Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Week
Male: Chase Berry, Track & Field
Berry, a Seward native, broke through with an automatic national qualifying clearance of 15’ 9” in the pole vault at the Loper Invitational (second place at the meet). Currently, Berry ranks first in the GPAC and eighth nationally in the pole vault.
Female: Kendra Placke, Golf
Also a native of Seward, Placke has won back-to-back tournaments while starring for Concordia Golf. In last week’s first-place performance at the Hastings Invite, Placke carded a two-round total of 77-82–159 (+15). Placke has averaged an 18-hole score of 79.6 in 2021-22.
Previous BAAM Athletes of the Week
April 12 – Chris Wren (track & field) / Kylahn Heritage (track & field)
April 5 – Jaidan Quinn (baseball) / Sara Huss (track & field)
March 29 – Alec Blakestad (baseball) / Eduardo Luzzi (tennis) / Jerzi Rowe (softball)
March 22 – Joey Grabanski (baseball) / Noah Schutte (basketball) / Camry Moore (softball)
March 15 – Noah Schutte (basketball) / Josie Puelz (track & field)
March 1 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Shelby Timmerman (cheer)
Feb. 22 – Gage Smith (basketball) / Josie Puelz (track & field)
Feb. 15 – Calvin Rodhe (track & field) / Kendal Brigham (basketball)
Feb. 8 – Taysha Rushton (basketball) / AJ Watson (basketball)
Feb. 1 – Calvin Rohde (track & field)
Jan. 25 – Calvin Rohde (track & field) / Gage Smith (basketball) / Rylee Haecker (track & field)
Jan. 18 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Rylee Haecker (track & field)
Jan. 11 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Mackenzie Toomey (basketball)
Dec. 14 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Sarah Lewis (track & field)
Dec. 7 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
Nov. 30 – Noah Schutte (basketball) / Taysha Rushton (basketball)
Nov. 16 – Korrell Koehlmoos (football) / Bree Burtwistle (volleyball)
Nov. 9 – Camden Sesna (cross country) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
Nov. 2 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Camryn Opfer (volleyball)
Oct. 26 – Peyton Mitchell (football) / Lexie Kreizel (volleyball)
Oct. 19 – Lane Napier (football) / Kalie Ward (soccer)
Oct. 12 – Caydren Cox (football) / Kalee Wiltfong (volleyball)
Oct. 5 – DJ McGarvie (football) / Sarah Schwacher (shooting sports)
Sept. 28 – Wyatt Hambly (shooting sports) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
Sept. 21 – Camden Sesna (cross country) / Lina Kirst (soccer) / Grace Reiman (cross country) / Carly Rodaway (volleyball)
Sept. 14 – Caydren Cox (football) / Mikeila Martinez (soccer)
Sept. 7 – Drew D’Ercole (golf) / Ivan Yabut (golf) / Erica Heinzerling (volleyball)
Aug. 31 – Martin Herrera (soccer) / Camryn Opfer (volleyball)
BAAM Athletes of the Month
March – Noah Schutte (basketball) / Camry Moore (softball) / Josie Puelz (track & field)
February – Gage Smith (basketball) / Josie Puelz (track & field)
January – Carter Kent (basketball) / Rylee Haecker (track & field)
December – Carter Kent (basketball) / Sarah Lewis (track & field)
November – Noah Schutte (basketball) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
October – Lane Napier (football) / Camryn Opfer (volleyball)
September – Caydren Cox (football) / Gabi Nordaker (volleyball)
News and notes:
BAAM luncheons are held every Tuesday at 12 p.m. CT inside the Dog House Grill, located in the Janzow Campus Center. The luncheons feature reports from head coaches who are in season at the time.
Game/event days on campus: Concordia Athletics continues to welcome fans to its venues for sporting events. Currently, there are no attendance limits. Before visiting road venues involving Bulldog teams, fans should be sure to check the spectator policies on those particular campuses. Other locations may require the use of face coverings. Once again, fans attending varsity sporting events at Concordia are able to purchase advance tickets online via HomeTown Ticketing. Tickets will also be sold on site on the day of events. Should any policies or protocols for fans change, updated information will be available on the athletics fan information page HERE.
Concordia announces two new head coaches: Already this week, Concordia University has announced the hirings of two new head coaches: Chase Clasen for Wrestling and Dylan Owens for Shooting Sports. Both are recent college graduates who have been identified as rising stars within the coaching profession. Clasen was an All-American at Chadron State College and most recently served as head coach at North Idaho College (NJCCA). Owens won a national title as a student-athlete at Bethel University (Tenn.) and has been highly immersed within the world of collegiate shooting sports. Releases on both can be found below.
--Chase Clasen, Wrestling
--Dylan Owens, Shooting Sports
Fifth-year Buckallew shares story of triumph over tribulation: Two seasons wiped out by injury and the self-doubt that creeped in provided Nathan Buckallew with plenty of adversity. The fifth-year Bulldog overcame it when things clicked mentally. A conversation with Head Coach Ryan Dupic helped trigger a new way of thinking for Buckallew. The success that followed was a byproduct of an improved mental game. Said Buckallew, "I realized that I don’t have to earn or achieve anything. I know that Jesus is going to love me the way that I am.” For more on Buckallew’s journey, click HERE.
Rylee reflections on four years of Concordia Women’s Basketball: A Millard South High School alum and a soon-to-be Concordia University alum, Rylee Pauli can provide a unique perspective on Bulldog Women’s Basketball. A four-year varsity player whose role increased with each successive season, Pauli exemplified what Head Coach Drew Olson looks for in student-athletes. She may have been undersized in the post, but Pauli’s relentless effort and grit helped make up for it. Said Pauli, “I had a great four years.” To read her reflections, click HERE.
Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its seventh year of existence. The show airs live for a half hour every Thursday beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT on KTMX-FM 104.9 Max Country. The weekly feature can also be heard live via 104.9 Max Country’s website or by downloading the Max Country app. Throughout the 2021-22 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country. Parker Cyza serves as the host of the coaches’ show as well as the play-by-play voice for football and basketball. Frank Greene is in his seventh season calling Concordia volleyball.
Concordia Sports Network: Live webcasts for most home varsity contests can be accessed by visiting https://www.cune.edu/athletics/watch-bulldogs at game time. Beginning in 2019-20, Concordia Athletics partnered with PrestoSports for live video and statistical streaming. For more details on this change, click HERE. Check team schedules/results pages for webcast dates. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted.
Tennis
· Severe weather interrupted part of last week’s schedule, but both Bulldog squads did manage to earn wins at Hastings. Thunderstorms and a tornado warning put a halt to the April 12 matches at Doane, where doubles play had been completed and singled action had been well underway. The following day, Concordia played indoors at Hastings and came away with a 6-1 win on the women’s side and a 5-2 victory on the men’s side. With just the Doane matches left to finish as far as conference play goes, Head Coach Cam Long’s squads sport records of 7-7 overall (4-1 GPAC) on the men’s side and 5-9 overall (3-3 GPAC). For more information on Concordia Tennis, click here: MEN | WOMEN.
· The way things shake out when the Doane match is completed will have an impact on seeding for the GPAC tournament (which will be held April 29-30). The Bulldog men still have an outside shot at sharing the conference regular season title. For that to happen, Concordia will have to beat Doane and hope Doane can return the favor against Midland. If the Bulldogs can topple the Tigers, they would clinch at least the No. 2 seed in the standings – and a bye in the conference tournament. The highest seed still attainable for the women is No. 3. Concordia will need to beat Doane and get some help for that to happen.
· In the suspended match at Doane, the men swept through competitive doubles matches before falling at the Nos. 1 and 3 singles spots. That puts the Tigers in front, 2-1, with them also up a set at Nos. 4 and 5. On the women’s side, the Bulldogs will face an uphill battle down 3-1 in the team scoring. The one victory came at No. 1 singles where Sofia Morales defeated Ava Macke in three sets, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. Morales and Blough also earned a win at No. 1 doubles, but the Tigers got the team point by triumphing at Nos. 2 and 3.
· In the women’s win at Hastings, Concordia swept through doubles as the combos of Morales and Blough at No. 1, Tara Ferrel and Megan Hakes at No. 2 and Brooke Hosick and Julia Phillips at No. 3 all came out on top. Ferrel and Hakes eked out a close decision while the Bulldogs won by scores of 6-3 at both Nos. 1 and 3. In singles, Concordia pulled out wins at each of the Nos. 1 through 5 spots. Morales moved to 5-1 in GPAC singles matches with another dominant victory (6-2, 6-0). At No. 2, Blough responded after dropping the first set and won in three, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1. Other winners for the Bulldogs were Ferrel at No. 3, Hakes at No. 4 and Hosick at No. 5.
· In a rare occurrence during conference play, Concordia relinquished the doubles point to the Broncos. Hastings won at the Nos. 1 and 2 spots while the Bulldog duo of Eduardo Rojas and Shawn Springer emerged with a 6-2 win. With four singles matches still on the court, the Bulldogs trailed by a 2-1 team score. The next three singles contests to go final – Nos. 4, 1 and 5 – all went Concordia’s way, clinching the team win. It wasn’t easy. At the top of the lineup, No. 1 Bulldog Isaac Howes won (3-6, 6-4, 6-1) after dropping the first set and Juan Rabellino held off his opponent in three sets at No. 5. The only real breather was at No. 4, where Joe Bindl breezed, 6-0, 6-0. Additional singles wins for the Bulldogs came from Rojas at No. 3 (6-4, 6-1) and Manuel Rodriguez (6-7, 6-3, 1-0) at No. 6.
· Collectively through 14 matches in 2021-22, the Concordia men have produced records of 43-41 in singles and 24-18 in doubles. Five Bulldogs own at least five singles wins: Howes (7-7), Bindl (6-7), Rodriguez (5-0), Rabellino (5-3) and Springer (5-7). In doubles, Eduardo Luzzi and Rabellino have gone 6-3 as partners. In addition, Jeremiah Berryman and Bindl have gone 6-5 as a doubles pair.
· Collectively through 14 matches in 2021-22, the Concordia women have accumulated records of 34-50 in singles and 18-24 in doubles. Morales continues to star at the top of the lineup. Counting her win over Doane in the suspended match, the Bogotá, Colombia, native went 6-1 in GPAC singles matches at the No. 1 spot. Three of her teammates have notched five singles wins: Hakes (5-5), Blough (5-9) and Ferrel (5-9). The top doubles pair in terms of overall wins has been Hosick and Phillips, who are 5-4 as partners.
· Both the men’s and women’s teams will be in action Tuesday through Thursday while wrapping up the 2022 regular season. Both teams began play at Kansas Wesleyan University today (April 19) at 10 a.m. CT. The men will host Nebraska Wesleyan University for a 4 p.m. match on Wednesday before finishing the suspended match at Doane at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Meanwhile, the women will complete the Doane match at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday and then host Nebraska Wesleyan at 4 p.m. on Thursday. Both programs will celebrate their seniors as part of the home contests with Nebraska Wesleyan. The GPAC tournament is coming up April 29-30.
Track & Field
· The fourth weekend of outdoor competition saw the majority of the team compete at the Loper Invitational hosted by the University of Nebraska-Kearney on April 15. The yields included seven performances that met the automatic national qualifying standard (two fresh ‘A’ marks) and a new ‘B’ standard. The marks were limited to some degree by windy and cold weather on Good Friday. Just two weekends of competition remain prior to the 2022 GPAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships. For more information on Concordia Track & Field, click HERE.
· Below is a listing of marks produced by Bulldogs that have been reported to the national leaderboard. The 2022 outdoor season tally to date includes 11 ‘A’ standards and 11 ‘B’ standards. New ‘A’ standards were turned in last week by Chase Berry (pole vault) and Jordan Koepke (400 hurdles).
o Women’s 4x400m relay – A (3:53.07)
o Women’s 4x800m relay – A (9:18.80)
o Men’s 4x100m relay – B (41.61)
o Andy Amos – B, hammer (182’ 6”)
o Jordyn Anderson – B, shot put (43’ 5 ¼”)
o Chase Berry – A, pole vault (15’ 9”)
o Olivia Buschow – B, discus (141’ 6”)
o Morgan De Jong – A, hammer (176’ 4”)
o Mackenzie Ferrel – B, hammer (164’ 4”)
o Abby Gerber – B, hammer (159’ 11”)
o Rylee Haecker – B, 1,500 meters (4:42.36)
o Sara Huss – A, discus (151’)
o Cade Kleckner – B, 200 meters (21.47)
o Jordan Koepke – A, 400 hurdles (1:02.82)
o Sarah Lewis – A, 400 hurdles (1:02.70); B, 100 hurdles (14.59)
o Erin Mapson – A, pole vault (11’ 11 ¾”)
o Alli Owings – B, shot put (43’ 1 ¾”); B, hammer (163’ 10”)
o Josie Puelz – A, pole vault (13’ 5 ¼”)
o Sarah Ragland – A, hammer (175’ 5”)
o Chris Wren – A, hammer (194’ 5”)
· An indoor All-American in the 600 meters, Koepke is proving to be a star in a wide range of events. The Gulf Breeze, Fla., native beat out a field of 12 runners in the 400 hurdles with her personal best of 1:02.82 this past Friday. That time came close to teammate Sarah Lewis’ PR of 1:02.70 from earlier this season and ranks No. 4 on the program’s all-time 400-hurdle list. No. 2 on that list is another current Bulldog in Rachel Battershell (1:02:18 in April 2021). The school record of 1:00.87 by Emily Wolters has stood since 2009.
· It was a major breakthrough for Berry, who equaled a collegiate personal best (indoor/outdoor) in the pole vault by clearing 15’ 9” at the Loper Invite. That mark placed him second in the competition and currently puts him No. 8 on the NAIA national performance list. Berry is one of 18 vaulters in school history to clear 15’ 9” or greater in outdoor competition. His father Jason (also Concordia’s pole vault coach) is just above him on that list with an outdoor PR of 15’ 11.” The next step for Chase could be 16 feet, a height he cleared during a standout high school career at Seward.
· On the women’s side of the pole vault, Josie Puelz keeps doing Josie Puelz things. She won the competition at the Loper Invite by more than a foot with her season best of 13’ 5 ¼” that pushed her own school record of 13’ 7 ¼.” While doing so, Puelz also padded her lead atop the NAIA national leaderboard. Meanwhile, Erin Mapson again vaulted the ‘A’ standard of 11’ 11 ¾.” Another good sign was the return of Amira Cummings, who cleared 10’ 11 ¾.” That depth has made the Bulldog women’s pole vault crew the top-rated group in the NAIA, according to the USTFCCCA.
· Currently ranked fourth in the NAIA in the discus, Sara Huss is showing consistency in again hitting the ‘A’ standard in the discus. She placed second at the Loper Invite with a mark of 145’ 8” (season best is 151’). In that same event, Olivia Buschow equaled her personal best with another ‘B’ mark of 141’ 6.” Other repeat national qualifying performers were Morgan De Jong (176’ 4”) and Sarah Ragland (169’ 7”) in the hammer. In addition, Abby Gerber was just shy of a ‘B’ mark in the shot put (42’ 5 ½”). Chris Wren led the way in the hammer on the men’s side with a ninth-place claim (171’ 8”). He had turned in a throw of 194’ 5” a week earlier at the Concordia Invite.
· A native of Colorado Springs, Colo., Kleckner is moving closer to his personal best of 21.35 in the 200 meters. That time earned him a trip to the national meet a year ago. This past Friday, he clocked in at 21.47 (currently 18th on the NAIA national list). Kleckner also ran the leadoff leg for the 4x100 meter relay that finished in 42.37. The group that included Joel Rathe, Jacob Jennings and Xavier Ross. They ran without any competition in the event. The Bulldogs continue to seek an ‘A’ standard in the event (41.50 required).
· A week after the women’s 4x800 meter relay broke the Bulldog Stadium record in the event, the Concordia athletes that made up that quartet ran the open 800 at the Loper Invite. That deep bunch included Keri Bauer (2:18.03), Rylee Haecker (2:19.10), Kylahn Heritage (2:21.90) and Jenna Esch (2:23.26). An All-American in the 1,000 meters during indoor, Haecker owns a ‘B’ standard in the 1,500 meters and will have another shot at hitting the ‘A’ later this spring. Bauer’s season/personal best of 2:17.24 achieved at the Central Nebraska Challenge currently ranks 16th best nationally.
· Next on the slate is the Jim Dutcher Classic that will be hosted by Doane over three days (April 21-23). The meet will be the first opportunity this outdoor season for multi-event athletes to showcase their abilities in the heptathlon and decathlon. The schedule for the Jim Dutcher Classic can be found HERE. Coming up later this month are the Drake Relays (April 28-30) for select Bulldogs. The GPAC Championships, set for May 6-7, are coming quickly.
Golf
· Since last week’s report, both the men’s and women’s teams finished up action at the Hastings Spring Invitational (April 11-12) held at Lochland Country Club in Hastings. The schedule for this week got a lot lighter when the men’s GPAC Preview (hosted by Briar Cliff) and the Siouxland Invite (co-hosted by Northwestern and Dordt) were both canceled due to poor weather conditions. That means the spring portion of the conference championships are up next for both of Head Coach Brett Muller’s squads. For more information on the Concordia Golf programs, click here: MEN | WOMEN.
· The Bulldog men took two groups and a total of 10 golfers to the Hastings Invite. The ‘A’ group placed fifth out of 10 teams with a two-round score of 301-326–627. The ‘B’ squad placed sixth while shooting 323-323–646. Individually, Ivan Yabut tied for first out of 63 golfers while turning in a total of 71-76–147 (+3). Yabut then lost the playoff hole. An Omaha native, Yabut has placed inside the top 10 of five tournaments this season. He also placed third at the Mount Marty Fall Invite and fifth at the Siouxland Invite. Yabut leads the team with a season scoring average of 75.0.
· Teammates Justin Webert (72-85–157) and Jacob Woodmancy (77-81–158) weren’t far from joining Yabut in the top 10 at the Hastings Invite. Webert and Woodmancy placed 14th and 15th, respectively. It took a score of 154 or lower to earn a top 10 placement. Woodmancy was the standout for the ‘B’ team. In addition to Yabut and Webert, the ‘A’ team included Drew D’Ercole (76-83–159; T-18th), Jake Hagerbaumer (82-83–165; T-34th) and Gavin Buttshaw (87-84-171; 46th). Four other golfers represented the Bulldogs in Hastings: Taylor Johnson (79-82–161; T-22nd), Jaxson Fullerton (84-81–165; T-34th), Nate Auffut (88-79–167; 40th) and Josh D’Ercole (83-87–170; T-44th).
· On the women’s side, Kendra Placke stayed on a roll while claiming the individual title (out of 39 golfers) at the Hastings Invite. She shot a two-round score of 77-82–159 (+15) while winning by a two-stroke margin. Placke also won the Concordia Bulldog Invite on April 5 with a three-over-par 75. As a result, she was named the GPAC Golfer of the Week for the fifth time in her career. Placke has won six career tournament titles and has placed inside the top 10 of all nine events this season. The Seward High School alum boasts a team low scoring average of 79.6.
· With Placke at the top of the individual leaderboard, Concordia very nearly won the tournament. It shot a 346-363–709 and tied Mount Marty for first. However, the Lancers were awarded the championship trophy based on having a lower score at the No. 5 spot in their lineup. After Placke, the rest of the Concordia lineup in Hastings included Mya Nurse (87-89–176; T-6th), Lauren Havlat (87-94–176; 14th), Logan Eschliman (95-98–193; 23rd) and Sarah Wilson (100-104–204; 28th). Competing as an individual, Ashley Gerczynski turned in a two-round score of 95-102–197; T-24th). A West Des Moines, Iowa, native, Nurse picked up her first career top 10 tournament medal. Havlat has placed inside the top 20 (one top 10) of four tournaments this season. Havlat (89.2) and Nurse (90.5) rank second and third, respectively, on the team in terms of lowest scoring average.
· Heading into the conference championships, both teams have played in nine events in 2021-22. The men’s team sports a season average of 304.7 with eight rounds below 300. The season low of 291 was achieved at the first round of the Siouxland Invite back in September. On the women’s side, the team average stands at 352.7 with five rounds below 350. The season low of 334 came in round two of the Lila Frommelt Fall Classic.
· The men will be up first at the GPAC Championships. Action is scheduled to tee off at 10:40 a.m. CT on both Friday and Saturday from The Bluffs Golf Course in Vermillion, S.D. Entering the weekend, the Bulldog men sit sixth in the conference with their two-round GPAC score of 298-308–606 from the fall. The women will play rounds three and four of the conference championships next Monday-Tuesday (April 25-26) from Norfolk Country Club in Norfolk, Neb. Back in the fall, the Concordia women shot a two-round conference score of 351-353–704, putting them in seventh place.
Baseball
· The regular season home slate is in the books after the Bulldogs hosted two pivotal weekend doubleheaders. Concordia dropped two games to Doane (by scores of 2-1 and 9-2) on April 15 before bouncing back with a sweep of Mount Marty (by scores of 4-1 in both ends) on April 16. Concordia, Doane and Mount Marty happen to be the top three teams in the GPAC standings. Entering this week, the Bulldogs reside in second place with a league mark of 14-6 (25-12-1 overall). Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is four games behind Doane (18-2 GPAC) with eight games left in the conference regular season. The program celebrated senior day in between games of the twin bill with the Lancers. For more information on Concordia Baseball, click HERE.
· Because of Doane’s lead atop the standings, the Bulldogs may not be in the running for a GPAC regular season title by the time the final week of the regular season arrives. Concordia would have had a more realistic shot at catching the Tigers had they held onto game one this past Friday. The Bulldogs led, 1-0, after five innings and had missed chances of tacking on more runs. They left nine men on base for the game and lost despite outhitting the Tigers, 7-4. Alex Johnson gave Concordia a strong start that saw him throw 5.1 innings and allow one run on three hits and three walks (one strikeout). Doane wound up winning the second game comfortably behind a dominant pitching performance from Julian Vargas.
· Cold temperatures and a wind blowing in from center field played a role in limiting the powerful Bulldog offense last week. However, Concordia found ways to get it done in a bounce back day against Mount Marty. In game one, the Bulldogs came up with two-first inning runs with the help of two walks, an error, a wild pitch and a double steal. Alec Blakestad provided some breathing room in the sixth when he belted a two-run homer to left. It was the only homer of the weekend for a Bulldog offense that had to find unique ways to score. Concordia scored twice in game two via RBI sacrifice bunts, including one apiece from Ty Nekoliczak and Tanner Tompkins. Joey Grabanski and Jay Adams also knocked in one reach each with an RBI single.
· Starting pitchers Christian Gutierrez and Caden Johnson came to the rescue against Mount Marty. In game one, Gutierrez threw all seven innings and allowed just one run on two hits and three walks to along with five strikeouts. In the second contest, Johnson did not concede a single run while covering 7.1 innings. He notched nine strikeouts and allowed only two hits and a walk. It was an encouraging sign for a pitching staff that had struggled a bit a week earlier in road doubleheaders at Morningside and Jamestown. The staff ERA for this past weekend was 2.53. Opposing batters hit .200 over the four home games.
· The senior class that was recognized this past Saturday includes Keaton Candor, Nathan Buckallew, Noah Janssen, Thomas Otte, Shane Whittaker, Dresden Wilson and Andy Xapsos. Among them, Candor is the most accomplished in terms of career accolades and statistics. A native of Merrill, Iowa, Candor surpassed 200 career games played this past weekend. Over his career, he’s totaled 207 hits, 150 runs, 38 doubles, 37 home runs, 164 RBIs and 102 walks. He is the program’s all-time leader for games played, home runs, RBIs and walks. As part of senior day festivities, Candor was presented with a bat that commemorated his 200th hit. Only two others in program history have reached that mark: Zak Goodrich (234) and Christian Meza (216).
· The offensive numbers took a bit of a hit over the weekend, but the Bulldogs remain the GPAC’s most potent offensive force. In conference games only, Concordia leads the league in runs scored (187), hits (206), home runs (37), walks (112), batting average (.335), on-base percentage (.462) and slugging percentage (.574). Blakestad was the only Bulldog to hit a homer last week and he happens to lead the GPAC (in conference games only) in batting average (.436) and on-base percentage (.544). Three Concordia players have hit exactly six home runs during conference play: Jay Adams, Ben Berg and Jaidan Quinn. A third baseman from Bonner Springs, Kan., Quinn continues to lead the team in overall home runs with 12. Adams is close behind with 11 while Grabanski has slugged nine blasts.
· Something to shoot for is a potential third-straight season with at least 20 GPAC wins (excluding the 2020 ‘COVID’ year). Under Dupic, the Bulldogs have put together conference marks of 23-5 in 2019, 21-7 in 2021 and 14-6 so far in 2022. Since the start of the 2019 season, Concordia has gone a combined 60-18 in GPAC games (counting a 2-0 record in 2020 before the campaign was shut down). The .769 winning percentage is by far the best among GPAC teams. Under Dupic, the program has shifted in seismic fashion. Since the start of 2017, the Bulldogs have won a combined four GPAC titles (three regular season, one postseason). Prior to Dupic’s arrival, Concordia had never placed higher than fifth in the conference during the regular season.
· The final eight games of the regular season will all be on the road. The Bulldogs are readying for a four-game set this Friday and Saturday at Dordt (12-24, 8-12 GPAC). First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. CT from Sioux Center, Iowa, on Friday and for 1 p.m. on Saturday. Concordia swept a four-game home series from the Defenders last season. Dordt boasts perhaps the GPAC’s most dominant pitcher in Gyeongju Kim, who averages 15.0 strikeouts per nine innings. The Bulldogs also have a four-game series at Briar Cliff (April 29-30) left on the schedule.
Softball
· During the week leading up to Easter, the Bulldogs were in action for just one doubleheader. They dropped two games at Morningside on April 12. The final scores were 2-1 (nine innings) and 7-3 in contests played at the Jensen Softball Complex in Sioux City, Iowa, the site where Concordia celebrated winning a GPAC tournament pod championship a year ago. Head Coach Tatum Edwards’ squad now stands at 19-19 overall and at 7-9 within the GPAC (currently in eighth place). For more information on Concordia Softball, click HERE.
· A lot could still happen in terms of potential conference tournament pairings. Based on the current standings, it could come down to nine teams for eight spots with there being a gap between ninth place and the current bottom three. The picture should be much clearer by the close of this weekend. Only once during the GPAC era have the Bulldogs fallen short of the GPAC tournament (2013). Concordia earned the league’s No. 3 seed in both 2019 and 2021 (no tournament in 2020 due to COVID-19). At the top of the current standings, Midland (12-2) leads Mount Marty (11-3) by one game.
· 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.
· With Moore starring, Concordia has given itself a shot from a pitching and defense standpoint. In conference games only, the Bulldogs sport GPAC team rankings of fifth in ERA (2.95) in sixth in fielding percentage (.949). However, the offense has run dry at times for Concordia. In league games, the Bulldogs rank 11th in on-base percentage (.296), 12th in batting average (.241) and 12th in slugging percentage (.312). Concordia has still managed to generate 4.1 runs per game in GPAC contests. Individually, among GPAC players, Moore ranks second in ERA (1.45) and third in batting average (.451).
· In conference games only, three Bulldogs are batting .300 or better: Moore (.408), Caitlyn McGarvie (.318) and Kylie Shottenkirk (.302). Zoie Isom is the team leader in conference play for home runs (two) and RBIs (14). At this point, Moore looks like a lock for another First Team All-GPAC award. Her ERA in GPAC games is 0.84 with 45 strikeouts in 58 innings. McGarvie was a first team selection last season. The freshmen Isom and Shottenkirk appear to have plenty of potential moving forward. Shottenkirk has started all but two games this season while Isom has started 29 times.
Concordia will try to solidify a spot in the GPAC tournament this weekend as it looks ahead to a 3 p.m. CT doubleheader at Briar Cliff (17-14, 7-5 GPAC) on Friday and a 1 p.m. twin bill at Mount Marty (23-9, 11-3 GPAC) on Saturday. The Lancers have broken a program record for wins in a single season behind star Emma Burns, who leads the league in batting average, home runs and RBIs. The Bulldogs went a combined 3-1 last season against Briar Cliff/Mount Marty.