5-11 GPAC), Concordia was able to end both games in the fifth inning via mercy rule.

Regular season set to wrap up at Hastings

APR 25

SEWARD, Neb. – By the end of the day on Tuesday, the Concordia University Softball team will have wrapped up the 2022 regular season. A couple of wins would go a long way towards solidifying the Bulldogs as a GPAC tournament qualifier. Concordia is preparing to play a doubleheader at Hastings on Tuesday night. Head Coach Tatum Edwards came away encouraged following a 2-2 weekend that featured twin bills at Briar Cliff and at Mount Marty. The Bulldogs enter the week at 21-21 overall (9-11 GPAC).

This Week

Tuesday, April 26 at Hastings (19-22, 5-11 GPAC), 5 p.m.
--Live Webcast/Stats

By the numbers

·        Historically, a .500 record within league play has been plenty good enough for a top-eight GPAC placement required to reach the conference tournament. Concordia hopes to get there on Tuesday, although sweeps haven’t been easy to come by. The Bulldogs have swept doubleheaders from two GPAC opponents this season: Doane and Briar Cliff. In the first 20 years of the GPAC tournament (2000-present), Concordia has qualified 19 times. The only time the Bulldogs missed out on the GPAC tournament (2013), they went 8-12 in the GPAC. If Concordia can get to 11-11 in league play, it would mark the eighth season in a row that the program has finished at .500 or better within the GPAC.

·        The Bulldogs may have played their best ball yet this season in the sweep at Briar Cliff. One of the keys was getting quality pitching in both ends of the twin bill. Camry Moore threw yet another seven-inning complete game and allowed only one run on four hits (no walks) while striking out five. In game two, Jerzi Rowe took the ball and also fired a seven-inning complete game. She surrendered just one earned run on nine hits and six walks to go along with six strikeouts. At the plate, five Concordia players collected at least three hits over the doubleheader: Taylor Glause (4-for-6), Caitlin McGarvie (4-for-6), Grace Boganowski (3-for-6), Kylie Shottenkirk (3-for-6) and Julia Van Wey (3-for-8).

·        The Bulldogs dropped two at Mount Marty on April 23 despite combining for 22 hits on the day. Concordia had leads in both games, which finished with Lancer victories by scores of 7-6 and 10-7. The Bulldogs led 4-3 in the fifth inning of game one and owned a 6-5 advantage after three innings of game two. In the first contest, Kylee Nixon belted her 10th career home run as part of a three-RBI performance. In game two, Moore went 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs. However, the Mount Marty offense was just a bit better. The Lancers lead the conference in runs per game at 6.1.

·        An Omaha native and Concordia Lutheran High School alum, Boganowski has provided a spark at shortstop. She has started six-straight games at shortstop and has seized on the opportunity by going 7-for-20 (.350) at the plate with two doubles, three triples and six RBIs. She has successfully converted 25 of 27 chances in the field during that same stretch. This is the most extended playing time Boganowski has seen in her young collegiate career. As a freshman in 2021, Boganowski appeared in 13 games and had nine at bats.

·        Consider this the weekly update on Moore’s career totals. Following last week’s action, she now owns school all-time offensive rankings of third in RBIs (120), fifth in runs scored (119), sixth in batting average (.388), seventh in home runs (14), ninth in hits (166) and 10th in doubles (31). As a pitcher, Moore’s program career rankings are second in ERA (2.00), third in wins (52), sixth in strikeouts (336) and sixth in innings pitched (478.2). Eight more RBIs would put Moore at No. 2 on the list. It’s worth noting that her 2020 season was limited to only 14 games due to the COVID-19 shutdown.

·        A Lincoln North Star High School alum, McGarvie is enjoying an even better season than the one she had in 2021 when she was named First Team All-GPAC. The Valparaiso, Neb., native has collected at least one hit in 10 of the last 11 games while raising her season batting average to .361. McGarvie also sports a robust on-base percentage of .449. In addition, she’s the team leader with 13 stolen bases. A constant in the lineup, McGarvie is one of five Bulldogs who have started at least 40 games this season.

The opponent

Hastings will need to string together a series of wins this week if it is to reach GPAC postseason play. The Broncos kept those hopes alive last week with a doubleheader sweep at Dakota Wesleyan. Now in his 16th season leading the program, Head Coach Troy Baker has taken Hastings to the NAIA national tournament as recently as 2017. This season, the Broncos are averaging 4.3 runs per game offensively and sport a team ERA of 4.90 (within league games). From a power perspective, the team’s top offensive player has been Bailey French, who is hitting .323 with a .548 slugging percentage. The ace pitcher is Kyleigh Boever, who is 9-7 with a 3.19 ERA in 103 innings. In last season’s matchup, Concordia twice beat Hastings by the run rule in action that took place in Seward.

GPAC Tournament

The GPAC tournament will begin with pod play on May 4-5 and culminate with the GPAC Championship Series on May 7. Should the Bulldogs qualify for the tournament, they will be on the road – likely at Midland or at Mount Marty. The top two seeds earn the right to host separate four-team pods of the conference tournament.

Tenth-inning outburst allows Bulldogs to salvage split in regular season's final doubleheader

APR 26

HASTINGS, Neb. – The postseason fate for Concordia University Softball remains a bit cloudy, but it really had to have the second game of Tuesday (April 26)’s final regular season doubleheader. The Bulldogs got it done thanks to a six-run 10th-inning while salvaging a split at Hastings. The host Broncos took game one, 6-3, before Concordia rebounded to win the 10-inning game two, 10-6. The Bulldogs scored six runs on six hits in the 10th frame.

Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad has concluded the regular season at 22-22 overall (10-12 GPAC). At the moment, Concordia resides in sixth place in the GPAC standings, but some movement is to be expected with nearly every other conference team still having games to play.

“Jerzi (Rowe) pitched so well – she pitched all 10 innings (of game two),” Edwards said. “She allowed her defense to work when she needed an out. She pitched with poise even though she lost her changeup in the fourth or fifth inning. She found it again later in the game. We weren’t do much with our at bats, but finally we figured it out offensively. It was a team win.

“I didn’t want them to have play with any pressure (in regard to making the postseason). We just wanted to look at it as an opportunity to play our best.”

It was a bit of a seesaw affair in the second game on a mild evening at the Smith Softball Complex. Camry Moore delivered a two-run homer (15th career homer) in the third and Zoie Isom gave the Bulldogs their first lead on a solo shot by Zoie Isom in the fifth. Hastings eventually forced extra innings with the help of an infield hit in the bottom of the seventh.

After scoreless eighth and ninth innings, Concordia broke loose. There were five-straight singles to begin the 10th, coming from Caitlyn McGarvie, Moore, Isom, Julia Van Wey and Maggi Hughes. With one out, Grace Boganowski added some insurance via a two-run single. Another run came home on Aubrey Bruning’s RBI ground out. The Bulldog offensive attack finished with 18 hits. Six Concordia players notched at least two hits in the victory.

There were also a lot of baserunners for the Broncos (20-23, 6-12 GPAC), but Rowe battled and allowed only two earned runs in her 10 innings of work. She scattered 10 hits and six walks.

In game one, Concordia was plagued by seven errors and an inability to get much offense going after the first inning. All three Bulldog runs in that contest were scored in the first inning when Moore drove one in on a ground out and Isom singled in two runs. Hastings pitcher Kyleigh Boever went the distance while picking up the win. In the circle for Concordia, Moore went 3.1 innings before being relieved by Megan Eurich for the final 2.2 innings.

The hot stretch for McGarvie, the Bulldog outfielder, deserves special mention. She went 5-for-7 with two walks on Tuesday. Since April 5, the Valparaiso, Neb., native has gone 20-for-43 (.465) with 12 runs scored and two doubles. She’s raised her season batting average to .383. In addition, Moore collected four hits in the doubleheader and moved her career hit total to 170 (ninth most in program history).

The Bulldogs will now await the results of GPAC regular season games yet to be played this week. Conference tournament pod play will run May 4-5 at the home sites of the top two seeds. The GPAC Championship Series is slated for May 7.

2022 GPAC Softball Tournament Preview

MAY 2

SEWARD, Neb. – The bracket is set. The Concordia University Softball team will be the No. 7 seed in the 2022 GPAC tournament that features double-elimination pod play this Wednesday and Thursday. The Bulldogs will be headed to Orange City, Iowa, as one of four teams in the Northwestern Bracket. As the top two seeds in the GPAC, Midland and Northwestern are the host sites for pod play. Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad concluded the regular season at 22-22 overall (10-12 GPAC). Concordia will take on the host Red Raiders at 12 p.m. CT on Wednesday in the opening game of the bracket.

2022 GPAC Tournament – Northwestern Bracket
--Full Bracket

May 4-5 | Northwestern Softball Diamond (Orange City, Iowa)
--Live Webcasts (available for all games) | Live Stats

Wednesday, May 4
Game 1 – (2) Northwestern vs. (7) Concordia, 12 p.m.
Game 2 – (3) Mount Marty vs. (6) College of Saint Mary, 2 p.m.
Game 3 – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 4 p.m.
Game 4 – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 6 p.m.

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

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

By the numbers

·        As a program, Concordia has qualified for the GPAC tournament in 20 out of a possible 21 years (the first season of GPAC softball was 2001). The only season the Bulldogs missed out on conference postseason play was 2013. Since then, Concordia has enjoyed its share of success in the GPAC tournament. The Bulldogs celebrated a GPAC tournament title in 2015 and placed as the runner up in 2014 and 2021. Each of those postseason runs resulted in appearances in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round. The ’21 squad emerged as the champion of the Morningside Bracket pod and reached the GPAC Championship Series.

·        It’s been a bit of an up and down 2022 season for Concordia, which tied for sixth in the GPAC regular season standings. Splits were common as the Bulldogs split GPAC doubleheaders with Dordt, Northwestern, College of Saint Mary, Jamestown, Dakota Wesleyan and Hastings. Concordia swept twin bills from Doane and Briar Cliff and got swept by Midland, Morningside and Mount Marty. During conference play, the Bulldogs once won four in a row but never lost more than three in a row. In GPAC games, Concordia scored 104 runs and allowed 96.

·        As one of the GPAC’s top hitters and pitchers, Camry Moore figures to be a strong candidate once again to be named First Team All-GPAC. On the season, Moore is hitting .435 (60-for-138) with 10 doubles, three triples, one home run and 39 RBIs – to go along with a .487 on-base percentage and .572 slugging percentage. As a pitcher, Moore is 13-10 with a 1.73 ERA, 117 strikeouts and only eight walks in 137.1 innings. Following last week’s action, Moore owns school all-time offensive rankings of third in RBIs (124), fifth in runs scored (121), sixth in batting average (.388), seventh in home runs (15), ninth in hits (170) and 10th in doubles (32). As a pitcher, Moore’s program career rankings are second in ERA (2.00), third in wins (52), sixth in strikeouts (338) and sixth in innings pitched (482).

·        Outfielder Caitlyn McGarvie stayed white hot last week, going 5-for-7 with three runs scored, two walks, a hit-by-pitch and a double in the twin bill at Hastings on April 26. The Lincoln North Star High School alum has collected at least one hit in 12 of the past 13 games. Since April 5, McGarvie has hit .465 (20-for-43) with 12 runs, four walks, four doubles, six stolen bases and four RBIs. That stretch has raised her season batting average to .383 (second on the team). McGarvie paces Concordia with 14 stolen bases. She also leads the team with eight successful sacrifice bunts.

·        The dates May 5-6, 2021, offered some of the most thrilling moments in Concordia Softball history. Over those two days, the Bulldogs went 3-0 in GPAC tournament play at the Morningside bracket. Two of the wins came over Morningside, 9-3 and 4-0, which was ranked 13th in the NAIA at the time. In the first win over Morningside, Moore threw a seven-inning complete game, picked up the win and belted two home runs. The next day, Moore shut the Mustangs out on just two hits in what goes down as a legendary effort in Concordia Softball lore. The second win at Morningside pushed the Bulldogs into the GPAC Championship Series and clinched a national tournament berth.

·        In conference games only, Concordia sports GPAC rankings of fifth in runs scored (104), fifth in earned run average (3.15), sixth in on-base percentage (.326), seventh in batting average (.274), eighth in slugging percentage (.366) and ninth in fielding percentage (.943). The Bulldogs also ranked fifth in the GPAC in sacrifice bunts with 14 and struck out the third fewest times at the plate (82). In other words, Concordia has been more of a small-ball team offensively. In GPAC games only, Moore has recorded a 1.51 ERA.

Northwestern Bracket opponents

(2) Northwestern (36-9-1, 15-6-1 GPAC) – The Red Raiders moved up to the No. 2 spot in the GPAC standings while going 6-0-1 over their final seven conference regular season games. Head Coach Shane Bouman’s squad has showcased a strong offensive/defensive balance. Within league games, Northwestern ranked fourth in runs scored (122) and fourth in earned run average (2.76). The Red Raiders boast two of the GPAC’s top five hitters in terms of batting average in Bri Giordano (.460) and Jennifer Boeve (.414). Northwestern is also home to two of the GPAC’s three winningest pitchers in Kameryn Etherington (19 wins) and Kate Kralik (17 wins).

(3) Mount Marty (27-13, 15-7 GPAC) – The Lancers just missed out on a chance to host their own pod when they dropped a 5-3 decision to Briar Cliff in their regular season finale. Despite that defeat, Mount Marty has set new school records for overall wins and GPAC wins in a single season. GPAC Player of the Year candidate Elliot Burns paces the conference in batting average (.533), home runs (16) and RBIs (58). In league games only, the Lancers ranked second in the GPAC in runs scored (129) while leading the conference in slugging percentage (.510). Head Coach Cynthia Chavez is in her first season at the helm of the program.

(6) College of Saint Mary (14-26, 10-12 GPAC) – The Flames stood at 3-14 overall in the middle of the season before picking up their play in GPAC action. CSM finished in a tie for sixth place in the GPAC standings despite a minus-33 run differential in league play. Head Coach Carolyn Todd Bray’s squad boasts a couple of strong power hitters in Macy Homes (10 HR, .661 SLG) and Maddie Nekola (8 HR, .578 SLG). In the circle, Emma Schnell has shouldered the lion’s share of the innings. She owns a 3.70 ERA and 9-15 record in 149.1 innings.

GPAC Championship Series
The winners of the Midland and Northwestern Brackets will meet in the GPAC Championship Series on Saturday (hosted by the highest remaining seed). It will a best of three series with game one beginning at a time to be determined. As the GPAC regular season champion, Midland has earned one of the league’s two automatic berths to nationals. The GPAC tournament champion will also receive a bid. Should Midland win the conference tournament, the second nationals bid would go to the GPAC tournament runner up.

Seventh-inning rally keeps season alive in GPAC tournament 

MAY 4

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – There were some tense moments on Wednesday (May 4) evening, but the Concordia University Softball team kept its season alive thanks to the help of a seventh-inning, elimination game rally. As part of the GPAC Tournament’s Northwestern Bracket, the seventh-seeded Bulldogs endured an 8-0 run-rule loss at the hands of second-seeded Northwestern before holding off sixth-seeded College of Saint Mary, 6-5, in Orange City, Iowa. Kylie Shottenkirk enjoyed a 6-for-6 day that included an RBI single during Concordia’s season-saving rally.

The postseason victory marked the first in the career of Head Coach Tatum Edwards whose squad remains at .500 overall (23-23). The season will be on the line from here on out as part of the double-elimination format.

“Going into the second game we knew it was win or go home,” Edwards said. “I wasn’t going to put any pressure on them to feel that. I just said, ‘Let’s just go out and have fun and compete for each other.’ I felt like we played loose and had a good time in the dugout. Jerzi (Rowe) pitched well and we competed. This game can bring the best out of you. I hope it does for us tomorrow.”

In what was the fourth and final game of the day in Orange City, the Bulldogs squandered a 2-0 lead and trailed 3-2 heading into the seventh. Senior second baseman Kylee Nixon sparked the ensuing rally with a leadoff double. Nixon came home to tie the game on Julia Van Wey’s RBI single. Concordia kept the line moving as Zoie Isom drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, Shottenkirk singled home another and Grace Boganowski added a sac fly. Camry Moore also collected a pair of RBIs in the win.

Edwards counted upon the sophomore lefty pitcher Rowe to complete the game and hang onto a 6-3 lead. That advantage became tenuous when CSM’s Emma Hofmaier and Macy Homes delivered an RBI double apiece to make it a one-run ballgame. With the potential tying run at second – and the potential walk-off run in the batter’s box – Rowe recorded a strikeout and a flyout to right to seal the deal. Rowe showed toughness while scattering 10 hits (no walks) in the seven-inning complete game.

As part of the victory, outfielder Caitlyn McGarvie remained white hot for Concordia. The Valparaiso, Neb., native went 3-for-3 with three runs, a triple and a walk against College of Saint Mary. A nine-game hitting streak for McGarvie has raised her season batting average all the way up to .400. Meanwhile, the freshman Shottenkirk put together one of her finer days yet as a Bulldog. She went 2-for-2 in the first game and 4-for-4 in the second game on Wednesday. The Flames ended their season at 14-28 overall.

Said Edwards of McGarvie, “She’s having really, really good swings and barreling up good pitches. She’s covering all parts of the plate – she’s hitting everything. She’s just doing a really good job with her approach. Watching her be this consistent for this long has been great. As far as Kylie Shottenkirk, she’s found her swing. She was struggling for a little while, but she’s a gamer. She wants the bat in her hand. Seeing her trust her swing again has been fun to watch.”

Northwestern (37-10-1) managed to put six runs on the board against Concordia ace Camry Moore. The Red Raiders ended the day’s first contest early thanks to Sydnee Isom’s two-run single in the bottom of the fifth. On the other side of the pitching matchup, Northwestern’s Kameryn Etherington threw a five-hit, five-inning shutout. Jordyn Kramer helped back Etherington with a two-run homer in the first.

The Red Raiders proceeded to fall by a 5-3 score in their matchup with third-seeded Mount Marty. That puts the Lancers in the driver’s seat in the Northwestern Bracket. Concordia and Northwestern now get set for a rematch at 12 p.m. CT on Thursday from the NWC Softball Diamond. It will be an elimination game for both sides.

In one previous instance in program history, the Bulldogs rebounded from a run-rule loss in the opening game of the GPAC tournament in the process of making a run to nationals. The 2014 team fell by the run rule to Midland before rattling off victories in five-straight elimination games. The ’14 squad finished as the GPAC tournament runner up. The current Concordia team must win three times on Thursday in order to reach the GPAC Championship Series.

Second day of GPAC softball tourney pushed to Friday (May 6)

Due to wet and rainy conditions, the second day of action at the 2022 GPAC Softball Tournament has been pushed to Friday (May 6). The GPAC made the announcement regarding the postponement of the games early on Thursday morning. The Concordia University Softball team is now set to play an elimination game against host Northwestern at 12 p.m. CT on Friday as part of the Northwestern Bracket held at the NWC Softball Diamond in Orange City, Iowa.

In Wednesday (May 4)'s action, Head Coach Tatum Edwards' squad dropped an 8-0 five-inning run-rule decision to Northwestern in the opening game of the bracket. Later in the day, the Bulldogs (23-23) bounced back for a 6-5 win over College of Saint Mary while keeping the season alive. Below is the schedule for Friday's games at the Northwestern Bracket. As of now, the GPAC Championship Series remains on schedule for Saturday.

Northwestern Bracket - Friday, May 6 Schedule

Game #5 – (7) Concordia vs. (2) Northwestern – Noon
Game #6 – (3) Mount Marty vs. Winner Game #5 – 2 p.m.
Game #7 – If necessary (Game #6 winner/loser) – 4 p.m.

Shottenkirk stays hot; Bulldogs eliminated from postseason play

MAY 6

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The 2022 journey has come to an end for the Concordia University Softball team. A late-inning rally came up short in Friday (May 6)’s GPAC tournament elimination game with second-seeded Northwestern. The host Red Raiders held off the Bulldogs, 4-3, as part of the Northwestern Bracket. Concordia fell despite two more hits, including a home run, from freshman Kylie Shottenkirk.

The first season of Tatum Edwards’ head coaching tenure is complete with a 23-24 overall record. The Bulldogs were just one big hit away from extending the campaign into the finals of their pod.

“I thought we had a solid approach in our at bats,” Edwards said. “We were seeing more off-speed and I thought we had a good plan going into the game. I saw some really good swings throughout the lineup and we looked confident. We just came up short. Our approach was better today than the game on Wednesday (8-0 loss to Northwestern).”

A Lincoln North Star High School alum, Shottenkirk figures to be a big part of the future for Concordia Softball. She went perfect 8-for-8 at the plate during this week’s three GPAC tournament games. Shottenkirk unloaded for a solo homer to left in the sixth inning on Friday, cutting the deficit to 4-3. The Bulldogs made it a nail-biter after having gone down 4-1 on Chloe Gallegos’ three-run blast in the third. Concordia chipped away with a run in the fourth when Shottenkirk singled and scored on an RBI ground out by Lex Campos.

In Wednesday’s action, Shottenkirk went 2-for-2 in the first game against Northwestern and then went 4-for-4 in the 6-5 win over College of Saint Mary. The hot finish to 2022 boosted Shottenkirk’s final season batting average to .314.

Said Edwards, “She’s shown how she’s matured. It was awesome to see Kylie stay present in her at bats and work pitch-to-pitch. She’s growing and maturing – it’ll be really exciting to see her continue to develop going into next year.”

In the circle, Jerzi Rowe threw the first three innings and allowed all four runs. Senior Camry Moore then made the final pitching appearance of her tremendous Bulldog career. Moore gave the Bulldogs a chance while working three shutout frames, during which she allowed only one baserunner. On the other side, the pitching duo of Kameryn Etherington and Kate Kralik was just good enough to push the Red Raiders’ season onward into another elimination game.

As for Moore, she’ll go down as one of Concordia’s all-time great softball players. Moore was the star of last season’s postseason run that resulted in a national tournament appearance. The Crete, Neb., native moved into a tie on the school’s all-time RBI list with the 127th RBI of her career coming on Friday. Moore batted .386 in 142 career games as a hitter. As a pitcher, she went 52-27 with 2.06 ERA in 489 collegiate innings. Moore and Kylee Nixon are the two senior players who will graduate and move on. Nixon also played a significant four-year role and batted .326 over 137 career games.

The roster beyond Moore and Nixon was a decidedly youthful one in 2022. This season will be one for young players such as Shottenkirk and Zoie Isom (team high four home runs) to build upon. It was also a fine third-year campaign for outfielder Caitlyn McGarvie, who batted .390, second best on the team behind Moore (.425).

“Out two seniors had a great impact,” Edwards said. “Being young and being able to play in the postseason was a big deal. It should help them grow pretty quick. We’ll have to fill some spots in the lineup. Going into next year, we know we can play in big situations. Everyone has to figure out their role and do it the best they can. It takes everyone on the roster to be successful.”

GPAC Tournament:

NWC 4, CUNE 3

 

McGarvie chosen to first team, Moore second team on GPAC honor roll

MAY 12

2022 All-GPAC
First Team
Caitlyn McGarvie, OF
Second Team
Camry Moore, P/1B
Honorable Mention
Zoie Isom, UT
Kylee Nixon, 2B

SEWARD, Neb. – In highlighting the list of honorees announced on Thursday (May 12), the Concordia University Softball team placed outfielder Caitlyn McGarvie on the All-GPAC First team and pitcher/first baseman Camry Moore on the conference’s second team. In addition, second baseman Kylee Nixon and utility player Zoie Isom were recognized with honorable mention all-conference accolades. The four honorees were standouts in 2022 for Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad.

This marks back-to-back First Team All-GPAC awards for McGarvie, a Lincoln North Star High School alum and native of Valparaiso, Neb. A white-hot month of April helped make McGarvie an obvious first team choice. On the season, she batted .390 (48-for-123) with seven doubles, four triples, 13 RBIs and a team high 16 stolen bases. McGarvie also put up an on-base percentage of .483 and a slugging percentage of .512. In the field, McGarvie notched 32 putouts. In 101 career collegiate games, McGarvie has totaled 95 hits, 57 runs, 17 doubles, four triples and owns a .361 batting average.

In her astounding career, Moore has twice been named Second Team All-GPAC and was selected as First Team All-GPAC in 2021. The Crete High School product led the way for the 2022 Bulldogs from both a hitting and pitching standpoint. At the plate, she batted .425 (62-for-146) with 39 runs, 10 doubles, three triples, a home run and 42 RBIs to go along with a .472 on-base percentage and .555 slugging percentage. In the circle, Moore went 13-11 with a 1.94 ERA and 120 strikeouts (against just eight walks) in 144.1 innings. Moore fired a no-hitter against Graceland University (Iowa) back on March 4 and enjoyed a stretch in early April that saw her toss three-straight complete games without allowing an earned run. Moore concluded her career with program all-time offensive rankings of second in RBIs (127), fifth in runs scored (122), sixth in batting average (.386), seventh in home runs (15), eighth in hits (172) and 10th in doubles (32). As a pitcher, Moore’s program career rankings are second in ERA (2.06), third in wins (52), sixth in strikeouts (341) and sixth in innings pitched (489).

A York High School product, Nixon played alongside Moore for each of the past four seasons. Both were instrumental in helping the program reach the 2021 national tournament. Nixon is a two-time Honorable Mention All-GPAC award winner. This past season, Nixon batted .289 (43-for-149) with 32 runs, 10 doubles, one triple, two home runs and 15 RBIs while slugging .409. At second base, Nixon successfully handled 156 of 161 chances (.969). In 137 career games as a Bulldog, Nixon batted .326 (133-for-408) with 96 runs, 30 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs and 72 RBIs.

Isom earned a starting role as a freshman. The native of Fillmore, Calif., topped the team with four homers on the season. In 43 games of action, Isom hit .297 (35-for-118) with 12 runs, six doubles and 28 RBIs. She slugged .449 and worked 14 walks. Isom registered multiple hits in nine separate games.

Season-In-Review: 2022 Concordia Softball

JUN 9

A run to the 2021 national tournament preceded a 2022 season of ups and downs for Concordia Softball. The program knew it wouldn’t be easy to replace Bulldog all-time greats like Hhana Haro and Tori Homolka while also transitioning under the direction of a new head coach. The highlights included a run-rule victory of 19th-ranked Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) and GPAC doubleheader sweeps of Doane and Briar Cliff. Ultimately, the campaign ended in GPAC tournament pod play at the Northwestern Bracket.

In her first experience as a head coach, former Nebraska Cornhusker All-American and Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Tatum Edwards guided the Bulldogs in 2022. She had begun her tenure in August of 2021. On June 8, it was announced that Edwards had taken on the role of Associate Head Coach at NCAA Division I Valparaiso University.

Replied Edwards in response to a tweet from @CUNEathletics, “Thanks so much for taking a chance on me! So lucky and fortunate to have been a Bulldog.”

The next head coach of the program will inherit a team that just went 23-24 overall this spring. The campaign saw impact-seniors Camry Moore and Kylee Nixon finish up their Concordia careers. Moore and Nixon were part of squads that went a combined 95-51 since the start of the 2019 season. The program has plenty of potential moving forward having been to the national tournament three times since 2014. The ’22 squad tied for sixth in the GPAC as the program qualified for the conference tournament for the 20th time out of a possible 21 years.

The Bulldogs celebrated their senior day on April 9. The program used that day to honor not only Moore and Nixon, but also two-year graduate assistant coach Bre Hamilton and student manager Kaetlyn Todd.

As Moore wrote in reflection, “My time here at Concordia has blessed me with my best friends and I will forever be grateful for that! I want to thank my parents, sister and family for being my biggest supporters through it all!”

Nixon wrote, “I appreciate Concordia for its community of people and the memories I have been able to make here. I love my friends and I'm happy softball is what brought us together. I wish the coaches and girls good luck in the years to come!”

One of the program’s best players of all-time, Moore earned Second Team All-GPAC honors in 2022. Her final season with the Bulldogs featured a no-hitter against Graceland University (Iowa) on March 4. Moore was especially dominant in the circle from March 29 through April 8 when she fired five-straight seven-inning complete games (35 total innings) and allowed a combined grand total of one earned run. Moore concluded her career with program all-time offensive rankings of second in RBIs (127), fifth in runs scored (122), sixth in batting average (.386), seventh in home runs (15), eighth in hits (172) and 10th in doubles (32). As a pitcher, Moore’s program career rankings are second in ERA (2.06), third in wins (52), sixth in strikeouts (341) and sixth in innings pitched (489).

Additional all-conference honors went to Caitlyn McGarvie (first team), Zoie Isom (honorable mention) and Nixon (honorable mention). A Lincoln North Star High School alum, McGarvie put together a white-hot month of April and batted .390 (48-for-123) on the season. She totaled seven doubles, four triples, 13 RBIs and a team high 16 stolen bases. McGarvie was also a first team all-conference selection in 2021.

Freshmen in Isom and Kylie Shottenkirk figure to be a big part of the future of the program. Isom displayed potential for a powerful bat that produced six doubles and a team high four homers in 2022. Meanwhile, Shottenkirk came on especially strong at the close of the season. Another Lincoln North Star product, Shottenkirk went a perfect 8-for-8 during GPAC tournament play and batted .314 for the season.

Said Edwards immediately following the season, “Being young and being able to play in the postseason was a big deal. It should help them grow pretty quick. We’ll have to fill some spots in the lineup. Going into next year, we know we can play in big situations. Everyone has to figure out their role and do it the best they can. It takes everyone on the roster to be successful.”

The pitching staff will have a different look next season as Moore moves on. Sophomore Jerzi Rowe has gained valuable experience over the past two years. Rowe posted a 4.90 ERA in 98.2 innings of work in 2022. Megan Eurich and Brooke Townsend also saw action in the circle.

Other noteworthy performances were put forward in 2022 by the likes of Grace Boganowski, Aubrey Bruning and Julia Van Wey, among others. Boganowski supplied a nice spark in the middle of the season when she was inserted into the lineup at shortstop. Meanwhile, Van Wey batted .292 in her second collegiate season and the slap-hitting Bruning started 36 games as a freshman. In addition, transfer Taylor Glause came in and took ownership of the catching role.

Once finalized, the new head coach of Concordia Softball will be announced via a release and will be promoted through Concordia Athletics social media channels.

Four Bulldogs land on World-Herald's All-Midlands Softball Team

JUN 13

SEWARD, Neb. – A group of four Bulldogs from the 2022 Concordia University Softball team have been honored by the Omaha World-Herald, as announced on Sunday (June 12). The newspaper outlet recognized Camry Moore as part of primary 14-member 2022 All-Midlands Softball Team. Three Bulldogs were named Honorable Mention All-Midlands: Zoie Isom, Caitlyn McGarvie and Kylee Nixon.

The World-Herald’s All-Midlands Softball Team features the top players from Nebraska four-year colleges and universities outside of the NCAA Division I level. The 2022 team (listed at bottom) includes players from NAIA and NCAA Division II and III institutions. Concordia Softball produced an overall record of 23-24 this past season.

Concordia All-Midlands award winners

Camry Moore | Crete, Neb.
2022 stats: (hitting) 45 G, .425 (62-for-146), 39 R, 10 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 42 RBIs, 10 SB, .472 OBP, .555 SLG; (pitching) 1.94 ERA, 13-11 W-L, 25 G, 18 CG, 144.1 IP, 128 H, 8 BB, 120 K, .228 BAA

Zoie Isom | Fillmore, Calif.
2022 stats: 43 G, .297 BA (35-for-118), 12 R, 6 2B, 4 HR, 28 RBIs, .366 OBP, .449 SLG, .971 F%

Caitlyn McGarvie | Valparaiso, Neb.
2022 stats: 45 G, .390 BA (48-for-123), 32 R, 7 2B, 4 3B, 13 RBIs, 16 SB, .483 OBP, .512 SLG

Kylee Nixon | York, Neb.
2022 stats: 45 G, .289 BA (43-for-149), 32 R, 10 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBIs, 8 SB, .325 OBP, .409 SLG, .969 F%

2022 Omaha World-Herald All-Midlands Softball Team

* denotes honorary captain

C - Macy Homes, Jr., College of St. Mary

1B - Reece Floro, Fr., Bellevue

2B - Ashley Young, Jr., Bellevue

SS - Kim Vidlak, Sr., Wayne State

* 3B - Roni Foote, So., Midland

OF - Carlee Liesch, Sr., UNK

OF - Maricela Egan, Sr., Bellevue

OF - Emily Prai, So., Midland

DH - Sydney Thomason, Fr., UNK

U - Lauren Jurek, Jr., Bellevue

SP - Katie Cunningham, Fr., Bellevue

SP - Kailey Meyer, Sr., Nebraska Wesleyan

SP - Camry Moore, Jr., Concordia

SP - Aliyah Rincon, So., Midland

Honorable mention: Bellevue: Cory Carrillo, Allison O'Driscoll, Emily Rochford. Chadron State: Tia Kohl, Lauren Zimmerman. College of St. Mary: Emma Hofmaier, Marissa McGargill, Maddie Nekola, Emma Schnell, Rylee Scholl. Concordia: Zoie Isom, Caitlyn McGarvie, Kylee Nixon. Doane: Jadyn Hunt, Haley Kennedy, Alicia Vint, Jayden Young. Hastings: Ava Krueger, Sydney Schelkopf, Lauren Schneider.Midland: Hailee Fliam, Diana Nisbett, Carly Pfitzer, Kaitlyn Rickey, Ali Smith, Sheridan Wayne. Nebraska Wesleyan: Val Gerlach, Hanna Roth, Taylor Styskal. Peru State: Ellie Ohlde, Morgan Wilke. UNK: Katie Gosker, Madison Rosenthal. Wayne State: Jenna Etmans, Riley Holmberg. York: Sariah Ayala, Haylea Thomas.

Culler to take helm of Concordia Softball program

SEWARD, Neb. – On the heels of a successful coaching tenure at Grand Island Central Catholic High School, Brock Culler has been chosen to lead the Concordia Softball program, as announced by the Concordia University Nebraska Athletic Department on Thursday (June 30). Culler is ready to take on the challenge of running a collegiate program after nine years as head coach at Grand Island Central Catholic. Culler recently guided the Crusaders to the Class B state softball tournament for the first time in school history.

Culler replaces Tatum Edwards, who was named the Associate Head Coach at Valparaiso University. Culler felt the time was right to move to the college game and become head coach of a Bulldog Softball program that reached the national tournament as recently as 2021.

Said Culler, “I am very blessed to have this opportunity to be the next Head Softball Coach at Concordia University. I’m very much looking forward to being a part of the family at Concordia. I am also very excited to be able to compete with all the great coaches, players and teams in the GPAC Conference. This is an exciting day for me and my family. I look forward to getting started. Go Bulldogs!”

Director of Athletics Devin Smith had identified Culler as one of the top high school softball coaches in the state of Nebraska. Smith is confident in the abilities Culler has demonstrated as a strong Christian leader.

Wrote Smith in a statement, “Coach Culler is a values-driven, family leader who walks with his faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus as his guide. The campus community will see Bulldog Softball taking another step toward excellence within a program built to thrive. Most importantly, we are excited for our student-athletes as we will see their great work in the classroom continue, be guided to grow deeper spiritually, and compete for titles under Culler’s leadership. Coach brings a sense of peace, optimism, energy and a willingness to build a community around Bulldog Softball. Today is a great day to be a Bulldog as our CUNE family has just added another graceful and grace-filled leader to our campus and community.”

Hired as Grand Island Central Catholic head coach in 2012, Culler produced a nine-year record of 185-100 while guiding his Crusaders squads to four conference championships. After steering GICC to a fifth-place Class B state finish in 2020, Culler was a finalist for Nebraska Class B Coach of the Year honors. As a result of his success over time, Culler was selected to coach in the Nebraska Coaches Association All-Star Game for both 2021 and 2022 – after having been a finalist to coach in the 2019 and 2020 all-star games.

As a high school coach, Culler has had many other irons in the fire. He started and operated the Stingers Softball Club (2010-13) before beginning the ELITE Softball Program that he ran from 2013-19. He also served as Central Nebraska Coordinator/Manager for Prodigy Easton for the past three years. Meanwhile, Culler founded the Mid-Nebraska Softball Clinic, the Director of Heroes Classic 8GG National Invitational Tournament and the Heartland Sports Academy in Grand Island, Neb. Culler has also spent time as a volunteer assistant coach for the Hastings College softball program.

Originally from Cairo, Neb., Culler has lived in Grand Island for the past 25 years. Brock and his wife Jess have four children: Morgan, Kenna, Mikah and Madden.