SEWARD, Neb. – A rain delay of three hours pushed GPAC tournament action beyond the final day of April. After the clock struck midnight, the NAIA 12th-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Baseball team celebrated a 9-4 postseason victory over Dakota Wesleyan. It was a grind at times, but the masterful pitching of Alex Johnson and a few timely hits allowed the Bulldogs to defeat the Tigers for the fifth time in a span of six days.
Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s GPAC championship squad (38-9 overall) moved a notch closer to 40 wins on the season. Concordia has won 13-straight games played at Plum Creek Park. It was a long Wednesday (April 30) – that turned into Thursday – that saw the Bulldogs collectively work to dry the field enough for two games to be completed.
“It’s not ideal, obviously,” Dupic said. “The weather didn’t play out the way the forecast initially said it was going to. It pushed things back a little bit, but it is what it is. You just handle it and do the best you can. I thought our guys played pretty well. Their pitcher did a good job. It was a good ballgame, and we found a way to come out on top.”
The conference’s leading strikeout artist, Johnson showcased the good stuff on Wednesday night. Time after time, Johnson’s breaking ball produced awkward swings from Tiger hitters. The Olathe, Kan., native piled up 13 strikeouts. The only hiccup came in the third inning when DWU pushed across two runs. Johnson rebounded by throwing shutout frames in the fourth through sixth innings. The Concordia ace allowed two runs on five hits and two walks.
The eighth-seeded Tigers (12-36) managed to play the Bulldogs to a 2-2 deadlock into the bottom of the sixth. Concordia finally found separation as Alex Draper began a five-run outburst with an RBI double. Jaidan Quinn also singled in a run and Bronx Lewis forced one in with a bases-loaded walk. Quinn and Draper finished with two hits apiece and Ty Nekoliczak reached base all five times at the plate (double and four walks). In the bottom of the eighth, Jaeden Jordahl delivered a pinch-hit two-run single to push a three-run lead back to five.
On the mound for DWU, lefty Caleb Meyers made just his fourth start of the season. He threw 130 pitches in 5.2 innings while keeping the Concordia offense in check. The Bulldogs were limited to six hits on the night. But in classic Concordia fashion, Nekoliczak and company sucked the life out of the opposition by staying disciplined. Tiger pitchers issued 16 free passes.
The Bulldogs simply played a much cleaner game (no errors compared to three for DWU). Meanwhile, Johnson and reliever Seth Claybourne combined for 18 strikeouts. Claybourne threw the final three innings and picked up the save. Johnson moved his season record to 8-2.
Said Dupic of Johnson, “The breaking ball played well today. He’s a good competitor. He responded really well to giving up that two-spot and got us through six. That was huge to only have to use one reliever in this game. It’s big when you’re playing in a tournament. He did a really nice job.”
Concordia hopes for dryer weather on Thursday when action at Plum Creek Park resumes. Games are scheduled for 1, 4 and 7 p.m. CT. In the day’s opening contest, the Bulldogs will take on fourth-seeded Briar Cliff. The Chargers defeated Midland on Wednesday, 4-2. Two teams will be eliminated on Thursday.
2025 GPAC Tournament – Concordia Bracket
--Full Bracket
April 30-May 2 | Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)
--Live Webcasts | GPAC Network
--Live Stats
Wednesday, April 30
Game 1 – (4) Briar Cliff def. (5) Midland, 4-2
Game 2 – (1) Concordia def. (8) Dakota Wesleyan, 9-4
Thursday, May 1
Game 3 – (1) Concordia vs. (4) Briar Cliff, 1 p.m.
Game 4 – (5) Midland vs. (8) Dakota Wesleyan, 4 p.m.
Game 5 – Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser, 7 p.m.
Friday, May 2
Game 6 – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 12 p.m.
Game 7 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser, 3 p.m. (if necessary)
Admission: Admission is $10 for adults/senior citizens and $3 for K-12. Only those with NAIA passes and GPAC student ID’s will be admitted free of charge.