UPDATE: No. 24 Bulldogs to play on road Saturday, host Midland Sunday

By Jacob Knabel on Mar. 19, 2021 in Baseball

UPDATE (1:10 p.m. on Friday, March 19): Concordia and Midland have agreed to flip host responsibilities. Saturday (March 20)'s doubleheader will take place in Fremont, Neb., before action shifts to Plum Creek Park on Sunday (March 21).

SEWARD, Neb. – If all goes as planned, the Concordia University Baseball team will make its first home appearance since May 2019 when GPAC play opens up on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs are readying for a four-game weekend series with rival Midland. Action will get underway at 1 p.m. from Plum Creek Park on Sunday after shifting from Moller Field in Fremont, Neb., on Saturday.

March 20-21: Concordia vs. Midland

Saturday, March 20 | 1 p.m. DH
Moller Field | Fremont, Neb.
Webcast/Live Stats: Midland Stretch Portal

Sunday, March 21 | 1 p.m. DH
Plum Creek Park | Seward, Neb.
Webcast/Live Stats: Concordia Sports Network (fee required)
Commentator: Frank Greene

Fan Policy: Fan attendance will not be limited at Plum Creek Park. However, fans will be required to wear masks and are encouraged to distance themselves from other family groups. Admission can be purchased on site on game days. There are also no capacity limits at Moller Field in Fremont.

Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is ranked No. 1 in the GPAC and 24th nationally in the official polls. Concordia has won games in a row and has put up impressive statistics. As of the middle of the week, the Bulldogs sport NAIA national rankings of second in ERA (2.04) and seventh in runs scored per game (10.0). Concordia boasts the GPAC’s top four power hitters, in terms of slugging percentage: Beau Dorman (1.000), Jesse Garcia (.957), Jayden Adams (.943) and Joey Grabanski (.827). Leadoff hitter Jayden Adams has been named the GPAC Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks.

Concordia is nationally ranked in the official coaches’ poll for the first time in program history. Under Dupic, the Bulldogs also received votes in the NAIA national poll during the 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons. Dupic has also overseen the program’s winningest season (34-22 in 2017) and its first ever GPAC titles (2017 and 2019) and first national tournament appearances (2017 and 2019). Dupic’s record since taking over the program in 2015 stands at 173-118 overall.

Midland has also had a strong program under Head Coach Chad Miller. The Warriors own an overall mark of 10-9 this season after going 6-10 (3-1 GPAC) during the shortened 2020 campaign. Midland last won the GPAC regular season title in 2016 when it also appeared at the national tournament. In their most recent action, the Warriors took three of four in a neutral site series with Valley City State University (N.D.). The team’s leading hitter has been Sam Braun, who is batting .333 with a .456 on base percentage. Ace pitcher Steven Boyd owns a 2.05 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 26.1 innings.

Based on the current schedule, Concordia will play exclusively against GPAC opponents for the remainder of the regular season. The Bulldogs are slated to host Dordt next Friday and Saturday (March 26-27) as GPAC play continues.