Bulldog Weekly Report (Feb. 11)

By Jacob Knabel on Feb. 11, 2020 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week

Female: Philly Lammers, Basketball

A senior from Omaha, Lammers totaled 32 points, 10 rebounds and five steals last week as the third-ranked Bulldogs earned road wins over Doane and No. 9 Dordt. On the year, Lammers is averaging 13.2 points and 6.2 rebounds. She has scored 1,905 points in her career.

Male: Evan Bohman, Baseball

A senior from Appleton, Wis., Bohman enjoyed a strong start to the baseball season while helping the Bulldogs to a 3-1 record in a four-game series at McPherson College. Over those four games, Bohman went 7-for-12 (.583) with seven runs scored, eight RBIs, two stolen bases, four walks and a hit by pitch.

2019-20 BAAM Athletes of the Week
Feb. 4 – Tanner Farmer (wrestling) / Allie Brooks (track & field)
Jan. 28 – Tanner Shuck (basketball) / Adrianna Shaw (track & field)
Jan. 21 – Tanner Farmer (wrestling) / Rachel Battershell (track & field)
Jan. 14 – Tanner Shuck (basketball) / Riley Sibbel (basketball)
Dec. 17 – Gavin DeHaai (track & field) / Kennedy Mogul (track & field)
Dec. 10 – Issiah Burks (wrestling) / Emmie Noyd (volleyball)
Dec. 3 – Mario Ybarra (wrestling) / Kylahn Heritage (cross country)
Nov. 19 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Kara Stark (volleyball)
Nov. 12 – Mario Ybarra (wrestling) / Kylahn Heritage (cross country)
Nov. 5 – Carter Kent (basketball) / Delani Fahey (basketball)
Oct. 29 – Brevin Sloup (basketball) / Kylahn Heritage (cross country)
Oct. 22 – Camryn Opfer (volleyball)
Oct. 15 – Lane Napier (football) / Marissa Hoerman (volleyball)
Oct. 8 – Caleb Goldsmith (soccer) / Tara Callahan (volleyball)
Oct. 1 – AJ Jenkins (football) / Rebekah Hinrichs (cross country)
Sept. 24 – Derek Tachovsky (football) / Kendra Placke (golf)
Sept. 17 – Moises Jacobo (soccer) / Kara Stark (volleyball)
Sept. 10 – Carlos Orquiz (soccer) / Amie Martin (cross country)
Sept. 3 – Eduardo Alba (soccer) / Emmie Noyd (volleyball)

2019-20 BAAM Athletes of the Month
November – Carter Kent (basketball) / Kara Stark (volleyball)
October – Tara Callahan (volleyball) / Lane Napier (football)
September – Derek Tachovsky (football) / Emmie Noyd (volleyball)

News and notes:

National Signing Day held Feb. 5: Wednesday, Feb. 5 was a day of celebration for high school seniors around the country who signed on the dotted line and made their college choices official. Several Concordia athletic team accounts detailed new additions to their programs. Football in particular revealed that it had secured pledges from 42 current high school seniors. That group includes 14 native Nebraskans. For more on head coach Patrick Daberkow’s Bulldogs-to-be, click HERE.

Cheer and dance teams place sixth at GPAC Championships: The Concordia cheer and dance programs are still in the process of elevating themselves towards GPAC championship contention. In another season of progression, the Bulldogs turned in conference placements of sixth out of 10 teams in dance and sixth out of seven squads in cheer. After judgement, Concordia scored 61.00 in dance and 52.78 in cheer. The 2020 GPAC Cheer and Dance Championships, now in their fourth year, were hosted by Doane on Feb. 8. For additional details on the event, click HERE.

Shooting sports resumes 2019-20 season at ACUI Super Shoot: In an event that served as a preview of the national championships, the ACUI Super Shoot (Jan. 28 – Feb. 2) put the Concordia shooting sports program up against a wealth of top notch competition on courses located in Kerville and San Antonio, Texas. Out of 12 teams, the Bulldogs placed fifth high overall by cracking 1,637 targets. Their total of 457 in sporting clays represented a school record. More details on the competition can be found HERE.

Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its fourth 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 2018-19 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country. Tyler Cavalli 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 fourth 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 is partnering 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.

Women’s Basketball

·        The third-ranked Bulldogs managed to roll through a three-game road swing unscathed as they make another push for a GPAC regular-season title. In last week’s action, Concordia routed Doane, 102-47, on Feb. 5 before a hot start propelled it to a 74-56 victory at No. 9 Dordt on Feb. 8. Those victories allowed the Bulldogs to keep pace, one game behind Hastings (18-0 GPAC) at the top of the league standings. Head coach Drew Olson’s squad is 24-2 overall and 17-1 in conference play. For more information on Concordia women’s basketball, click HERE.

·        Last week the Bulldogs broke a program record for most wins over a four-year stretch. Concordia is now 129-10 overall since the start of the 2016-17 campaign. The season records during that run have been 34-3 in 2016-17, 36-2 in 2017-18, 35-3 in 2018-19 and 24-2 so far this season. It computes to an impressive average of 32.3 wins per season. The next best four-year records for the program were 127-18 from 2015-19, 127-18 from 2014-18, 123-21 from 2001-05 and 119-21 from 2011-15. The constants on the roster the past four years have been current seniors Colby Duvel, MacKenzie Helman, Philly Lammers, Taryn Schuette and Riley Sibbel.

·        In terms of accolades and career achievements, Lammers is one of the most accomplished players in program history. She continues to move closer to 2,000 career points – now sitting at 1,905. On the school’s all-time lists, the Omaha native ranks second in scoring, third in rebounds (977) and fifth in steals (339). She is the only player in program history to rank in the top five all-time in each of those categories. With four games left in the regular season and postseason play to follow, Lammers is 149 points off the career scoring record of 2,054 by Bailey Morris.

·        Chalk up another top 10 win for the Bulldogs, who have played the second most challenging schedule of any NAIA women’s basketball team, according to Massey Ratings. Based upon rankings at the time games were contested, the Bulldogs own 11 wins over top 25 foes: No. 2 Southeastern University (Fla.), No. 6/9 Dordt (twice), No. 7 Morningside (twice), No. 9 University of St. Francis (Ill.), No. 12/13 Dakota Wesleyan (twice), No. 12 Sterling College (Kan.) and No. 12/17 Northwestern (twice). Concordia’s only two losses have come on the road against the teams currently ranked Nos. 1 and 2: Southeastern and Hastings.

·        Olson has regularly raved about the athleticism of Claire Cornell, also an accomplished track and field athlete. Cornell enjoyed a monster day at Doane by posting career highs of 17 points and 11 rebounds for her first career double-double. The Elm Creek, Neb., native figures to see her role increase as she continues to gain experience. Her numbers have jumped from an average of 3.6 points and 1.3 rebounds last season to 6.0 points and 3.5 rebounds this season as a key performer off the bench. Cornell has been very efficient with her shots, making 58.4 percent of them this winter.

·        With her scoring surge this winter, Grace Barry is now within striking distance of 1,000 career points at the collegiate level. In two seasons as a reserve at NCAA Division II University of Nebraska-Kearney, the Lincoln East High School product accumulated 172 points while playing in 54 games. Since transferring to Concordia, Barry has piled up 787 points in 64 games. Thus, Barry has notched 959 points between her two stops. Currently, Barry ranks fifth nationally in both assists (5.96) and steals (3.42) per game.

·        The win at Doane marked the 11th time this season that the Bulldogs have reached 100 points in a game. For most of the season, Concordia has ranked second in NAIA Division II in scoring behind only hyper up-tempo Olivet Nazarene University (100.9 ppg). Nationally, the Bulldogs rank first in steals per game (21.9), first in turnover margin (+16.1), second in scoring (92.0), second in scoring margin (+31.6), 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.17), 18th in field goal percentage offense (.446) and 30th in field goal percentage defense (.373).

·        Now for the rematch many people have been anticipating – No. 3 Concordia versus No. 2 Hastings. The Broncos (26-0, 18-0 GPAC) remain undefeated having survived a recent close call in an overtime win over Morningside. In this season’s first meeting, Hastings snapped an eight-game series losing streak by holding off a late Bulldog rally for a 66-59 win on Jan. 8. Wednesday’s pivotal clash will tip off at 6 p.m. CT. Concordia will then host its regular-season home finale on Saturday when Mount Marty (13-12, 7-11 GPAC) will be in town for a 2 p.m. contest. The Bulldogs will honor their seniors as part of the afternoon festivities.

Wrestling

·        The dual season is in the books after the Bulldogs dominated Bethany College (Kan.) on Feb. 6. On a night used to celebrate its seniors, 19th-ranked Concordia won all 10 matches in a 50-0 steamrolling of the Swedes of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. It was a fairly light week for second-year head coach Levi Calhoun’s squad, which now braces for next week’s GPAC championship tournament. The Bulldogs finished with a 13-2 overall dual record (8-0 GPAC). For more information on Concordia wrestling, click HERE.

·        The 13 dual wins equal a program record for most in a single season. The 2015-16 GPAC championship team coached by Dana Vote also won 13 duals (record of 13-4). Four teams in program history have won 10 or more duals, including the 2017-18 (11-4) and 1970-71 (10-3) squads. Another three Bulldog wrestling teams won nine duals. Concordia’s history in wrestling is unique in that the program ceased to exist after the 1977-78 season before reappearing in 2009.

·        Last week the Bulldogs polished off a dominant run through their home schedule. Concordia won all six of its home duals this season while outscoring its opponents by a combined total of 235-44 while doing so. In home dual action, the Bulldogs have defeated Northwestern, 29-10, Midland, 54 to -1, Ottawa University (Kan.), 24-15, Dakota Wesleyan, 48-4, York College, 30-16, and Bethany, 50-0. In terms of overall dual wins, Concordia’s 13 are nearly double the next highest total within the GPAC (seven apiece by Briar Cliff and Jamestown).

·        In the home finale versus Bethany, the Bulldogs won four matches by pin, two by major decision, two by decision and two by forfeit. Pins were recorded by Cameron Devers (157), Gabe Crawford (165), Deandre Chery (174) and Tanner Farmer (285). Other contested victories were claimed by Maria Ybarra (decision at 125), Zack Moistner (decision at 133), Blake Castillo (major decision at 184) and Darrin Miller (major decision at 197). Concordia left no doubt during a dual in which many individuals wrestled up a weight or two. Seven seniors were included in the lineup.

·        Farmer continues to cause a stir in his transition back to the mat. The former Nebraska Cornhusker offensive lineman has run his record to a perfect 18-0 after his latest victory. The impressive run to start his collegiate career bumped him all the way up from 13th to No. 2 in the NAIA heavyweight rankings. The native of Highland, Ill., has won all three tournaments he has entered and has collected seven pins. Farmer has been named the GPAC Wrestler of the Week three times during this semester.

·        At this point, Calhoun has likely honed in on his roster of 12 for the postseason. One of the nine seniors recognized last week, Devers could be one who makes some noise in tournament action. While not ranked nationally, the Holly Springs, N.C., native has been on a tear. He has won nine of his last 10 matches with the only loss during that stretch doming at the hands of a University of Nebraska opponent. Devers is now 15-6 with six pins on the season. He owns a near spotless mark of 8-1 in duals.

·        Bids to the national tournament will be on the line at the upcoming GPAC championships. Automatic berths are awarded to conference champions in each weight class and are also divvied out based on the national rankings. Currently the GPAC has only 16 individuals with national rankings, meaning the conference may end up with precious few bids to nationals. Heavyweight is the GPAC’s deepest weight three nationally-ranked competitors, including Farmer and No. 20 Michael Stann. Current Bulldogs who have qualified for nationals include Deandre Chery (174), Chris Kimball (141), Zack Moistner (133) and Michael Stann (285). Kimball got some additional prep work in over the weekend by placing third in the 141-pound bracket at the Golden Norsemen Open.

·        Unless a very late addition is made to the schedule, this will be a week without competition. It’s all about gearing up for the GPAC Championships coming up Feb. 21-22 when the event will be hosted in Sioux City, Iowa, by Morningside. Those who qualify will then finish their seasons at the NAIA National Championships in Wichita, Kan., March 6-7.

Track & Field

·        The indoor season rolled on last week with Bulldogs spread between the Fred Beile Classic (Feb. 7) hosted by Doane and the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational (Feb. 7-8) hosted by the University of Nebraska. Some of the most significant highlights came via Concordia’s women’s pole vaulters and its 4x400 meter relay teams. Not unlike other seasons, head coach Matt Beisel’s squads have gotten all of their work done this season in just three locations – Seward, Crete and Lincoln. For more on Bulldog track and field, click HERE.

·        Through five main weekends of indoor competition, Bulldog athletes have combined for 19 automatic national qualifying marks, 18 ‘B’ standards and four NAIA top 21 multi-event point totals (see full list below). Rachel Battershell and Adrianna Shaw highlight the list with two auto marks in individual events.

o   A, Men’s 4x400m relay (3:20.47)

o   A, Women’s 4x400m relay (3:56.67)

o   A, Women’s Distance Medley Relay (12:26.04)

o   Andy Amos – B, weight throw (54’ 10 ¼”)

o   Rachel Battershell – A, 400 meters (56.40); A, 60 meter hurdles (8.96)

o   Taylor Beck – B, triple jump (B, 46’ 3 ½”)

o   Chase Berry – A, pole vault (15’ 7 ¼”)

o   Jamey Broman – B, long jump (18’ 1”)

o   Allie Brooks – A, pole vault (13’ ¾”)

o   Jacob Cornelio – A, weight throw (65’ 9”)

o   Morgan De Jong – A, weight throw (57’ 9”)

o   Gavin DeHaai – A, pole vault (16’ 4 ¾”)

o   McKenzie Gravo – A, pole vault (11’ 6 ½”)

o   Liam Hennessy – A, weight throw (56’ 7 ½”); B, shot put (51’ 3”)

o   Kylahn Heritage – B, mile (5:13.84)

o   Samuel Joseph – B, triple jump (46’ 4”)

o   Sarah Lewis – B, 400 meters (59.32); B 60 meter hurdles (9.11)

o   Wyatt Loga – B, high jump (6’ 7”)

o   Emily Loy – No. 8 in NAIA with 3,109 points in pentathlon

o   Erin Mapson – B, pole vault (11’ 2 ¼”)

o   Tristen Metzger – B, pole vault (11’ 2 ½”)

o   Colton Meyer – A, 60 meter hurdles (8.21)

o   Kennedy Mogul – B, 60 meter hurdles (9.14); No. 2 in NAIA with 3,341 points in pentathlon

o   Jerod Peters – B, shot put (51’ 5 ¾”)

o   Jacee Pfeifer – B, pole vault (11’ 2 ½”)

o   Tucker Platt – B, pole vault (15’ 3”)

o   Ben Pratt – B, high jump (6’ 7 ½”)

o   Josie Puelz – A, pole vault (12’ 6 ¾”)

o   Sarah Ragland – A, weight throw (54’ 1 ¾”)

o   Jeremiah Reeser – No. 21 in NAIA with 4,252 points in heptathlon

o   Xavier Ross – A, 400 meters (49.03)

o   Adrianna Shaw – A, shot put (46’ 6 ¼”); A, weight throw (62’ 9 ¼”)

o   Sam Sisco – B, pole vault (15’ 3”)

o   Cody Williams – A, pole vault (15’ 7”); B, high jump (6’ 7 ½”); No. 2 in NAIA with 5,195 points in heptathlon

·        The lone fresh ‘A’ standard turned in last week came from senior McKenzie Gravo in the pole vault. A regular national qualifier, Gravo cleared 11’ 6 ½” at the Fred Beile Classic to lock up a spot at nationals along with fellow vaulter teammates in Allie Brooks and Josie Puelz. Both Brooks and Puelz also slightly improved existing ‘A’ standards. Brooks broke her own indoor pole vault record by clearing 13’ ¾.” She continues to lead the nation in the event. According to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, Concordia is home to the No. 1 women’s pole vault group in the NAIA.

·        The Bulldogs also boast the No. 1 women’s weight throw crew in the nation. The group features Addie Shaw (No. 2 in NAIA), Morgan De Jong (No. 6 in NAIA) and Sarah Ragland (No. 15 in NAIA). All three are qualified for nationals. De Jong turned in a major personal best of 57’ 9” at the Husker Invite to move herself near the top five nationally. On the men’s side, senior Jacob Cornelio continues to pace the nation in the weight throw.

·        The weekend concluded very impressively for the Bulldogs, with both 4x400 meter relays again coming in under the national qualifying time. The women’s 4x4 was especially good, clocking in at 3:53.56 while racing around the banked track at the Devaney Center in Lincoln. Due to the configuration of the track, that time was adjusted to 3:56.67 for the national leaderboard – good for No. 2 in the NAIA. The 4x4 included Jacee Pfeifer, Sarah Lewis, Kennedy Mogul and Rachel Battershell. Meanwhile, the men’s 4x4 of Xavier Ross, Camden Miller, Colton Meyer and Henry Reimer finished in 3:19.77. After conversion, the time was not quite a season best.

·        Others who improved either ‘A’ or ‘B’ marks last week included Chase Berry (A in pole vault), Liam Hennessy (B in shot put) and Tristen Metzger (B in pole vault). While it may have been only a ‘B’ mark, Hennessy’s toss of 51’ 3” puts him at No. 11 in the NAIA and may hold up as a mark that gets him to nationals. Teammate Jerod Peter also ranks ninth nationally in the men’s shot put. The top 16 become automatic qualifiers.

·        The current NAIA national leader in the 400 meters, Rachel Battershell shaved .17 seconds off her PR by clocking a time of 56.23 seconds on the banked track in Lincoln. The native of Wheatland, Wyo., placed 12th out of 47 runners who completed the race at the Husker Invite. The only individuals to outrun her compete for either NCAA Division I schools or junior colleges. Teammates in sophomores Sarah Lewis (1:00.31) and Jacee Pfeifer (1:00.43) also entered the 400. Lewis (9.11) and Battershell (9.25) each ran the 60 meter hurdles.

·        For the fourth and final time this indoor season, the Bulldogs will put on their own meet. The Concordia Invite will take place Friday inside the Fieldhouse as a precursor to next week’s conference championship meet. The meet schedule for the Concordia Invite can be viewed HERE.

Men’s Basketball

·        A basketball season often features peaks and valleys throughout the journey. That certainly has been the case for the Bulldogs, who came up empty during their recent stretch of three-straight GPAC road games. In action last week, Concordia fell at Doane, 64-59, on Feb. 5 before enduring an 86-76 loss at Dordt on Feb. 8. In a conference with plenty of parity, those results were enough to drop the Bulldogs down to seventh place. Head coach Ben Limback’s squad is 17-9 overall and 8-8 inside the conference. For more information on Concordia men’s basketball, click HERE.

·        One of the goals this team has had is to host a GPAC tournament game, something that hasn’t happened for the program since 2011. The Bulldogs still have a shot at making that happen, but they now look up at six teams. On the positive side, Concordia is only two games behind third-place Northwestern (10-6 GPAC) and only a game back of Jamestown (9-7 GPAC) and Mount Marty (9-7 GPAC). The Bulldogs will need to have positive results this week if they are to continue to receive votes in the national poll.

·        While Concordia came up short at Dordt, the performance was far better than the ones it put together in its previous two games – losses at No. 10 Dakota Wesleyan and at Doane. The Bulldogs shot 28.3 percent from the floor at Dakota Wesleyan and then 34.3 percent at Doane in outings that were out of character. Concordia heated back up to 46.9 percent at Dordt while making 13 3-point field goals. If nothing else, the Bulldogs looked much more like the team that had recently won 10 of 11 games.

·        It’s really no secret at this point that Concordia’s fortunes are often tied to how well it shoots the long ball. The Bulldogs are 14-5 when making at least 10 3-point field goals, although they lost twice last week under those circumstances. Concordia made 10 treys at Doane, but it took 46 attempts to get to that number. With 290 made 3-point field goals as a team, the Bulldogs are on their way to breaking the school single-season record of 309 by the 2016-17 squad. Concordia ranks eighth among NAIA Division II teams with an average of 11.2 3-point baskets per game.

·        Sophomore Justin Wiersema tried to carry the load at Doane where he turned in his first career double-double (17 points and 12 rebounds). Wiersema went 8-for-14 from the floor in that contest. Unfortunately, the rest of the team was a combined 16-for-56 on field goal tries. Wiersema is not typically one of the team’s top three scoring options, but he remains a critical role player who averages 8.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He is an efficient 52.7 percent shooter from the field.

·        Another sophomore in Gage Smith got it going again at Dordt. The native of Elizabeth, Colo., had not drained a 3-pointer since Jan. 8 at Hastings until he knocked down 5-of-6 attempts from beyond the arc at Dordt. His 15 points were a career high. Smith has shown the potential to be a significant contributor. Right around New Year’s, Smith notched a combined 27 points in wins over York College and Northwestern.

·        This week presents the final two home games of the regular season. That means Saturday could be the final Walz Arena appearance for the likes of seniors such as Tanner Shuck and Brevin Sloup, both of whom are 1,000-point scorers. At 1,452 career points, Shuck is closing in on becoming just the eighth player in program history to reach 1,500. To date, the four-year seniors have helped the program to a combined record of 70-48 since the start of the 2016-17 campaign. Shuck has not missed a single game during that timeframe while Sloup has played in 108 games.

·        As part of the second-to-last week of the regular season, the Bulldogs will host Hastings (13-13, 6-10 GPAC) at 8 p.m. CT on Wednesday before welcoming No. 18 Mount Marty (18-8, 9-7 GPAC) to town for a 4 p.m. tipoff on Saturday. Concordia will be looking for a regular-season sweep of the Broncos and for a split with the Lancers. A pair of wins could have the Bulldogs right back in the running for a top four finish in the league standings.​​​​​​​

Baseball

·        The weather cooperated enough for the Bulldogs to complete their scheduled four-game season-opening series at McPherson College (Kan.) over the weekend. Concordia took three of the four games in McPherson, Kan. Two of the four matchups were slugfests with McPherson winning one of them 14-11 and Concordia taking the other one 20-12. Concordia also got solid pitching performances in victories by scores of 4-2 and 7-2. Head coach Ryan Dupic is in his sixth season leading the program. For more on Bulldog baseball, click HERE.

·        Concordia has high expectations for itself after having won GPAC regular-season titles in two of the past three years. That recent success led to the Bulldogs being pegged No. 1 in the GPAC preseason poll. Concordia is also receiving votes nationally in the official NAIA coaches’ poll and is rated 24th in Perfect Game’s NAIA top 25. Dupic has presided over the winningest five-year stretch in school history. The Bulldogs are 149-110 since the start of the 2015 season with campaigns of 34 wins in 2017 and 33 wins in 2019.

·        Some quirky things sometimes happen early in the baseball season. In the final game of the weekend series, Concordia equaled a school record for runs scored in an inning by pushing across 16 in the top of the sixth. The 1976 Bulldogs also scored 16 runs in a game that season versus Doane. The most recent such outburst came in unconventional fashion. Concordia piled up the 16 runs on seven walks, five hits, four hit-by-pitches and three errors. The outburst turned an 11-4 deficit into a 20-11 lead.

·        Not every game in the series involved a merry-go-round of walks. One major storyline surrounding the program has been the return of Nick Little, the 2018 GPAC Pitcher of the Year. Little impressed in his 2020 debut. In game three versus McPherson, Little covered 6.1 innings and allowed only one earned run while striking out 11. In 2018, Little was a workhorse while logging 91.1 innings (eight complete games). He went 9-2 with a 2.36 ERA and posted a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 90-to-23.

·        Jason Munsch is the returning ace of the staff. He and Little could team up for a dominant one-two punch at the top of the rotation. Munsch owns the school record for career strikeouts with 231 (106 strikeouts in 2019 alone). In the season opener, the lefty from Campbell, Calif., threw five innings and surrendered only one unearned run on two hits to go along with nine K’s. Last season Munsch earned first team all-conference honors while sporting a 2.44 ERA and a 6-4 record.

·        The lineup of position players features proven performers such as first baseman Evan Bohman, center fielder Keaton Candor, right fielder Wade Council, DH Jesse Garcia and second baseman Thomas Sautel. Concordia also has a good situation at catcher with the platoon of Ben Berg and Beau Dorman back in the fold. Bohman enjoyed a nice start to the season by reaching base 12 times (seven hits, four walks, one HBP) over the weekend. Meanwhile, Jayden Adams, Candor and Sautel collected four hits apiece during the series. Adams made his Concordia debut – as did Jakob Faulk. Both Adams and Faulk earned playing time as starters on the left side of the infield.

·        The Feb. 8 opening date was the earliest start to a Concordia baseball season since the 2010 squad played at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn., on Feb. 5 of that year. Six of the 11 GPAC baseball teams still have yet to begin their 2020 campaigns. Jamestown (5-1) and Morningside (4-2) both played countable games back in the fall. If all goes as hoped, the Bulldogs will play 14 times before the month of February concludes.

·        As of Tuesday afternoon, Concordia had returned to action with a doubleheader at Sterling College (Kan.) (beginning at 12 p.m. CT). The Bulldogs are also slated to play twice on both Saturday and Sunday in Atchison, Kan., home to Benedictine College (Kan.). Concordia will play two against Benedictine and two against the University of Saint Mary (Kan.).​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Tennis

·        The first action of 2020 took place this past weekend for Bulldog tennis squads that also competed in a few outings back in the fall. Concordia hosted Grand View University (Iowa) in both men’s and women’s play inside the Fieldhouse on Feb. 8. Both matches resulted in 6-1 team scores with the Bulldogs winning on the women’s side and Vikings picking up the victory on the men’s side. Head Coach David DeSimone’s teams sport records of 2-0 for women and 0-2 for men. For more information on Concordia tennis: women | men.

·        The women’s program is coming off a breakthrough 2019 campaign that saw it go 15-6 overall while breaking the school record for most wins in a single season. Behind now graduated Marlene Maier, the Bulldogs advanced to the GPAC tournament title match and lost by an eyelash to Hastings, 5-4. Meanwhile, the men reached the conference semifinals a year ago. In the 2020 GPAC preseason ratings, Concordia landed second on the women’s side and fourth on the men’s side.

·        The women began the 2019-20 season by defeating NCAA Division II William Jewell College (Mo.) in the fall. While Maier has departed, the program welcomes back three players who notched more than 10 singles victories in 2019: junior Allison Marshall (13-7) and seniors Angela Bell (12-3) and Kirsten Wagner (12-7). Junior Claudia Miranda Viera also returns after holding down the No. 2 spot for most of last season. So far this season, Wagner (York, Neb., native) has gotten the nod at the No. 1 position. For a season preview of the women’s team, click HERE.

·        On the other hand, the men’s team lost at William Jewell back in September. Even so, there is reason for optimism. Senior Luke Zoller possesses the most experience now with 60 career singles matches under his belt. Junior Jeremy Berryman (19 career singles wins) has been a fixture the past two years while sophomores such as Joe Bindl, Isaac Howes and Jack Kitson all got acclimated to the college game last season. Howes paced the team with 13 singles wins while splitting time between the Nos. 3 and 4 positions. On the flip side, the Bulldogs did graduate some dependable veterans such as last year’s No. 1 player, Thomas Greeff. For a season preview, click HERE.

·        The Concordia women earned the doubles point over Grand View by triumphing at the Nos. 1 and 2 spots. The duo of juniors Allison Marshall and Claudia Miranda Viera won at No. 1, 6-4, while the combo of senior Kirsten Wagner and freshman Tara Ferrel outdueled its opposition by an identical score. Those efforts led into singles action, which saw the Bulldogs earn wins from No. 2 Miranda Viera, No. 3 Marshall, No. 4 Ferrel, No. 5 Katy Krejci and No. 6 Luisa Esquivel. Concordia very nearly swept through singles. At No. 1, Wagner was edged in a tiebreaker.

·        DeSimone’s men’s singles lineup last week consisted of Luke Zoller at No. 1, Jeremy Berryman at No. 2, Isaac Howes at No. 3, Eduardo Rojas at No. 4, Jack Kitson at No. 5 and Joe Bindl at No. 6. At No. 1, It came down to the wire with Zoller being edged out, 6-4, 7-6, by Christian Barbien. The Bulldogs also lost at the Nos. 2 and 5 spots in tiebreakers. A freshman from Bogota, Colombia, Rojas won by a score of 6-1, 6-2. Concordia also had a shot at winning in No. 3 doubles, where Howes and Bindl led 5-4. That match went unfinished because the Vikings had already secured the team doubles point.

·        Now both teams have a bit of a break in the schedule with the next matches scheduled for Friday, Feb. 21 when the Bulldogs will take on Sterling College (Kan.). The women’s match is set for a 1 p.m. CT first serve with the men to follow at 4:30 p.m. Those contests will be held inside Genesis Health Club in Lincoln, Neb.