Bulldog Weekly Report (Feb. 27)

By Jacob Knabel on Feb. 27, 2018 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week

Female: Philly Lammers, Basketball

Lammers, an Omaha native, has been dominant in the GPAC tournament, totaling 43 points, 20 rebounds, nine steals and three blocked shots over wins in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. Lammers is averaging 13.1 points and 8.3 rebounds for the Bulldogs (31-1).

Male: Nick Little, Baseball

Little, who hails from Lithia, Fla., opened up the 2018 season with a seven-inning shutout of Evangel University on Monday. He scattered four hits and four walks while striking out six in a 4-0 win. Little topped the 2017 GPAC regular-season champion Bulldogs in innings pitched.

Previous athletes of the week
Feb. 20 – Deandre Chery (wrestling) / Samantha Liermann (track & field)
Feb. 13 – Jerry Stepps III (wrestling) / McKenzie Gravo (track & field)
Feb. 6 – Michael Duffy (wrestling) / Colby Duvel (basketball)
January Athletes of the Month: Kyle Pierce (basketball) / Dani Hoppes (basketball)
Jan. 30 – Kyle Pierce (basketball) / Anna Baack (track & field)
Jan. 23 – Jacob Cornelio (track & field) / Dani Hoppes (basketball)
Jan. 16 – Josiah McAllister (track & field) / Brenleigh Daum (basketball)
Jan. 9 – Jared Woods (wrestling) / Philly Lammers (basketball)
December Athletes of the Month: Cordell Gillingham (basketball) / Philly Lammers (basketball)
Dec. 12 – Cordell Gillingham (basketball) / Taylor Cockerill (basketball)
Dec. 5 – Brevin Sloup (basketball) / Sydney Feller (basketball)
November Athletes of the Month: Tarence Roby (football) / Quinn Wragge (basketball)
Nov. 28 – Jake Hornick (basketball) / Quinn Wragge (basketball)
Nov. 14 – Cameron Devers (wrestling) / Jeannelle Condame (soccer)
Nov. 7 – Tarence Roby (football) / Emily Deschaine (cross country)
October Athletes of the Month: Ryan Durdon (football) / Lindsey Carley (soccer)
Oct. 31 – Ryan Durdon (football) / Kaitlyn Radebaugh (soccer)
Oct. 24 – Marcelo Hernandez (soccer) / Lindsey Carley (soccer)
Oct. 17 – Carlos Ferrer (soccer) and Grady Koch (football) / Sami Birmingham (soccer)
Oct. 10 – Micah Lehenbauer (soccer) / Kaitlyn Radebaugh (soccer)
Oct. 3 – Micah Lehenbauer (soccer) / Maria Deeter (soccer)
September Athletes of the Month: Tarence Roby (football) / Lindsey Carley (soccer)
Sept. 26 – Kordell Glause (football) / Emily Deschaine (cross country)
Sept. 19 – Lewis Rathbone (soccer) / Victoria Cera (soccer)
Sept. 12 – Tarence Roby (football) / Murphy Sears (golf)
Sept. 5 – Jack Bennett (soccer) / Lindsey Carley (soccer)

News and notes:

Stepps takes path of great resistance, greater reward: Senior Jerry Stepps III continues to overcome hurdles placed in front of him. He has been resilient through tragedy and has found success despite a background that could have sidetracked him. A first team All-GPAC choice, Stepps III seized his opportunity and went 8-0 in GPAC duals while competing at 125 pounds. For more on the story of the St. Louis native, click HERE.

All-GPAC honorees announced for wrestling, track and field: The GPAC has begun rolling out its all-conference teams for winter sports. Last week 36 track and field athletes and six wrestlers representing Concordia were named All-GPAC honorees. Track and field all-conference awards are handed out to the top-eight place finishers in each event. Wrestling All-GPAC listings feature first and second teams as well as honorable mention choices.
ALL-GPAC: Track & Field | Wrestling

Lammers named Academic All-District by CoSIDA: A dominant force on the court, sophomore Philly Lammers is equally impressive in the classroom. On Feb. 22, College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) named Lammers to its 2017-18 Academic All-District 3 Women’s Basketball Team of the College Division. Lammers has earned the award in her first time eligible for academic all-district status. Honorees are chosen based on their combined academic and athletic successes. For more on Lammers’ award, click HERE.

Concordia fourth in GPAC all-sports standings entering spring: Last week the GPAC updated the conference’s all-sports standings to include the winter sports that have all concluded conference regular-season action. Concordia rests in fourth place with 92.5 points, putting it behind Northwestern (110), Hastings (101.5) and Morningside (99). Bulldog teams have won GPAC regular-season titles this 2017-18 academic year in women’s soccer and women’s basketball. For the complete all-sports standings, click HERE.

Cheer and dance teams place ninth at NAIA Northwest Qualifier: Head coach Mandi Maser’s cheer and dance teams completed their competition seasons last week while taking part in the NAIA Competitive Cheer & Dance Northwest Qualifier hosted in Sioux City, Iowa, by Morningside. Both teams placed ninth in an event that included nine teams in cheer and 10 in dance. Complete results from the qualifier can be viewed HERE.

Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its third 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 2017-18 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 again calling volleyball action.

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

Women’s Basketball

  • The thrills keep coming for the second-ranked Bulldogs, who are getting set to host the GPAC tournament championship game tonight (Feb. 27). Concordia motored to the title contest thanks to last week’s conference tournament victories over Briar Cliff, 80-64, and No. 13 Morningside, 106-86. In the process, the top-seeded Bulldogs extended their home win streak to 35. Twelfth-year head coach Drew Olson’s squad enters the week at 31-1 overall. Only two other NAIA Division II teams – Southeastern (Fla.) (29-0) and College of the Ozarks (Mo.) (29-1) have either no losses or one loss. For more information on Concordia women’s basketball, click HERE.
  • Thirty-win seasons aren’t easy to come by, but the Bulldogs have now reached that lofty figure in three of the past four seasons and for the sixth time in program history. This 2017-18 team still has work to do if it wants to equal or surpass the school record 36 wins racked up by the 2002-03 team guided by then head coach Todd Voss. The 36-win season came in the midst of the winningest four-year stretch in school history – the 2001-05 campaigns that resulted in a combined overall record of 123-21. The 2014-15 through 2017-18 seasons have seen Concordia go a collective 121-17.
  • The Bulldogs will try to make history as the first program in the GPAC era (2000-present) to sweep GPAC regular season and postseason titles in back-to-back years. Under Olson, Concordia has accomplished the ‘double’ twice (2011-12 and 2016-17). Several other conference programs have also achieved this feat (Hastings, Morningside and Northwestern), but none have done so in back-to-back seasons. The elite nature of the league has made it exceptionally difficult to do what the Bulldogs have – which is win 43-2 over their past 45 games against GPAC opponents.
  • Any debate about which player is the most dominant in the GPAC should have ended last week. Star sophomore Philly Lammers enjoyed a fine regular season, but she’s taken it to a new level in the GPAC tournament. In the win over Briar Cliff, Lammers recorded 23 points, 14 rebounds, five steals and two blocked shots. In the matchup with Morningside, she tallied 20 points, six rebounds and four thefts. Over those two contests, she went 19-for-27 (.703) from the floor. On the season, she’s now averaging 13.1 points and 8.3 rebounds.
  • Lammers and company put together one of their more impressive offensive performances of the season in the thrashing of Morningside in the GPAC semifinals. Lammers had already reached double figures in scoring before three-and-a-half minutes had elapsed. Concordia raced out to an 11-point lead as part of a 36-point first quarter. It added 37 points in the third period to put the game out of reach. The Bulldogs shot 56.9 percent for the game, regaining their strokes after shooting below 42 percent in each of their previous three outings.
  • Colby Duvel has become one of the GPAC’s most valuable performers off the bench. She continued to provide solid production last week, notching 15 points and four rebounds versus Briar Cliff and seven points and eight rebounds versus Morningside. The sophomore from Max, Neb., is averaging 6.1 points and 6.2 rebounds this season. Senior Brenleigh Daum also had a big day against Morningside, going for 19 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the field. Daum is averaging a career best 10.1 points per game.
  • If the NAIA employed a tournament selection committee like the ones used at the NCAA Division I level, the Bulldogs would undoubtedly be the No. 1 overall seed as it stands today. While Southeastern holds the No. 1 ranking, it has defeated only one team (No. 10 Northwestern) that currently resides inside the top 25 poll. Meanwhile, Concordia possesses 13 victories (seven on the road) over squads that appeared in last week’s national rankings. Even more impressive, seven of those wins have come against current top 10 foes.
  • While up against a schedule that Massey Ratings places as the third most challenging among all NAIA women’s basketball programs, the Bulldogs have now won 18 times by margins of 20 points or more. In 15 home games, Concordia has yet to have to sweat out the final few minutes of a game. Its closest home affair resulted in a 68-59 win over Doane. All other home contests have concluded with double-digit margins of victory. The Bulldogs are one win away from posting an undefeated home record for the second season in a row.
  • Eighth-ranked Dakota Wesleyan (27-5) stands between Concordia and its fifth GPAC tournament title in school history. The Bulldogs and Tigers will clash tonight (Feb. 27) at 7 p.m. in the conference final. Last season’s matchup between the same two teams in the GPAC championship was a memorable one. Concordia somehow dodged a potential Dakota Wesleyan game-winning buzzer beater and held on for a 78-77 overtime win. National tournament pairings are set to be released on Wednesday.

Men’s Basketball

  • The Bulldogs came up short in their bid to end a drought of nine years since the program’s last postseason victory. Despite a hot shooting start in Orange City, Iowa, sixth-seeded Concordia suffered a 107-87 loss at third-seeded Northwestern in the GPAC quarterfinals on Feb. 21. This marks the fourth season in a row that the program’s season has concluded in the quarterfinal round. Fifth-year head coach Ben Limback’s squad finished with an overall record of 17-13. For more information on Bulldog men’s basketball, click HERE.
  • Though Concordia will miss the national tournament for the 13th season in a row, the 2017-18 campaign was a positive step in many ways considering the team’s youth and the departures of 2016-17 senior standouts Chandler Folkerts and Eli Ziegler. Those losses likely had much to do with the Bulldogs being picked to finish eighth in the GPAC preseason coaches’ poll. Concordia was an early season surprise, starting out 12-3 overall and 5-2 in conference play before and up-and-down second half of the year.
  • Some inconsistencies could be expected of a group with almost a completely new starting lineup in 2017-18. The starting five included four sophomores: guard Cordell Gillingham, point guard Jake Hornick, post Clay Reimers and wing Tanner Shuck. Out of that group, only Shuck made regular appearances as a starter the previous season. The loaded sophomore class featured seven players who averaged more than 10 minutes per game this winter. Gillingham saw the most significant rise in playing time, going from a total of 82 minutes played in 2016-17 to averaging nearly 29 minutes per game as a sophomore.
  • Reimers is a budding star and a worthy first team all-conference performer. He ended his sophomore season with a 19-point outing at Northwestern. He has paced the GPAC this season in double-doubles (10) and rebounding (8.6) while ranking second among conference players in blocks per game (1.31). He’s also been one of the nation’s most efficient inside scorers, ranking 13th nationally in field goal percentage (.609). He topped the Bulldogs this season in scoring (15.6), rebounding and blocked shots.
  • A first-year starter at the point, Hornick also went out on a high note, going off for 26 points on 9-for-14 shooting at Northwestern. His progression from freshman to sophomore year was a big reason why Concordia remained competitive within the rigorous GPAC. Hornick wound up averaging 14.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 47.7 percent from the floor and 36.6 percent from 3-point range. He was asked to shoulder a significant load with a team high average of 33.6 minutes per game.
  • Limback will have to wait until next winter to reach 200 career wins as a head coach. His five-year record with the Bulldogs now stands at 80-71 overall. The former star player during Grant Schmidt’s coaching tenure also piled up 115 wins over nine seasons leading the Concordia-Ann Arbor men’s basketball program. The 21 wins produced by the 2016-17 Bulldogs were a career best over Limback’s 14 total years as a head coach. He’s helped bring the program back within striking distance of the national tournament after Concordia endured a 6-22 season in the year prior to Limback’s arrival.
  • The 2018-19 squad is guaranteed to be more experienced. The lone senior on this season’s team is Kyle Pierce, who arrived in Seward prior to the 2015-16 season as a transfer from Northeastern Junior College. A junior athletically, Chris Johnstone is also set to graduate and move on. A role player as a sophomore and junior, Pierce moved into the starting lineup this winter and delivered 10.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. A transfer from Chaminade University, Johnstone totaled 385 points over 56 games as a Bulldog.
  • For Concordia to make a move into the top four of the GPAC standings and contend for a national tournament berth next March, it will have to get over the hump against league powers. The 2016-17 team recorded five wins over teams with national rankings at the time of tipoff. However, this year’s squad went 0-for-9 in its attempts to knock off top 25 foes. The Bulldogs went through a particularly difficult closing stretch, playing five of their last six games against ranked opponents. The only exception was a 71-56 home win over Doane.

Track & Field

  • The indoor season concluded for the bulk of Concordia athletes at the GPAC championships. Seventy-six Bulldogs were listed on the conference championships roster that made its way to Doane for the conference meet (Feb. 16-17). From a team perspective, head coach Matt Beisel’s squads placed in a tie for fourth on the men’s side (71 points) and fifth on the women’s side (83 points). Concordia entered the meet with U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NAIA national rankings of 10th for the women and 24th for the men. For more information on Bulldog track and field, click HERE.
  • Qualifiers for the 2018 NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships were officially announced last week by the NAIA. Beisel and his coaching staff will travel 17 athletes to the national meet. The complete list can be found HERE. Concordia’s qualifying field includes six individuals who also competed at the 2017 indoor national championships. That group is headlined by junior Samantha Liermann, fresh off the second GPAC shot put title of her career. She is the reigning NAIA outdoor shot put national champion. Liermann is one of five Bulldogs who will compete in the women’s shot put. Liermann and teammate Adrianna Shaw, (ranked second and fifth nationally in the shot put, respectively) both have hopes of competing for a national title.
  • The Bulldog track and field programs have put together an impressive run of success at the national championships. The men own an active streak of six-straight national meets with top-five finishes. Meanwhile, the women have placed 13th or better at each of the past five indoor national championships. Both programs reached the highest of highs recently with a team outdoor national title for the men in 2015 and the women in 2016. At the 2017 indoor national meet, the men placed second while the women finished seventh.
  • The program’s count for total number of automatic national qualifying marks remained at 11 through the GPAC championship meet (see list below). Concordia athletes also put eight ‘B’ standard marks on the board. Liermann (shot put and weight throw), Shaw (shot put and weight throw) and Cody Williams (Imperial, Neb.) each were automatic qualifiers in multiple events. Williams will compete at nationals in the high jump and the heptathlon.
    • Men’s distance medley – B (10:25.56)
    • Anna Baack – A; pole vault (11’ 6 ½”)
    • Blake Becher – ranked 16th in the heptathlon (4,560)
    • Simon Brummond – B; pole vault (15’ 1”)
    • Jacob Cornelio – A; weight throw (59’ 7 ½”)
    • Jessica Deterding – ranked 17th in the pentathlon (3,138)
    • Jazzy Eickhoff – A; shot put (44’ 10 ¾”)
    • Jodi Fry – B; shot put (44’ 9 ¾”)
    • McKenzie Gravo – A; pole vault (12’ 6 ¼”)
    • Ben Hulett – B; 60 hurdles (8.28)
    • Scott Johnson – A; triple jump (47’ 2 ½”)
    • Leah Larson – B; triple jump (36’ 11”)
    • Samantha Liermann – A; shot put (48’ ¾”); A; weight throw (54’ 9 ½”)
    • Josiah McAllister – B; 1,000 meters (2:33.58)
    • Johanna Ragland – A; shot put (45’ 1 ½”)
    • Tyrell Reichert – B; pole vault (15’ 1”)
    • Adrianna Shaw – A; shot put (47’ 1 ¾”); A; weight throw (54’ 3 ¾”)
    • Kara Stark – B; high jump (5’ 5”)
    • Cody Williams – A; high jump (6’ 7”); ranked ninth in the heptathlon (4,723)
  • For the athletes who have qualified, the focus is all on the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships, held in Pittsburg, Kan., this Thursday through Saturday (March 1-3). More details on the national meet can be found HERE. The meet has been moved to Pittsburg State University after having been in Johnson City, Tenn., in 2016 and 2017.

Wrestling

  • National tournament bids were claimed at the GPAC Wrestling Championships (Feb. 17) hosted by Hastings. Twelve Bulldogs combined for 98.5 team points, 24 wins, eight individual place finishes and two individual GPAC titles at the event hosted by Hastings. Head coach Andrew Nicola’s squad placed fourth out of the nine GPAC institutions to sponsor wrestling. A week earlier, Concordia had finished fifth in the conference’s dual standings (8-8 overall, 5-3 GPAC). For more information on Bulldog wrestling, click HERE.
  • Though limited at times this season by injury, senior Giovanni Castillo came through when it mattered most. Seeded second at 133 pounds, Castillo went 3-0 on his way to a championship. His run included wins by decision over Northwestern’s Cole Mills and Briar Cliff’s Isiah Lysius and by pin in the title bout over Northwestern’s Jacob Hergott. After having wrestled only 12 matches this season prior to the tournament, Castillo (11-4) went a long way towards validating his No. 3 national ranking.
  • At one point, Deandre Chery had risen to the No. 1 GPAC ranking at 174 pounds. While not a favorite entering the GPAC tournament, Chery guaranteed himself a spot in the national championships with a conference title. He cruised to the 174-pound final via a pin over Morningside’s Jacob Wiley and a win by technical fall over Jamestown’s Tanner Smith. Chery then had to grind out an overtime win over 12th-ranked Brandon Shuler of Northwestern in the championship match. One of the team’s wins leaders, Chery is now 24-13 this season.
  • Chris Kimball is also headed to nationals via his third-place claim at 141 pounds. Kimball went 3-1 with his only loss coming against eventual GPAC champion David Berg of Midland. Kimball recovered by winning his final two bouts, including the third-place match over Briar Cliff’s Sonny Gulesian, 7-4. Castillo, Chery and Kimball will represent the program at the national championships as the team’s three national qualifiers.
  • Following the GPAC championships, 12 Bulldogs owned 10 or more victories (five have reached the 20-win mark): Cam Devers (25-9), Walker Fisher (24-11), Deandre Chery (24-13), Josh Nelsen (24-15), Darrin Miller (23-17), Stepps III (19-17), Jared Woods (18-17), Cody Lambert (16-16), Chris Kimball (16-17), Tyler Jorgensen (15-13), Blake Castillo (12-11) and Jon Lado (10-5). A sophomore from Miami Gardens, Fla., Chery pushed his team high pin count to 13 with one at the GPAC championships.
  • Five other Bulldogs placed in the top five of their brackets: Jerry Stepps III (fourth at 125), Jared Woods (fourth at 157), Walker Fisher (fifth at 174), Darrin Miller (fifth at 184) and Josh Nelsen (fourth at 184). Unfortunately, those finishes did not earn them berths to the national championships. Among the 12 Concordia wrestlers to compete last week, two appeared at the 2017 national tournament: Kirk Kaliszewski (165) and Nelsen. Kaliszewski was unable to recapture the magic he had last season when he won the 165-pound GPAC title.
  • Though Stepps III will not be making a trip to nationals, his resilience throughout his life has been impressive. At the age of 10, his father was murdered. He also remained committed at Concordia despite being a backup at 125 until this season. The St. Louis native seized his opportunity this season and went a perfect 8-0 in GPAC duals. His 19 wins as a senior were more than he had his first three years combined (13).
  • For the team’s three national qualifiers, their attention is locked in on the NAIA Wrestling National Championships, set Friday and Saturday (March 2-3) at the Jacobson Exhibition Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The event moves back to where it took place in at the 2012 and 2013 championships. Topeka, Kan., then hosted the wrestling national tournament from 2014 through 2017.

Baseball

  • The opening of the 2018 season came two days later than initially expected due to chilly temperatures. In its first action of the spring, Concordia rebounded from a pair of losses on Sunday by sweeping Monday’s doubleheader as part of a four-game series at Evangel University. The Bulldogs were dominant on the second day in Springfield, Mo., winning by scores of 4-0 and 19-3. Fourth-year head coach Ryan Dupic’s squad will enter its spring break trip at 2-2 overall. For more on Concordia baseball, click HERE.
  • No Bulldog baseball team has ever entered a season with loftier expectations. Concordia earned the No. 1 ranking in the GPAC preseason poll while also receiving votes in the NAIA national coaches’ poll. As Dupic warns, those rankings are mostly based upon last season. The 2017 Bulldogs won the program’s first conference title in 31 years and advanced to the national tournament. At 34-22 overall, Concordia broke the school record for most wins in a single season.
  • The pitching depth of the Bulldogs gave them an advantage on the second day in Springfield. Nick Little tossed a seven-inning, four-hit shutout in Monday’s first game while recording the first shutout of his career. The sophomore from Lithia, Fla., led the team in innings pitched (70.0) last season. Dupic’s rotation, in order, in the first four games included Jason Munsch, Cade Moring, Little and Wade Council. Moring pitched plenty well enough to win. He fired six innings of one-run ball in a 1-0 loss on Sunday. Moring may end up as one of the team’s most improved players this spring.
  • Among position players, first baseman Kaleb Geiger entered this season as the program’s most proven performer. Geiger went 4-for-11 in the series at Evangel. He saved his best for the final game of the series when he went 2-for-2 with a home run, a double, three runs scored and three RBIs. The double was the 42nd of Geiger’s career, pulling him even with Jarrod Pimentel (1999-02) for a school record. Geiger figures to continue to move up and even break more records this spring. His home run marked the 15th of his career (tied for fifth in Concordia history).
  • Geiger and company jumped all over the Crusaders in the first inning of the fourth game in the series. The Bulldogs sent 14 hitters to the plate and saw three different Evangel pitchers during an 11-run inning. It was the start of a miserable game for Crusader hurlers, who allowed 19 runs on nine hits, 11 walks and six hit batters. The 11 runs were the most Concordia has scored in one inning since a 13-run frame in a 21-4 win over Grace University on March 20, 2016.
  • Entering Monday, second baseman Christian Meza had gone deep one time 297 career collegiate at bats. Meza then muscled up for a pair of home runs as part of the 19-3 drubbing of Evangel. The native of Lakeside, Calif., has moved into the cleanup spot in the order and has gone 4-for-11 with two home runs, five RBIs and a .909 slugging percentage through the early going. Meza cracked out two hits during the 11-run inning.
  • Freshmen Keaton Candor, Luciano DePamphilis and Dylan Jacob were all part of Concordia’s opening day lineup. Candor and Jacob accounted for the team’s three runs in the first game at Evangel. In the second inning, Candor and Jacob struck for back-to-back home runs on the first at bats of their careers. Candor also belted a home run the next day. The Bulldogs finished the weekend with six home runs.
  • The Tucson Invitational is up next for Concordia. It will play 11 games between March 3 and 9 in Tucson, Ariz. That stretch will begin on Saturday with a doubleheader versus William Penn University (Iowa). The Bulldogs went 7-3 during a 10-game run at the Tucson Invitational in 2017.

Softball

  • Chilly conditions wreaked havoc on last week’s schedule. Originally scheduled to play Sterling College on Feb. 23 and Bethany College on Feb. 24, the Bulldogs were forced to cancel/postpone both doubleheaders. Concordia is in action today (Feb. 27) at Bethany as a makeup date. It will be the team’s first games since going 1-3 in its season-opening weekend Feb. 17-18. The season will ramp up in a hurry for fourth-year head coach Todd LaVelle’s squad, which has its spring break trip on the horizon. For more information on Bulldog softball, click HERE.
  • LaVelle will count on a host of newcomers this season. In the season’s opening game, four freshman were inserted into the starting lineup: first baseman Hhana Haro, third baseman Tori Homolka, center fielder Mackinsey Schmidt and catcher Allysia Thayer. In addition, University of Sioux Falls transfer Kenna Heath started in right field. Haro and Homolka held down spots in the middle of the lineup and both delivered a home run over the weekend. Haro hit a grand slam as part of the 15-6 romping of Tabor.
  • The team’s headlining returner is 2017 first team all-conference selection Leah Kalkwarf, who led off and started at second base in each of the four opening weekend contests. The opposition struggled to retire the junior from Omaha, who went 6-for-9 and walked four times. She also doubled, homered, scored five runs and drove in two. Kalkwarf made a big jump from freshman (2016) to sophomore (2017) year, pushing her batting average from .310 to .366. With five hits in the doubleheader at Tabor, Kalkwarf moved past 100 in her collegiate career.
  • Returners that joined Kalkwarf in the opening game lineup included pitcher Baily Clear, shortstop Jamie Lefebure, designated player Delaney Nance and left fielder Janey Pasold. A junior from Crete, Lefebure combines with Kalkwarf to give Concordia an experienced middle infield. Lefebure batted .306 while playing in 47 games last season. She has seen action in 87 games as a Bulldog.
  • The Bulldogs will have to wait until the Tucson Invitational for Texas A&M University Commerce transfer Brittany Woolridge to make her Concordia debut. An injury continues to sideline her. In her place, Clear got the ball in game one at Tabor. While Clear was charged with allowing 21 runs in the opening weekend, she suffered from a rash of errors that plagued the team defensively. Grace Bernhardt and Nance also got time in the circle. Nance fired two scoreless innings at Kansas Wesleyan.
  • Today’s doubleheader is the lone date on the team’s schedule prior to heading to Arizona for the Tucson Invitational (March 5-9). Concordia is slated to play 11 games over a five-day stretch in Tucson. The Bulldogs are scheduled to make their first home appearance on March 13 when the University of Saint Mary visits Plum Creek Park.

Tennis

  • Both tennis programs competed just once last week as nonconference action continues. In matches that took place at Genesis Health Club in Lincoln on Feb. 23, Concordia’s men’s and women’s teams fell by identical 8-1 final scores while up against Ottawa University, a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. Fourth-year head coach Joel Reckewey’s squads are both 3-3 overall. For more on Bulldog tennis, click the following links: men | women.
  • On the men’s side, Gio De Moraes and Josh Miller combined on the team’s lone victory. They teamed up for an 8-5 win at No. 3 doubles. Reckewey’s doubles lineup also included Thomas Greeff and Alex Kaldahl at No. 1 and Jeremy Berryman and Luke Zoller at No. 2. In order, the singles lineup featured Greeff, De Moraes, Zoller, Berryman, Miller and Caleb Lauby. The Bulldogs were unable to win any sets during singles play, but Lauby came up just short in a 9-8 loss at the No. 6 spot.
  • Through six matches, the Concordia men have gone a combined 15-21 in singles and 9-9 in doubles play. De Moraes is a perfect 5-0 in doubles. As a team, the Bulldogs have yet to lose at the No. 3 doubles spot (6-0). In singles, the Bulldogs have been paced by Miller (3-2), Berryman (3-3) and Zoller (3-3). Concordia has had its most success at No. 6 singles (4-2).
  • Junior Kayla Smock was the lone winner last week for the Bulldogs. She earned a 7-6 triumph at No. 6 singles. Smock also paired with Allison Marshall at No. 3 doubles and dropped a tight 9-7 decision. Additionally, Concordia fell just short at the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 singles positions. Reckewey’s singles lineup, in order, included Annie Horn, Claudia Miranda Viera, Kirsten Wagner, Katelinn Wurm, Alison Ebel and Smock.
  • With six matches in the books, the women have collectively produced records of 16-20 in singles and 8-10 in doubles play. At 3-3, Wagner paces the team for most singles victories. Wurm has had the most success in doubles (4-2). The final spots in the lineup have been impressive. The Bulldogs are 5-1 at No. 6 singles and 5-1 at No. 3 doubles.
  • The schedules are the same this week for both programs. They will host Sterling College at 2 p.m. on Friday and then Kansas Wesleyan University at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Both opponents are members of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. Back in September, the Concordia men and women turned in victories over Kansas Wesleyan.