SEWARD, Neb. – A ‘first’ will occur for the Concordia University, Nebraska Baseball program in the middle of May. As announced by the NAIA National Office on Thursday (May 1), the Bulldogs have been rewarded with an opportunity to serve as one of 10 hosts for the 2025 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round. Concordia’s first ever opening round host location will be Sherman Field in Lincoln, Neb., where national tournament action is scheduled to take place May 12-15.
As the GPAC tournament continues to play out, Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has already secured a national tournament berth thanks to its GPAC regular season title. The Bulldogs enter Thursday’s home game versus Briar Cliff with an overall record of 38-9. Concordia has qualified for the national tournament for the seventh time during Dupic’s 11 seasons leading the program.
Of the opening round sites, four will feature four teams, and six will play within five-team brackets, and all sites are double-elimination. In all, 46 teams will converge on the 10 host sites, playing for 10 positions in the Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series, played at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho, May 23-31.
In the latest NAIA coaches’ poll released on April 30, the Bulldogs landed at No. 12, equaling a program high watermark for a national ranking. Concordia also appeared at No. 7 in this week’s NAIA Bo Chip Rating (NAIA RPI).
Official NAIA baseball national qualifiers are scheduled to be unveiled via a live selection show at 4 p.m. CT on May 7. For details on how to view the selection show, visit the NAIA website HERE.
Sherman Field is located at 225 South St, Lincoln, NE 68502. Sherman Field was renovated in 2023 with the improvements including artificial turf, regrading, new backstop padding and the addition of a new drainage system. The facility first opened in 1947.