KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Finally, Concordia University Baseball is back. The program waited 347 days between official games after the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign. In their return to action, the Bulldogs were up to the challenge while winning twice on Tuesday (Feb. 23) as part of the Rube Foster Classic held at the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy. Concordia dismantled York College, 15-1, before defeating Missouri Baptist University, 5-2, in late night action.
Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad begins 2021 as the favorite in the GPAC. In their first public showing, the Bulldogs looked the part in displaying depth throughout the lineup and pitching staff.
“I know the guys were super excited and it’s been a long time coming,” Dupic said. “I’m just really proud of the way we played. I thought we swung the bats really well. In the second game we faced some good arms. I thought we defended really well, especially in that first game. We turned a bunch of double plays and did a really nice job.”
Concordia never let York breathe while scoring multiple runs in five separate innings. Six different Bulldogs collected two or more hits as part of an 18-hit onslaught. Out of the top of the lineup, second baseman Jayden Adams enjoyed a 4-for-4 game that included a double, a home run, four runs scored and two RBIs. As the No. 3 hitter, freshman Joey Grabanski went 3-for-3 with three doubles, two runs and four RBIs.
Any time Concordia pitchers got into a jam in the opener, they induced ground balls that resulted in five double plays racked up by a stellar infield defense. Jake Fosgett got the start on the mound in game 1 and was one of eight pitchers called upon by Dupic on the day. Fosgett went two scoreless frames before giving way to the bullpen.
In a night cap that got started at 7:30 p.m. (scheduled for 5 p.m.), the Bulldogs got on top early with a run in the first and three in the third. Adams notched two more hits and scored twice while Grabanski (2-for-3, run, RBI) and Jakob Faulk (2-for-3, two RBIs) were also key contributors. An unearned insurance run came across in the bottom of the fifth to close the game’s scoring.
“The thing that stood out to me the most today was our depth,” Dupic said. “This team has a lot more depth. We had guys do really good things off the bench and out of the bullpen. I think it’s a really close-knit team and guys trust in their roles. I’m very pleased with our depth.”
Hard throwing transfer Trent Wood started the second game and fired three scoreless frames while striking out seven. Shane Whittaker then struck out six in two innings and Adrian Cotton and Jacob Lycan (save in game 2) both held the Spartans off the board for an inning apiece. In the first contest, Lukas Diehm, Nathan Buckallew and Nolan Johnson each saw action on the mound. In 14 total innings, Bulldog pitchers allowed only one earned run and struck out 21 hitters.
Others with two hits in the first game included Ben Berg, Evan Bohman, Jesse Garcia and Teyt Johnson. Bohman homered and drove in three runs while feasting on Panther pitching. Garcia also knocked in two runs and walked twice.
Both of Tuesday’s opponents are traditionally strong programs. Missouri Baptist reached the NAIA World Series as recently as 2017 while York beat Concordia twice in 2019 as part of a 32-win season. The Rube Foster Classic featured 10 total NAIA baseball programs from the Midwest region.
The Bulldogs will return to action this weekend with a four-game series at College of the Ozarks. The two doubleheaders in Point Lookout, Mo., are slated to begin at 1 p.m. CT on both Friday and Saturday. The Bobcats are off to a 1-3 start this season after going 8-13 in 2020.