By Sam Firminhac, Athletic Communications
When Jakob Faulk launched the ball over the left field wall to give Concordia a 6-5 lead in last year’s NAIA Opening Round Championship game, first base coach Wade Council was there to congratulate him as he rounded first. This was a surreal moment for the graduate assistant.
“It has always been something that I have wanted to be a part of ever since I got to campus in 2016.” Council said. “When we took the lead in the regional championship game, I couldn’t help but get emotional on the field. It finally felt like five years of work was coming to fruition and being a coach and still a part of that team was so cool for me. I was and still am incredibly proud of everyone in our program from last year and it really excites me for this year.”
Council was raised in Colorado Springs where he grew up playing baseball and hockey. His passion for baseball pushed him to continue playing at the next level. Although schools didn’t show much interest, Concordia Head Baseball Coach Ryan Dupic saw potential in the young lefty. “[Wade] fit the needs of our program in terms of the character he possessed, the student he was as well as the baseball talent he had,” Dupic said.
For Council, Concordia and the Bulldog community was an easy choice. “Concordia was able to offer me the most in terms of what I was looking for and it was an easy decision for me to make,” Council said. “I was blown away with the Bulldog Family culture that everyone showed me on my visit and that was the biggest piece for me to be comfortable with.”
Coming to Seward, Nebraska from Colorado Springs - which has a population difference of nearly 460,000 - was a major change says Council. “Coming from a big city like Colorado Springs to Seward was like a breath of fresh air. There are way less people here which means less traffic and smaller lines at Wal-Mart; both very good things!”
Fewer people not only meant smaller lines at Wal-Mart but allowed Council to stand out on the baseball field. His impact as a player was immediately felt. During his four-year career as a Bulldog, he was part of two conference championship teams in 2017 and 2019. In the 2018 season, he was recognized as second-team All-GPAC, topping that the next season by becoming first-team All-GPAC in 2019. In his career, Council ranks fifth in runs scored (122), doubles (37) and triples (eight) in the Concordia baseball program. He also has the ninth most hits (163) and RBI’s (97) in Bulldog history. Unfortunately, Council’s career ended abruptly when his senior season was cut short due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Although his playing days were over, the very next season he started a new chapter as an assistant coach on the Concordia Staff.
“Losing my senior season to Covid was tough but what made it easier was that I was already planning to come back and coach. I really wanted to continue to learn from Coach Dupic and be around the family of guys that I had bonded with for a couple of years,” Council said. In the 2021 season, Council served as the outfielders coach and also handled the duty of coaching first base. He quickly adjusted to his new role on the team. Council strives to find new ways to help players improve and develop every single day.
Both on and off the field Council is continuing to impact players in the Bulldog organization. Ryan Dupic knows just how big a role Council has played in the program's recent success “In my years as a coach at Concordia, no one has been more impactful to the program than Wade,” Dupic said. “His skills and accomplishments as a baseball player are many, but his ability to connect with other and reinforce and build the culture of our program has been second to none. Between his time as a coach and player, he has played an instrumental role in helping to build the Concordia Baseball Program.
For Council, the past five years have been full of so many memories that it's hard for him to pick a favorite. Whether it be winning two GPAC championships, going to a national tournament, or meeting his wife Taryn, Concordia has been filled with memorable moments. “I think the thing that I will cherish the most from being here for five-plus years is the relationships I have formed here. I've met my lifelong best friends here and have met so many other special people. Long story short, I think my most memorable moment at Concordia was signing my letter of intent my senior year of high school because, without that, none of this would have been possible for me.”
Wade Council’s decision to come to Concordia has had a major impact on his life. Just as the baseball program has impacted his life, Council is using Bulldog baseball to impacting countless players' lives day in and day out. While all his hard work may go unnoticed at times, Wade Council has been instrumental to the success of Concordia Bulldogs Baseball.