Ben Berg tabbed as lead assistant on Coach Dupic's baseball staff

By Jacob Knabel on Nov. 9, 2023 in Baseball

SEWARD, Neb. – Head Coach Ryan Dupic and Concordia University Baseball moved quickly to name a new top assistant. On Thursday (Nov. 9), the program announced Ben Berg as Assistant Head Baseball Coach. Berg has been elevated to a full-time position after having begun his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Concordia this fall semester. Berg takes on the role formerly held by Caleb Lang, recently named Head Baseball Coach at NCAA Division II Clarion (Penn.).

Ben becomes the second Berg brother to have served under Dupic’s leadership. Ben’s older brother Bryce worked as the program’s top assistant during the 2017 through 2019 seasons. All four Berg brothers (including Casey and Kyle) have coached and/or played for the Bulldogs. Ben will work closely with Concordia hitters in continuing a growing tradition of offensive success. He officially started in his new role on Nov. 6.

“I’m incredibly excited to move into this role and continue to give back to the Concordia Baseball program,” Ben said. “Having played in this program, I have a wealth of knowledge about what it takes to develop young men and compete at a high level. The culture that Coach Dupic has built provides us a great foundation, and the systems set up by Bryce and Coach Lang have put our offense in a great spot. I couldn’t be more excited to build off the recent success we’ve had and continue the pursuit of excellence on the field, in the classroom and as men of Christian character.”

Dupic has held Ben Berg in high regard ever since recruiting him out of Kuemper Catholic High School in Carroll, Iowa. The Berg name has become synonymous with Concordia Baseball.

Said Dupic, “Ben’s values and commitment to the growth of our student-athletes mirrors that of our athletic department. His passion, work ethic, intelligence and competitiveness will help him make a strong impact in the Bulldog Baseball program. I’m looking forward to partnering with him and the rest of our coaches to continue to grow the lives, experiences and competitive success of our players and program.”

Ben Berg has been a constant during the most successful run in the history of the program. A five-year Bulldog, Berg held down the catcher spot and appeared in 186 games from the 2019 through 2023 seasons. As a member of four national tournament teams and three that won GPAC championships, Berg earned three career GPAC All-Conference awards, including first team accolades in 2023. He was also recognized as the GPAC’s 2023 Gold Glove catcher, picked up second team all-conference honors in 2021 and was named honorable mention in 2022. As a Bulldog, Berg batted .321 (193-for-602) for his career with 55 runs, 39 doubles, 27 home runs, 148 RBIs and a .523 slugging percentage. Behind the plate, Berg broke school records for fielding percentage (.992) and career putouts (1,385). The native of Carroll, Iowa, played a prominent role for the 2021 Concordia squad that made a historic run to the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.

A four-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete who achieved a 3.98 cumulative grade-point average, Berg graduated from Concordia with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with a focus in Secondary Education and Physical Education. This past spring, Berg was named an Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators. He saved his best season for his last as he batted .406 (79-for-192) in 2023 while adding 19 runs, 16 doubles and 50 RBIs to go along with a .486 on-base percentage, .652 slugging percentage and .995 fielding percentage. Off the field, Berg has worked as a volunteer with People’s City Mission in Lincoln, helped tutor education majors, served as a member of the Bulldog Council of Student-Athletes and was a three-year Champions of Character representative at the national tournament. He was also honored as the SHAPE Nebraska 2022 PE Major of the Year and earned status on the Concordia honors list every semester.

Ben is pursuing his master's degree in Athletic Administration. He is the son of Rod and Angie Berg.