Bulldog Weekly Report (April 19, 2016)

By Jacob Knabel on Apr. 19, 2016 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Booster Club Athletes of the Week

Male: Willy Pardos, Tennis

Pardos, a native of Pamplona, Spain, went a perfect 2-0 at both No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles last week while staying unbeaten against conference opponents. Pardos, now 11-4 overall (4-0 in conference) in singles matches, has made waves in his freshman season. He is now ranked by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association as the eighth best NAIA player in the Central region.

Female: Annie Horn, Tennis

Horn, who hails from Denver, Colo., went 1-1 at No. 2 singles and 1-1 at No. 1 doubles last week during conference play. In singles play, she defeated Midland’s Whitney Schutt, 6-4, 6-2, and then combined with Hailey Lemos on a win at No. 1 doubles to help Concordia to a 5-4 team victory over the Warriors. Horn is 2-2 in GPAC singles bouts.

News and notes:

Registration open for Bulldog Golf Classic: The 23rd annual Bulldog Golf Classic is set for Friday, July 22 at Woodland Hills Golf Course in Eagle, Neb. Team payment and registration is due by July 8. Teams can be registered by clicking HERE.

Baseball’s record-setting offense: The 2016 Concordia baseball team is the first in program history to ever surpass 300 runs scored in a single season. Second-year head coach Ryan Dupic’s Bulldogs have set a new offensive standard behind sluggers such as Kaleb Geiger and Christian Montero. For more on the team’s offensive prowess, click HERE.

Football holds open spring practice Friday: Bulldog fans are welcome to attend the Concordia football team’s open spring practice inside Bulldog Stadium on Friday. The practice will get underway at 7 p.m. No admission will be charged. For more on head coach Vance Winter’s 2016 squad, click HERE.

International Insights: In a video interview series conducted by Assistant Director of Athletic Communications Amanda Gubbels, several Concordia student-athletes from foreign nations have detailed their experiences on adapting to life in Nebraska. The interviewees have included Carlos Acosta, Toby Down, Christian Montero, Javier Moreno, Dylan Pierquin and Lewis Rathbone. To watch the interviews, check out Concordia Bulldogs on YouTube.

Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 4 p.m. CT: New this year is the Bulldog Coaches Show, which runs for a half hour every Thursday beginning at 4 p.m. CT on KOOL 103.5 FM. The show can also be heard live via 104.9 Max Country’s website or by downloading the TuneIn Radio app and then searching “KOOL.” Throughout the 2015-16 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests were aired live on Max Country.

Concordia Sports Network: Live webcasts for most home varsity contests can be accessed by visiting http://www.cune.edu/csn at game time. Check team schedules/results pages for webcast dates. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted.

Golf

  • Since last week’s edition of the weekly report, head coach Brett Muller’s golf squads have both taken to the course one time each. In the first conference qualifier ever hosted by the Bulldogs, junior Amy Ahlers and company carded a team score of 379 in settling for 10th place among the 12 conference institutions present at GPAC Qualifier No. 3 held on April 13. Meanwhile, the men resumed their spring season on Monday for day one of the two-round Briar Cliff Mini-Tour Stop (April 18-19). They carded a team score of 325, tying for fourth after one round. They resumed action from the Sioux City area on Tuesday morning (April 19). For more on Bulldog golf: MEN | WOMEN.
  • The Concordia women moved back one spot into a tie for sixth on the GPAC leaderboard after a season high score that resulted in part from a disqualification. The Bulldogs have shot a three-round conference total of 354-348-379–1,081. They are 64 strokes behind conference leader Mount Marty. Just four strokes separate teams one through four in the GPAC standings.
  • For the ninth time in 10 rounds this season, Ahlers carded the team’s lowest individual score. She shot an 81 last week in placing in a tie for fifth at GPAC No. 3. In eight total events in 2015-16, Ahlers has yet to finish outside the top 10. She owns six career tournament wins and is averaging 79.6 this season after equaling a program record for lowest single-season average a year ago (82.0). A two-time all-conference performer, Ahlers now ranks No. 4 on the GPAC overall leaderboard.
  • Sophomore Ashlen Pospisil took advantage of playing on her home course by shaving five strokes off her career low. Last week she shot an 83, placing her 11th among the 59 golfers at GPAC Qualifier No. 3. Pospisil has moved up to 26th on the GPAC leaderboard. She now has a three-round conference total of 97-93-83–273 as she’s shown rapid improvement throughout the season. The native of Norfolk, Neb., carries a season average of 92.7.
  • Rounding out Concordia’s group at the qualifier was junior Kayla Krueger (88) and freshman Madison Pitsch (127). Krueger has put together solid scores of 83-87-88–258 over her three GPAC rounds. She’s on track to lower her four-round total of 356 when she earned all-conference recognition as a sophomore in 2014-15. Her career best at a GPAC Qualifier is the 83 shot at GPAC No. 1 this past fall.
  • Named a co-GPAC golfer of the week on Tuesday, freshman Nolan Zikas continues to emerge as one of the men’s top performers. A week after tying for the lead with a career low 74 at GPAC Qualifier No. 3, Zikas turned in a team low 78 at Monday’s round at Dakota Dunes Country Club in Dakota Dunes, S.D. The native of La Vista, Neb., has put together a solid spring with scores of 80, 78, 74 and 78 thus far. He entered this week with a season average of 78.33.
  • Muller traveled the typical top five to the BCU Mini-Tour Stop. Coming in line behind Zikas in Monday’s round were sophomores Russell Otten (82) and Tyler Ehresman (82) and juniors Jared Knoepfel (83) and Reid Wiebe (89). Cool, rainy and breezy conditions contributed to each of the aforementioned four players carding scores higher than their season averages.
  • Following Tuesday’s action only two events will remain for the men. Three events remain on the slate for the women, who are back on the links for the two-day Buena Vista University Spring Invite (April 23-24) in Storm Lake, Iowa, this Saturday and Sunday. Just one GPAC round remains for both teams. Women’s GPAC Qualifier No. 4 is set for May 2 in Mitchell, S.D. Men’s GPAC Qualifier No. 4 is scheduled for May 9 in Dakota Dunes, the site of the BCU Mini-Tour Stop.

Baseball

  • Due to the postponement of a scheduled game with Grace University on April 12, Concordia went five days without a game before returning to action over the weekend with two road doubleheaders crucial to the team’s chances of remaining in the hunt for a conference title. After splitting twin bills with both Northwestern (19-19, 8-4 GPAC) and Morningside (32-11, 8-4 GPAC). Second-year head coach Ryan Dupic’s squad now stands at 22-19 overall and 8-4 in conference action, putting it in a three-way tie atop the GPAC standings. To read recaps of recent action, click HERE.
  • The Concordia baseball program last won a conference championship in 1986 with Ruben Stohs then serving as skipper. The Bulldogs went 8-4 in the former Nebraska-Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NIAC). The ’86 squad included first team all-conference selections in Dave Freudenburg, Phil Seevers and Lyle Trautman. A star shortstop, Trautman hit .429 with team highs of five home runs and 30 RBIs in just 70 at bats. Current head athletic trainer Randy Baack was a junior on the team. He batted .310 with two homers while playing first base.
  • Alex Alstott has rediscovered his power stroke. He drilled three home runs over the weekend, including two in the 12-6 victory at Northwestern. Four of his five home runs this season have come since April 9. Despite a .209 batting average, the native of Fort Dodge, Iowa, sports a solid .839 OPS (on-base plus slugging). He owns a .410 on-base percentage (23 walks, eight hit by pitches).
  • Kaleb Geiger (grand slam) and Christian Meza (solo) also homered in the game 2 win at Northwestern. Concordia’s four homers came up one long ball shy of the school record for home runs in a big. The 1980 team owns the school standard with five home runs in a game versus Peru State College. The 2000 squad holds the program record for most home runs in a single season with 36. This year’s team has connected on 27 four-baggers. Concordia Athletics Hall of Famer Jarrod Pimentel enjoyed a monster 2000 season. He hit a still-standing school record 11 home runs while slugging .733 for the year.
  • A transfer from North Iowa Area Community College, junior left fielder Jake Adams got into the act with his first career home run as a Bulldog in leading the 8-4 win at Morningside. Adams went 3-for-3 with three RBIs in that game and was 6-for-10 over the weekend. That effort pushed his season average to .305.
  • Geiger and Christian Montero have both moved into the top 10 on Concordia’s all-time single-season RBI list. Geiger drove in five runs over the weekend, pushing his season RBI count to 39. That number ranks tied for eighth along with Andy Schwich (1980). Montero is close behind with 38 RBIs, 10th most in school history. Pimentel owns program records for both RBIs in a season (51; 2000) and career (140; 1999 – 2002).
  • Having blew past the school record for most runs scored in a season on April 10, the 2016 Bulldogs are now the first team in program annals to go past 300 runs in a single campaign. Individually, Geiger’s team high 38 runs scored are tied for ninth most on the school’s all-time list. Concordia ranks 26th nationally in runs per game (7.7). The game 2 win at Northwestern marked the 13th time this season that the Bulldogs have cracked double digits on the scoreboard.
  • Concordia pitchers gave up a total of 37 runs in the four-game weekend trip while up against a league that has been characterized by slugfests. Only one GPAC squad has a team ERA lower than 5.29 entering this week. One of the Dupic’s most consistent hurlers has been freshman closer Josue Melchor, who picked up his fourth save of the year by tossing two scoreless innings at Morningside. Melchor sports a 1.76 ERA over 15.1 innings. He’s gone unscored upon in 10 of his 12 appearances.
  • The Bulldogs are scheduled to play five times this week. The slate begins Tuesday (April 19) with a single nine-inning game at No. 18 York College (34-11) at 5:30 p.m. Conference play will resume on Saturday when fellow GPAC co-leader Midland (29-15-1, 8-4 GPAC) visits Seward for a 1 p.m. doubleheader. Concordia then travels to nearby Doane (18-18, 3-9 GPAC) the following day for another 1 p.m. twin bill. A total of eight league games remain on the schedule.

Track and Field

  • Due to a thunderstorm on Saturday, the scheduled University of Nebraska-Kearney Loper Invite was canceled. A number of preliminary rounds of field events were at least started, but no results were reported. So far this outdoor season, 24th-year head coach Kregg Einspahr’s squads have competed at two meets: the Hastings Bronco Invite (April 2) and the Concordia Outdoor Invite (April 9). For more information on Bulldog track and field, click HERE.
  • In last week’s NAIA computer ratings released by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), both Concordia teams held their positions. The women are ranked second nationally and the men are third. During the 2016 indoor season, both the Concordia men and women were ranked either fourth or fifth in each of the six ratings. The men finished third and the women fifth at the NAIA national championships.
  • Bulldog throwers continue to lead the nation in three events despite not competing last week: men’s hammer (Josh Slechta), men’s shot put (Zach Lurz) and women’s shot put (Kali Robb). Senior Liz King had been the national leader in the women’s hammer until Siena Heights’ (Mich.) Kasey Renshaw took over that distinction over the weekend. In addition, the national leaderboard shows Concordia representatives holding down three of the top four spots in the women’s shot put, four of the top eight placements in the women’s discus, three of the top four in men’s hammer and five of the top eight in the women’s hammer.
  • Below is the list of 29 automatic national qualifying marks and six ‘B’ standard marks turned in by Bulldog athletes through two outdoor meets. Five fresh automatic marks were recorded at the Concordia Invite.
    • Trey Barnes – shot put (A, 55’ 6 ½”); discus (A, 164’ 11”)
    • Allison Brooks – pole vault (B, 11’ 5 ¾”)
    • Kattie Cleveland – discus (A, 145’ 11”); hammer (A, 181’ 9”)
    • Stephanie Coley – shot put (A, 46’ 1 ½”); discus (A, 149’ 6”); hammer (A, 181’ 11”)
    • McKenzie Gravo – pole vault (A, 11’ 9 ¾”)
    • Liz King – hammer (A, 183’ 9”); javelin (A, 142’ 5”)
    • Philip Kreutzer – shot put (A, 51’ 4 ½”); hammer (A, 177’ 3”)
    • Samantha Liermann – shot put (A, 45’ 7”)
    • Zach Lurz – shot put (A, 59’ 1 ¼”); discus (A, 169’ 1”); hammer (A, 194’ 7”)
    • Sydney Meyer – hammer (A, 175’)
    • Nicole Perry – hammer (A, 165’ 4”)
    • Kali Robb – shot put (A, 47’ 7 ¾”); hammer (A, 172’ 7”); discus (B, 139’ 11”)
    • Jose Rojas – shot put (A, 52’ 9 ½”); discus (A, 162’ 7”); hammer (A, 195’ 2”)
    • Benjamin Schulteis – hammer (B, 167’ 4”)
    • Josh Slechta – discus (A, 163’ 9”); hammer (A, 210’ 10”)
    • Jan Steinbrueck – discus (A, 144’ 5”)
    • Katricia Svoboda – discus (A, 158’); hammer (B, 163’ 6”)
    • Lucas Wiechman – pole vault (A, 15’ 9”); 110 meter hurdles (B, 14.88)
    • Kim Wood – 1,500 meters (A, 4:38.12); 800 meters (B, 2:14.69)
  • Next up for the Bulldogs is the Jim Dutcher invited hosted by Doane. The two-day meet will run Friday and Saturday in Crete. Check doaneathletics.com for the event schedule.

Softball

  • Following a week in which it played 10 games over a seven-day span, Concordia was in action for two GPAC doubleheaders this past week. The Bulldogs let a ninth-inning lead slip away in a 4-3 extra-inning loss in game 1 at Nebraska Wesleyan on April 13. Concordia salvaged a doubleheader split with the Prairie Wolves before a rough home twin bill versus Dakota Wesleyan on April 16. The Tigers clubbed six home runs and won both games by a combined total of 24-2. The 1-3 week puts third-year head coach Todd LaVelle’s squad at 26-13 overall and 7-7 in conference play (tied for fifth). To read recaps of recent action, click HERE.
  • In the team’s lone victory last week, sophomore third baseman Autumn Owens continued her power surge by delivering her seventh home run of the season. That number ranks No. 4 on the program’s all-time single-season home run list. Clarissa Eloge, 2009 GPAC player of the year, owns the school record for home runs in a season with nine (2009 and 2010). Eloge collected 23 home runs during her standout four-year run for the Bulldogs. Owens is now hitting .374 and slugging .670.
  • Sophomore Michaela Woodward supplied Concordia’s only runs of the doubleheader against Dakota Wesleyan. She put the Bulldogs up 2-0 in game 1 with a two-run homer to center field. She now has three homers over her last five games and four long balls on the year. Her .382 averaged ranks third best on the team. She also hit a solo homer in the extra-inning loss at Nebraska Wesleyan. Her blast followed a home run from Taylor Huff.
  • Only twice this season has Concordia been swept in a doubleheader. It fell 5-4 in both ends of a twin bill at No. 23 Grand View University (Iowa) on April 10. Prior to last week, the Bulldogs had not lost a single game by more than a margin of three runs. Concordia is 7-6 this season in one-run games. Ten of its 13 losses have come by either one or two runs.
  • The Bulldogs have played a front-loaded GPAC schedule through 14 league games. Their first seven league opponents own a combined conference record of 55-46. Their final four GPAC opponents are a collective 23-32 in league play. With Monday’s cancelation of a scheduled doubleheader at York College, just eight games remain on the regular-season slate.
  • The team’s offensive ranks have slipped a bit in recent weeks, but the Bulldogs still remain one of the nation’s most statistically impressive group of hitters. Among all NAIA teams, they rank 14th in runs per game (6.8), 15th in hits per game (9.8), 17th in batting average (.343) and 18th in slugging percentage (.496). Five regulars are hitting .350 or higher: Kylie Harpst (.416), Huff (.384), Woodward (.382), Owens (.374) and Megan Ruppert (.350).
  • Concordia’s pitchers took a licking over the pair of losses to Dakota Wesleyan, allowing 22 earned runs on 26 hits and six walks. Karly Severance and Hailey Unger both hit two home runs for the victors. Prior to the weekend, the Bulldogs’ season high for runs allowed was 10 (Morningside and Hastings).
  • Julia Tyree returned to the lineup versus Dakota Wesleyan after having missed the previous four games due to injury. The 2015 first team all-conference selection went 1-for-4 in the doubleheader. Tyree has not played her customary first base position since the April 9 twin bill at Morningside. In the six games since then, LaVelle has used both Huff and Woodward at first base.
  • This week’s slate was again originally featured two GPAC doubleheaders. The scheduled doubleheader with Midland (19-22, 7-7 GPAC) for 5 p.m. on Tuesday (April 19) was postponed. A make-up date has yet to be announced. Concordia will hit on the road on Saturday for a pair of games at Mount Marty (9-18, 2-10 GPAC). First pitch in Yankton is set for 1 p.m.

Tennis

  • Both Concordia tennis squads continued conference action last week and both went 1-1 while up against Nebraska Wesleyan and Midland. The Bulldog men began the week with a 7-2 win over the Prairie Wolves before a narrow 5-4 defeat at Midland. Meanwhile, the women rebounded from an 8-1 home loss to Wesleyan by fending off the Warriors, 5-4. On the year, second-year head coach Joel Reckewey’s men’s squad sits at 7-9 overall and 1-3 in conference action. The women are 4-13 overall and 2-3 in GPAC action. For more on Concordia tennis: MEN | WOMEN.
  • Freshman Willy Pardos continued his domination of conference opponents last week in defeating both Trevor Milburn (Nebraska Wesleyan) and Andy McDill (Midland) at No. 1 singles. A native of Pamplona, Spain, Pardos is 4-0 versus GPAC opponents in both singles and doubles. In his four conference singles matches, Pardos has won by scores of 6-2, 6-0 (Morningside), 6-2, 6-2 (Doane), 6-1, 6-0 (Nebraska Wesleyan) and 6-0, 6-0 (Midland). He’s also teamed up with Javier Moreno on a perfect doubles mark within the GPAC. Pardos is now 11-4 overall in singles.
  • Fellow freshman Gabe Poling has also gotten on a nice roll at No. 5 singles. He’s won three-straight matches and is 7-3 in his last 10. Last week he defeated both Adam Olson of Nebraska Wesleyan and Kolin Brooks of Midland. Poling’s 10 wins are second on the team, behind only Pardos.
  • Seven of the men’s 16 matches have been decided by a 5-4 final score. The Bulldogs played in five-straight matches that ended 5-4 from Feb. 19 – March 10. In the seven matches that resulted in a 5-4 final, Concordia owns a record of 4-3. Two its three conference losses have ended 5-4.
  • Overall in singles matches, the Bulldog men are 42-54. They are 18-27 in doubles action. Five individuals have at least six singles wins: Pardos (11-4), Poling (10-6), Moreno (8-8), Patricio Esquivel (6-9) and Thomas Greeff (6-10). Pardos (8-7) and Moreno (8-6) have both been part of eight doubles wins.
  • On the women’s side, the Concordia women have yet to lose to Midland since the 2004 season. The Bulldogs eked out a 5-4 victory over the Warriors thanks to wins from Annie Horn (No. 2 singles), Katelinn Wurm (No. 3 singles), Kayla Smock (No. 6 singles), Hailey Lemos/Horn (No. 1 doubles) and Wurm/Hannah Boe (No. 2 doubles). Smock has had the most success in terms of wins and losses. She’s 6-9 overall, including a 3-2 mark in GPAC singles action.
  • Collectively, the Concordia women have produced records of 28-73 in singles play and 13-35 in doubles competition. On team singles wins list, Smock is followed by Horn (5-10), Alison Ebel (4-13) and Wurm (4-12). Horn (5-11) has collaborated on the most doubles wins of any Bulldog.
  • As part of this week’s slate, the men and women will head to the University of Nebraska-Kearney (M: 16-2 | W: 14-4) for matches set to begin at 4 p.m. on Wednesday. Then on Saturday in Omaha, the women will play Northwestern (4-10, 2-3 GPAC) at 10 a.m. and then Mount Marty (0-4, 0-4 GPAC) at 2 p.m. The men were originally scheduled to play Mount Marty on Saturday, but the Lancers did not field a men’s squad this season.