Bulldog Weekly Report (March 22, 2016)

By Jacob Knabel on Mar. 22, 2016 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Booster Club Athletes of the Week

Female: Kylie Harpst, Softball

Harpst, a Lincoln native, went 3-for-9 with two runs and a pair of RBIs in last week’s doubleheader split at Bethany College. Harpst notched the game-winning hit with a two-run triple in the top of the seventh in game 1. She also earned the win in the circle. On the season, Harpst is hitting .466 with a home run and 18 RBIs. She’s 7-2 with a 2.45 ERA as a pitcher.

Male: Kaleb Geiger, Baseball

Geiger, who hails from Sedalia, Colo., went 7-for-11 at the plate during last week’s action in doubleheaders at Tabor College and versus Grace University. That effort, that included two home runs and six RBIs, earned Geiger GPAC player of the week honors. He leads Concordia with a .397 batting average on the year.

News and notes:

Folkerts named honorable mention All-America: Already a first team Academic All-American, junior Chandler Folkerts received another honor last week when the NAIA named him a 2015-16 NAIA Division II honorable mention All-American. The first team all-conference post from Milford, Neb., finished the season with averages of 19.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks while shooting 66.6 percent from the field (second best among all NAIA Division II players).

Concordia athletics provides boost to Plum Creek Park: On Sunday the Concordia baseball team made its debut at the remodeled Plum Creek Park. The Concordia athletics department donated $15,000 in fundraised money that went towards the installation of new scoreboards at both the baseball and softball fields. In addition, the city of Seward constructed a new backstop complete with a brick wall and netting at the baseball field. For more on the improvements, click HERE.

Catching up with Campbell: Last week we caught up with senior Mark Campbell, a member of the men’s soccer team. The unique and witty Campbell provided his thoughts on a variety of topics, including his experience at a batting cage. For more on one of the leaders of the Bulldogs’ GPAC tournament championship squad, click HERE.

Men’s basketball season in review: The 2015-16 season saw the continued rise of the Concordia men’s basketball program under third-year head coach Ben Limback. The Bulldogs went 18-12 overall, marking the most wins for the program since the 2009-10 season. The 15-16 team was also the third highest scoring group in program history. For our complete season in review, click HERE.

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

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

Softball

  • Following a grueling 10-games-in-six-days stretch at the Tucson Invitational (March 6-11), Concordia played just twice last week. In their first road doubleheader of the campaign, the Bulldogs split with Bethany College (9-17). Following a 6-4 victory in game 1, Concordia relinquished a 2-0 lead and lost game 2, 4-2. Third-year head coach Todd LaVelle’s squad now stands at 13-4 overall. To read recaps of recent action, click HERE.
  • After the Bulldogs collected 13 hits in game 1 at Bethany, the Swedes finally cooled the Concordia offense down (four hits in game 2). However, the Bulldogs remain one of the nation’s most potent offensive attacks. Among all NAIA softball teams, Concordia ranks fourth in runs per game (7.8), fifth in batting average (.375), sixth in hits per game (10.5) and eighth in slugging percentage (.528). Those numbers represent dramatic improvement from 2015 when the Bulldogs finished 55th nationally in runs per game (5.8).
  • The lineup has been led by five regulars who are either batting above .400 or hovering in that range: Kylie Harpst (.466), Autumn Owens (.431), Diana Mendoza (.418), Taylor Huff (.396) and Michaela Woodward (.392). Last week Owens was named the GPAC player of the week after she batted .500 with three home runs during the team’s spring break trip. While Owens played the role of hero with a walk-off RBI single in the win over the University of Michigan-Dearborn on March 6, Harpst came through with a game-winning two-run triple last week at Bethany.
  • Harpst has been a welcome addition not only for her bat, but also for her pitching arm. The transfer from NCAA Division II Pittsburg State is now 7-2 with a 2.45 ERA over 48.2 innings. She has shared the workload in the circle with Woodward, who shouldered most of the pitching duties in 2015. Last season Harpst sat out after having shoulder surgery. She and Woodward have covered all but 4.0 innings tossed by Concordia pitchers this season.
  • Five players had exactly two hits in last week’s win at Bethany: Leah Kalkwarf (2-for-3), Jamie Lefebure (2-for-3), Mendoza (2-for-3), Woodward (2-for-4) and Harpst (2-for-5). Kalkwarf, Lefebure and Harpst are all new to the team this year. Kalkwarf and Lefebure have started all 17 games to begin their freshmen seasons. Nine Bulldogs have started every contest as part of a consistent lineup.
  • At 13-4 overall, Concordia’s .765 winning percentage ranks second best among GPAC squads. The Bulldogs are just one game behind the 14-3 start they enjoyed in 2014 when they finished 32-16 and advanced to the opening round of the national tournament. In less than three seasons under LaVelle, Concordia has gone 74-43 (.632) while appearing at the opening round of the national championships in each of the past two years.
  • Concordia also rates favorably among GPAC teams in several key statistical categories. On the conference leaderboard, the Bulldogs rank No. 1 in runs per game, batting average, slugging percentage, hits per game and triples, second in fielding percentage (.957) and third in stolen bases per game (1.65).
  • The Bulldogs jumped on top of Bethany with three runs in the top of the first inning of game 1. Scoring early has been a winning formula for Concordia, which is now 8-0 when putting up at least one run in the first inning. Only once this season have the Bulldogs lost after striking first. Concordia has also been nearly flawless in protecting leads, owning records of 10-1 when leading after four innings, 8-0 when leading after five and 6-0 when leading after six.
  • The Bulldogs are now set to open up the conference season on Friday with a trip to Orange City, Iowa. Concordia and Northwestern (9-10, 0-0 GPAC) will get started at 1 p.m. CT. Under LaVelle, Concordia has produced a two-year conference record of 22-18. It has advanced to the GPAC final two years running.

Baseball

  • Concordia played four times last week and split those games. After being swept in a doubleheader at No. 13 Tabor College (Kan.) on March 15, the Bulldogs rebounded by blowing away Grace University in their home-opening twin bill on March 20. Second-year head coach Ryan Dupic’s squad now sits at 14-12 overall. Concordia is 2-0 at home, 5-9 in true road games and 7-3 in neutral site contests. To read recaps of recent action, click HERE.
  • The Bulldogs were held to 12 hits in the doubleheader at Tabor, but then heated back up with 27 hits and a combined 32 runs in the demolition of winless Grace. Concordia has now scored 10 or more runs eight times this season with its season high of 21 runs coming in Sunday’s second game. The Bulldogs now rank 22nd nationally with an average of 7.9 runs per game. With 29 games still left on the regular-season schedule, Concordia is on a pace to shatter last year’s program single-season record of 289 runs scored. It has tallied 205 runs so far in 2016.
  • Sophomore first baseman Kaleb Geiger enjoyed a big week at the plate, going 7-for-11 (.636) with four extra base hits, including two home runs. He drove in six runs in the doubleheader sweep of Grace. The native of Sedalia, Colo., is now hitting .397 with four home runs and 25 RBIs over 21 games played. He leads the team with a slugging percentage of .730. Geiger has made major gains in the power department this year. As a freshman in 2015, Geiger hit just one home run in 145 at bats.
  • Junior designated hitter Christian Montero also feasted on Grace pitching. He went 3-for-4 with two home runs and seven RBIs in the twin bill. The 11-0 game 1 victory over the Royals marked the first career two-homer game as a Bulldog for Montero. After struggling to a 4-for-27 (.148) start, Montero is 24-for-57 (.421) since then with all five of his home runs coming during that stretch. He’s now pushed his season batting average to .333. He leads the team in both home runs and RBIs (28).
  • Concordia did its offensive damage against Grace despite the absences of three regulars from the starting lineup: outfielders Alex Alstott and Taylor Bigandt and second baseman Alex Cargin. Bigandt was batting .378 before suffering a broken hand. Alstott, a first team all-conference selection in 2015, is expected back in the lineup on Tuesday (March 21). In place of Alstott, freshman Johnny May put together a 4-for-6 day on March 20 that included his first career home run.
  • Senior right-hander Mark Harris fired 5.2 shutout innings in picking up his third win of the season in the blanking of Grace. He allowed just two hits and two walks while striking out seven. Among starters, Harris owns a team low ERA of 2.20 over 28.2 innings (six appearances). His 25 strikeouts are also a team best. Last season Harris was used exclusively out of the bullpen. He had a 3.00 ERA across 17 appearances (27 innings).
  • Concordia is getting set to play Tabor for the third and fourth games in a week’s span. It will mark the team’s seventh and eighth contests of the season against teams that are currently ranked in the national coaches’ poll. Half of the Bulldogs’ 12 losses are against teams that appeared in last week’s top 25 rankings: No. 10 University of Jamestown (N.D.) (twice), No. 13 Tabor (twice) and No. 21 Sterling College (Kan.) (twice).
  • Among GPAC teams, Concordia ranks second in runs scored. Conference wise, it also ranks first in triples per game (0.58), fourth in slugging percentage (.446) and sixth in batting average (.310). Notable individual standouts on the GPAC leaderboard are Geiger (2nd in on-base percentage, .530; 3rd in slugging, .730; 4th in runs, 26; 5th in RBIs, 25), Harris (2nd in ERA, 2.20; 4th in strikeouts, 7.85), Montero (3rd in RBIs, 28; 3rd in home runs, 5; 4th in total bases, 49).
  • The Bulldogs are back at home Tuesday (March 21) for the second time in three days. They welcome Tabor (21-8) at 1 p.m. CT for a rematch from last week. Concordia was originally scheduled to hit the road for four games at Clarke University (Iowa) (13-8) over Thursday and Friday. Due to expected inclement weather, the contests at Clarke have been canceled. They will not be made up.

Tennis

  • Head coach Joel Reckewey’s squads have been idle since a busy stretch of matches in three-straight days March 9-11. During which, both the Bulldog men and women went 1-2. The Concordia men are now .500 at 6-6 overall while the women are 2-10. For more information on Concordia tennis: MEN | WOMEN.
  • Each of the last four victories for the men have come by a final of 5-4. During that run, Concordia has claimed victims in Southwestern College (Kan.), Tabor College (Kan.) and Friends University (Kan.). At the time of the victory over Friends (March 10), the Bulldogs had won four of five matches. The Bulldogs’ six wins are the second most among GPAC teams behind only Midland’s 11.
  • As a team, the Bulldog men have compiled a singles record of 32-40 and a doubles mark of 11-22. In terms of winning percentage, the combination of junior Patricio Esquivel and freshman Thomas Greeff (3-1) have had the most success. Junior Javier Moreno and freshman Willy Pardos have collaborated on four wins while playing 10 matches together at No. 1. No other pair has played together more than seven times this season.
  • The March 10 match versus Friends marked the first time this season that the Concordia women have defeated a team by a score of 9-0. The Bulldogs overwhelmed the Falcons as Annie Horn (No. 1), Katelinn Wurm (No. 2), Alison Ebel (No. 3), Hannah Boe (No. 4), Kayla Smock (No. 5) and Katie Hertz (No. 6) all claimed singles wins in straight sets. Hertz was the only player to go undefeated on the week. She went 2-0 at No. 6. Her match with Samantha Stafford of Seminole State went unfinished.
  • Hertz, a native of Billings, Mont., is now 2-3 in singles matches. Ebel (3-9), Horn (3-8) and Smock (3-7) are tied for the team wins lead with three apiece. Hertz is one of three Bulldogs with two victories on the season.
  • The Concordia women have produced records of 19-52 in singles matches and 7-26 in doubles bouts. The combo of Horn and Wurm at No. 1 leads the team with two doubles wins. Reckewey has tried 11 different combinations for his doubles lineups this season.
  • Both squads are in the midst of a long break before returning to action on Saturday, April 2 when they are scheduled to host Morningside (M: 4-5 | W: 3-2) in the GPAC opener for both teams. The Bulldog men and women are slated to host just two GPAC matches apiece this season.