Bulldog Weekly Report (Feb. 18)

By Jacob Knabel on Feb. 18, 2020 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week

Male: Brevin Sloup, Basketball

A senior from Seward, Sloup combined for 54 points last week while helping lead the Bulldogs to home wins over Hastings and No. 18 Mount Marty. On senior day, Sloup poured in 29 points while draining five treys. He leads the team with an average of 15.2 points per game and has piled up 1,145 career points.

Female: Philly Lammers, Basketball

A senior from Omaha, Lammers posted a double-double (19 points, 11 rebounds) in spurring a victory over No. 2 Hastings. Over last week’s action, she tallied a combined 30 points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots. Lammers has accumulated 1,935 points and 993 rebounds in her career.

2019-20 BAAM Athletes of the Week
Feb. 11 – Evan Bohman (baseball) / Philly Lammers (basketball)
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
January – Rachel Battershell (track & field) / Tanner Shuck (basketball)
December – Emmie Noyd (volleyball) / Mario Ybarra (wrestling)
November – Carter Kent (basketball) / Kara Stark (volleyball)
October – Tara Callahan (volleyball) / Lane Napier (football)
September – Derek Tachovsky (football) / Emmie Noyd (volleyball)

News and notes:

Women’s basketball senior class leaves unmistakable mark: The Concordia women’s basketball senior class of 2019-20 has been undeniably incredible. The results speak for themselves in the form of wins, relationships and memories made. Over the past four seasons, the Bulldogs have a combined record of 131-10 with a 2019 national title, a 2018 national runner-up claim, 2017 national semifinal appearance and six combined GPAC titles. The group is nine members strong, including six key varsity contributors: Grace Barry, Colby Duvel, MacKenzie Helman, Philly Lammers, Taryn Schuette and Riley Sibbel. Check out a feature piece on the group HERE.

Battershell, Shuck named January Athletes of the Month: Sophomore Rachel Battershell of the track and field program and senior Tanner Shuck of the men’s basketball program have been named the Bulldog Athletic Association Member (BAAM) Athletes of the Month of January 2020. The two standout student-athletes were winners of voting that took place at the BAAM luncheon last Tuesday (Feb. 11). Battershell has dominated on the track while winning four GPAC Athlete of the Week honors (and an NAIA National Athlete of the Week award). Meanwhile, Shuck was the MVP of the Concordia Invitational Tournament. For more on the two honorees, click HERE.

Cheer and dance update: Head coach Mandi Maser’s cheer and dance squads hosted their final home competitions last week. The Bulldogs welcomed Hastings for a dance dual and both Hastings and Peru State College for a cheer competition in conjunction with home basketball games last Wednesday (Feb. 12). Maser’s dance team earned its first dual victory of the season by topping Hastings, 68.4 to 60.35. Meanwhile in cheer, Concordia placed third (62.1) behind Hastings (78.1) and Peru State (63.05). Also last week, the GPAC announced its all-conference teams. Maser garnered the GPAC Cheer Coach of the Year award while freshman Katie Anderson landed honorable mention all-conference accolades. The next event on the schedule is the NAIA Northwest Regional Cheer and Dance Qualifier to be hosted by Morningside (Sioux City, Iowa) on Feb. 28-29.

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.

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. Second-year head coach Levi Calhoun’s squad has been idle since that date and now braces for this weekend’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.

·        Two weeks ago 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, Jamestown and Morningside).

·        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 class with three nationally-ranked competitors, including Farmer and No. 20 Michael Stann. Current Bulldogs who have qualified for nationals in the past include Deandre Chery (174), Alberto Garcia (133), Chris Kimball (141), Zack Moistner (133) and Michael Stann (285). Kimball got some additional prep work in recently by placing third in the 141-pound bracket at the Golden Norsemen Open.

·        The past couple of weeks have been all about gearing up for the GPAC Championships this Friday and Saturday. 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. This will mark the fifth-straight year that the GPAC has held its own postseason tournament with conference members only. In the first four years of the current format, Concordia has placed first (2016), first (2017), fourth (2018) and fourth (2019). The Bulldogs also won a 14-team qualifying group tournament in 2015.

Track & Field

·        After six main meets, the regular season has come to a conclusion. Concordia has competed exclusively in the cities of Seward, Crete and Lincoln during an indoor campaign that got started the weekend of Dec. 13-14 with the Early Bird Meet. Last week’s Concordia Invite marked the fourth and final indoor home meet of 2020. It brought three additional automatic national qualifying marks for head coach Matt Beisel’s squads. For more on Bulldog track and field, click HERE.

·        Both the Concordia men and women continue to compete at a level that places them among the top five in the NAIA. Entering the week, the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) has released three sets of 2020 NAIA national rankings (Jan. 29, Feb. 5, Feb. 12). The Bulldog women have been ranked No. 2 nationally in all three ratings while the men slotted in at No. 2 on Jan. 29 before settling at fourth in the next two rankings. The USTFCCCA also computes top event groupings. Their full rankings can be viewed HERE.

·        Through six main weekends of indoor competition, Bulldog athletes have combined for 22 automatic national qualifying marks, 19 ‘B’ standards and four NAIA top 21 multi-event point totals (see full list below). Rachel Battershell highlights the list with three individual automatic national qualifying marks. Addie Shaw owns two ‘A’ standards.

o   A, Men’s 4x400m relay (3:20.47)

o   A, Women’s 4x400m relay (3:56.67)

o   A, Women’s 4x800m relay (9:37.42)

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); A, 600 meters (1:36.73)

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’ 3”)

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 (57’ 3 ¾”); 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. 10 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   Cora Olson – B, long jump (18’ 3 ¾”)

o   Jerod Peters – A, shot put (52’ 4”)

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’ 10 ¼”)

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   Katie Severt – B, long jump (18’ 1”)

o   Adrianna Shaw – A, shot put (48’ 9 ½”); A, weight throw (63’)

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 new ‘A’ standards last week came courtesy of the women’s 4x800 meter relay, Battershell (600 meters) and Jerod Peters (shot put). The women’s team now has three relays qualified for nationals. The 4x8 marked the first race of the Concordia Invite last week. The Bulldog quartet of Alyssa Fye, Miranda Rathjen, Rebekah Hinrichs and Kylahn Heritage teamed up on an automatic national qualifying time of 9:37.42 (best in the GPAC and No. 6 in the NAIA). They were also standouts for a women’s cross country team that won a GPAC title this past fall.

·        While Shaw had already qualified for nationals in both the shot put and weight throw, her competitive drive keeps pushing her to new heights. At the Concordia Invite last week, Shaw turned in new personal bests of 48’ 9 ½” in the shot put and 63 feet in the weight throw for first-place meet finishes. The Bassett, Neb., ranks No. 2 in the NAIA in both events. On the school record books, Shaw ranks No. 1 in the weight throw and second in the shot put (behind former teammate Samantha Liermann).

·        Peters is the top men’s shot put performer on the team. He now ranks No. 11 in the NAIA with his personal best mark of 52’ 4,” which puts him just outside the top 10 on the program’s all-time indoor shot put list (just in front of Coach Ed McLaughlin). The Concordia men also continue to boast the national weight throw leader in the form of Jacob Cornelio (65’ 9”). Teammate Liam Hennessy is qualified for nationals in the weight throw and may also compete at nationals in the shot put along with Peters.

·        No NAIA program in the nation has a deeper group of women’s pole vaulters than the Bulldogs. Currently, 25 female vaulters nationally have cleared the ‘B’ standard, including six that compete for Concordia. Last week freshman Josie Puelz boosted her PR to 12’ 10 ¼” and leapt to No. 2 on the national list behind only teammate Allie Brooks (13’ ¾”). Senior McKenzie Gravo also owns a national qualifying mark in the pole vault.

·        Battershell has been the top female track athlete in the entire GPAC this indoor season, as her four GPAC Athlete of the Week awards would indicate. Battershell added her third automatic national qualifying time with last week’s race in the 600 meters (1:36.73). Battershell is the GPAC leader in the 60 meter hurdles, 400 meters and 600 meters and is also part of the conference’s leading 4x400 meter relay. The native of Wheatland, Wyo., could wind up as one of the leading point getters at the conference meet this weekend.

·        Heading into the conference championships, the following Bulldogs own GPAC leading marks: women’s 4x400 relay, men’s 4x400 relay, women’s 4x800 relay, Rachel Battershell (60 hurdles, 400 meters, 600 meters), Allie Brooks (pole vault), Jacob Cornelio (weight throw), Kennedy Mogul (pentathlon), Xavier Ross (400 meters) and Addie Shaw (weight throw). Concordia athletes also combine for 10 marks that rank second in the conference.

·        The GPAC Indoor Track & Field Championship is up next. This year’s event will take place at Dakota Wesleyan in Mitchell, S.D., on Friday and Saturday. The multi events will get started on Friday before the majority of the meet unfolds on Saturday. The Bulldog women are the reigning GPAC indoor and outdoor champions. The conference meet schedule can be viewed HERE.

Men’s Basketball

·        After falling three-straight times on the road, Walz Arena proved to be much friendlier to the Bulldogs. Concordia returned home last week and earned wins over Hastings, 83-77, and No. 18 Mount Marty, 98-74. The victories were much needed in regards to the team’s hopes of emerging from the regular season with a top four position in the GPAC standings. Head coach Ben Limback’s squad is currently tied for fifth place and stands at 19-9 overall and 10-8 within league play. For more information on Concordia men’s basketball, click HERE.

·        If the Bulldogs are to host a GPAC tournament game for the first time since 2011, they first must win twice this week and run their GPAC record to 12-8. Excluding GPAC champion Morningside, the teams currently ahead of Concordia in the two through four spots are Dakota Wesleyan (12-6), Northwestern (12-6) and Dordt (12-7). The winner between Dakota Wesleyan/Northwestern on Wednesday is guaranteed to finish above the Bulldogs. Thus, Concordia’s highest possible seed is No. 3. The Bulldogs would be in good shape with in potential tie with the Red Raiders, whom they have beaten twice.

·        Concordia celebrated six seniors this past Saturday: Sammy Adjei, Chuol Biel, Jacob Jennings, Tanner Shuck, Brevin Sloup and Anthony Wolter. In terms of accolades and statistical measures, Shuck and Sloup have obviously been the most high profile members of that group. If it had to be Sloup’s final home game last week, at least it was a good one. The Seward High School product poured in 29 points for the second highest single-game total of his career. He knocked won five more treys while running his four-year collegiate scoring tally to 1,145 points. Sloup scored a combined 54 points in last week’s wins over Hastings and Mount Marty.

·        A two-time honorable mention All-GPAC choice, Shuck has produced like few others have in the history of the program. He’s now at 1,476 career points (ninth in school history) while closing in on becoming the eighth player in program annals to crack the 1,500 mark. He’s gotten there with the help of 282 made 3-point field goals. The Grand Island native has been an iron man for the program, playing in all 120 games since the start of the 2016-17 season.

·        The seniors hope that the best is yet to come, but the last four years have certainly been a period of solid basketball. During that stretch, Concordia is a combined 72-48 with a pair of CIT championships. Shuck and Sloup were contributors to the 2016-17 squad that went 21-10 overall and now have a shot to reach the 20-win mark again. The current team has also been receiving votes in the NAIA Division II national poll.

·        The 2019-20 Bulldogs have played eight times against teams that were nationally-ranked when games were played. Concordia has won three of those matchups – over No. 9 Benedictine College (Kan.), at No. 19 Northwestern and No. 18 Mount Marty. The Bulldogs narrowly missed out on what would have been a particularly noteworthy victory when it was clipped at No. 1 Morningside, 72-71, on Dec. 11. According to Massey Ratings, Concordia has played the NAIA’s 50th most challenging schedule (includes 232 NAIA Division I / II teams).

·        By knocking down 25 treys as a team last week, the 2019-20 Bulldogs are closing in on the program record for most in a single season. That record is still held by the 1997-98 squad that nailed 321 3-point field goals. The current team has hit 315, which surpassed the 309 recorded by the 2016-17 squad for second place. College basketball first adopted the 3-point arc in 1986-87. The 1991-92 Bulldog men’s basketball team took advantage of the still somewhat new rules by netting 304 treys during a run to the national semifinals.

·        This week will be it for the regular season. Concordia will be at Midland (9-16, 5-13 GPAC) for an 8 p.m. CT tipoff on Wednesday. The longest road trip of the conference season will then be Saturday with the Bulldogs playing at Jamestown (18-10, 9-9 GPAC) at 4 p.m. Concordia will be seeking season sweeps of both opponents. The Bulldogs will attempt to avenge road losses from last season at both venues.

Women’s Basketball

·        The third-ranked (for now) Bulldogs have closed out a perfect home record during the regular season. While continuing the hunt for another GPAC championship, Concordia outslugged No. 2 Hastings, 53-46, in front of a raucous Walz Arena crowd on Feb. 12. Then on senior day (Feb. 15), the Bulldogs drilled Mount Marty, 94-51, in a return to more pleasing offensive basketball. Fourteenth-year head coach Drew Olson’s squad now boasts sole possession of first place in the GPAC with a 19-1 conference mark (26-2 overall). For more information on Concordia women’s basketball, click HERE.

·        It’s hard to find the right adjectives that adequately describe the success of the senior class, which is now an incredible 131-10 since arriving prior to the 2016-17 season. The group is nine members strong, including six who play key on-the-court roles: Grace Barry, Colby Duvel, MacKenzie Helman, Philly Lammers, Taryn Schuette and Riley Sibbel. The latter five started the game this past weekend versus Mount Marty and helped the Bulldogs open up a 19-0 lead. The seniors were later honored during a ceremony held at halftime of the men’s game.

·        There was nothing really pretty about the Hastings game, but the final result was beautiful for Concordia. The formula got a little out of whack – the Bulldogs were minus-11 in turnover margin, made only three 3-point field goals and took 20 fewer shots than the Broncos. The key was that Hastings (now 18-2 in the GPAC) never got much of anything going in its half-court offense. It shot a rough 21.3 percent (13-for-61) from the field in falling for the first time this season. The Broncos then went on the road and also lost at No. 9 Dordt, 66-64, on Feb. 15.

·        Barry may have a hard time reaching 1,000 career points exclusively as a Bulldog (now at 814), but she is up to 986 points overall as a collegiate player. That figure includes her two seasons at NCAA Division II University of Nebraska-Kearney. With Taylor Cockerill missing this entire season, Barry has had to take on an increased scoring role. However, she still ranks fifth nationally in both assists (5.96) and steals (3.29) per game. Barry totaled 27 points and 12 assists last week.

·        Lammers is also approaching some career milestones with career totals currently at 1,935 for points and 993 for rebounds. Only two players in program history have exceeded 1,000 career rebounds: Lynda Beck (1,250) and Stephanie Schilke (1,204). Lammers remains the lone player in school history to rank in the top five all-time for points, rebounds and steals (339). With two games left in the regular season and postseason play yet to come, Lammers needs 120 more points to break the program career scoring record of 2,054 by Bailey Morris.

·        Sometimes unsung as part of that senior group, Helman has been on a tear. Her stat line versus Mount Marty included 17 points, eight assists and four steals in 21 minutes of action. The 17 points equaled a career high the Pius X alum had totaled in the win over Northwestern on Jan. 29. Since New Year’s Day, Helman has drilled 30-of-61 attempts from 3-point range. Across the board, Helman is enjoying the best season of her career while averaging 5.6 points, 3.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

·        The team win-loss records over the past four seasons are even more impressive when considering the GPAC has regularly been the most challenging women’s basketball league in the NAIA. Since the start of 2016-17, Concordia is 76-6 in GPAC regular-season play and has a chance at a fourth-straight conference regular-season title. The Bulldogs are also a perfect 9-0 in GPAC tournament games during that same stretch. Even the great GPAC era runs put together by other league powerhouses such as Hastings, Morningside and Northwestern do not compare.

·        By week’s end, Concordia hopes to have locked up the outright GPAC regular-season title. The Bulldogs are getting set to play at Midland (11-17, 7-13 GPAC) at 6 p.m. CT on Wednesday and then at Jamestown (16-12, 9-11 GPAC) at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Bulldogs defeated both foes handily at home earlier this season. A game back of Concordia, Hastings will host both Doane and No. 13 Dakota Wesleyan this week.​​​​​​​

Baseball

·        Unfortunately, only two of the six games scheduled to take place last week were actually played. In a doubleheader at Sterling College (Kan.) on Feb. 11, the Bulldogs split a pair of one-run games, falling 5-4 before taking a 6-5 decision in the capper. Concordia opened its 2020 season the weekend of Feb. 8-9 by winning three of four games at McPherson College (Kan.). Games that were scheduled to occur Feb. 15-16 in Atchison, Kan., were canceled due to unplayable field conditions. Head coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is now 4-2 on the young season. For more on Bulldog baseball, click HERE.

·        Concordia eked out the second game at Sterling while mixing and matching with the pitching staff. The Bulldogs trailed the contest 4-0 at the end of four innings. They then came alive with three runs in the fifth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh. Freshman shortstop Jayden Adams scored the go-ahead run in the sixth on a wild pitch before the Warriors (5-4 record at the conclusion of the doubleheader) came right back to tie it in the bottom half. Jakob Faulk then supplied the game-winning RBI single in the top of the seventh.

·        The Bulldogs like their chances when they can get the ball to closer Ryan Samuelson with a lead late in the game. He struck out the first two batters he faced prior to allowing a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh of the win at Sterling. He then recorded the final out on a fly out to left. Samuelson has earned credit for two saves in his first three appearances (3.2 innings) of 2020. Last season as a sophomore, Samuelson surrendered only one earned run and struck out 26 over his 25.1 innings of work (11 appearances out of the bullpen). The Omaha native earned honorable mention all-conference accolades.

·        Dupic is working on continuing to develop depth behind current top two starting pitchers Jason Munsch and Nick Little. Shane Whittaker and Alex Delgadillo were the starting pitchers for the Bulldogs at Sterling. Benjamin Coldiron and Thomas Otte combined to work three scoreless innings and total a collective six strikeouts. Zach Pinkerton was credited with the game two win after an inning of work. So far this season, 14 different Concordia pitchers have toed the rubber with each getting at least four outs.

·        Because of the cancelations, Munsch and Little did not get a chance to throw last week. Both were stellar in their first outings of 2020. Munsch got the ball in the season opener and struck out nine hitters over five innings. He did not allow a single earned run. Meanwhile, Little tossed 6.1 innings, fanned 11 hitters and surrendered one earned run on six hits. Little was the 2018 GPAC Pitcher of the Year while Munsch is a returning first team all-conference selection.

·        In game one at Sterling, Concordia’s last out came with runners on first and second. Three-straight walks with one out in the top of the seventh had given the Bulldogs hope of rallying for the victory. In that contest, Adams and Thomas Sautel both went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Noah Janssen also came through with an RBI single. In game two, Faulk and catcher Beau Dorman collected two hits apiece. Dorman homered to lead off the fifth for the team’s first big fly of 2020.

·        The victory at Sterling marked No. 150 in Dupic’s tenure as head coach at Concordia. Considering the meager program success prior to Dupic’s arrival, the speed in getting to that total is impressive. The Bulldogs are 150-111 since Dupic became head coach prior to the 2015 season. They won GPAC regular-season titles in 2017 and 2019 with the 34 wins in ’17 still standing as a school single-season record.

·        The hope is to have baseball this Saturday and Sunday at Joplin High School in Joplin, Mo. While in Joplin, Concordia is scheduled to play Culver-Stockton College (Mo.) at 12 p.m. and Graceland University (Iowa) at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Then on Sunday, the Bulldogs will play Grand View University (Iowa) at 12:30 p.m. and William Penn University (Iowa) at 3 p.m. Those will be the team’s final games before heading to Tucson, Ariz., for spring break (March 7-10).​​​​​​​

Tennis

·        The first action of 2020 took place on Saturday, Feb. 8 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 to resume the 2019-20 season. 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 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 versus Grand View 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.

·        Both teams have had a break in the schedule with the next matches set for this Friday 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. Both teams will close the month of February by playing at Bethel College (Kan.) on Feb. 29.