SEWARD, Neb. – A four-game weekend home series is on tap for the 20th-ranked Concordia University Baseball team, which last played at home on March 27. The Bulldogs will celebrate a class of 13 seniors in the middle of Saturday’s doubleheader. Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad will host Briar Cliff on both Saturday and Sunday. Concordia won three of four games last weekend when it went on the road against Doane and Mount Marty.
April 10-11: No. 20 Concordia (23-4, 10-2) vs. Briar Cliff (22-9, 6-6)
Saturday/Sunday | 1 p.m. DH both days
Plum Creek Park | Seward, Neb.
Webcast/Live Stats: Concordia Sports Network
Commentator: Parker Cyza (Saturday) / Frank Greene (Sunday)
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.
By the numbers
· The Bulldogs climbed to No. 20 in the NAIA coaches’ poll released on March 31. That ranking represents a high water mark for the program. Concordia had never been ranked in the official coaches’ poll before it landed at No. 24 on March 17. In other public ratings, the Bulldogs currently appear at No. 19 in Massey Ratings and 42nd in the Bo Chip formula calculated by the NAIA.
· This 2021 team is laying waste to the former program single-season home run record of 40 by the 2019 GPAC championship squad. Through 27 games, Concordia has belted 46 homers. Seven Bulldogs have notched at least four home runs: Jesse Garcia (11), Joey Grabanski (seven), Keaton Candor (six), Beau Dorman (five), Jakob Faulk (five), Jayden Adams (four) and Teyt Johnson (four). Noah Janssen joined the party last week when he lined a three-run shot at Mount Marty. Eleven Concordia individuals have produced at least one homer.
· Garcia, a native of El Cajon, Calif., is on the brink of becoming the program’s home run king – both for a single season and for a career. In the doubleheader sweep at Mount Marty, Garcia homered three times, bringing his season total to 11 and his career total to 26. The 11 homers on the season have tied a school record also held by Jarrod Pimentel (2000) and Tony Sanchez (1983). Garcia is now one big fly behind Pimentel (27 career homers) for the all-time school record. Candor could also surpass Pimentel on the career home run list. Candor has gone deep 22 times in his Bulldog career.
· Nick Little earned the victory in a complete game performance at Mount Marty last weekend. He moved his season record to 3-0 and is 22-5 for his Concordia career. Little now ranks second to only Jim Juergensen (25) for the most pitching victories in Bulldog history. Little has won each of his last seven starts (went 4-0 in 2020). In 31 career starts, Little owns a 2.95 ERA and 177 strikeouts in 207.2 innings.
· The senior class is a large one, in part due to the return of five players who would have used up their eligibility in 2020 had the season been played to completion. The 13 seniors who will be honored on Saturday are: Evan Bohman, Nathan Buckallew, AJ Cotton, Lukas Diehm, Beau Dorman, Jake Fosgett, Ryan Kollbaum, Nick Little, Zach Pinkerton, Ryan Samuelson, Peyton Scott, Drew Ward and Trenton Wood.
· Concordia ended the abbreviated 2020 season with a doubleheader at Briar Cliff. The Bulldogs swept the twin bill, winning by a combined score of 33-1. In the first game, Jason Munsch (current member of the Milwaukee Brewers organization) threw a seven-inning no-hitter that included 16 strikeouts. Concordia pitchers did not allow a single earned run the entire day. At the plate, the Bulldogs totaled 31 hits, including home runs from Garcia (two), Bohman and Faulk.
The opponent
The Chargers have improved considerably since the aforementioned doubleheader that ended the 2020 campaign. Briar Cliff started this season at 19-2 overall before going 3-7 in the last 10. Head Coach Corby McGlauflin is in his second season leading the program. At the top of the rotation, the Chargers have gotten fine results from Jacob Wesselmann (4-0, 3.30 ERA, 46.1 IP) and Nicholas Cole (3-0, 3.31 ERA, 35.1 IP). Briar Cliff’s top two power hitters have been Jestel Harrison (seven homers, .604 SLG) and Jake Allen (six homers, .667 SLG). In last week’s conference action, the Chargers split a doubleheader at Jamestown and got swept at Midland.
Looking ahead
After this weekend at home, the Bulldogs will be back on the road next weekend (April 16-17) for a four-game series at Northwestern (11-17, 4-8 GPAC). By the end of the day on Sunday, Concordia will have 12 games remaining in GPAC play.