SEWARD, Neb. – Two weekends of pristine late winter weather have provided a pleasant backdrop for the first eight games of the 2026 Concordia University, Nebraska Baseball season. Pitching and offensive production came together in the Bulldogs’ most recent action as they dominated the final three contests of a four-game series with Clarke University (Iowa). A shift in weather later in this week has altered the Show Me Showdown hosted by Central Methodist University. Instead of playing Saturday-Sunday, Concordia will now play Thursday only as part of the event (see revised schedule below).
Show Me Showdown
Location: Estes Baseball Field (Fayette, Mo.)
--Live coverage: Webcasts | Stats
Thursday, Feb. 19 vs. Clarke, 11 a.m. (1x9)
Thursday, Feb. 19 at No. 25 Central Methodist, 5 p.m. (1x9)
By the numbers
• An audible was called last week. Instead of heading to Joplin, Mo., the Bulldogs lined up Den Hartog Field in Lincoln, Neb., for a four-game Saturday-Sunday set with Clarke. Unseasonably warm temperatures greeted the two sides. The Pride build a 4-0 lead in game one and held on a for a 4-3 victory. The final three games were dominated by Concordia, which won by scores of 11-0, 7-0 and 13-1. The Bulldog pitching staff surrendered just five runs on 13 hits and five walks over 28 innings in the series. Meanwhile, Concordia slugged eight home runs and drew 22 walks in a strong weekend showing. First baseman Carson Burnett reached base in nine of 13 plate appearances and homered twice to lead the offense. Meanwhile, Micah Sweeton sparked on the mound with 11 strikeouts in six shutout innings in game three of the series.
• The pitching staff is shaping up as a major strength for Dupic’s club. This past weekend, sterling outings were turned in by Micah Sweeton (6 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 11 K), Devin Gonor (6 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 9 K), Alex Johnson (3 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K) and Sam Bespoyasny (4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 5 K). Nine different pitchers were used in the process of shutting down Clarke. On the current NAIA national lists, Concordia boasts team rankings of third in strikeouts per nine innings (12.38), ninth in opponent batting average (.187) and 14th in ERA (2.89).
• There is room for growth, but the Bulldogs are showing the potential for another potent lineup. Concordia has produced 12 home runs and has slashed .241/.401/.472 over the season’s first eight games. Over the weekend, the Bulldogs homered eight times with three from Bronx Lewis, two apiece from Carson Burnett and Jaeden Jordahl and one from Jake Watson. The lineup has been rebuilt with names like Andrew Fetty, Jack Hirchert and Carson Burnett holding down spots in the middle.
• Concordia has been cautious with ace Alex Johnson to being 2026. Johnson started game two of the series with Clarke. It marked his 39th career start as a Bulldog. In those appearances, the grad student from Olathe, Kan., has produced a 3.28 ERA with 218 strikeouts and a .216 opponent batting average in 172.2 innings. Johnson is the reigning GPAC Pitcher of the Year. Both Johnson and Caden Bugarske are in their sixth years with the program.
• The work of Bulldog starting pitchers this past weekend limited the use of the bullpen. The high leverage returners from last season include DJ Andersen, Sam Rambajan and Daiten Schmidt. Andersen picked up a save in the 8-6 season opening win over Oklahoma City University on Feb. 7. Schmidt is the returning closer. He notched eight saves last season on his way to being named First Team All-GPAC.
• A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Bronx Lewis has moved into the leadoff spot in the lineup this season. The staff believes Lewis can improve upon his 2025 season when he slashed .244/.397/.442 and was named Honorable Mention All-GPAC. Lewis has started hot in 2026 with a team-high four home runs to go with a slash line of .308/.455/.846. Lewis can play in both center and right field. He is a transfer from Kirkwood Community College.
The opponents
Clarke made four straight national tournament appearances from 2016 through 2019. The Pride are coming off a 2025 season that saw them finish at 24-28 overall. Out of Dubuque, Iowa, Clarke competes as a member of the NAIA’s Heart of America Athletic Conference. Head Coach Brian McCabe’s squad is 3-5 overall having split a four-game series with Judson University (Ill.) before then dropping three out of four versus Concordia. Outfielder Eli Kelley has started 10-for-23 (.435) at the plate. In the rotation, David Jacobo has been solid while posting a 2.31 ERA over his first two starts of ’26. The Pride were outscored by Concordia, 34-5, during this past weekend’s series.
Central Methodist landed at No. 25 in the NAIA preseason coaches’ poll. Head Coach Nate Breland has established the Eagles as a top program in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. CMU has made nine straight NAIA national tournament appearances with a World Series berth coming in 2021. The Eagles returned first team all-conference first baseman Gavin Whitehurst (also a pitcher), who batted .404 in 2025. CMU is 3-4 in 2026 with its claim to fame thus far being a 4-3 victory over top-ranked LSU Shreveport. The result snapped a historic 65-game winning streak for the Pilots. JJ Yoakum leads the Eagle offense with three home runs through the first seven games. Concordia and CMU met in the 2022 NAIA Opening Round (10-3 Bulldog win) played in Bellevue, Neb.
Next week
The Bulldogs are scheduled to play a four-game series with Graceland University (Iowa) the weekend of Feb. 27-28. The location will be Fort Scott, Kan.