SEWARD, Neb. – The 2026 campaign is underway for the 16th-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Baseball team. The Bulldogs took three of four games during their weekend stay in Oklahoma City, Okla., site of four straight opening days for the program. The next stop on the ’26 journey for Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad will be Den Hartog Field in nearby Lincoln for action on Saturday and Sunday. Concordia was originally scheduled to play in Joplin, Mo., but rearranged the schedule due to the threat of rain in Joplin.
This weekend
Location: Den Hartog Field (Lincoln, Neb.)
--No live streams due to neutral site location
Saturday, Feb. 14 vs. Clarke (2-2), 1 p.m. DH
Sunday, Feb. 15 vs. Clarke (2-2), 12 p.m. DH
By the numbers
• In the 2026 preseason rankings, Concordia landed atop the GPAC coaches’ poll and at No. 16 in the NAIA coaches’ poll. The media organization Perfect Game included three GPAC squads in its NAIA preseason top 25: No. 14 Doane, No. 18 Morningside and No. 23 Concordia. Perfect Game also placed Saturday’s opponent, Mission, at No. 25. The Bulldogs are no stranger to top 25 rankings during Dupic’s tenure. Over the previous five seasons, Concordia has finished with final NAIA coaches’ poll rankings of No. 12 in 2021, receiving votes in 2022, No. 24 in 2023, No. 18 in 2024 and No. 16 in 2025.
• In Oklahoma City, the Bulldogs won twice on day one – 8-6 over Oklahoma City and 5-2 over No. 22 Bellevue University – and then went 1-1 on day two – falling by a 5-2 score to Bellevue before defeating the host Stars, 6-3. Over the four games, Concordia outscored its opponents by a combined total of 21-16 while slashing .194/.362/.357 at the plate. The opposition slashed .238/.347/.337. The Bulldogs’ winning pitchers were (in order): Alex Griess, Sam Bespoyasny and Warren Rose. A home run apiece was launched by Carson Burnett, Andrew Fetty, Jack Hirchert and Bronx Lewis.
• There are plenty of new faces for Concordia Baseball fans to familiarize themselves with. During action in Oklahoma City, 11 players made their Bulldog debuts. The position players newcomers who appeared in OKC were Carson Burnett, Andrew Fetty, Jack Hirchert, Jake Tyler and Colton Schmokel. Pitching newcomers who saw action were Sam Bespoyasny, Devin Gonor, Tyler Pauly, Brody Smearer and Warren Rose. In addition, sophomore Jake Watson appeared in a varsity game for the first time. Several other newcomers are likely to see action yet this spring.
• Ryan Dupic is in the midst of his 12th season at the helm of the program. The Emmetsburg, Iowa, native has transformed the program. His career record stands at 368-192-1, making him the winningest coach in program history. Over his first 11 seasons, Dupic led Concordia to a combined eight GPAC championships, seven national tournament appearances and a 2021 World Series berth. Each of the past five Bulldog teams have won at least 40 games.
• Dupic believes that pitching depth will be a strength in 2026. The key rotation arms that departed from last season are Braxton Greenburg and Christian Gutierrez. However, the current roster includes sixth-year veterans in Caden Bugarske and Alex Johnson, as well as high leverage bullpen hurlers in DJ Andersen, Sam Rambajan and Daiten Schmidt. This past weekend, Bugarske made his first start in nearly two years while making his way back from injury. Bugarske went four innings and allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks to go with six strikeouts. The other starters used in OKC were Sam Bespoyasny, Micah Sweeton and Devin Gonor.
• The position player lineup remains a “work in progress,” according to Dupic. While it continues to make strides in the area of driving the ball with authority, Concordia will lean upon plate discipline. The Bulldogs drew 23 walks (compared to 11 by their opponents) in the season’s opening weekend. The first two names in the ’26 lineup are familiar ones in the form of Bronx Lewis and Jaeden Jordahl, two GPAC All-Conference honorees in 2025. Lewis enjoyed a productive weekend in driving in six runs with the help of a home run and a double.
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. This past weekend, the Pride split a four-game series with Judson University (Ill.). For Clarke, Eli Kelley (10-for-16) and Bryn Vantiger (5-for-10) have started strong. As a catcher, Vantiger was named to the Heart’s 2025 Gold Glove Team. The Pride were also originally scheduled to play in Joplin.
Next week
The Bulldogs will be headed to Fayette, Mo., the weekend of Feb. 21-22 for an event hosted by Central Methodist University. The Eagles have dubbed the event as the “Show Me Showdown.” Concordia will play Clarke and 25th-ranked Central Methodist while in Fayette.