Softball

2024 Softball Schedule/Results

23-25 overall | 13-9 GPAC (T-3rd) | Season Stats | Roster

Date Opponent Location Result Record
Feb. 10 (17) Ottawa University (Kan.) Ottawa, Kan. L, 0-8 (6 inn.) 0-1
Feb. 10 (17) Ottawa University (Kan.) Ottawa, Kan. L, 2-10 (5 inn.) 0-2
  Avila University NAIA Invite | Home Field Complex      
Feb. 18 St. Mary of the Woods College (Ind.) Kansas City, Mo. W, 1-0 1-2
Feb. 18 Benedictine College (Kan.) Kansas City, Mo. L, 5-6 1-3
Feb. 19 (11) Baker University (Kan.) Kansas City, Mo. L, 1-11 (6 inn.) 1-4
Feb. 19 Avila University (Mo.) Kansas City, Mo. L, 0-1 1-5
Feb. 24 University of Saint Mary (Kan.) Leavenworth, Kan. W, 7-2 2-5
Feb. 24 University of Saint Mary (Kan.) Leavenworth, Kan. L, 1-13 (5 inn.) 2-6
Feb. 25 Benedictine College (Kan.) Atchison, Kan. L, 0-4 2-7
Feb. 25 Benedictine College (Kan.) Atchison, Kan. L, 3-6 2-8
  Friends University Invitational: March 1-2 (Wichita, Kan.)      
March 1 Missouri Valley College Wichita, Kan. W, 12-9 3-8
March 1 University of Saint Mary (Kan.) Wichita, Kan. L, 5-8 3-9
March 2 Park University (Mo.) Wichita, Kan. W, 7-0 4-9
March 2 Sterling College (Kan.) Wichita, Kan. L, 4-10 4-10
  Tucson Invitational: March 5-8      
March 5 Dickinson State University (N.D.) Tucson, Ariz. W, 7-0 5-10
March 5 Tabor College (Kan.) Tucson, Ariz. W, 8-0 (5 inn.) 6-10
March 6 Graceland University (Iowa) Tucson, Ariz. W, 3-0 7-10
March 6 Madonna University (Mich.) Tucson, Ariz. L, 1-6 7-11
March 7 Valley City State University (N.D.) Tucson, Ariz. W, 7-2 8-11
March 7 University of St. Francis (Ill.) Tucson, Ariz. L, 0-1 8-12
March 8 Mayville State University (N.D.) Tucson, Ariz. CANCELED  
March 8 Viterbo University (Wis.) Tucson, Ariz. CANCELED  
March 13 Nebraska Wesleyan University Lincoln, Neb. L, 2-3 8-13
March 13 Nebraska Wesleyan University Lincoln, Neb. L, 0-7 8-14
March 16 Peru State College Seward, Neb. W, 1-0 9-14
March 16 Peru State College Seward, Neb. W, 11-6 10-14
March 21 *(13) Midland University Fremont, Neb. L, 1-9 (6 inn.) 10-15, 0-1
March 21 *(13) Midland University Fremont, Neb. L, 0-5 10-16, 0-2
March 29 *Doane University Seward, Neb. W, 3-2 11-16, 1-2
March 29 *Doane University Seward, Neb. L, 2-4 11-17, 1-3
April 3 *Hastings College Hastings, Neb. W, 2-0 12-17, 2-3
April 3 *Hastings College Hastings, Neb. L, 2-15 (5 inn.) 12-18, 2-4
April 5 *(11) Northwestern College Orange City, Iowa L, 0-2 12-19, 2-5
April 5 *(11) Northwestern College Orange City, Iowa L, 0-4 12-20, 2-6
April 12 *University of Jamestown Seward, Neb. W, 4-3 13-20, 3-6
April 12 *University of Jamestown Seward, Neb. W, 11-3 (5 inn.) 14-20, 4-6
April 13 *Dakota Wesleyan University Seward, Neb. W, 12-11 (10 inn.) 15-20, 5-6
April 13 *Dakota Wesleyan University Seward, Neb. W, 8-5 16-20, 6-6
April 15 *College of Saint Mary Seward, Neb. W, 10-5 17-20, 7-6
April 15 *College of Saint Mary Seward, Neb. L, 5-9 (6 inn.) 17-21, 7-7
April 19 *Briar Cliff University Sioux City, Iowa W, 6-3 18-21, 8-7
April 19 *Briar Cliff University Sioux City, Iowa W, 6-3 19-21, 9-7
April 20 *Mount Marty University Yankton, S.D. W, 14-5 20-21, 10-7
April 20 *Mount Marty University Yankton, S.D. W, 6-0 21-21, 11-7
April 23 *Morningside University Sioux City, Iowa W, 5-0 22-21, 12-7
April 23 *Morningside University Sioux City, Iowa L, 0-2 22-22, 12-8
April 27 *Dordt University Sioux Center, Iowa W, 2-0 23-22, 13-8
April 27 *Dordt University Sioux Center, Iowa L, 2-3 23-23, 13-9
  GPAC Softball Tournament Pod Play: May 1      
May 1 Morningside University Sioux Center, Iowa L, 1-3 (8 inn.) 23-24
May 1 Mount Marty University Sioux Center, Iowa L, 3-6 23-25

2024 Softball Roster

No. Name Pos. Ht. Yr. B/T Hometown Previous School
1 Madison Cushing INF 5-5 Fr. L/R Grand Island, Neb. Grand Island Northwest HS
2 Deleesi Bartling P/OF 5-2 So. L/L Lincoln, Neb. Lincoln Northeast HS
4 Taylor Glause C/OF 5-7 Sr. R/R Malcolm, Neb. Malcolm HS / Cloud County CC
5 Kylie Shottenkirk 1B/SS 5-8 Jr. R/R Lincoln, Neb. Lincoln North Star HS
6 Julia Van Wey 1B 5-10 Sr. R/R San Diego, Calif. Cathedral Catholic HS
7 Megan Eurich P 5-10 Jr. R/R Gretna, Neb. Gretna HS
8 Creighton Taylor OF 5-0 Sr. R/R Gretna, Neb. Gretna HS
9 Kaylei Denison P 5-7 Fr. R/R Waverly, Neb. Waverly HS
10 Laycee Josoff SS 5-6 Fr. R/R Yutan, Neb. Yutan HS
11 Aubrey Bruning OF 5-4 Jr. L/L Lincoln, Neb. Lincoln Southeast HS
12 Sydney McReynolds OF/3B 5-7 So. R/R Lincoln, Neb. Lincoln East HS
13 Jayden Fernau C/3B 5-11 So. R/R Seward, Neb. Seward HS
14 Piper Seidl OF 5-5 Fr. R/R Newton, Kan. Newton HS
16 Grace Maguire C 5-4 Fr. R/R Papillion, Neb. Papillion La Vista South HS
17 Landri Loos OF 5-6 Fr. L/L Loup City, Neb. Loup City HS
18 Azariah Valenzuela 3B/UTIL 5-3 Fr. R/R Lincoln, Neb. Lincoln North Star HS
19 Bethany Thomas SS/2B 5-2 Jr. R/R Libby, Mont. Libby HS
21 Delanie Voshell OF 5-7 Jr. R/R Shenandoah, Iowa Shenandoah HS / DMACC
22 Zoie Isom P/1B 5-10 Jr. R/R Fillmore, Calif. Fillmore HS
23 Aubriana Krieser 1B 5-8 Fr. R/L Lincoln, Neb. Lincoln North Star HS
24 Emma Kirby C/OF/3B 5-4 So. R/R Lincoln, Neb. Lincoln Southeast HS
25 Jennifer Katz P/OF 5-9 Jr. R/R Omaha, Neb. Louisville HS / Southwestern CC
27 Kate Lichti C 5-8 Fr. R/R Omaha, Neb. Millard North HS
28 Jordan Head P/1B 5-7 Fr. L/R Hastings, Neb. Hastings St. Cecilia HS
30 Isabella Wolter P/UTIL 5-5 So. R/R Benson, Minn. Benson HS
32 Hanna Bowers UTIL 5-5 Jr. R/R Surprise, Ariz. Willow Canyon HS
33 Brooke Townsend P 5-7 Sr. R/R Long Beach, Calif. Saint Anthony HS
35 Taryn Ganstrom P/UTIL 5-4 So. R/R Seneca, Neb. Nemeha Central HS/Southwestern CC
36 Montgomery Berner C/3B 5-2 So. R/R Elk Grove, Calif. Elk Grove HS
  Aaliyah Arias 3B/C 5-2 Jr. R/R Fillmore, Calif. Fillmore HS
  Emily Arp C/OF 5-7 Sr. R/R McCook, Neb. McCook HS/Colorado Christian Univ.

STAFF

Brock Culler, Head Coach (2nd Year)

Jenessa Jarvis, Assistant Coach

Maria Tibbetts, Assistant Coach

Aaron Glause, Assistant Coach

Season Preview: 2024 Concordia Softball

January 19, 2024

Head Coach: Brock Culler (15-30, 2nd year)
2023 Record: 15-30, 4-18 GPAC (T-10th)
Key Returners: Hanna Bowers (MI); Aubrey Bruning (OF); Megan Eurich (P); Jayden Fernau (3B/C); Taylor Glause (C); Zoie Isom (1B); Kylie Shottenkirk (UTIL); Julia Van Wey (1B/3B); Delanie Voshell (OF).
Key Losses: Caitlyn McGarvie (OF); Jerzi Rowe (P).
Key Newcomers: Madison Cushing (INF); Kaylie Denison (P); Laycee Josoff (SS); Jennifer Katz (OF/P); Aubriana Krieser (1B).
2023 GPAC All-Conference: Hanna Bowers (Honorable Mention); Aubrey Bruning (Honorable Mention); Kylie Shottenkirk (Honorable Mention).

Outlook

Just listen to the enthusiasm and energy with which Head Coach Brock Culler speaks and one would be hard-pressed to guess that the Bulldogs finished last season tied for 10th place in the GPAC. Concordia has quickly turned the page while retooling a 2024 roster that features a balanced mixture of veterans and newcomers. The feeling inside the program is that it won’t take long for the results to return to what is expected of a softball program that has a history of winning seasons and three recent national tournament appearances. The Bulldogs won 32 games just three years ago.

Returning to that level – or even surpassing it – starts with the right attitude. Culler is emphasizing a fast start to 2024. An early string of victories would help set the tone and allow Concordia to forget about some of the struggles of last spring.

“The biggest thing for this group is to have some success right out of the gate,” Culler said. “We’re going to go like crazy to get wins. They’ve done it in the fall – practices and workouts have been great. They have the confidence and momentum. We need to go out and get wins right away so we can keep that momentum going. If we can get something going early, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Indeed, fun is part of the equation for the Bulldogs, who expect to play free and loose on game days. Culler sees a veteran group that knows how to provide an example. There are three all-conference returners to this squad, all juniors: middle infielder Hanna Bowers, outfielder Aubrey Bruning and the versatile Kylie Shottenkirk. Since the fall, Culler has gotten a good look at how such veterans will combine with the infusion of talent provided by freshman like Laycee Josoff (Yutan, Neb.) and transfers like Jennifer Katz (Southwestern CC).

The early returns during the fall season revealed a team built upon pitching and defense. Megan Eurich is taking steps forward as the team’s pitching ace and the addition of Josoff at shortstop has helped the defensive alignment fall into place. At the same time, the development of the offensive lineup continues after the Bulldogs hit only .216 over their 22 conference games in 2023. Should it take time for the offense to blossom, Concordia believes it can still find ways to hang tight with the best of the GPAC.

“I was really pleased with our fall,” Culler said. “Defensively, this group is very sound and very athletic – lot of speed defensively. We’re going to make some plays. With Megs in the circle getting us ground balls and flyballs, this defense is going to have her back for sure. I love the way our defense plays. We tell our defense to play fast and play very energetic and just go make outs. Go for the big play, play loose and have fun. That’s exactly what they’re doing. They’re flying all over the place. It’s a lot of fun to watch.”

The team’s most consistent offensive threat last spring, Bowers (.361 BA in 2023) is preparing to play primarily at second base in 2024. She will team up in the middle infield with Josoff, one of the top high school shortstops in the entire state of Nebraska in recent years. At first base, there are a wealth of options, including Shottenkirk, Zoie Isom and freshman Aubriana Krieser. The same could be said about third base, which could wind up being held down by mainstay Julia Van Wey, who has recorded 98 hits in her Concordia career. Meanwhile, the team’s most experienced catcher is senior Taylor Glause. She is also fully capable of playing outfield while Jayden Fernau worked at catcher and third as a freshman.

The outfield includes returning starters in Bruning (.363 BA in 2023) and Delanie Voshell. Culler also likes what he sees in Katz, who hit 13 home runs over two seasons at Southwestern Community College. Depth will be supplied by the likes of Deleesi Bartling and Creighton Taylor (fifth-year player). The program’s 13 freshmen will also factor into the competition in both the infield and outfield.

Culler hopes this is the year that core veterans such as Bowers, Isom and Shottenkirk are able to fully realize their vast potential in 2023. If so, the Bulldogs will be tough to deal with. Said Culler, “We’re doing a lot of hitting work. I think we left anywhere from eight-to-10 wins off our schedule from last year because we couldn’t string together hits. That’s something we really focused on – getting depth in our lineup so we can be a threat. Zoie is on a different planet right now offensively. She is locked in. We do a lot of live hitting and a lot of mechanical stuff. They’re really hitting the ball. I just tell them, if we can average five-six runs per game with our pitching and defense, we’re going to be a tough out this year in the GPAC.”

Concordia would do well to follow the lead of Bowers, who routinely draws rave reviews from Culler. Bowers has reason to believe the program is on the rise. Said Bowers, “I think the biggest takeaway (from 2023) was just trying to be more positive in defeat and work on what didn’t work last year. We want to zone in on what we can control. We’re ready to get rolling and we’re ready to see what we have. We’ve kind of been cooped up inside. We’re excited to see what we can do together and to see what the outcome can be.”

Bowers will have a good look at a pitching staff headed by the aforementioned Eurich, a Gretna native who posted a 3.76 ERA in 136 innings last season. Eurich will team up along with other hurlers like senior Brooke Townsend and freshman Kaylei Denison. The one major departure from last season in this area is Jerzi Rowe, who logged 257 innings in her Concordia career.

Said Culler of Eurich, “She’s added about two miles per hour to her fastball over the fall and so far this winter. Megan is completely locked in. She looked good last year – she looks amazing right now. She was tough last year, but she’s going to be a big surprise to the GPAC this year. Brooke Townsend has really made a lot of progress and our freshman Kaylei Denison is a fireballer. She throws really, really hard. She wants to be successful, she knows what it takes. I’m really anxious to see what she’s going to be like a s a freshman. She’s a very talented kid.”

Now that Culler (formerly the head coach at Grand Island Central Catholic for a decade) has had one full season under his belt at Concordia, he and the team have found a higher level of comfort. Explains Bowers of Culler, “He’s very understanding about academics, injuries and the mental side of everything. He’s very positive and very enthusiastic at practices. All of that transfers into the team – that positive energy that he brings.”

If anything, the Bulldogs learned last season that there’s work to be done if they are to compete on the level of defending GPAC regular season champion Northwestern or 2023 NAIA World Series qualifier Midland. The hard lessons learned in ’23 just might pay off in ’24.

Said Culler of what he hoped his team took away from last season, “Just be ready to compete at all times. Hopefully we learned about what it takes to compete and win. Winning is not easy and sustaining it is definitely not easy. The biggest thing is understanding how much hard work it takes to be successful.”

The 2024 season is slated to get started with a doubleheader at Ottawa (Kan.) on Feb. 10. View the complete schedule HERE.

Concordia Softball lands at No. 9 in 2024 GPAC preseason poll

February 1, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – In the 2024 GPAC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll released on Thursday (Feb. 1), the Concordia University Softball team landed at No. 9. The poll is a reflection of where the Bulldogs finished the 2023 season – tied for 10th in the GPAC standings. In the 2024 poll, Midland got the nod at the top and was followed by Northwestern and Morningside. Midland received nine first-place votes while Northwestern pulled in three first-place votes.

Head Coach Brock Culler enters his second season at the helm of the program. Concordia believes it will show tremendous progress from a year ago.

“We have almost the entire team coming back from last year, minus a couple of key players,” Culler said. “This new group of freshmen and transfers we have in this year bring a ton of energy and excitement. There’s a lot of athleticism there. They are good softball players, good students and good people. They interact really well with each other and have a lot of fun. There’s a lot to be excited about.”

Each of the three Bulldogs who were named Honorable Mention All-GPAC in 2023 return this season: Hanna Bowers, Aubrey Bruning and Kylie Shottenkirk. All three Concordia standouts hit better than .300 in ’23 and are expected to be key parts of the lineup this spring. There are plenty of other veteran returners who will set the example. In the pitching circle, Megan Eurich is primed to build upon a sophomore campaign that saw her post a 3.76 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 136 innings.

Prior to taking over the program at Concordia, Culler spent 10 seasons leading the Grand Island Central Catholic program and was the first coach to ever lead GICC to the state tournament. Culler aspires to lead the Bulldogs back to the top of the GPAC. During the GPAC era (2000-present), Concordia Softball has claimed four total conference championships (2005, 2007, 2008 and 2015).

The Bulldogs are slated to get the 2024 season started on Feb. 10 with a doubleheader at Ottawa University (Kan.). The complete ’24 schedule can be found HERE.

2024 GPAC Softball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
--First-place vote in parentheses

1. Midland – 119 (9)
2. Northwestern – 112 (3)
3. Morningside – 92
4. Jamestown – 85
5. Dordt – 81
6. Hastings – 64
7. Briar Cliff – 52
8. Mount Marty – 51
9. Concordia – 50
10. Doane – 42
11. Dakota Wesleyan – 31
12. College of Saint Mary – 13

Bulldogs clash with Braves in season opener

February 8, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University softball team will open its season against Ottawa University (Kan.) this Saturday (Feb. 10). The Bulldogs will travel to the Dick Peters Sports Complex and face off against a Braves squad that already has four games and four wins under their belt. This will be Head Coach Brock Culler’s second year as the skipper of a mixed group of experienced and newcomers.

This Week

Saturday, Feb. 10 at Ottawa (4-0), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast  | Location: Dick Peters Sports Complex (Ottawa, Kan.)
--Note: There will be no live stats for the two contests.

Like any team about to begin their year, the Bulldogs are excited that the talking season is over and are ready to compete against someone other than themselves. They will look to improve their 15-30 (4-18 GPAC) record from the 2023 campaign. Concordia returns three All-GPAC Honorable Mention players in Hanna Bowers, Aubrey Bruning and Kylie Shottenkirk. Pitcher Megan Eurich returns as the veteran on the mound, with a wealth of experience through her first two years. Bowers, who led the team in hitting percentage (.361 BA) will look to reach even higher marks in her third year as a Bulldog. Concordia averaged a 4.58 ERA and 4.2 runs a contest.

The Braves were ranked No. 17 in November from the NAIA preseason coaches’ poll and were selected to finish first in the KCAC coaches’ preseason poll. The three-peat KCAC Champions have back to back double header sweeps over Hastings (6-1, 6-0) and Haskell Indian Nations University (12-0, 22-4) of Kansas. They returned 23 players from their roster last season, including All-KCAC Loralei Gilbert (1st Team), Ashlynn Mercer (1st Team) and Nayely Delgado (2nd Team).

A 2023 season preview for Concordia Softball can be found HERE. Concordia was ranked to finish 9th in the GPAC preseason poll and is linked HERE.

Concordia will travel to Kansas, Mo. for four games through next weekend. The Bulldogs will take on Evangel University (Mo.), Bethel College (Kan.), Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (Ind.) and Benedictine College (Kan.) at the Home Field Complex. The first matchup will start on Friday against Evangel University at noon CT.

Bulldogs fall twice while opening season at No. 17 Ottawa

February 10, 2024

OTTAWA, Kan. – In its 2024 season opening doubleheader, the Concordia University Softball team got an early measuring stick while up against the NAIA’s 17th-ranked team. Defending Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference champion Ottawa University dealt the Bulldogs defeats by scores of 8-0 (six innings) and 10-2 (five innings) in Ottawa, Kan., on Saturday (Feb. 10). The Braves have moved to 6-0 while sweeping doubleheaders from two GPAC opponents.

This marked the start of year two for Brock Culler as head coach of the Concordia program. Culler and his squad are confident there will be better days ahead.

“Ottawa is a really good team,” Culler said. “Our approach at the plate wasn’t very good today. We have to be a lot better than what we were today. In game two, you’re not going to beat any team with the stat line we had. We didn’t help ourselves out today. We have some things we have to get better at obviously. We’ve been practicing really well. We needed this – we needed to go out and see where we’re at.

Statistically, it was a tough day for the Bulldogs, who totaled a combined seven hits over the two contests. The circumstances were made more challenging as Concordia issued eight walks in the second game. There were two innings in particular that got away from the Bulldogs – the four-run first for Ottawa in game one and the eight-run second for the Braves in game two. A three-run homer for Reagan Hammons in the first inning of game one helped set the tone for undefeated Ottawa.

Concordia got its lone runs of the day in the second inning of game two. A pair of walks and a Jennifer Katz single loaded the bases for Aubrey Bruning. The lefty slapper drilled a liner off the pitcher for an RBI single and Hanna Bowers then followed with a sacrifice fly. The Bulldogs owned a 2-0 lead before the Braves responded in a big way. Taylor Glause contributed a double as part of the second game and Julia Van Wey moved within one hit of 100 for her career.

Freshman shortstop Laycee Josoff made her anticipated debut and collected two hits in the first game of the day. She was one of five Bulldogs to make their Concordia debuts on Saturday. In the pitching circle, Megan Eurich got the ball in game one and covered 5.1 innings, allowing eight runs (five earned) on nine hits. She struck out five and did not issue a walk. Freshman Kaylei Denison started game two and surrendered six runs in 3.1 innings. Taryn Ganstrom made relief appearances in both ends of the twin bill.

The opening doubleheader did not go how the Bulldogs had hoped, but they are going to use it as a lesson as they look to improve upon the 2023 season. Said Culler, “We’re a lot better offensive team than we showed today. That was a little frustrating, but we’re staying optimistic. We’re going to have a good week of practice. We’ll bounce back and play again next weekend.”

Up next will be the NAIA Kansas City Invite hosted by Avila University the weekend of Feb. 17-18. Concordia’s opponents over those two days will be Evangel University (Mo.), Bethel College (Kan.), St. Mary of the Woods College (Ind.) and Benedictine College (Kan.). The location will be the Home Field Complex in Kansas City.

Concordia set for Avila Invite on Sunday and Monday

February 15, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – With potential inclement weather, the Bulldogs are scheduled to take to the diamonds in the Avila University NAIA Invitational this upcoming Sunday and Monday (Feb. 18-19). With the invite set at the Home Field Complex in Kansas City, Mo., Concordia will face four separate teams including Saint Mary of the Woods College (Ind.), Benedictine College (Kan.), Baker University (Kan.) and Avila University (Mo.). The blue and white shook off the rust against Ottawa University (Kan.) last Saturday, falling in both games, 8-0, 10-2.

This Week

Sunday, Feb. 18 vs. Saint Mary of the Woods College (0-0), 2 p.m. CT
--Live Stats | Location: Home Field Complex (Kansas City, Mo.)

Sunday, Feb. 18 vs. Benedictine College (2-1), 4 p.m. CT
--Live Stats | Location: Home Field Complex (Kansas City, Mo.)

Monday, Feb. 19 vs. No. 11 Baker University (0-4), noon CT
--Live Stats | Location: Home Field Complex (Kansas City, Mo.)

Monday, Feb. 19 vs. Avila University (1-3), 4 p.m. CT
--Live Stats | Live Video | Location: Home Field Complex (Kansas City, Mo.)
--NOTE: There will be no live broadcasts for the first three contests.

Facing the No. 17 Braves in an opening double header is no small task, having already played four games. After their first six games, Ottawa is 6-0 with three shutouts collected in the back. The Defending Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference champion run ruled the Bulldogs in both contests in the sixth and fifth inning. Concordia got its lone runs of the day in the second inning of game two. A pair of walks and a Jennifer Katz single loaded the bases for Aubrey Bruning. The lefty slapper drilled a liner off the pitcher for an RBI single and Hanna Bowers then followed with a sacrifice fly. Freshman shortstop Laycee Josoff made her anticipated debut and collected two hits in the first game of the day.

Saint Mary of the Woods College has yet to play in a game in 2024, but the Pomeroys went 36-16 earning a bid to the NAIA national tournament. Benedictine (2-1) won over York University (24-0) and MidAmerica Christian University (8-2) of Oklahoma. Baker University (0-4) has dropped all four of their games by two runs or less, having faced GPAC opponents Northwestern and Morningside in doubleheaders. Avila University (1-3) faced two tough opponents, Texas A&M University-San Antonio and Our Lady of the Lake University to start their season. The Eagles took one bout (5-0) against the Jaguars in their final game in San Antonio, Texas.

Concordia is set to travel to Kansas next weekend (Feb. 24-25) and link up against the University of Saint Mary and Benedictine College for two doubleheaders on the road.

Bulldogs split on day one at Avila invite

February 18, 2024

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Bulldogs split their first two games at the Avila University NAIA Invitational on Sunday (Feb. 18) in the Home Field Complex. The opening game against Saint Mary of the Woods College (Ind.) was a pitcher’s dual as Megan Eurich shut out the Pomeroys with eight strikeouts for Concordia in the 1-0 triumph. After winning by one run, the Bulldogs felt the other side of the sword, falling 6-5 versus Benedictine College (Kan.) in game two. Jennifer Katz hit two in the outfield and three RBIs against the Ravens.

Concordia is 1-3 overall after the split and will look forward to returning to the diamond tomorrow for day two of the invite. Head Coach Brock Culler commented on the two games and the great defensive plays many players made.

“It was really big for our kids. That was a battle. We made some really big defensive plays in that game (SMWC) to get out of some tough situations. They had us on the ropes a couple of times but Taylor (Glause) threw two runners out trying to get to second. Then Megs (Eurich), in the circle was outstanding. She was overwhelming them and did a great job. Jen Katz had a great day. She saw the ball really well today. In the second game (Benedictine), with the tying run at second (Shottenkirk), Jen was up and I told her we had the right batter in that situation after the game. She just got under it.”

After getting run-ruled twice in their opening doubleheader, the Bulldogs showed they know how to fight in close battles after two bouts decided by one run. SMWC, a national tournament team from last year, was baffled by Eurich, limiting their bats to four hits as the two teams started to realize one run might be enough for a season’s first win. In the fifth, Hannah Bowers drew a walk, for a pinch running Madison Cushing, who found herself at second after a sac bunt by Laycee Josoff. Glause would single, advancing Cushing to third but with an error by the Pomeroys’ shortstop, Cushing took advantage for the game winning run.

Down 4-3 against Benedictine, Julia Van Wey hit a single to right center field for her 100th hit of her collegiate career. With two on second and third, Katz smacked a single to right field scoring Julia Van Wey and Glause to take the lead. The Ravens would respond with a two run sixth, but Kylie Shottenkirk would have her first hit of the day in the final inning, lighting the bags on fire for a double and the tying run in scoring position. With two hits in the game, Katz was unable to deliver a hit in the early season heartbreaker.

The junior out of Omaha, Neb., would get on base three times and throw out a runner going to third from center field. Glause had got on base four times with two hits and two walks in Kansas City. Freshman Kaylei Denison got the starting nod for the second game, pitching five innings, two strikeouts and allowing four earned runs. Eurich came in relief, totaling nine innings pitched in two games.

After incoming weather changed the course of the Avila Invitational, Concordia (1-3) was rescheduled to play tomorrow (Feb. 19) Baker University (2-4) of Kansas and Avila University (3-3) of Missouri. First pitches are set for 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. CT at the Home Field Complex.

Offense stifled on Day 2 in Kansas City

February 19, 2024

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Bulldogs completed their four game stretch inside the Home Field Complex on Monday afternoon (Feb. 19). Missed opportunities on the offensive end defined game two against Avila University (Mo.) as Concordia had runners in scoring position but couldn’t capitalize in the 1-0 loss to the Eagles. In game one, No. 11 Baker University (Kan.) got ahead early and ended the game (11-1) with two home runs in the 6th inning. Kylie Shottenkirk and Taylor Glause had three-hit performances in the two games in Kansas City.

CUNE drops to 1-5 through six games and will look to rebound next weekend. Head Coach Brock Culler commented on the two games and the improved pitching from Kalei Denison.

“I thought we played pretty well against Baker, despite what the score was. They scored a lot of runs this weekend and are a really hot team right now. It was a good softball game (Avila). We out played them and outhit them. We did leave the bases loaded twice and tried to execute a squeeze bunt. It went off the bat wrong and couldn’t get the run in. It’s really unfortunate because Kalei Denison threw an outstanding game today and it was a big thing to see. I like where our team is, we have just run into 5 national tournament teams in the first six games.”

The freshman Denison stepped into the starting circle against Avila and rotated through the first two innings surrendering no hits. The Waverly, Neb., native continued until the fifth before the Eagles squeezed in their first and only run. Rewind nine days before, and she was taken out of the circle after six walks, two runs in 1.1 innings for her college debut. Fast forward to a freshman pitcher soaring, only two games later, allowing only four hits through six innings.

Coach Culler said, “Denison is getting more confident and starting to play like the kid we recruited. She was really nervous her first game. It was her first college start. I get it. She is executing her pitches and starting to move around really well.”

The Bulldogs had seven hits to Avila’s four and no errors to their three. Still, with bases loaded twice, the Eagles were able to get out of the jams. Concordia left six runners in scoring position and 10 on base but were unable to take advantage of the separate occasions. Any time the Eagles began to get something going, the stellar defense and pitching kept them in the game. Jayden Fernau and Glause were able to catch one base runner stealing apiece. The seven hits came from six players, including a two-hit performance from Glause, Laycee Josoff, Shottenkirk, Julia Van Wey, Aubrey Bruning and Fernau.

Facing an extremely talented Baker squad that made it to the NAIA World Series last year, the Wildcats scored a run apiece in the first three innings. The Bulldogs were able to answer following a Delanie Voshell single, and Taylor Glause hit an RBI, giving room for Voshell to score. Down 6-1, Baker put the game out of reach in the sixth with two homers and a base hit to score another. Megan Eurich started in the circle for 3.2 innings and allowed five runs on eight base hits. Taryn Ganstrom (1.1 IP) and Jordan Head (1.0 IP) came in relief and permitted six runs, and eight hits total in their showing. Delanie Voshell had two hits against the Wildcats and the Shenandoah, Iowa, native scored the only run of the day.

Concordia (1-5) will take on University of Saint Mary (2-4) in a doubleheader this weekend. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. CT on Saturday in Leavenworth, Kan.

Two doubleheaders in Kansas upcoming versus USM and Benedictine

February 22, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Softball team will take a weekend break from competing in an invitational and instead hit the asphalt for two back to back doubleheaders on Feb. 24-25. The Dawgs will take a trip to face the University of Saint Mary (Kan.), then rematch with Benedictine College (Kan.). With three separate games decided by one run in Kansas City, Concordia won over Saint Mary of the Woods College (1-0) but fell against Benedictine College (6-5), Baker University (11-1) and Avila University (1-0). Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad left Missouri with a 1-3 record, totaling a 1-5 record overall after facing four 2023 national tournament teams in five out of six games.

This Week

Saturday, Feb. 24 at University of Saint Mary (3-5), 1 & 3 p.m. CT
--Live Video | Live Stats | Location: USM Softball Complex (Leavenworth, Kan.)

Sunday, Feb. 25 at Benedictine College (6-2), noon & 2 p.m. CT
--Live Stats | Location: Benedictine Softball Field (Atchison, Kan.)

The Dawgs split on day one, riding the coat tails of starting pitcher Megan Eurich who hurled eight strikeouts in seven shutout innings versus SMWC. In the fifth, Hannah Bowers drew a walk, for a pinch running Madison Cushing, who found herself at second after a sac bunt by Laycee Josoff. Glause would single, advancing Cushing to third but with an error by the Pomeroys’ shortstop, Cushing took full advantage for the eventual game winning run. Against the Ravens, the two teams switched leads three times in the last four innings, as Jennifer Katz hit a two-RBI single to right center for a one run lead (5-4) in the bottom of the fifth. Benedictine would answer with a two-run sixth as Katz led the Bulldogs with two hits and three-RBI’s.

On day two, the offense would struggle to get things going in both games, as Delainie Voshell was the only woman in blue to cross home plate. No. 11 Baker took the game out of hand in the sixth, scoring big with two home runs. Freshman Kaylei Denison showed dramatic improvement in the pitcher’s circle from her first start to her third, against Avila. The Waverly, Neb., native pitched 6 innings, allowing four hits, with an impressive ERA (one) and three strikeouts. In the fifth, Benedictine was able to squeeze in the only run of the contest.

The season has just gotten started, but one number stood out above the rest in Kansas City. Two. It is the number of errors the defense committed in its last four outings and is something Coach Culler can build upon to win games, especially of the tight knit battle variety. A confidence booster for his pitchers, the other eight Bulldogs on the field have her back in the circle.

Upcoming bouts for CUNE, include doubleheaders versus USM (3-5) and Benedictine (6-2). The Spires accomplished their first win against Southwestern Christian (5-4) of Oklahoma, and split with William Woods University (Mo.) and Missouri Valley College. The Ravens and Bulldogs will get to finish a seemingly three-game series, having bested Avila (5-2) and Bethel College (6-1) of Kansas in their last four meetings.

Concordia will compete in the Friends University Invitational the following weekend (Mar. 1-2) In Wichita, Kan. at the Two Rivers Youth Complex. The Bulldogs are set to face Missouri Valley, USM, Park University (Mo.) and Sterling College (Kan.).

Eurich, Isom star as Bulldogs win one, lose one at USM

February 24, 2024

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. – The two ends of the doubleheader looked very different on Saturday (Feb. 24) afternoon in Leavenworth, Kan. The Concordia University Softball team got a strong pitching performance from Megan Eurich and a home run apiece from Laycee Josoff and Zoie Isom as part of a 7-2 victory in game one. Host University of Saint Mary then dominated game two while striking for 14 hits in a 13-1 five-inning rout. Eurich fired a seven-inning complete game in the day’s opener.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad moved to 2-6 overall this season as part of a challenging nonconference slate. Moving forward, the Bulldogs hope to look more like the team that played game one on Saturday.

“Megan threw really well,” Culler said. “She got a lot of soft contact and the defense played well behind her. We just had one miscue that resulted in two errors, but we played clean softball for the most part in game one. It was nice to see Laycee get her first collegiate home run. A big emphasis is our offense, so it was good to see us put the bat on the ball and drive the ball. We have a good offensive team.”

Concordia certainly came out swinging on Saturday as it put up two runs in the first and four in the second in supply Eurich with all the support she needed. Isom opened the scoring when she doubled home Kylie Shottenkirk and Josoff in the top of the first. Then in the second, Aubrey Bruning singled in a pair of runs before Josoff delivered a booming two-run homer. Isom added an insurance run in the seventh with a solo shot for her first homer of 2024.

Eurich again heads the pitching staff. She allowed only one earned run on five hits and a walk in game one. She also recorded four strikeouts in an efficient performance. Eurich completed the game with 80 pitches (51 for strikes). Unfortunately, Concordia’s pitching did not hold up well in the second game. The Spires (5-6) notched five runs apiece in the first and second innings while leaving the Bulldogs in the dust. Concordia’s three pitchers in game two were Kaylie Denison, Brooke Townsend and Taryn Ganstrom. Towsend made her season debut while pitching in relief.

Isom finished the day 3-for-6 at the plate. In addition, Shottenkirk (2-for-4) and Bruning (2-for-5) collected two hits apiece. There were nine Bulldogs who recorded at least one hit in the doubleheader.

Said Culler, “We have to continue to develop our pitching depth. There’s no doubt we have talent there. We have to get the ball away from the middle of the plate and stop walking batters. That second game was a little rough. One of the quotes I always share with our teams is that ‘failure is a condiment to success.’ It’s a good group. We have to get right back at it.”

The Bulldogs will remain in Kansas while heading to Atchison on Sunday for a twin bill at Benedictine College (Kan.) (8-2). First pitch is set for 12 p.m. CT. This will be a rematch of a contest played this past weekend in Kansas City, Mo. The Ravens eked out a 6-5 victory in that matchup.

Ravens collect sweep over Bulldogs

February 25, 2024

ATCHISON, Kan. – The Concordia Women’s Softball team stayed in Kansas for their second doubleheader of the weekend against Benedictine College on Sunday afternoon (Feb. 25). After getting ahead early (3-0) in the second contest against the Ravens, a costly six-run fourth inning gave the home team an edge to take a sweep (0-4, 3-6) over the Bulldogs. Zoe Isom (three) and Laycee Josoff (two) stood out in the second game, combining for five of their nine hits.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad drops down to 2-8 and will look to get back on track next weekend.

Isom went 3-for-3 in the second game with two singles and a two base hit in the sixth inning. The Fillmore, Calif., native has six hits and three RBI’s in her last two days of play. After one run scored and Madison Cushing walked, Josoff connected for a double to put both runners in scoring position. Aubrey Bruning followed with a base clearing two-bagger, giving the 3-0 lead to the Dawgs.

Benedictine answered in the fourth with a six run and six hit inning in the fourth, that forced starting pitcher Kalei Denison out of the pitcher’s circle. Denison lasted 3.1 innings (1 K, 2 BB 6 ER), before bringing in Megan Eurich to finish the frame.

After having two scoreless innings to start game one, the Ravens’ Kera Willoughby hit a solo home run to break the scoring drought and scored another runner on a ground rule double. The Bulldogs had four separate players with a hit but were unable to get runners in scoring position because of the opposing pitching and defense. The home team would score two more unneeded insurance runs in the sixth, as they would shut out Concordia for the game.  

Benedictine was led by its pitcher Bailey Selvage (1st game), throwing seven IP, 14 K’s, zero ERA and zero walks in 25 batters faced. Catcher Baylee Knorr paced the Ravens with three hits, one RBI and one run. Kera Willoughby came in relief for the second game, pitching 5.1 innings, three K’s, and six hits staying undefeated (4-0) on the season.

Concordia (2-8) will face four teams at the Friends University Invitational next weekend (Mar. 1-2). The Bulldogs will meet Missouri Valley College, University of Saint Mary (Kan.), Park University (Mo.) and Sterling College (Kan.). The invite is set at Two Rivers Youth Complex in Wichita, Kan.

Softball gearing up for Wichita and Tucson for spring break

February 29, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – Concordia will head to two invitationals over the 2024 spring break and will not be shy on games, playing 12 different teams at the two combined host sites. The Bulldogs are set to compete in the Friends University Invitational (Mar. 1-2) at the Two Rivers Youth Complex (Wichita, Kan.). Then the weather will get hot and dry in the desert of Tucson, Ariz., at the Tucson Invitational from Mar. 5-8. CUNE will take a 2-8 record into spring break, as Head Coach Brock Culler continues the Arizona trip for his second consecutive year.

Last season, Concordia went 3-1 in the Friends Invite, run-ruling three teams in Kansas. At the Tucson Invite, Coach Culler’s squad came out just above .500 with a 5-4 record in the desert.

The Bulldogs went 1-3 over the past weekend against the University of Saint Mary (Kan.) and Benedictine College (Kan.) on the road. Concordia collected 11 RBIs to the opponents’ 21 and was edged out in hits (26-32), with 14 allowed from the second game against USM. The standout over the four contests was Zoe Isom who batted .500 (6-for-12) with a .917 slugging percentage. The Fillmore High School product connected for a pair of two baggers, three RBIs and a home run. Laycee Josoff had three hits, two RBIs, one run and a home run, while Aubrey Bruning smacked four hits, four RBIs and one run for the Dawgs. Megan Eurich pitched seven innings, four strikeouts, allowed two runs (one ER) and one BB for the win in game one versus the Spires.

Isom and Josoff lead the team in hits (eight) and slugging percentage with .520 and .414 through 10 games, as Josoff has a team high four runs. Bruning has a team high five RBIs and Madison Cushing has the lead OBP of .429. Five different players have six hits, including Bruning, Taylor Glause, Kylie Shottenkirk, Jennifer Katz and Julia Van Wey. Katz and Bruning have two stolen bases apiece.

Eurich, the primary in the pitcher’s circle, has thrown 33.2 innings, with a 3.33 ERA, 25 Ks and a 2-4 record. Having their No. 2 out from last season, freshman Kaylei Denison has stepped into the role with 18.1 IP, 8.40 ERA, 7 Ks, 0 HRs and an 0-4 record. Denison has had 20 BBs, after having trouble in the first start of her career but has limited free bases as of late.

Spring Break Schedule (March 1-8)

Friday, March 1 vs. Missouri Valley, 1:20 p.m. CT
--Friends University Invitational
--Live Stats | Location: Two Rivers Youth Complex (Wichita, Kan.)

Friday, March 1 vs. Saint Mary, 5:40 p.m. CT
--Friends University Invitational
-- Live Stats | Location: Two Rivers Youth Complex (Wichita, Kan.)

Saturday, March 2 vs. Park, 12:20 p.m. CT
--Friends University Invitational
--Live Stats | Location: Two Rivers Youth Complex (Wichita, Kan.)

Saturday, March 2 vs. Sterling, 4:40 p.m. CT
--Friends University Invitational
--Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Two Rivers Youth Complex (Wichita, Kan.)

Tuesday, March 5 vs. Dickinson State, 9 a.m. MT / 10 a.m. CT
--Tucson Invitational
-- Live Stats | Location: (Tucson, Ariz.)

Tuesday, March 5 vs. Tabor, 11 a.m. MT / 12 p.m. CT
--Tucson Invitational
-- Live Stats | Location: (Tucson, Ariz.)

Wednesday, March 6 vs. Graceland, 9 a.m. MT / 10 a.m. CT
--Tucson Invitational
-- Live Stats | Location: (Tucson, Ariz.)

Wednesday, March 6 vs. Madonna, 11 a.m. MT / 12 p.m. CT
--Tucson Invitational
-- Live Stats | Location: (Tucson, Ariz.)

Thursday, March 7 vs. Valley City State, 9 a.m. MT / 10 a.m. CT
--Tucson Invitational
-- Live Stats | Location: (Tucson, Ariz.)

Thursday, March 7 vs. St. Francis, 11 a.m. MT / 12 p.m. CT
--Tucson Invitational
-- Live Stats | Location: (Tucson, Ariz.)

Friday, March 8 vs. Mayville State, 1:30 p.m. MT / 2:30 p.m. CT
--Tucson Invitational
-- Live Stats | Location: (Tucson, Ariz.)

Friday, March 8 vs. Viterbo, 3:30 p.m. MT / 4:30 p.m. CT
--Tucson Invitational
-- Live Stats | Location: (Tucson, Ariz.)

Concordia has four more non-conference games before entering conference play. The Bulldogs will have a doubleheader with Nebraska Wesleyan University on Mar. 13 and against Peru State College on Mar. 16.

Concordia takes split in big offensive day

March 1, 2024

WICHITA, Kan. – The Bulldogs traveled to the Friends University Invitational and are set to face four different teams in two days. Concordia got the best of Missouri Valley College in a high scoring affair, going yard three times in an 11-9 triumph over the Vikings. In game two, the blue and white made a push in the sixth inning, but fell to the University of Saint Mary, 5-8, in the final game of the day. Taylor Glause had a three-hit and one RBI, while Zoe Isom collected two hits, four RBIs and one home run in game one.

After a split but offensively productive day, the Bulldogs move to 3-9 on the season. Head Coach Brock Culler commented on his team’s play and how big the team stepped up.

“We swung the bats really well today.  Our team played hard and with passion, which was the number one thing we challenged them with this whole week. We had 3 big calls not go our way in game two and they were huge inning killers. Even with that, our team moved on and got right back after it.  I told them that I am proud of the way the competed and can't wait to get back on the dirt tomorrow!”

After a disappointing scoreless first frame, Concordia erupted for nine runs, seven hits and two home runs in the second against Missouri Valley. Kylie Shottenkirk got the Dawgs started with a two-RBI single. Glause followed with an RBI double and Isom crushed a two RBI single, all in consecutive hits of each other. If things couldn’t get worse for the Vikings, Julia Van Wey and Jennifer Katz hit two-run bombs out of the yard. Isom would smash the game winning home run in the third, sending herself and Glause across home plate.

Julia Van Wey grabbed three hits, one home run and two RBIs on her day in Kansas. Kaylei Denison came in relief in the pitchers’ circle and had a stellar performance, silencing the Vikings and only allowed one hit in 10 batters.

Down 8-2 to the USM, the Bulldogs ripped off a three-run sixth inning by way of a two-bagger by Katz, producing two runs batted in with Shottenkirk and Van Wey. Katz followed across home plate after a foul out in left field. Concordia was unable to get more runs and make the Spires sweat in the final inning.

Others with multiple hits were Laycee Josoff (3), Hanna Bowers (2), Delanie Voshell (2) and Aubrey Bruning (2).

Concordia (3-9) will stay in Kansas for day two of the Friends University invite and is scheduled to face Park University (Mo.) and Sterling College (Kan.) on Saturday. These will be the last two games before taking its talents to Tucson, Ariz. for the Tucson Invitational from Mar. 5-8. The Bulldogs have eight games scheduled at the invite.

Eurich masterpiece, Josoff all-around play highlight day two of Friends Invite

March 2, 2024

WICHITA, Kan. – Megan Eurich sparkled in the circle and shortstop Laycee Josoff shined with the bat and glove on day two of the Friends Invitational held in Wichita, Kan., the weekend of March 1-2. The Concordia University Softball team opened Saturday with a 7-0 shutout of Park University (Mo.) before falling at the hands of Sterling College (Kan.), 10-4, in the fourth and final contest of the invite.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad went 2-2 in Wichita while also claiming a win on Friday over Missouri Valley College. The Bulldogs will head to Arizona with a 4-10 overall mark.

“That was a really good win for us,” Culler said of the win over Park. “That’s a really good team. We got out early on them and Megan was outstanding. Our defense was good – we played really, really well that game. We’re continuing to develop our pitching staff. We struggled against Sterling, but we had a good weekend offensively. We still have some things to get figured out.”

A junior from Gretna, Neb., Eurich is the definite ace of the Concordia staff. She fired a two-hit shutout with just one walk surrendered in the stifling of the Pirates. Only once all game did Park manage to put a runner in scoring position. That instance occurred in the top of the sixth when the frame began with a single and a walk. Eurich then buckled down and got three-straight outs: pop up to second, strikeout out and fly out to right.

Eurich got all the support she needed in the first inning when Julia Van Wey singled in a run and Jennifer Katz forced in another with a bases-loaded walk. The Bulldogs tacked on with an RBI single apiece from Hanna Bowers and Van Wey in the second. Additional RBIs came later from Josoff (sac fly and RBI single) and Delanie Voshell (RBI triple). Van Wey and Kylie Shottenkirk both registered two hits as part of the victory.

In the second game of the day, Concordia was unable to recover after it got down 7-0 at the conclusion of three innings. Sterling No. 3 hitter Desiree Perales went 3-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs. At the top of the Bulldog lineup, Josoff enjoyed a 3-for-4 performance that included a solo homer. In addition, Zoie Isom went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, Aubrey Bruning doubled and scored a run and Katz went 1-for-3 with an RBI. The Warriors improved to 9-7 on the season.

A heralded recruit out of Yutan, Josoff is hitting .366 (15-for-41) through the first 14 games of her college career. Josoff and an improving offense are positive takeaways from the weekend. Concordia put a combined 28 runs on the board in four games at the Friends Invite. Said Culler of Josoff, “She had such a great weekend. She’s got it going right now. Our team is grinding. Things are upbeat and positive.”

The Bulldogs will now quickly turn around and fly to Arizona for their stay at the Tucson Invite. Concordia is slated to play two games each day (eight total) from March 5 – 8. On the first day of that stretch, the Bulldogs will take on Dickinson State University (N.D.) and Tabor College (Kan.).

Offense surges, Eurich shuts down opposition at Tucson Invite

March 5, 2024

TUCSON, Ariz. – Ace pitcher Megan Eurich went the distance in completing two games on Tuesday (March 5) as the Concordia University Softball team enjoyed a successful first day at the 2024 Tucson Invite. A five-hit day for Zoie Isom helped power the Bulldogs to wins by scores of 7-0 over Dickinson State University (N.D.) and 8-0 over Tabor College (Kan.) in a run-rule shortened affair. The Gretna, Neb., native Eurich racked up 17 strikeouts in the finest statistical day of her collegiate career.

This was the type of confidence builder that Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad had been looking for while in the midst of a high-volume stretch of games. Concordia stands at 6-10 overall.

“Pitching, defense and hitting – everything was going well for us today,” Culler said. “We played really well defensively and were outstanding offensively. It was just a good day. We’ve been trying to put pieces together and get things figured out. Even in warmups when we got to the field, it felt like we had it. It had that look and feel to it.”

Eurich found another level on Tuesday while completely flummoxing hitters from both Dickinson State and Tabor. The 5-foot-10 right-hander allowed a grand total of three baserunners (two singles and a walk) to the Blue Hawks in Tuesday’s first contest. Eurich retired the first 11 hitters she faced, worked four 1-2-3 innings and accumulated eight strikeouts. In the second game, five innings were sufficient to complete the game. Eurich surrendered four hits (all singles) to the Bluejays while amassing nine strikeouts.

While Isom posted five hits, there were contributions from up and down the Bulldog lineup. In the first victory of the Tucson Invite, runs came home via a passed ball (Grace Maguire scored), a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch taken by Jennifer Katz, an RBI single apiece by Delanie Voshell and Aubrey Bruning before Isom broke the game wide open. The Fillmore, Calif., native cleared the bases with a triple that capped the contest’s scoring.

The flurry continued with a 10-hit team performance versus Tabor. Taylor Glause doubled and scored twice and Julia Van Wey notched two hits of her own. The five-run third keyed the run rule. In that frame, Hanna Bowers and Kylie Shottenkirk produced run-scoring singles before Katz stepped up and belted a two-run homer to right. Run No. 8 came around on Isom’s single that scored Laycee Josoff in the fourth. Eight different Bulldogs recorded at least one hit in the win.

This was clearly Concordia’s best all-around day of the 2024 season to date. Not only did Eurich fire bullets in the circle while the offense clicked, the Bulldog defense played error-free ball (44 total chances in the field). The combination of great defense and the most dominant pair of games in the same day for Eurich left Concordia feeling good about itself.

Said Culler, “Everyone of her pitches, she was locating them and spinning the ball well,” Culler said. “Her rise ball, her curve, her fastball and changeup – everyone was working the best it has ever worked. She had a lot of momentum going and our offense had a lot of momentum going. There was no reason to change anything. Megs didn’t through a lot of pitches in the first game, so I knew she was going to be fine.”

As part of four-straight days of action in Tucson, the Bulldogs will get back to the diamond on Tuesday with two more games. Next up are matchups with Graceland University (Iowa) at 9 a.m. MT / 10 a.m. CT and Madonna University (Mich.) at 11 a.m. MT / 12 p.m. CT. For more details on the spring break trip, click HERE.

Katz and Eurich lead in day two split in Arizona

March 6, 2024

TUCSON, Ariz. – Jennifer Katz and Megan Eurich came out firing on Day two of the Tucson Invitational, leading to a split against Graceland University (Iowa) and Madonna University (Mich.). The Bulldogs had their third straight shutout pitched by Eurich, leading to a 3-0 victory over the Yellow Jackets in game one. Against the Crusaders, the teams matched each other with 10 hits but Concordia couldn’t capitalize in the 1-6 loss for game two. Katz finished her day with five hits (5-for-7) and Eurich finished in the pitcher’s circle with zero earned runs through 10.2 innings pitched.  

The Bulldogs are 7-11 on the year and have two more days (four games) on their trip to Arizona. Head Coach Brock Culler commented on how the team is playing and game two of the day.

“We are playing really well. Our first squad is playing high level softball right now. Megan Eurich is on a different planet. I love the way she is pitching, obviously. Our defense and offense are great. We have it going and I like what I see. Katz is seeing the ball well. She is swinging at the right pitches and is a disciplined athletic kid. It is not a huge surprise that she is having success. (In game two) We left runners on and just couldn’t get anything punched through. We started some young kids and we were just trying to get some of them on the dirt. In the end, I love that our kids never stopped swinging and kept going.”

With one out versus Graceland (11-7), Jennifer Katz started the three-run inning off with a single to right field. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with fielder's choice and a walk, and the Yellow Jackets walked Julia Van Wey pushing Katz across the plate, breaking the scoreless tie. Isom followed with a two-RBI line drive to center field, scoring Delanie Voshell and Laycee Josoff. Moving to the bottom of the third, Graceland found the bases loaded with one out and had plans to respond after allowing three runs.

Eurich with complete composure walks out of the inning with a strikeout and a pop out to put away the side. Eurich got the staring nod in game one and proved once again, she is the Bulldog ace in the pitching lane. The Gretna, Neb., product finished with 13 strikeouts (six in game one) and two base on balls in total of the two outings and 42 batters faced.

The opponents pitchers should consider walking Katz the rest of the time in Tucson, after a .714 batting average on Wednesday. The Omaha, Neb., standout and Zoe Isom continue to crack the ball, as the Fillmore high school product added two hits and three RBIs to her trip. Isom had 28 hits last season but already has 19 before entering conference play.

The Bulldogs gave their younger crew a look in the starting circle and Kaylei Denison pitched through 3.1 innings (three Ks), allowing five runs and one homer by Madonna (19-1). Concordia continued to fight and show grit making connections with the bats. The one piece missing was getting runners over the final bag after leaving 12 on base.

Other offensive standouts in the second game were Julia Van Wey (2-4, 1 R) and Taylor Glause (2-4).

Concordia (6-10) continues its Tucson Invite schedule tomorrow (Mar. 7) against Valley City State University (N.D.) and the University of Saint Francis (Ill.). The Bulldogs will have the same first pitch times as today, with game one at 9 a.m. MT / 10 a.m. CT and game two at 11 a.m. MT / noon CT. For more details on the spring break trip, click HERE.

Pitchers show grit after taking one on Day 3 in Grand Canyon State

March 7, 2024

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Concordia University Softball team played day three of four in the Tucson Invitational, showing grit against stiff competition. The Bulldogs in the pitchers’ circle came to play and the defense stood tall behind them in a 7-2 win over the Valley City State University (N.D.) and a 0-1 loss to the University of Saint Francis (Ill.). Megan Eurich and Kaylei Denison allowed only one earned run apiece in each contest, keeping opposing offenses away from home plate in both outings.

The squad under Head Coach Brock Culler has continued to get better each time they step on the field. Concordia has a 4-2 record in Arizona and an 8-12 record overall. Coach Culler raved about his team’s progression and the two in the pitchers' lane.

“The first game Megan was dealing once she settled in, and our offense just took off. We put a lot of pressure on them (VCSU) and were taking some extra bags. We challenged our offense to get to the next step and they responded. It was great to start off with a win. Laycee (Josoff) made some incredible defensive plays and really our whole defense has a lot of chemistry right now. The confidence on defense continues to keep growing. That Saint Francis team is good. Kaylei (Denison) kept them off balance and got out of some big innings. I was really proud of her today. Her curveball was good but her rise ball was fantastic.”

Delanie Voshell and Jennifer Katz got the team going in the second, giving Concordia a two run lead. In the fourth, the Bulldogs lit the scoreboard up with a hit from Julia Van Wey, Hanna Bowers, Kylie Shottenkirk, Aubrey Bruning, Laycee Josoff and Katz. They would total five runs on six hits to take a 7-0 lead on Valley City State. Megan Eurich continued to hold off a feisty Vikings squad that continued to swing the bat but only gave in two runs in 7 innings pitched, six strikeouts and 11 hits in 35 batters faced.

Kaylei Denison didn’t have the prettiest stat line (6.2 IP, 8 H, 7 BB) but when her back was against the wall, the freshman out of Waverly, Neb., allowed only one run in an all-out pitcher's duel. The defense would back Denison in moments of pressure, but one run was enough for a tough St. Francis team. The offensive bats for the Bulldogs were stifled in the second game as the team collected one hit by the left fielder Bruning.

The junior out of Lincoln, Neb., paced the team with three hits and two runs for the day. Katz picked up from yesterday with two triples and three RBIs, as Josoff had two RBIs versus the Vikings. The veteran Shottenkirk picked up an RBI and a run.

Concordia (8-12) will finish its final day in Tucson and will hope to have success against Mayville State University (N.D.) and Viterbo University (Wis.) on Friday (March 7). The last two games fall later in the day, as the first game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. MT / 2:30 p.m CT and the second at 3:30 p.m. MT / 4:30 p.m. CT.

Nonconference in-state foes make up post-spring break week slate

March 11, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – Back in Nebraska, the Concordia University Softball team will continue the nonconference slate against a pair of in-state foes this week. Next on the docket are doubleheaders with Nebraska Wesleyan University (away) and Peru State College (home). Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad is coming off the Tucson Invitational that saw it win four of six games. The Bulldogs enter this week sporting an overall mark of 8-12. Culler and the program expect to welcome a large number of recruits to Plum Creek Park on Saturday for the 2024 home opener.

This week

Wednesday, March 13 at Nebraska Wesleyan (11-4), 3 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: University Place Park (Lincoln, Neb.)

Saturday, March 16 vs. Peru State (3-13), 2 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 – Game 2 | Location: Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)

By the numbers

·        The spring break journey began back on March 1 as Concordia played four times at the Friends University Invitational prior to flying to Arizona. The Bulldogs played 10 games from March 1-7 and earned victories during that stretch over Missouri Valley College, Park University (Mo.), Dickinson State University (N.D.), Tabor College (Kan.), Graceland University (Iowa) and Valley City State University (N.D.). Those 10 games saw Concordia outscore its opponents by a combined total of 54-36. The Bulldogs also posted a higher batting average (.318 to .286) than their foes and committed only six errors in 270 chances in the field (.978 fielding percentage).

·        From an individual perspective, no player shined quite like Megan Eurich did over the course of spring break. Since the calendar flipped to March, Eurich has made nine pitching appearances (six starts) and has posted a 6-0 record and 1.77 ERA in 47.1 innings. She was even better at the Tucson Invite as she went 4-0 with a 0.24 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 29.2 innings with a .221 opponent batting average. That run even included a day with two shutouts as Eurich blanked Dickinson State, 7-0, and Tabor, 8-0, on March 5. She fired 12 innings for the day perhaps her finest day as a Bulldog. Over three seasons at Concordia, Eurich has logged 259.2 innings and has a 3.37 ERA and 213 strikeouts.

·        Six regulars in the Bulldog lineup batted .300 or better during spring break: Jennifer Katz (.433; 13-for-30), Aubrey Bruning (.385; 10-for-26), Zoie Isom (.364; 12-for-33), Laycee Josoff (.346; 9-for-26), Julia Van Wey (.313; 10-for-32) and Taylor Glause (.300; 9-for-30). A transfer from Southwestern Community College, Katz has come on especially strong. Not only did she hit above .400 during spring break, she also added a double, two triples, two home runs and 12 RBIs. Meanwhile, a home run apiece was produced by Isom, Josoff and Van Wey. Isom equaled Katz with 12 RBIs over the past 10 games.

·        Team statistical leaders in key offensive categories include Aubrey Bruning in batting average (.400), Laycee Josoff in runs (11) and on-base percentage (.435), Zoie Isom in hits (20) and slugging percentage (.569) and Taylor Glause in doubles (six). Three players each have two home runs: Josoff, Katz and Isom. Meanwhile, Katz and Isom share the team lead with 15 RBIs. Delanie Voshell’s four steals are tops on the squad.

·        Earlier this season, Van Wey collected the 100th hit of her career. Junior Kylie Shottenkirk (97 hits) is closing in on that same milestone while Isom stands at 83 hits as a Bulldog. In 102 career collegiate games, Shottenkirk has batted .321 (97-for-32) with a .382 on-base percentage and .457 slugging percentage. As for Van Wey, she’s one of the final links back to the Concordia national tournament qualifying squad of 2021 that went 32-13 overall.

·        The development of the Bulldogs’ pitching depth will be a key moving forward. There were positive signs shown by freshman Kaylei Denison, who ended the Tucson Invite by throwing 6.2 innings versus the University of St. Francis (Ill.). Denison allowed only one run while making big pitches with runners on base. It marked Denison’s longest outing of the season to date. As the team’s ace, Eurich has shouldered a large portion of the load. She has worked 81 of a possible 124.1 innings in the circle so far in 2024.

The opponents

Nebraska Wesleyan is out to an 11-4 record under Head Coach Mary Yori. Through 15 games, the team’s leading hitter has been Lyndsey Roth, who is batting .390 with a home run and 11 RBIs. The Prairie Wolves qualified for the NCAA Division III national tournament as recently as 2022. A former member of the GPAC, Nebraska Wesleyan competes as part of the America Rivers Conference. The Bulldogs and Prairie Wolves also met up in 2023 with the result being a doubleheader sweep for Nebraska Wesleyan in Seward.

Peru State sits at 3-13 on the season after finishing the 2024 campaign at 7-37. The Bobcats have already played four GPAC squads and have endured losses to Northwestern, Briar Cliff, Dordt and Dakota Wesleyan. Peru State is hitting .248 with 49 runs scored in 16 games. Meanwhile, the opponents are hitting .344 and have totaled 124 runs. Head Coach Toni Closner is in her second season leading the program. Concordia last matched up with Peru State in Wichita, Kan., in 2022 with the result being an 11-3 victory for the Bulldogs.

Next Week

Conference play will open on March 20 with the Bulldogs headed to 2023 NAIA World Series qualifier Midland (15-2) for a 5 p.m. CT doubleheader in Fremont, Neb.

All Dawgs in GPAC weekly awards

March 12, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – The GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports announced the softball players of the week on Tuesday (Mar. 12) and it was an all-Dawgs sweep. Pitcher Megan Eurich and center fielder Jennifer Katz were tabbed as leaders in the conference, as the Bulldogs went 4-2 at the Tucson Invitational. This is the first time either player has collected the weekly award.

The hurler, out of Gretna, Neb., enjoyed a dominant week at the Tucson, Ariz. as she allowed only one earned run in 29.2 innings (0.24 ERA). Eurich fired four complete games and notched 36 strikeouts for the week. She earned two shutouts on the same day of the event, blanking Dickinson State in seven innings and Tabor in five innings. On the season, Eurich is 8-4 with a 2.42 ERA.

The transfer, out of Omaha, Neb., went 9-for-17 (.529) at the plate in the Grand Canyon State. She belted two three-baggers, a home run and six RBIs on the week and converted on all 12 chances in the outfield. Katz swung for a .941 slugging percentage and a .579 on-base percentage in the six games. On the season, Katz is hitting .345 with two home runs and 15 RBIs (tied for team best).

Concordia will play a non-conference in-state foe in Nebraska Wesleyan tomorrow (Mar. 13) in Lincoln, Neb. The doubleheader is set to start at 3 p.m. CT against the Prairie Wolves.

 

Prairie Wolves take two from Dawgs in Lincoln

March 13, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia Women’s Softball team snuck in two games before the rain came pouring against local ex-conference rival Nebraska Wesleyan University on Wednesday (Mar. 13). The Prairie Wolves walked off a seven-inning contest (3-2) in game one and kept rolling past the Bulldogs (7-0) in game two. In separate games, Julia Van Wey and Taylor Glause went 3-for-3 as both players paced the team with a four hit day.

Concordia falls to 8-14 with only two games before entering conference play. Head Coach Brock Culler commented on the first five innings of game one and bright spots on the day for the team.

“We made so many defensive mistakes in the first game and our bats were flat. Those first five innings were not very good. I told the team though, that we were two hits away and in the last two innings, we played pretty well. It was just unfortunate the way the ball bounced at the end. Nebraska Wesleyan has some disciplined hitters, but Taryn (Ganstrom) got settled in tonight and I was proud to see that from her. Julia and Taylor were right on tonight as well.”

Down 2-0, the Bulldog offense came alive in the sixth inning, after a Laycee Josoff walk and stolen base. Van Wey had an RBI single and Glause continued the hitting frenzy putting two on with Hanna Bowers coming to the plate. The utility player, out of Sunrise, Ariz., singled to right center scoring the pinch runner Deleesi Bartling for a two-run inning.

Starter Megan Eurich pitched an excellent game one but couldn’t stop the winning run from coming across the plate in a tight outfield throw-slide combination that went in favor of the Prairie Wolves. Eurich finished with 6 IP, 3 Ks, 5 H, 3 R, and 32 batters faced.

Nebraska Wesleyan jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the second game and the offense couldn’t string enough hits together as Glause had three of the five connections for the game. Down five, Taryn Ganstrom wrangled down the home team to four hits and one earned run in 4.2 innings in 20 batters faced.

Others with hits were Jennifer Katz, Kylie Shottenkirk and Josoff.

The Prairie Wolves leave with a 13-4 record and will take on Peru State College next Tuesday. They were led by catcher Lyndsey Roth with three hits and four runs. Val Gerlach collected four hits and three RBIs in two games.

Concordia (8-14) will face Peru State (3-13) in its home opener this Saturday (Mar. 16) after being on the road for over a month. The Bobcats will travel to Plum Creek Ball Park for the doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. CT.

Culler said, “We are excited to be at home. We have a bunch of recruits coming out and it will be a fun day.”

Concordia takes two in Home Opener

March 16, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – The Dawgs returned for their home opener after playing on the road for over a month. Home sweet home it was, as the Concordia Softball team took both games (1-0, 11-6) against Peru State College in two very different styles of play. Megan Eurich continued to show off her ace arm, with a shutout in 8 innings and 13 strikeouts. Kylie Shottenkirk claimed her 100th hit on her home field in Plum Creek Ball Park.

The Bulldogs reach double digit wins with a 10-14 overall record and will now enter the gauntlet of conference play. Head Coach Brock Culler commented on the flow of game one and standouts during the day.

“There was a lot going on in those two games. Obviously, Megan was outstanding. She had all of her pitches working again and it's so easy to call those for her. Offensively, I know we scored one run, and I told coaches in the fifth inning that we just needed to find one, because of the way she was pitching. I thought we swung the bats well, but the wind was so bad. It was great to get the win and then Aubriana Krieser came up with that double was big. She has been in a little bit of a rut but nobody in the dugout doubts that she is gifted offensively. Taryn is getting to where she has three pitches working really well and it's good because we are going to need her in conference play.”

Eurich, in familiar territory, made herself known to the Bobcats, striking out the first six batters that came to the plate. The Gretna, Neb., native struck out three batters in the final inning to give the home team the nod to win the pitchers' dual. She finished just shy of a no-hitter (2 H) and only gave up one base on balls.

 Still scoreless in the 8th, Aubriana Krieser doubled to right field as Deleesi Bartling became the pinch runner. Delanie Voshell popped a single and pushed the runner to third for the game winning run. Bartling, out of Lincoln, Neb., took a chance on an error by the visiting pitcher and crossed the plate for the game winner.

In game two, the Bulldogs exploded in the 2nd, scoring six runs with two outs in the bank for the visitors. Concordia claimed five hits and put the eventual winning run on the board. Julia Van Wey had one of her three hits and a stolen base in the inning. Aubrey Bruning used her sonic speed to be a menace on the bases, stealing five as Jennifer Katz and her scored three runs apiece. Bruning finished with three hits in two games.

Earning her first win in the pitcher’s circle was Taryn Ganstrom as she came in relief for 3.1 innings and allowed one run on two hits. The second game brought multiple hit days for Kylie Shottenkirk (3 H, 3 RBIs, 1 R), Taylor Glause (2 H, 1 RBI, 2 R) and Voshell (2 H).

Concordia (10-14) will face No. 12 Midland (21-4) in both teams' GPAC openers on Wednesday (Mar. 20). The Bulldogs will take the first pitch at 5 p.m. CT in Fremont, Neb. for the doubleheader.

Concordia set to take on powerhouse No. 12 Midland

March 19, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – Concordia enters Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) play this Thursday (Mar. 21) after a schedule change due to weather. The Bulldogs will travel to Fremont, Neb. to face off against No. 12 Midland at their new home field, Schilke Fields Complex. CUNE had their home opener this past Saturday, taking two against Peru State College but gave up a pair against Nebraska Wesleyan University in the midweek. Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad has reached double digit wins with a 10-14 overall record.

Thursday, March 21 at Midland (21-4, 0-0 GPAC), 5 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 – Game 2 | Location: Schilke Fields Complex (Fremont, Neb.)

By the numbers

·       After finally taking the field at Plum Creek Ball Park, the Dawgs protected the home field with a 1-0 shutout (game one) and an 11-6 triumph over the Bobcats. Megan Eurich pitched the first outing, garnering 13 strikeouts and allowing zero runs, two hits and one walk in eight innings pitched. Aubriana Krieser put a pinch running Deleesi Bartling on base with a double that eventually became the game winner. The offense caught fire in the second inning of game two, scoring six runs on five hits. Jula Van Wey had three hits (two RBIs) plus Jennifer Katz and Aubrey Bruning brought in three runs apiece. Bruning ran all over Peru State with five stolen bases in game two.

·       Concordia had one of their worst defensive performances (four errors) to date in game one against the Prairie Wolves but remained within striking distance only down two after five innings. The team responded with a two-run 6th, as veterans Van Wey (3-3), Glause and Bowers all made contact inside the batters' box to tie the game. Unfortunately, Nebraska Wesleyan had a walk off hit to seal the win (3-2). The Bulldogs stranded six on base in game two with Glause going 3-3 at the plate and 4-5 for the day. Taryn Ganstrom was able to get out of 4.2 innings only giving up one run, four hits and two walks.

·       Since March 2nd, pitcher Megan Eurich has been an ace gunslinger for the Bulldogs. In 54 innings pitched, the Gretna, Neb., native has claimed a 0.78 ERA, 56 strikeouts, five shutouts and a 6-1 record. She has allowed eight runs (six earned), 37 hits and 13 walks. She was awarded GPAC Pitcher of the Week for contests played March 4-10, after a 0.24 ERA in 29 innings.

·       Jennifer Katz was awarded GPAC Player of the Week in the same stint after she went 9-for-17 (.529) at the plate during the Tucson Invite. She added two triples, a home run, and six RBIs on the week and converted all 12 chances in the outfield. On the season, Katz is hitting .308 with two home runs and 15 RBIs.

·       On Saturday, Kylie Shottenkirk doubled in the 1st inning of the second game against Peru State recording the 100th hit of her collegiate career. Van Wey reached the feat earlier this season and has collected seven hits (.538 AVG) plus three RBIs in the past week.

·       Concordia has four players with at least 20 hits which include Julia Van Wey (23), Taylor Glause (21), Zoie Isom (20) and Jennifer Katz (20). Glause leads the team in doubles (six) and Katz in triples (3). Bruning leads the team in stolen bases (eight) and two (Delanie Voshell and Laycee Josoff) are competing behind her with four.

Midland

The Warriors are 21-4 and come into the week with a 6-2 showing at the Tucson Invitational in Arizona. Averaging 7.4 runs a contest, Midland has an impressive batting average (.342), on-base percentage (.427) and slugging percentage (.495).  MU returns its star pitcher Aliyah Rincon as she continues to dominate her competitors with a 1.22 ERA, 102 strikeouts, and a 12-3 record. Third baseman Roni Foote (.500) and center fielder Emily Prai (.443) lead the team in batting average, while Foote (.871) and Amanda Schmaderer (.681) pace the offense in slugging percentage. Key losses from last season’s NAIA World Series run were Carly Pfitzer, Ali Smith, Diana Nisbett and Keira Painter. 

Next Week

Concordia is scheduled to take on College of Saint Mary and Doane at home the following week. The Bulldogs will face the Flames on Mar. 26 and the Tigers on Mar. 29.

Dawgs drop both to Warriors in Fremont

March 21, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia Women’s Softball team traveled to Fremont, Neb. to square off in a doubleheader against No. 13 Midland. Moving to a new park, Schilke Fields Complex, the Warriors allowed only one run by the Bulldogs, as they were unable to connect multiple hits in both games. The home team won by run rule (9-1) in game one and after five close innings in game two, Midland scored a couple of insurance runs in the last couple of frames (5-0).

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad moves down to 10-16 overall and 0-2 in the conference. The second year head ball coach commented on the start of game one and bright spots in the second contest.

“In game one, we came out in the first three innings, and we weren’t ourselves. We were quiet and swinging at pitches we normally wouldn’t swing at. It just wasn’t our softball team. Rincon is good and Midland has a deep offensive lineup. In game two, Ganstrom gave five runs in six innings for her first start against a talented team. We played really good defense behind her. Delanie (Voshell) made two massive plays that kept them from having big innings. Offensively, we got runners on but just couldn’t get that other hit and we were one or two hits away from taking a lead in the second game.”

Taryn Ganstrom had come in relief so far this season, but through her play earned the starting spot against a talented Warriors squad. After four innings, she had only allowed one run and three hits against a team that returned a majority of their players from the World Series run a year ago. She would end with five earned runs, eight hits, zero walks and one strikeout.

Concordia left six on base and with the game still in reach, having missed opportunities as Coach Culler alluded to. Taylor Glause batted in the only run with Laycee Josoff crossing the plate. Julia Van Wey was the single player in Bulldog blue that had a two hit day. Others with a hit apiece were Aubrey Bruning and Montgomery Berner.

In game one, Megan Eurich was in the pitcher’s circle as she gave up nine runs, nine hits and two walks. Midland was able to capitalize, and leadoff Emily Prai collected four hits and three runs with Aja Henderson grabbing three hits, three runs and two RBIs.

Concordia (10-16, 0-2 GPAC) will face College of Saint Mary (7-11, 0-0 GPAC) on Tuesday (Mar. 26). The doubleheader is set to start at 4 p.m. CT at Plum Creek Ball Park.

Tigers and Bulldogs collide on Good Friday

March 25, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. - Concordia will have a light holy week, as the Tuesday matchup with College of Saint Mary was postponed. The Bulldogs will host Doane in Seward, Neb. on Good Friday (Mar. 29) for a doubleheader at Plum Creek Ball Park. CUNE traveled to Midland for last week’s schedule and dropped both games in Fremont. Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad moves to 10-16 overall and 0-2 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC).

This Week

Friday, March 29 vs. Doane (7-11, 0-0 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 – Game 2 | Location: Plum Creek Ball Park (Seward, Neb.)

By the numbers

·       Concordia couldn't seem to get much going offensively, with five hits in both games and scoring one run via Laycee Josoff. Taylor Glause had the lone multi-bag hit in game one pushing the RBI across the plate in the 9-1 loss. Megan Eurich gave up 10 hits, nine runs and a home run while collecting four strikeouts. In game two, Julia Van Wey and Montgomery Berner grabbed the only hits in the 5-0 faltering, as the Midland pitchers were dealing at the Schilke Fields Complex. Aubrey Bruning and Van Wey added a stolen base to their season total.

·       Taryn Ganstrom earned her first start against the Warriors and kept their bats mostly at bay until the final innings. She allowed five runs, eight hits and zero walks. In a jam in the third and fifth innings, she was able to get out of the frames with minimal damage. She has a 1-1 record and has improved in her play, giving up six earned runs in the last three games played. Her ERA for those games is 3.00, the team's best in the past three series.

·       Concordia has five players with at least 20 hits which include Julia Van Wey (25), Taylor Glause (22), Aubrey Bruning (20), Zoie Isom (20) and Jennifer Katz (20). Glause leads the team in doubles (seven) and Katz in triples (three).

·       The Bulldogs are in the top five in the conference for stolen bases (31). Bruning leads the team in stolen bases (nine), Glause has five, and two (Delanie Voshell and Laycee Josoff) are competing behind her with four. The four in front are Northwestern (55), Midland (49), Dakota Wesleyan (47) and Dordt (38).

·       The top four batting averages through 26 games come from veterans starting with Zoe Isom (.345), Glause (.314), Van Wey (.313) and Bruning (.313). Pacing the team for on-base percentage is freshman Josoff (.409) and junior Bruning (.380). In slugging percentage, Isom (.569) moves back up the leaderboard with Jennifer Katz (.471) and Glause (.414) rounding out the top three. Consequently, Isom and Katz have 15 RBIs apiece (team high).

·       Glause has a perfect fielding percentage (1.000) and has 92 putouts and five assists in 97 total chances. She has zero errors and has a .333 percentage of runners caught stealing from behind the plate. The senior out of Malcolm, Neb., shares the spot with sophomore Jayden Fernau, who has caught three runners stealing with a .143 percentage.

Doane

The Tigers come into the week with a 7-11 overall record having not broken into conference play. Doane will play in a doubleheader versus Hastings on Tuesday before coming to Seward. The Crete, Neb., squad has scored 59 runs averaging 3.28 runs per contest. Their totals offensively are .249/.327/.355 (AVG, OBP, SLG) and have 31 extra base hits. Payton Cooley (.438/.512/.656) and Anna Prauner (.396/.434/.563) lead the team in all three categories as Prauner has a team high in RBIs (11). The Tigers' pitching staff holds a 4.82 ERA, while their opponents sit at 2.25. Faith Molina has been the go-to in the pitcher’s circle, having thrown 55 innings for a 3.69 ERA.

Next Week

Concordia is scheduled to be back on the road with doubleheaders against Hastings and Northwestern the following week. The Bulldogs will face the Broncos on Apr. 3 and the Red Raiders on Apr. 6.

Concordia and Doane wrestle down one win apiece

March 29, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Softball team competed at a sunny 60-degree Plum Creek Ballpark on Friday (Mar. 29). Hosting conference rival Doane, the Bulldogs split the two game doubleheader. The home team bested (3-2) the Tigers in the first round but couldn’t get anything going in the 4-2 loss in game two.

Concordia moves to 11-17 on the season and clinches their first conference win to move to 1-3 in the GPAC. Head Coach Brock Culler commented on the first conference win and the 3-run sixth inning in game one.

“I was so happy we were able to scrape together the first win. That was a big deal for us and Megs (Eurich) settled in really well. She (Ganstrom) had a good week of practice and she put a good swing on that one. Then Hanna (Bowers) came up with a great squeeze bunt and scored Taryn. That was a very big inning for us. Taryn spun the ball really well but we underachieved in game two especially. We got to find a way to string some hits together but we are going to take this Easter break and take a deep breath. Then we are going to get back to it. We have got to start going to work.”

Down 1-0 going into the bottom of the 6th, the Bulldogs were able to capitalize on a Kylie Shottenkirk double and an error that put shortstop Lacey Josoff on base. With runners on second and third, pinch hitter Ganstrom was subbed in for her first step into the batter's box this season. Ganstrom made the most of the opportunity and smashed a three RBI three-bagger as she zoomed around the bases. The typical second game pitcher rushed the plate after a planned bunt executed perfectly by Bowers for an insurance run.

Ganstrom said, “I was nervous. Up until now, I have been a PO (pitcher only). I went and took one practice swing and coach said T you’re up. I was shaking in my boots and I messed up a squeeze bunt. He just had the confidence in me, and it really helped me out.”

What can’t be overlooked is the performance in the pitcher’s circle by Megan Eurich. The game one ace pitched seven innings and four strikeouts. She allowed six hits and one earned run in 29 batters faced.

In game two, the hitting woes continued, adding four errors to boot. Still, the Bulldogs tied the contest at two apiece after Jennifer Katz and Aubrey Bruning crossed the plate. Two errors in the sixth cost the home team, surrendering two runs on one hit in the top of the sixth. CUNE was unable to put hits together in the final six outs and walked away with a bad taste of what could have been in the final contest.

Doane moves to 8-12 on the year and 1-1 in the conference. The Tigers were led by Marisa Marquez and Grace Downing with three hits each. Faith Molina and Sarah Shevenell walked away only giving up four hits apiece and one earned run in total.

Concordia (11-17, 1-3 GPAC) will travel to face off against Hastings (12-12, 0-2 GPAC) in a doubleheader in Hastings, Neb. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. CT at the Smith Softball Complex.

Concordia hits the road versus Hastings and NWC

April 1, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – The Bulldogs will have two doubleheaders on the road in the next seven days. The softball team will face Hastings on Wednesday (Apr. 3) and Northwestern on Saturday. Concordia had the Easter weekend off but faced Doane earlier in the week. The two split the tightly contested contests with the Bulldogs taking game one and the Tigers taking game two. Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad is 11-17 overall and get their first conference win for a 1-3 record.

This Week

Wednesday, April 3 at Hastings (12-14, 0-4 GPAC), 4 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 – Game 2 | Location: Smith Softball Complex (Hastings, Neb.)

Saturday, April 6 at No. 11 Northwestern (26-2, 4-0 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: NWC Softball Diamond (Orange City, Iowa)

By the numbers

·       The two teams put multiple-run innings together to take each respective win for each team. Down 1-0 in the bottom of the 6th, Taryn Ganstrom took advantage of the opposing pitcher with her first bat of the season that ended with a two-RBI triple. After pushing Kylie Shottenkirk and Laycee Josoff across the plate, Ganstrom ran home on a perfectly executed squeeze bunt by Hanna Bowers. Megan Eurich was massive in the game one win (3-2) throwing four strikeouts and one earned run on 29 batters faced. In game two, Jennifer Katz and Aubrey Bruning tied the game (2-2) by the end of the fifth inning. Errors helped the visiting Tigers push two across the plate in the sixth, being the difference in the 4-2 loss.

·       Megan Eurich and Taryn Ganstrom have been the usual starters of late and have kept Concordia in the hunt for every game. Eurich sits second in strikeouts (96) in the conference and third in wins (10). The Gretna, Neb., product leads the team with a 2.68 ERA in 109 innings pitched. Ganstrom has an ERA of 4.46 but a 3.50 in the past four outings. She has a team low six walks in 26 innings pitched.

·       Concordia has five players with at least 20 hits which include Julia Van Wey (26), Taylor Glause (23), Aubrey Bruning (21), Jennifer Katz (21) and Zoie Isom (20). Glause leads the team in doubles (seven) and Katz in triples (three).

·       The Bulldogs are in the top five in the conference for stolen bases (36). Bruning leads the team in stolen bases (10), Glause has six, Laycee Josoff with five and Delanie Voshell has four. The four in front are Northwestern (63), Midland (52), Dakota Wesleyan (47) and Dordt (44).

·       The top four batting averages through 28 games come from veterans starting with Zoe Isom (.323), Van Wey (.306), Bruning (.304) and Glause (.303). Pacing the team for on-base percentage is freshman Josoff (.424), junior Jennifer Katz (.369) and junior Bruning (.368). In slugging percentage, Isom (.532) moves back up the leaderboard with Katz (.459) and Glause (.395) rounding out the top three. Consequently, Isom and Katz have 15 RBIs apiece (team high). As a team, the Bulldogs hit .261 so far this season.

·       Glause has a perfect fielding percentage (1.000) and has 97 putouts and five assists in 102 total chances. She has zero errors and has a .444 percentage of runners caught stealing from behind the plate. The senior out of Malcolm, Neb., shares the spot with sophomore Jayden Fernau, who has caught three runners stealing with a .176 percentage.

Hastings

The Broncos are 12-14 overall and are winless (0-4) in the conference, having faced Morningside and No. 13 Midland. Hastings is 3-0 at home and have mounted 124 runs and seven home runs. Its averages are .281/.340/.376 (AVG/OBP/SLG) plus 204 total hits. Lauren Schneider (.347), Lexie Mudloff (.333) and Sam Skinner (.333) pace the Broncos in batting average. Schneider has 26 hits, 30 RBIs, eight multi-base hits and four home runs. Kyleigh Boever has a 4.52 ERA in 82 innings pitched with 54 strikeouts and 26 walks.

Northwestern

The No. 11 Red Raiders and defending GPAC regular season champions come into the week with an impressive 26-2 overall record and a 4-0 conference record. Northwestern will travel to Jamestown for its midweek doubleheader. They have a team batting average of .342 and 248 hits. The Red Raiders have a high on-base percentage (.434) and a slugging percentage of .478. Their leading pitcher, Kameryn Etherington, has a 12-1 record and a 0.83 ERA through 76.1 innings pitched. She also leads the team with a .468 batting average out of the starters as Tatum Schmalbeck (.403) plus Gwen Mikkelsen (.398) follow Etherington.

Next Week

Concordia is scheduled to be back at Plum Creek Ballpark with doubleheaders against Jamestown and Dakota Wesleyan the following week. The Bulldogs will face the Jimmies on Apr. 12 and the Tigers on Apr. 13 for senior day.

 

Eurich and Shottenkirk clinch one of two versus Hastings

April 3, 2024

HASTINGS, Neb. – Concordia Softball went a piece west and competed at a windy Smith Softball Complex on Wednesday (Apr. 3). The Bulldogs split with Hastings in a shutout (2-0) by Megan Eurich but the visitors couldn’t find the right one in the pitchers’ circle for game two, falling 15-2 (five innings). Eurich passed the century mark in strikeouts for the second consecutive season and ended the day with 103 total, midway through the year.

The softball squad is now 12-18 overall and 2-4 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC). Head Coach Brock Culler commented on in-game pitching adjustments and bright spots in both games.

“Early in the game, Megan (Eurich) was struggling a little bit and we had to call a couple timeouts. The wind was holding up the change up but once we had a couple of meetings, I thought she did a great job. She kept their batters off balance, and she got her 100th strikeout (season). We were able to celebrate that today. Kylie (Shottenkirk) got a good swing on one. I was happy to see her get some success there. Delanie Voshell made a huge diving play and she also threw a girl out at first after charging hard to the ball. She is playing a good right field right now.”

Eurich was just what the doctor ordered for the first contest, pitching all seven innings and allowing zero runs. She racked up seven strikeouts and allowed four hits and four walks. She has diced her past two opponents allowing only one earned run through 14 innings pitched. The Gretna, Neb., native has totaled a 2.46 ERA with 11 wins this season.

The visitors had been kept down after four frames, but veteran Kylie Shottenkirk broke the scoreless contest with one crack of the bat. The Lincoln North Star product traveled all four bases after a home run to left field, producing the eventual game winning solo shot. After Concordia took the lead, the Broncos scorched a ball to right field with runners rounding second and third. Voshell stretched out for a diving third-out grab to silence the Hastings comeback. Aubrey Bruning added on in the sixth, singling and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Zoe Isom.

Bruning, the junior out of Lincoln Southeast, enjoyed a three-hit day (3-for-6) against the Broncos and brought in one RBI while scoring two runs. She brought in Laycee Josoff and Taylor Glause collected the fourth RBI. Madison Cushing (1-for-2) hit the only other multi-base hit by the Bulldogs.

Game two got away from Taryn Ganstrom (0.2 IP, 5 R, 5 H, 2 BB) and Kaylei Denison (4.1 IP, 10 R, 8 H, 2 BB), as the team fell down 5-1 following the first frame. The Broncos made it a no-doubter with an eight run third-inning. The two teams would split ways after the five frames in the run-rule contest.

Hastings (13-15, 1-5 GPAC) registered its much needed first conference win. Sam Skinner collected five hits, going 4-for-4 in game two, and three runs to lead the Broncos. Taylor Stuhr had three RBIs and went 2-for-3 in the second outing. Angelina Lockhart led them to the win, allowing two runs and three hits in five innings pitched.

Concordia (12-18, 2-4 GPAC) will travel to Iowa and face off versus No. 11 Northwestern (28-2, 6-0 GPAC) in a doubleheader on Saturday (Apr. 6). First pitch is set to start at 1 p.m. CT against the defending GPAC champion Red Raiders at the NWC Softball Diamond in Orange City.

Bulldogs hold their own despite lack of run production in Orange City

April 5, 2024

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The pitching arm of Megan Eurich continues to keep the Concordia University Softball team close with top-notch competition. Once again, the Bulldogs failed to find enough offense as they fell twice on Friday (April 5), slipping by scores of 2-0 and 4-0 at the hands of 11th-ranked Northwestern. Eurich threw all 12 Concordia innings on the day while locked in duels with Red Raider pitchers Kameryn Etherington and Kate Kralik.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad now stands at 12-20 overall (2-6 GPAC) after a four-game week on the road within the GPAC. Culler took several positives away from the doubleheader with the defending GPAC regular season champs.

“We pitched and defended well enough to win both games tonight,” Culler said. “Our pitching and defense is championship level. Offensively, we can get runners on and then the stop sign goes up. It’s a little frustrating for us, but we’ll go back to work.”

In Friday’s game one in Orange City, Iowa, Eurich and Etherington matched each other zero for zero through the first four frames. Northwestern got the only two runs it needed with the help of a Bulldog error in the fifth. Runs came home on back-to-back singles generated by Gwen Mikkelsen and Etherington. In game two, the Red Raiders put one run on the board apiece in the first, second, third and fifth innings. Mikkelson did the job at the top of the lineup with three hits, including two doubles.

Offensively, Concordia continues to search for answers. In game one, it failed to score in the first and sixth innings despite leadoff singles from Aubrey Bruning in both instances. Taylor Glause then led the way in game two with a pair of hits, a sacrifice bunt and a stolen base. Collectively, the Bulldogs were limited to a combined 10 hits for the day (all singles).

The Gretna, Neb., native Eurich is showing she can hold down even the very best lineups in the GPAC. Eurich fired a shutout at Hastings on Tuesday and then threw six innings without surrendering an earned run in Friday’s first contest. Eurich has lowered her season ERA to an impressive 2.39. The difference on Friday was Concordia’s lack of punch at the plate and its four errors in the field (compared to none for Northwestern). The red-hot Red Raiders (30-2, 8-0 GPAC) have won 13-straight games.

Said Culler of Eurich, “I was really proud of Megs tonight again. These batters are seeing her six, seven, eight times and they’re still baffled. She’s just as good in inning 13 as she was in inning two. We just have to get something going offensively. If we can break the seal, the floodgates can open. We’re just waiting for that.”

A cluster of home games is coming up in the middle of the month. Next on the schedule will be the April 12 home doubleheader versus Jamestown (18-9, 4-4 GPAC). First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. CT that evening from Plum Creek Park in Seward.

Three doubleheaders loading; Senior day on Saturday

April 9, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – Concordia has a full weekend ahead of them after a six day break between games. The Bulldogs will play three doubleheaders in four days against Jamestown (Friday), Dakota Wesleyan (Saturday) and College of Saint Mary (Monday). Against the Tigers, the home team will host three seniors Taylor Glause, Creighton Taylor and Julia Van Wey. Last week, Concordia Softball brought home a 1-3 record after taking the first game from Hastings and dropping both contests to No. 11 Northwestern. That totals the record to 12-20 overall and 2-6 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC).

This Week

Friday, April 12 vs Jamestown (20-9, 6-4 GPAC), 5 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 – Game 2 | Location: Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)

Saturday, April 13 vs Dakota Wesleyan (12-19, 1-7 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 – Game 2 | Location: Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)

Monday, April 15 vs College of Saint Mary (7-17, 0-4 GPAC), 5 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 – Game 2 | Location: Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)

By the numbers

·       The Dawgs scored two runs in both games against the Broncos but defensively, they were vastly different efforts. Megan Eurich hurled a shutout (2-0) for the home team totaling seven innings pitched and seven strikeouts in 30 batters faced. Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad was able to put together six hits, led by Taylor Glause (2 H) and runs by Aubrey Bruning and a Kylie Shottenkirk (1-3) solo shot. In game two, the Bulldogs gave up 15 runs on four errors. Eurich pitched all 12 innings versus a tough Red Raider team and kept Concordia in both contests but fell, 2-0 and 4-0. Bruning and Glause were able to gather two hits in one game each, but the offense was stifled once they had runners in scoring position. Eurich allowed only three earned runs in the two contests.

·       Aubrey Bruning has turned up the heat on offense in conference play. The lead off batter has seven hits in eight conference games and five hits in the last four (.500 AVG). She leads the team in hits, batting average (.368), on-base percentage (.455) and is tied in slugging percentage (.421) with Shottenkirk. In that span, the Lincoln, Neb., product has collected three runs and one RBI.

·       Three seniors are taking part in their final season celebration. Taylor Glause out of Malcom, Neb., has played for the Bulldogs for three years, after transferring from Cloud County Community College. She will be graduating with a degree in psychology. The outfielder/catcher currently has a .254 career batting average and over 100 collegiate hits. Creighton Taylor, out of Gretna, Neb., will graduate with a degree in biology and has spent her entire collegiate career as a Bulldog. Dealing with consistent injuries, the outfielder has appeared in 62 games and has a .178 career batting average. Julia Van Wey, out of San Diego, Calif., has competed all four years at Concordia. The third base player currently will graduate with a degree in criminal justice. She has over 100 career hits and currently has a .285 career batting average.

·       The top four batting averages through 32 games come from veterans starting with Bruning (.329), Glause (.314), Zoe Isom (.290) and Van Wey (.281). Pacing the team for on-base percentage is freshman Josoff (.429), junior Bruning (.391) and Glause (.359). In slugging percentage, Isom (.478) stayed at the top of the leaderboard with Jennifer Katz (.405) and Glause (.395), rounding out the top three. Consequently, Isom (16) and Katz (15) have the current team high RBIs. As a team, the Bulldogs hit .257 so far this season.

Jamestown

The Jimmies come into the week with a 20-9 overall record and a 6-4 conference record. In the past two doubleheaders, Jamestown fell (12-3, 2-0) to Northwestern in both games and defeated CSM (8-0, 3-1) in both games. The team averages 5.28 runs per contest and has totaled 13 home runs on the year. The batting percentages are .320/.371/.451 (AVG/OBP/SLG) and their earned run average is 1.62. Trinity Gregg has a high batting average (.371) and slugging percentage (.596). Abby Blair has a pitching record of 7-5 and a team low 1.13 ERA.

Dakota Wesleyan

The Tigers are 12-19 overall and 1-7 in the GPAC but were on an eight-game losing streak before getting their first conference win (7-6) against Morningside on Saturday. Dakota Wesleyan is scheduled to play Briar Cliff and Midland before facing off against Concordia. The visitors average 4.68 runs per game and have hit 11 home runs. Averaging .308 in batting, the Tigers have a .362 on-base percentage and a .418 slugging percentage. Eden Heggemeyer leads the team with a .462 batting average, .533 on-base percentage and a .538 slugging percentage. The pitching staff is led in ERA by freshman Ivy Woolwine (4.45) with a 5-8 record and Keirstyn Krcil (6.03) with a 6-9 record in 17 starts.

CSM

The Flames have lost 10 in a row and have a 7-17 overall record and are winless (0-4) in the conference. The last two teams CSM faced were Morningside and Jamestown in those GPAC losses. The visitors score 2.25 runs per contest and have hit five beyond the fence this season. The offensive numbers stack up to .241/.288/.317 (AVG/OBP/SLG) and has totaled 36 extra base hits. Catcher Sydney Griffin paces the Flames with 21 hits and a .333 batting average and a .380 on-base percentage. Shaylynn Campbell (4-8) and Megan Garcia (2-9) get the bulk of the work in the pitchers' circle. CSM has used five pitchers throughout the season.

Next Week

Concordia is scheduled to be back on the road next week against Briar Cliff and Mount Marty. The Bulldogs will travel to Sioux City, Iowa on Friday (Apr. 19) and to Yankton, S.D. the next day.

Dawgs gash Jimmies on offense for first conference sweep

April 12, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – Entering an instrumental weekend, the Concordia Softball team competed against Jamestown on Friday (Apr. 12) in the first of three doubleheaders in four days. The Dawgs offensive prowess caught fire and surged the home squad to a sweep over the Jimmies. Concordia finished a nail-biting game one, 4-3, and then made the visitors pay on the base path with an 11-3 run rule in game two.

CUNE doubles their conference win total to 4-6 and tallies a 14-20 overall showing so far this season. Head Coach Brock Culler raved about the team finally stringing together offense and putting all three phases of the game together.

“It’s just a really good feeling. We were all so relieved that we busted through that wall. We are putting the bat on the ball and putting pressure on defenses. This is exactly how we envisioned ourselves playing early this season. Pitching and defense was good, but what a relief to see us put the bat on the ball today.”

The Bulldog offense swarmed the Jimmies for 15 runs, 17 hits and 12 RBIs in the two contests combined. After a frustrating time of single-hit innings in games past, Concordia broke through and made Jamestown pay using multiple base hits and seven stolen bases, two by Aubrey Bruning and Jennifer Katz.

Bruning (5-for-8) and Julia Van Wey (3-for-6) had a spectacular day at Plum Creek Park. Bruning, the Lincoln Southeast product, totaled three runs, an RBI and two stolen bases, while Van Wey crushed a triple, 3 RBIs, two runs and a stolen base. Voshell finished with three hits (3-for-5), 3 runs and a stolen base.

Bruning said, “It was great to get a sweep over Jamestown. We have been working really hard in the cages and on the field. Being able to go out and put that work on the field has been amazing. We have really been working on offense. For it to show up and get a sweep after it has been a little bit, has been amazing. We were really excited.”

Without senior leader Taylor Glause, the Bulldogs scored three in the fourth inning of game one. The half inning would prove to be the difference as Mo Berner (Glause’s replacement) stepped up big with a sacrifice bunt to score Delanie Voshell. After a Bruning single and a Laycee Josoff walk, Van Wey singled to right field bringing in the final two across home plate.

In game two, the fourth inning was a seven run party for Concordia as the four hits came from Katz, Voshell, Bruning and Aubriana Krieser. Mistakes were made in the form of walks and an error by Jamestown and the Bulldogs took full advantage in the eventual run rule outing.

Other players with multiple hits were Krieser and Katz.

The Jimmies fall to 22-11 overall and 6-6 in the GPAC. Jamestown’s four game win streak was snapped by the Dawgs and it will not get easier as they face Midland tomorrow in Fremont. The visitors were led by Trinity Gregg going 3-for-6 and collecting one run. Hope Ransom pitched game one allowing nine hits, four earned runs, and throwing three strikeouts.

Concordia (14-20, 4-6 GPAC) will face off against Dakota Wesleyan (13-22, 2-10 GPAC) in less than 24 hours in Seward, Neb. Three seniors will be celebrated at Plum Creek Park directly after game one of the doubleheader versus the Tigers. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT.

Grit and toughness define series victories on senior day

April 13, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – Many runs and big hits would describe both teams play in the doubleheader on senior day (Apr. 13). Concordia softball would best Dakota Wesleyan in both games (12-11 (10 inn.), 8-5) but the Dawgs needed nine runs in the last two innings of regulation (game one) to go to extras. Three seniors were celebrated at the series sweep including Taylor Glause, Creighton Taylor and Julia Van Wey.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad swept two series in a row for a 6-6 GPAC showing and 16-20 overall. The Bulldogs are 7-1 at home this campaign. Coach Culler commented on pushing through in a tough but unclean games against the visitors.

“This wasn’t clean softball or our brand of softball. It was frustrating but I also saw our kids competing hard. I just knew if we could string together a couple of hits, we would get it going. I tell you what, Dakota Wesleyan, they made us really work today. They are very good offensively and swung the bat well. I’m just really proud of our team the last two days. The enthusiasm and energy-its tough to do that on a quick turnaround.”

Down 8-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Concordia came alive with three straight singles by Delanie Voshell, Jennifer Katz and Kylie Shottenkirk, that would eventually score four in the inning. After a three run response in the seventh, the Bulldogs needed all five the runs they produced to send the game to extras. The home team took one piece at a time with all five hits resulting in singles, as Katz would run across the plate for the tying run.

With two scoreless frames for both teams, the Bulldogs finally had a one-two-three inning in the top of the 10th by Megan Eurich. Only needing to get the placed runner at second to home, Madison Cushing put the bat on the ball, making the second baseman dive, giving Shottenkirk enough time to cross the plate for the comeback win.

Tied 3-3 in the 5th in game two, Aubriana Krieser and Deleesi Bartling smoked two-RBI singles and pushed the game out of reach for the visiting Tigers. Megan Eurich was instrumental in the second win, pitching six innings, five strikeouts and four earned runs against the potent offense of Dakota Wesleyan.

Krieser was a force in the batters box scoring four hits (4-for-9), four runs, four RBIs and a stolen base. Many Dawgs had monster days offensively, including Katz (3 H, 4 RBIs, 2 R, SB), Voshell (3 H, 3 RBIs, 2 R, 2 SB), Laycee Josoff (3 H, 3 R, BB) and Van Wey (4 H, 4 R, SB).

Van Wey commented after senior day, “There was a lot of energy and when one person gets a hit, the next person gets a hit. It was just great for us to get hyped up.”

The Tigers moved down to 2-12 in the GPAC and 13-24 overall. Peyton Bagley led the visitors with eight hits (8-for-10), four RBIs, and four runs. Alyssa Burke received the loss (0-1) in game one only giving up two hits and three runs in 3.1 innings.

Concordia (16-20, 6-6 GPAC) will finish their third doubleheader in four days against College of Saint Mary (7-23, 0-10) on Monday. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. CT at Plum Creek Park.  

Shottenkirk provides thunder as Bulldogs finish 5-1 homestand

April 15, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – Lightning that filled up the night sky prevented the Concordia University Softball team from a chance at late rally on Monday (April 15) as a strong six-game homestand concluded. Kylie Shottenkirk homered in both ends of the doubleheader as the Bulldogs split with College of Saint Mary at Plum Creek Park. Concordia took game one by a 10-5 score before falling, 9-5, in a game two that was reduced to five-and-a-half innings due to lightning.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad (17-21, 7-7 GPAC) went 5-1 on the homestand that featured three doubleheaders in a four-day stretch. Culler was pleased to see the offensive lineup break out with a combined 50 runs scored over those six games.

“The big picture is we went 5-1 over that six-game stretch,” Culler said. “We really needed that, and we needed to get our offense going like that. Our girls are swinging the bats well and playing with a lot of confidence. We can pull a lot of positives out of that. The big stress going into this stretch was we had to get our offense going. We did that. I am really proud of our team that way.”

CSM was never able to retire the Lincoln North Star alum Shottenkirk all evening. She went 3-for-3 with a walk in game one and then 1-for-1 with two walks in game two. She scorched the Flames in the game one win with a solo homer in the second, a two-run double in the fourth and an RBI single in the sixth. The suddenly red-hot Bulldog lineup notched 15 hits in the first contest, with two apiece coming from Jennifer Katz (2-for-3), Laycee Josoff (2-for-3), Aubriana Krieser (2-for-4), Julia Van Wey (2-for-4) and Aubrey Bruning (2-for-5).

Three-run frames in the fourth and fifth innings supplied Concordia some breathing room. Katz singled in two runs in the fifth and Josoff knocked in one run apiece in the fourth and fifth frames. The outburst helped make a winner out of pitcher Taryn Ganstrom, who covered 4.1 innings in relief of Megan Eurich. Culler attempted to mix and match with some weary arms that have been heavily used over the past four days. Eurich threw a combined 3.1 innings over the two contests.

It certainly felt as though the Bulldogs were capable of rallying in game two before the lightning came. Concordia had come back to win after facing an 11-6 deficit two days earlier versus Dakota Wesleyan. Down 7-1 in the middle of the second inning of Monday’s second game, Concordia chipped away with Shottenkirk’s solo homer in the second and with RBI singles from Krieser and Delanie Voshell in the third. The game’s final tallies came when Cassie Wiseman doubled in two runs in the top of the sixth. Just as the bottom half was about to get underway, the game was called.

The powerful bat of Shottenkirk electrified Concordia as it fell one win shy of a perfect homestand. She has homered eight times in her Bulldog career.

Said Culler, “She’s been really working on her swing. She had a good workout this afternoon. She’s getting her confidence back, which is big for us. Our big hitters need to hit big, and that’s what they’re starting to do. I like where we’re at. I think what we ran into is that our pitchers are a little bit tired. We’re going to give them some time off and let them get rested up.”

While Shottenkirk provided the thunder on Monday, there were four Bulldogs who hit .400 or better during the six-game home stretch: Van Wey (10-for-21), Krieser (10-for-22), Josoff (7-for-16) and Voshell (8-for-20). Concordia hit .365 as a team during that timeframe.

After six in a row at home, the Bulldogs will venture on the road this weekend and will play doubleheaders at Briar Cliff (17-16, 5-7 GPAC) on Friday and at Mount Marty (17-17, 8-6 GPAC) on Saturday. First pitches are slated for 3 p.m. CT on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday. By week’s end, there will be just four games remaining on the regular season schedule.

Van Wey recognized as GPAC POTW in series sweeps

April 16, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. - Julia Van Wey of Concordia University is this week's GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Softball Player of the Week. Vany Wey a, senior from San Diego, Calif., helped the Bulldogs to a 4-0 weekend while notching at least one hit in each game. She joins Megan Eurich and Jennifer Katz in the weekly GPAC award circle in 2024.

Over the win streak of Jamestown and Dakota Wesleyan, Van Wey batted .500 (7-for-14) with six runs, a triple, three RBIs and two stolen bases. The Cathedral Catholic, product had a .643 slugging percentage and a .533 on-base percentage. She is batting .316 on the season.

Defensively, the third baseman collected six putouts with 15 assists and a .955 fielding percentage. She has a career batting a career average of .295 and an on-base percentage of .323. She has collected 116 career hits as a Bulldog.  

Concordia will have a three day break after playing six games in four days and travel to Sioux City, Iowa to face Briar Cliff on Friday.

Two road doubleheaders are set in Sioux City and Yankton

April 18, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – After an impressive homestand, the Bulldogs have put themselves in position to fight for a GPAC tournament spot but will need to sustain the success in the final two weeks of the regular season. Concordia will travel for the back to back doubleheaders this weekend, facing off against Briar Cliff on Friday (Apr. 19) and Mount Marty on Saturday. The Dawgs showed out at Plum Creek Park going 5-1 against the likes of Jamestown, Dakota Wesleyan and College of Saint Mary. The improving softball team is 17-21 overall, 7-7 in conference play and are 8-2 at home.

This Week

Friday, April 19 at Briar Cliff (17-16, 5-7 GPAC), 3 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Bishop Mueller Complex (Sioux City, Iowa)

Saturday, April 20 at Mount Marty (17-17, 8-6 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: North-East Seratoma Field (Yankton, S.D.)

By the numbers

·       Concordia churned out five wins in four day span and it started with a shutout of Jamestown in games that finished with a 4-3, 11-3 (5 inn.) finals. The Bulldog offense swarmed the Jimmies for 15 runs, 17 hits and 12 RBIs in the two contests combined. Megan Eurich pitched her best game of the weekend in game one, hurling all seven innings (8 H, 3 R, 5 Ks).

·       On senior day, the Dawgs' offense roughed out nine runs in the last two regulation frames to force extra innings with an 11-11 tie. In the bottom of the 10th, Madison Cushing put the ball in play for Kylie Shottenkirk to skip across the plate to seal the comeback. The Bulldogs were able to defeat the Tigers in game two (8-5) of the series in the long-winded night. Many Dawgs had monster days offensively, including Katz (3 H, 4 RBIs, 2 R, SB), Voshell (3 H, 3 RBIs, 2 R, 2 SB), Laycee Josoff (3 H, 3 R, BB) and Van Wey (4 H, 4 R, SB).

·       The bats continued to connect in the series versus College of Saint Mary as the Bulldogs took game one (10-5) and fell in a 9-5 outing that was cut short to five-and-a-half innings due to lightning. The Flames couldn’t overtake Shottenkirk in any at-bat as the Lincoln North Star product was undefeated 4-for-4 with two solo home runs, a two-run double off the back fence, an RBI single, plus three walks. The suddenly red-hot Bulldog lineup notched 15 hits in the first contest, with two apiece coming from Jennifer Katz (2-for-3), Laycee Josoff (2-for-3), Aubriana Krieser (2-for-4), Julia Van Wey (2-for-4) and Aubrey Bruning (2-for-5).

·       Going into the homestand, the Bulldogs had a low batting average (.257) but in the recent 6-game stretch they have churned out .365 as a team. While Shottenkirk provided the thunder on Monday, there were four Bulldogs who hit .400 or better during the six-game home stretch: Van Wey (10-for-21), Krieser (10-for-22), Josoff (7-for-16) and Voshell (8-for-20). In the first 32 games, these four hit for a .249 average but in the mentioned homestand they combined for .443. Coach Culler asked for the big hitters to hit big and for the past six games, they have.

·       Over the 4-0 win streak of Jamestown and Dakota Wesleyan, Van Wey batted .500 (7-for-14) with six runs, a triple, three RBIs and two stolen bases. The Cathedral Catholic, product had a .643 slugging percentage and a .533 on-base percentage. She is batting .316 on the season. Defensively, the third baseman collected six putouts with 15 assists and a .955 fielding percentage. She has a career batting average of .295 and an on-base percentage of .323. She has collected 116 career hits as a Bulldog. 

·       With most teams 14 games into conference play, the standings shake out to a tie at the top between Northwestern (13-1) and Midland (13-1). Two games separate three through eight in the conference totals. Dordt (9-5) and Morningside (9-5) sit tied for third with Mount Marty (8-6) in fifth. Concordia (7-7), Jamestown (7-7), and Briar Cliff (5-7) remain in the top eight and currently have a spot in the GPAC championships.

·       Brock Culler was announced as the 12th head softball coach of Concordia on Jun. 30, 2022. In his first season, it was rough sledding as with most new head coaches in their first year. The second year leader has already surpassed last season with seven wins in the conference and 17 overall with eight games left in the regular season. Missing the conference tournament the previous year, Culler will look to rally his squad to post-season play.

Briar Cliff

The Chargers come into the upcoming contests with a 17-16 overall record and 5-7 in the conference. Briar Cliff recently dropped its two games versus Morningside (8-7, 5-4) in two close outings. The home team averages 5.27 runs per game and has only played four games at home with a .500 (2-2) record. Their batting average is .308 and on-base percentage is .379. Kylee Lukes paces the team in hitting numbers (.436 AVG/.508OBP/.845 SLG) and Karina Cupples is in second (.369 AVG). Georgia Krohn has 14 starts in the pitchers’ circle and an 8-5 record on a 3.97 ERA.

Mount Marty

The Lancers are an even .500 with a 17-17 overall record and an 8-6 conference showing. Mount Marty has won three in a row and seven out of its last eight games. The Lancers are scheduled to take on Midland prior to Saturday. The team hits a .271 batting average, .365 on-base percentage and a .394 slugging percentage. Averaging 4.91 runs per game, Mount Mary’s hitting leader is Autumn Porter with a .394 batting average and .663 slugging percentage. Olivia Valdez has a .438 on-base percentage, a team high with 25-plus at-bats. McKenzie Gray is the majority pitcher and has a 9-10 record on the season.

Next Week

Concordia will travel to Morningside for its last road two-gamer and then return to Plum Creek Park for the final regular season series against Dordt. The Bulldogs will face the Mustangs on Apr. 23 and the Defenders on Apr. 27.

Krieser and Shottenkirk, Lincoln North Star alums, shine bright in Sioux City

April 19, 2024

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Aubriana Krieser (three) and Kylie Shottenkirk (one) combined for four homers over the Briar Cliff fence in the doubleheader, which resulted in 6-3 finals in favor of the Dawgs. Concordia Softball has set its competition ablaze, going 7-1 in the last eight days. Friday’s contests (Apr. 19) are a reflection of the past eight games as the team has hit a collective .370 batting average in the eight-game span.

The Bulldogs move two games up to 9-7 in the conference and 19-21 overall. Head Coach Brock Culler commented on the approach to this weekend and how big today was for Krieser.

“I told our team, these next four games are going to be the biggest games this program has played in for the last two years and we played to approach it that way. Every inning, every pitch and every game is like a playoff situation for us right now. These two wins were so huge and we have some very positive momentum going. Kylie has been a good role model for Aubriana. In the first part of the season, she (Krieser) did struggle, but then she spent some time working with the JV group. The way she reacted to this whole process has been good. What a day for that kid!”

The two Lincoln North Star alums came out swinging in Sioux City. The duo combined to go 9-for-14 with both Krieser (4-for-7) and Shottenkirk (5-for-7) swinging the bat with authority. The junior Shottenkirk hit a home run three games in a row, which hasn’t been reached since 2017 (Michaela Woodward). The freshman clean up batter Krieser totaled three home runs (including her first career), a double, seven RBIs, four runs and a sac fly.

Krieser said, “Today was like an energy rush. It was super fun and my teammates being there for me was the best part! Kylie is my best friend on the team and I know if I get out, she will have my back and pick me up. The same thing goes for me with her. We have each others’ back no matter what, so when we are both doing good it is a really fun time to be there for each other.”

Megan Eurich returned to dominance with 11 strikeouts and three earned runs through seven innings pitched in game one plus six strikeouts, zero earned runs and a save through three innings in game two. The Gretna, Neb., native has 149 total strikeouts, ranking her fifth in the all-time single-season list. Kaylei Denison came in relief for Taryn Ganstrom and collected her first collegiate win.

The once struggling offense has seemed to have evaporated, collecting 23 hits (six multi-base) and only surrendering one error in the field. While Krieser and Shottenkirk had great performances so did many of the Bulldogs including Madison Cushing going 4-for-6 and adding one run totaled from both games. In game one, Laycee Josoff went 2-for-4 as Glause (2-for-4) followed suit. In game two, Aubrey Bruning hit 3-for-4 (two runs) and Jennifer Katz had an RBI double plus a potential game saving catch after diving for a third out.

Concordia (19-21, 9-7 GPAC) will have less than 24 hours before stepping back on the diamond to battle Mount Marty (17-19, 8-8 GPAC) on Saturday. The Bulldogs and Lancers will see the first pitch at 1 p.m. CT. at North-East Seratoma Field. With these two close in the conference standings, the games will come with GPAC tournament seeding implications.

Ganstrom fires gem, Shottenkirk slams as Bulldogs rock Lancers

April 20, 2024

YANKTON, S.D. – The white-hot Kylie Shottenkirk had barely left the batter’s box when she turned to her dugout and shouted in jubilation. It’s been that kind of stretch for a Concordia University Softball team now oozing with confidence. Shottenkirk’s grand slam in the fifth inning of Saturday (April 20)’s game one at Mount Marty helped propel the Bulldogs to a sweep of the Lancers, 14-5 and 6-0, in Yankton, S.D. The Concordia lineup rocked Lancer pitching for a combined 27 hits and sophomore Taryn Ganstrom took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of game two.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad went 4-0 on a weekend that also included a visit to Briar Cliff. A 9-1 record over the team’s past 10 games has pushed the Bulldogs into fourth place in the GPAC standings with an 11-7 league mark (21-21 overall).

“Winning on the road is tough, but winning four on the road is really an accomplishment,” Culler said. “It’s incredible what this group is doing. These were the biggest four games we’ve played in the past two years and they responded real well. I don’t know what to say, I think I could run home.”

The energy within the dugout is palpable. The grand slam by Shottenkirk was especially significant considering Mount Marty’s Janeah Castro had just hit one of her own in the bottom of the fourth. Shottenkirk turned a modest 7-5 lead into an 11-5 advantage that only grew from there. As part of that game one victory, four Bulldogs produced multiple hits: Shottenkirk (4-for-5), Taylor Glause (3-for-4), Delanie Voshell (3-for-4) and Julia Van Wey (3-for-5). While Shottenkirk drove in five runs, Glause, Voshell and Aubriana Krieser knocked in two apiece.

Concordia hammered out 17 hits and scored in all seven innings of game one. The Bulldogs quickly jumped on top via RBI hits from Krieser (double), Shottenkirk (single) and Glause (triple) in the top of the first. That run production was much appreciated by ace pitcher Megan Eurich, who went all seven innings while scattering 10 hits and four walks. She notched six strikeouts.

The Bulldog offense was contained to some degree in game two, but it didn’t matter because of how well Ganstrom and the defense behind her worked together. Through the first five innings, Ganstrom allowed only a walk and a hit batter while carrying a no-hitter into the sixth. It was finally interrupted when Raegan Harper led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. Ganstrom wound up allowing three hits (all singles) as part of her seven-inning shutout. She recorded 13 groundouts while making use of her teammates.

Game two also saw Concordia strike early as Krieser delivered a two-run, first-inning double. Later on, Jennifer Katz doubled home a run, Glause singled in another and Voshell added insurance with a two-run single. Bruning, Glause and Krieser each collected two hits in game two. The final hit of the day for Bruning, a Lincoln Southeast High School alum, marked the 100th of her career.

It took some time, but the Bulldogs are shaping into the type of team Culler envisioned prior to the start of the 2024 campaign. Said Culler, “The biggest thing that sticks out is our offense. That’s No. 1. It’s going like crazy right now. The other thing is we’re getting on top of these guys early. We’re coming out and we’re scoring first – that’s huge. The way we’ve been able to get out of innings and respond to their momentum has been big. Mount Marty hit a grand slam and then we come up the next inning and we hit one.”

It was an especially phenomenal week for Shottenkirk, who homered in both ends of Monday’s home doubleheader with College of Saint Mary. In six games this week, Shottenkirk batted .737 (14-for-19) with seven runs, two doubles, four home runs and 13 RBIs. The fellow Lincoln North Star High School alum Krieser batted .550 (11-for-20) with four doubles, three home runs and 14 RBIs for the week.

Up next, the Bulldogs will be headed to Sioux City, Iowa, on Tuesday for their final road doubleheader of the season. Concordia and Morningside (17-22, 11-7 GPAC) will square off at 3 p.m. CT from Jensen Softball Complex. The two sides split a low-scoring twin bill in Seward a year ago. The Mustangs will be coming off a 3-1 weekend that saw them split a doubleheader with Mount Marty and then sweep one from Briar Cliff.

Dawgs control their tournament seeding with upcoming Morningside and Dordt games

April 22, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. –  With a 4-0 weekend, Concordia has set itself up for a Dawg fight trying to grab third place in the regular season standings. The Bulldogs are set to face Morningside in Sioux City and finish the final scheduled games of the 2023-24 campaign in Plum Creek Park. They will face off against Dordt on Saturday (Apr. 27). CUNE has caught fire, winning their last 9-of-10 games and finishing off Briar Cliff plus Mount Marty on the road.

This Week

Tuesday, April 22 at Morningside (17-22, 11-7 GPAC), 3 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 - Game 2 | Location: Jensen Softball Complex (Sioux City, Iowa)

Saturday, April 27 vs Dordt (25-20, 12-6 GPAC), 1 p.m. DH
--Live Webcast | Live Stats: Game 1 – Game 2 | Location: Plum Creek Park (Seward, NE)

By the numbers

·       It seemed like Aubriana Krieser and Kylie Shottenkirk renamed Sioux City to Home Run City for the Bulldogs, after totaling a combined four home runs in the two wins (6-3, 6-3) versus Briar Cliff. The two Lincoln North Star alums combined to go 9-for-14 with both Krieser (4-for-7) and Shottenkirk (5-for-7) swinging the bat with authority. Megan Eurich pitched 10 total innings and racked up 17 strikeouts, gaining a win (game one) and a save (game two). The once struggling offense collected 23 hits (six multi-base) and only surrendered one error in the field. Three others had at least three hits in the series: Madison Cushing (four), Bruning (four) and Glause (three).

·       It’s the bottom of the fourth and the Lancers change the game with a grand slam to jump back into the 7-5 contest in favor of Concordia. The next inning, the Bulldogs were only able to gather one hit, but it was launched past the fence for a no-doubter response grand slam by Kylie Shottenkirk. The visitors would finish out game one (14-5) with a win and kept the momentum going in game two (6-0). Taryn Ganstrom (4-3 record) pitched a beauty in the shutout, not allowing a hit until the sixth frame and finished with two strikeouts, one walk and three hits in 26 batters faced. The Concordia lineup rocked Lancer pitching for a combined 27 hits and four Bulldogs produced multiple hits (game one): Shottenkirk (4-for-5), Taylor Glause (3-for-4), Delanie Voshell (3-for-4) and Julia Van Wey (3-for-5).

·       Through the first 32 games, the Bulldogs had a low batting average (.257) but in the recent 10-game stretch they have churned out .378 as a team. While Shottenkirk provided the thunder on Saturday, there were seven Bulldogs who hit .350 or better during the 10-game catapult: Shottenkirk (15-for-30), Krieser (17-for-35), Glause (8-for-17), Bruning (16-for-40), Van Wey (14-for-38), Voshell (12-for-33) and Josoff (10-for-28). In the first 32 games, these seven hit for a .274 average but in the mentioned run they combined for .416. Coach Culler asked for the big hitters to hit big and for the past 10 games, they have.

·       The junior Shottenkirk and freshman Krieser, via Lincoln, Neb., have been on a different level in the past 10 games. It seemed like an underwhelming season for the veteran, who had a .256 (21-for-82, one HR) batting average in the first 32 contests. She has been lights out in this final stretch with numbers like .500/.583/.967 (AVG/OBP/SLG). Not to mention, she has totaled four home runs, 15 RBIs, 10 runs, six walks, two doubles and four (4-for-4) stolen bases. Krieser, like any newcomer, struggled with a .118 (2-for-17) batting average and only one multi-base hit. The freshman has had similar numbers .486/.487/.857 (AVG/OBP/SLG) and boasts three home runs, 20 RBIs, 15 runs, four doubles, two walks and one stolen base in the final drive.

·       Megan Eurich has been the ace in the circle for the Bulldogs and has a 16-8 record. The gun-slinger out of Gretna, Neb., has compiled 155 strikeouts so far and is tied for fourth in single season sit-downs with Amanda Hehn (2007). The junior has amassed 296 over her career and will have the rest of this season and one more add to the number. Her current ERA for the season is 2.91 and has collected seven shutouts.

·       With most teams 18 games into conference play, the standings shake out to a tie at the top between Northwestern (16-2) and Midland (16-2). Two games separate three through six in the conference totals. Dordt (12-6) sits in third with a one-game advantage over Concordia (11-7) and Morningside (11-7), tied for fourth. Jamestown (10-8) has surpassed Mount Marty (8-10), going 0-4 on the weekend. Briar Cliff (6-10) and Doane (6-10) are now fighting for the final spot in the GPAC championships.  

·       Brock Culler was announced as the 12th head softball coach of Concordia on Jun. 30, 2022. In his first season, it was rough sledding as with most new head coaches in their first year. The second-year leader has already surpassed last season with 11 wins in the conference and 21 overall with four games left in the regular season. Missing the conference tournament the previous year, Culler will look to rally his squad to post-season play.

Morningside

The Mustangs are 17-22 overall and 11-7 in the conference, having split their last two series against Dordt and Northwestern. Morningside is 5-2 at home and has a team batting average of .264 (second lowest in GPAC) with 14 total home runs. The home team scores 4.08 runs a contest and has totaled 139 RBIs in the year. Kennedee Jones paces the team with a .336 batting average, a .410 on-base percentage and a .563 slugging percentage. Morgan Secora (8-8) and Bralen Biddlecome (7-5) get the majority of the work in the pitchers’ circle. Secora has a 2.94 ERA and Biddlecome has a 3.16.

Dordt

The Defenders are 12-6 in the conference and 25-20 through 45 games having won three in a row. Chloe Kreuz has a .370 batting average which leads the team and a .418 on-base percentage plus a .507 slugging percentage. Dordt scores 4.73 runs per game and allows 3.84. Kreuz is also the main pitcher with an 11-8 record and a 3.29 ERA.

Next Week

Concordia will set its sights on the GPAC championships tournament held at the top-two seeds home venues. The conference pod play is set for May 1-2 as the championships will be held on May 4.

Shottenkirk slugs competition on her way to National Award

April 23, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – The Lincoln North Star alum, Kylie Shottenkirk, was named NAIA National Player of the Week and GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Softball Player of the Week on Tuesday (Apr. 23) by the league office. Shottenkirk paced her team to a 5-1 record from her play through Apr. 15-21. She is the first national player of the week winner for Concordia in the 2023-24 season. She joins Megan Eurich (Mar. 12), Jennifer Katz (Mar. 12) and Julia Van Wey (Apr. 16) as Bulldogs who were awarded the weekly honor this season.

The Dawgs have been on an offensive tear but none other like Shottenkirk in the past six games. The junior, out of Lincoln, Neb., hit .737 (14-for-19) and homered four times, including a grand slam against Mount Marty. She drove in 13 RBIs and seven runs during the six-game stretch and became the first Concordia player to homer in three-straight games since 2017. A powerhouse, she slugged 1.474 percent and a .783 on-base percentage. Shottenkirk added two doubles, four walks and a stolen base to boot.

Defensively, she had 47 put outs and two assists with zero errors at first base. On the season, Shottenkirk is hitting .321 with five homers and 26 RBIs.

Concordia will play out their final two doubleheaders against Morningside (Apr. 23) and Dordt this week to capture their earned seed for the GPAC championships.

Eurich helps lead to split versus Morningside

April 23, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – The most important series so far this year came on Tuesday afternoon (Apr. 23) against Morningside in Sioux City. Each team collected a shutout win and as Concordia took game one (5-0) and the Mustangs scraped out game two (2-0). With only two games left in the regular season, every contest is seemingly under a magnifying glass to jockey for the best seed.

The Bulldogs are .500 (22-22) on the season and are 12-8 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC). The head ball coach, Brock Culler, commented on pitching and a squeeze play.

“I’m proud of our team. Megan (Eurich) was spinning the ball really well, and Taryn (Ganstrom) has started to use more pitches in these last two outings. It has made a huge difference. I called timeout. We got Kylie (Shottenkirk) to come up and play the first base line on a predicted squeeze play. The pinch hitter bunted the ball up in the air and she was able to catch it - chase down the runner on the third base line. The defensive execution of this team has been great.”

Megan Eurich collected nine strikeouts in the shutout of Morningside totaling 164 this season. Giving up two hits and one walk in seven innings, the junior, out of Gretna, Neb., was virtually never in trouble of losing the one run lead which lasted until the top of the sixth.

The Mustangs had one runner make third base and with one out, Kylie Shottenkirk caught a pop-fly and ran down the base runner on the third base line for an unassisted double play. In response, the offense got going in what seemed to be another dead in the water inning. With two outs, pinch hitter Jordan Head crushed a ball just short of the right field fence scoring Jennifer Katz. The on-slot continued as Laycee Josoff hit an RBI single and Aubriana Krieser hit a two-RBI double to go up five.

The Bulldogs were one hit away in game two after a pitchers’ duel through six innings. Through an impressive outing by Taryn Ganstrom, Concordia was down 2-0 in the 7th. Shottenkirk singled to get the inning started and Tayor Glause moved the runner over with a single of her own. With two cracks at the ball, the visitors fell shy with a fly out and ground ball to the pitcher.

Shottenkirk, named the NAIA National Player of the Week, commented on the award. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my teammates. I was struggling early on, but my teammates kept telling me they had confidence in me. It’s all because of them.”

Shottenkirk finished 2-for-4 with three walks and an RBI. Glause, was the only Bulldog with a three-hit (3-for-6) day as she added a stolen base. Madison Cushing went 2-for-4 (RBI) combined plus in game one the other offensive leaders were Julia Van Wey (2-for-3, 2 R, BB), Krieser (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Josoff (1-2, R, RBI, 2 SAC) and Katz (1-for-2, R, BB).

Morningside stays even with Concordia in the conference standings (12-8) and is 18-23 overall. Paige Schuster went 2-for-3 and pitcher Morgan Secora hit a solo homer in the second game. Secora gathered the game-two win on seven innings pitched, four hits, and two strikeouts.

Concordia (22-22, 12-8 GPAC) will go back to Plum Creek Park for their final series versus Dordt (25-20, 12-6 GPAC) before entering the GPAC championships. The Bulldogs will throw first pitch at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday. With a three-way tie for fourth, Concordia will look to be its best against the Defenders.

Defense clinches game one of two in regular season finale

April 27, 2024

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – With a varying degree of seeding on the line, every game mattered for potential conference placement in the upcoming GPAC championships. Both contests were tightly contested but Eurich pitched a shutout (2-0) in game one and Dordt took advantage of errors in game two (3-2).

Missing Head Coach Brock Culler and starting shortstop Laycee Josoff due to sickness, the Bulldogs were still able to finish their regular season with a record of 23-23 and 13-9 in the GPAC. Assistant Coach Jenessa Jarvis commented on the two games and pitcher Megan Eurich.

“We obviously had some changes today, but the girls didn’t miss a beat. Game one, the defense was solid. All day we continued to hit the ball hard. Game two, we just kept hitting right to their defense and had a hard time getting balls to fall. Meg (Eurich) did great! She did a good job communicating what had been working for her. She was able to work ahead in counts which is essential!”

Megan Eurich, timely hitting and great defense defined game one, as the visitors got up in the 1st after singles by Hanna Bowers, Aubriana Krieser and Kylie Shottenkirk. Van Wey reached by fielders choice and was on second when Shottenkirk hit a line drive single to push the third basemen across the plate. In the third, Bowers hit a one-out double and Krieser followed with an RBI single to score the second run. In the seventh, Aubrey Bruning made a diving catch to keep the Defenders from gaining any momentum in the final frame.

Eurich ended with 10.1 innings pitched, 12 strikeouts, one earned run, four hits and four walks in the two contests. The Gretna, Neb., native was untouched in game one until the fifth inning, only surrendering two hits in both games. Eurich ends her regular season with 18 wins and 176 strikeouts, which lands her second in the GPAC and is third all time in single season history (strikeouts).

Krieser hit a .500 (3-for-6) batting average, plus had an RBI and Cushing went 2-for-5 (2B). In game one, Bowers went 2-for-2 (2B) and collected a run and a walk.

In game two, Concordia broke the tie on a wild pitch that resulted in Aubrey Bruning's run. The once stellar defense had two hiccups in the fourth to give Dordt its game tying score. Eurich was pulled with two on after pitching double-digit innings and Taryn Ganstrom entered the circle. Unable to stop the runners from scoring, the Defenders got two across in the fifth. Jennifer Katz blasted a two-out double and scored after Delanie Voshell singled behind her. The visitors couldn't get more tallies and the final two innings would end scoreless.

The Defenders complete their regular season slate with a 13-9 record. Lauren Steenstra led Dordt going 3-for-7 and Aurora Tyson went 2-for-3 (RBI) in game two. Bailey Sample got the win and Jaydn Faber took a save in game two.

Concordia finishes on an 11-3 run (23-23 overall) and 13-9 record in the Great Plains Athletic Conference season. The Bulldogs will prepare for the GPAC tournament, and the conference will announce the seedings once all the regular season games are finished.

Jarvis continued, “If this team carries the energy and approach they have into next week, we’re going to be good! Our hitting has been hot, and confidence is rolling which is a key component to this game!”

2024 GPAC Tournament: Softball Preview

April 29, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – After a scorching 11-3 run in the last 14 games, the Concordia University Softball team will be the No. 4 seed in the 2024 GPAC tournament that features double-elimination pod play this Wednesday and Thursday. The Bulldogs will be headed to Sioux Center, Iowa, as one of four teams in the Northwestern Bracket. As the top two seeds in the GPAC, Northwestern and Midland are the host teams for pod play. Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad concluded the regular season at 23-23 overall (13-9 GPAC) and tied for third with Dordt, Jamestown and Morningside. Concordia will take on the No. 5 seed Morningside at 1:15 p.m. CT on Wednesday in the second game of the bracket.

2024 GPAC Tournament – Northwestern Bracket
--Full Bracket

May 1-2 | West Field/ASB Sports Complex (Sioux Center, Iowa)
--Live Webcasts (available for all games) | Live Stats

Wednesday, May 1
Game 1 – (1) Northwestern vs. (8) Mount Marty, 11 a.m.
Game 2 – (4) Concordia vs. (5) Morningside, 1:15 p.m.
Game 3 – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 3:30 p.m.
Game 4 – Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 5:45 p.m.

Thursday, May 2
Game 5 – Game 4 Winner vs. Game 3 Loser, 10 a.m.
Game 6 – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 5 Winner, 12:15 p.m.
Game 7 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser, 2:30 p.m. (if necessary)

Admission: Admission is $10 for adults/senior citizens and $3 for K-12. Only those with NAIA passes and GPAC student ID’s will be admitted free of charge.

By the numbers

·        As a program, Concordia has qualified for the GPAC tournament in 21 out of a possible 23 years (the first season of GPAC softball was 2001). The only seasons the Bulldogs missed out on conference postseason play were 2013 and 2023. Since then, Concordia has enjoyed its share of success in the GPAC tournament. The Bulldogs celebrated a GPAC tournament title in 2015 and placed as the runner up in 2014 and 2021. Each of those postseason runs resulted in appearances in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round. The ’21 squad emerged as the champion of the Morningside Bracket pod and reached the GPAC Championship Series.

·        The 2023-24 campaign was a tale of two halves for the second year under Coach Culler. After a slow 12-20 (2-6 GPAC) start, way below .500, the Dawgs caught fire with an 11-3 season-ending run to finish 23-23. In the drive, Concordia swept Jamestown, Dakota Wesleyan, Briar Cliff and Mount Marty, while splitting with College of Saint Mary, Morningside and Dordt. The only two teams to sweep CUNE are Northwestern and Midland, early in conference play.

·        Megan Eurich has been the ace and mainstay for the Bulldogs with 18 wins (second in GPAC) and a 2.65 ERA. In those 18 wins, she has nine shutouts and 176 strikeouts, good enough for 2nd in conference and 3rd in single-season program history. The Gretna, Neb., product has pitched 182.0 innings, the eighth highest in a single season by a Concordia softball player. Taryn Ganstrom (3.30 ERA) and Kaylei Denison (7.86 ERA) have been the secondary options inside the pitchers’ circle with Ganstrom throwing 63.2 innings and Denison 49.0 innings. The earned run average as a team is 3.80.

·        Kylie Shottenkirk was named the NAIA National Player of the Week and GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Softball Player of the Week on Tuesday (Apr. 23) because of her play from Apr. 15-21. The junior, out of Lincoln, Neb., hit .737 (14-for-19) and homered four times, including a grand slam against Mount Marty. She drove in 13 RBIs and seven runs during the six-game stretch and became the first Concordia player to homer in three-straight games since 2017. A powerhouse, the Lincoln North Star, product slugged 1.474 percent and a .783 on-base percentage. Shottenkirk added two doubles, four walks and a stolen base.

·        Through the first 32 games, the Bulldogs had a low batting average (.257) but in the recent 14-game stretch they have churned out .350 as a team. While Shottenkirk has reached another level, there were four Bulldogs who hit .350 or better during the 14-game catapult: Krieser (22-for-48), Shottenkirk (18-for-39), Glause (11-for-29), and Cushing (11-for-30). In the first 32 games, these four hit for a .262 average but in the mentioned run they combined for .424.

·        In conference games only, Concordia sports GPAC rankings of fifth in on-base percentage (.364), sixth in batting average (.300), seventh in runs scored (101), ninth in slugging percentage (.399) and ninth in fielding percentage (.943). The Bulldogs also ranked fourth in the GPAC in sacrifice hits with 29 and struck out the fewest times at the plate (65). In other words, Concordia with their down then up season, the team sits around the middle in many offensive categories.

Northwestern Bracket opponents

(1) Northwestern (43-5, 19-3 GPAC) – The Red Raiders moved up to the No. 1 spot in the GPAC standings while going 6-2 over their final eight conference regular season games, sweeping Midland for the GPAC title. Head Coach Shane Bouman’s (6th year) squad has showcased a strong offensive/defensive balance. Within league games, Northwestern ranked tied for third in runs scored (112) and fourth in earned run average (1.42). The Red Raiders has a GPAC top five hitter and pitcher in Kameryn Etherington. She bats a .421 average and has collected 43 RBIs. Northwestern is also home to two of the GPAC’s top five winningest pitchers in Etherington (18 wins) and Kate Kralik (16 wins). Ashtyn Billings leads the league in stolen bases (20).

(5) Morningside (24-19, 13-9 GPAC) – The Mustangs finished 13-9 in the conference and .500 (4-4) in their last eight games. Kennedee Jones is top five in the conference in home runs (seven) and the team hits .265 while giving up a 3.71 earned run average. Another dual pitcher/hitter combo comes in Morgon Secora, who leads the team with a .444 batting average and .933 slugging percentage. Secora (2.83 ERA) has 10 wins in 116.1 innings pitched, while Bralen Biddlecome (3.32 ERA) has seven wins in 99.

(8) Mount Marty (20-22, 11-11 GPAC) – The Lancers stood at 8-2 overall in the middle of the conference season before ending on a 3-5 run to finish the year. Mount Marty finished in eighth place in the GPAC standings with 197 runs, allowing a 3.71 earned run average. Head Coach Kayla Bryant’s squad boasts a couple of strong hitters in Macy Homes (6 HR, .641 SLG) and Olivia Valdez (.356 AVG, .421 OBP). In the circle, McKenzie Gray (8-10) and Makayla Graunke (8-11) pitched 110.1 and 91.0 innings, respectively. Graunke finished the regular season with a 3.54 ERA and Gray with a 4.06

GPAC Championship Series
The winners of the Northwestern and Midland Brackets will meet in the GPAC Championship Series on Saturday (hosted by the highest remaining seed). It will a best of three series with game one beginning at a time to be determined. As the GPAC regular season champion, the Red Raiders have earned one of the league’s two automatic berths to nationals. The GPAC tournament champion will also receive a bid. Should Northwestern win the conference tournament, the second nationals bid would go to the GPAC tournament runner up.

 

Dawgs drop out of GPAC championships on day one; Eurich breaks record

May 2, 2024

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – The No. 4 seed Concordia Softball team made the trek to the campus of Dordt University, joining seven other teams to compete in the GPAC championships on Wednesday (May 1). Needing extra innings in the opening round, No. 5 seed Morningside found two runs in the eighth taking a 3-1 win in the pitchers’ duel. No. 8 seed Mount Marty came out hot, scored all six of its runs in the first, and held onto a 6-3 victory over the Bulldogs.

Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad finishes its season with a 22-24 overall record and an improved 13-9 showing in the conference. Culler commented on the season and how its sets the foundation for the program.

“This BULLDOG NATION is awesome! The outreach, the amount of help and love this team got from you guys was incredible. This season was like a catapult into how things are gonna go, going forward. We started the season up and down. We started the conference 2-6 and a lot of teams give up in a situation like that. We challenged this group, ‘You are too good to be performing like this.’ We got back to the drawing board and they bought in. It’s one of the better groups I’ve coached because of that fact. They were like, ‘we are not going to fail. We are better than this.’ I just love that, man!”

Assistant Coach Jenessa Jarvis commented on the results of the GPAC tournament and standouts Aubriana Krieser and Megan Eurich.

“Obviously, we didn’t have the results we were looking for today. The girls still went out playing hard and hitting hard, just not how we wanted. Krieser has been seeing exactly what she has been since we put her in the game. She has played the last half of our season, and she has been absolutely hammering the ball. All season, Megan (Eurich) has started off pretty good and we were able to get the rest of the team to work with her. She was able to continue that out today. Work her pitches and do what she needed to do on the mound.”

Eurich needed one strikeout in the seventh inning of the Mount Marty contest to solidify the single-season strikeout record in Concordia Softball history. The Gretna, Neb., native had two outs to claim the record for herself but she claimed her third strike and the 194th K in her 2023-24 campaign.

Eurich said, “A lot of it was we worked really hard in the offseason. I was able to go out there and locate my pitches really well. Inside, outside, high and low. I worked hard on my rise ball over the season and it worked well in our last game.”

Aubriana Krieser has swung the bat well from the right box in the last half of the season, continuing her stellar performance into postseason play. The Lincoln North Star, product hit 4-for-7, a home run, three runs, a double and an RBI in the two games.

After pitching all seven regulation innings, Eurich allowed only one run and five hits in the game. The Mustangs' bats got the better of her with three hits and two runs batted in after the top of the eighth was finished. The Bulldog offense was unable to respond, and three outs were recorded before the No. 4 seed could muster runs across in extras.

Taryn Ganstrom got the starting nod in the second game but was rocked by the Lancer offense, as the defense committed two errors behind her and gave up all six runs in the first. Krieser crushed a homer to left center to respond and started off the third with a single to center. Julia Van Wey hit a triple to right center and Taylor Glause pushed her across for an RBI. The offense went stale and would end Concordia’s short time in the postseason for the 2023-24 year.

Seniors Taylor Glause, Julia Van Wey and Creighton Taylor will be sorely missed as the Bulldogs start the climb into the 2024-25 campaign. With a wealth of experience coming back, Concordia is sure to show continued improvement as they did this year.

Culler, “My number one thing and I’m so happy for them for this, they were able to finish their career on an upward trend and competed in the GPAC tournament. It meant so much to me that they were able to walk away moving upward.”

Eurich named to first team; nine Bulldogs honored by GPAC

May 7, 2024

First Team: Megan Eurich
Second Team: Aubrey Bruning; Taylor Glause; Aubriana Krieser; Kylie Shottenkirk
Honorable Mention: Jennifer Katz; Laycee Josoff; Julia Van Wey; Delanie Voshell

SEWARD, Neb. – After vaulting into a tie for third place in the GPAC in 2024, the Concordia University Softball program earned a slew of GPAC All-Conference awards. As announced on Tuesday (May 7), nine Bulldogs earned 2024 All-GPAC accolades with the first team mention for junior pitcher Megan Eurich serving as the headliner. In addition, Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad placed four players on the conference’s second team: outfielder Aubrey Bruning, catcher Taylor Glause, designated player Aubriana Krieser and first baseman Kylie Shottenkirk. There were also four honorable mention selections from Concordia (as noted above).

A native of Gretna, Neb., Eurich took her game to another level in 2024. Among GPAC pitchers, Eurich ranked first in innings pitched (196.2), second in strikeouts (194), third in wins (18) and ninth in ERA (2.53). Eurich limited opposing batters to a .249 average and allowed 54 walks. She racked up nine shutouts and threw 20 complete games in one of the best individual seasons for a pitcher in program history. Her 194 strikeouts broke the previous program standard of 193 by Nicole Sempek in 2010. Through three seasons as a Bulldog, Eurich owns a 29-22 record to go along with a 3.15 ERA and 335 strikeouts in 375.1 innings (77 appearances).

Bruning moved up to the GPAC’s second team this season after being recognized with honorable mention accolades in 2023. The Lincoln Southeast High School alum again starred at the top of the lineup. In 45 games this season, Bruning batted .323 (43-for-133) with 25 runs scored, four doubles, nine RBIs and a team high 17 stolen bases (fourth most in the GPAC). In 129 career collegiate games, the left fielder has batted .313 with 101 hits, 62 runs and 37 stolen bases. Bruning jumped to No. 7 on the program’s all-time stolen base list.

The Malcolm, Neb., native Glause graduated this May following a three-year run with the Bulldogs. She enjoyed her best season yet while batting .322 (39-for-121) in 2024. Glause started 41 games and recorded 13 runs scored, eight doubles, a triple and 10 RBIs. She sported a .369 on-base percentage and .405 slugging percentage and added 10 stolen bases. Glause made just one error in 194 chances (.995 fielding percentage). Over her three Concordia seasons, Glause notched 98 hits and 41 RBIs.

The younger sister of Concordia Women’s Basketball guard Abby Krieser, Aubriana made a name for herself as a freshman. She was chosen as Concordia’s Bulldog Athletic Association Member Women’s Athlete of the Month of April after helping the Bulldogs finish the regular season strong. Krieser led all regulars with a .389 batting average (28-for-72) and .653 slugging percentage in 24 games. The Lincoln North Star High School alum’s stat line included 19 runs scored, seven doubles, four home runs and 24 RBIs. Krieser hit three home runs in the doubleheader sweep of Briar Cliff on April 19.

Another Lincoln North Star grad, Shottenkirk moved from shortstop to first base in her junior season. She made waves in the middle of April and was named the NAIA National Player of the Week on April 23. For the season, Shottenkirk batted .310 (39-for-126) with 21 runs, seven doubles, five home runs and 28 RBIs in 47 games. She posted a .389 on-base percentage and .484 slugging percentage. In the field, Shottenkirk handled 316 of 325 chances (.972 fielding percentage). In three seasons at Concordia, Shottenkirk owns a .326 batting average, .394 on-base percentage and .485 slugging percentage. She’s produced career totals of 123 hits, 64 runs, 24 doubles, 10 home runs and 72 RBIs.

The San Diego, Calif., native Julia Van Wey has earned her first career All-GPAC award. A consistently solid performer at third base, Van Wey finished the season with a .292 batting average (45-for-154), 25 runs, five doubles, two triples, a home run and 14 RBIs. She also stole six bases and posted a .951 fielding percentage. In four years at Concordia, Van Wey played in 169 games and totaled 74 runs, 143 hits, 28 doubles, five triples, two home runs and 65 RBIs. She struck out just 23 times her entire career. Van Wey also helped the 2021 team reach the NAIA National Tournament.

Jennifer Katz (center field) and Delanie Voshell (right field) held down starting spots in the outfield in 2024. In her first season as a Bulldog, Katz batted .271 with six doubles, three triples, two home runs and 26 RBIs and made just three errors in the field. Meanwhile, Voshell batted .254 with four doubles, a triple and 13 RBIs. As a freshman, shortstop Laycee Josoff made an immediate impact. The Yutan, Neb., native batted .290 with five extra-base hits and 15 RBIs in 44 games. She also stole eight bases and notched 55 putouts and 65 assists in the field.

Culler’s squad completed the 2024 season with a 23-25 overall record (13-9 GPAC). The Bulldogs were eliminated from the GPAC tournament, played in Sioux Center, Iowa, on May 1.

Season-In-Review: 2024 Concordia Softball

May 20, 2024

Outside the Concordia dugout, not much was expected of Bulldog Softball in 2024. Head Coach Brock Culler’s program had just come off a 2023 season that saw Concordia fall short of reaching the postseason. Inside the program, Culler and company knew they were trending in the right direction. Megan Eurich was about to take the next step as an undisputed pitching ace and a class of newcomers had infused the Bulldogs with a jolt of talent.

Concordia knew it had a more competitive team, but it still hadn’t turned a corner as the calendar flipped to the month of April. With the season at a crossroads, the Bulldogs dug deep.

“We started conference play 2-6 and we had a meeting,” Culler said. “I said, ‘Look, we’re better than this. We’re better than this. You have to believe it. You need something other than me to tell you. You have to believe it yourself.’ We went back to the basics with our offense. The offense was the biggest key. We had to get that going. They responded well and took it well. You saw how it shook out. This team has a lot of fight in it.”

As Culler stated, the GPAC record slipped to 2-6 (12-20 overall) after Concordia was shut out twice by eventual GPAC champion Northwestern on April 5. Instead of crumbling, the Bulldogs went 10-1 over their next 11 games while averaging nearly eight runs per game. Lincoln North Star alums Aubriana Krieser and Kylie Shottenkirk scorched the ball during that stretch as Concordia rocketed up the conference standings. Shottenkirk was even named the NAIA National Player of the Week on April 23. On the pitching rubber, Eurich racked up strikeouts at a school record-breaking rate (194 for the season).

Ultimately, the Bulldogs vaulted into a tie for third place in the final GPAC regular season standings (13-9 GPAC record). The thrilling April run included conference doubleheader sweeps of Jamestown, Dakota Wesleyan, Briar Cliff and Mount Marty. In postseason action in Sioux Center, Iowa, on May 1, Concordia saw its campaign end with losses to Morningside, 3-1 in eight innings, and to Mount Marty, 6-3. The Bulldogs were doomed by one rough inning in the elimination defeat.

For Culler, it was a difficult ending, especially considering a series of surgical procedures prevented him from being present at the GPAC tournament. Said Culler, “You put in all this work and you want to be there for them in the end. It just wasn’t meant to be for me, which was really sad. I really wanted to be there with them so badly. Recovery is going well. I’m glad we got this taken care of. I can put it behind me and get back to work.”

Culler did indeed return to the office soon after the spring semester concluded at Concordia. The enthusiasm for what’s to come hasn’t waned in spite of the unexpected surgeries. The aim now is to seize upon the momentum that was built during that 10-1 stretch in April. The talent on the roster came into picture during that time. Following the regular season, Eurich was named to the GPAC’s first team and four Bulldogs garnered second team all-conference accolades: Aubrey Bruning, Taylor Glause, Krieser and Shottenkirk.

The final strikeout of the season pushed Eurich past the previous school standard of 193 strikeouts by Nicole Sempek in 2010. During the regular season, Eurich threw more innings than any other pitcher in the GPAC and finished with a stellar 2.53 ERA in her 36 appearances. The Gretna, Neb., native fired 20 complete games and recorded nine shutouts as part of one of the best pitching seasons ever turned in by a Bulldog.

“Really incredible,” Culler said of Eurich’s junior season. “She’s got the physical talent to do this. The biggest thing for us this year was her maturity compared to last year. She was able to deal with adversity, learn how to respond to challenges and she understood how to work hitters. We really challenged her in the offseason, and she responded well to it. This is what you get when you work hard. I’m really proud of her.”

The small senior class in 2024 featured Glause, Van Wey and Creighton Taylor. A four-year starter out of San Diego, Calif., Van Wey notched her 100th career hit early in the season. Other Bulldogs who reached 100 career hits in 2024 were Bruning and Shottenkirk. As a junior, Shottenkirk moved over to a more natural spot at first base while Van Wey started all 48 games at the hot corner. Meanwhile, Bruning (left) and Delanie Voshell (right) provided veteran stability in the corner outfield spots. Behind the plate, Glause hit .322 and enjoyed her best season as a Bulldog.

The infusion of youth made Concordia a deeper, more talented team this spring. Freshman Laycee Josoff was a starter at shortstop from day one and flashed the potential for future stardom. In addition, Krieser took off during the month of April and wound up hitting a team best .389 in 24 games. Krieser came to Concordia after breaking the home run record at Lincoln North Star. Another freshman in Madison Cushing saw extensive time at second base, along with Hanna Bowers, and transfer Jennifer Katz started all 48 games in center field.

“Aubriana Krieser is one that stands out because she finished the season incredibly,” Culler said. “There was a lot of hype for her coming into the season. We got her some starts and she struggled putting the bat on the ball. We had her play some JV games. She just needed to see the ball hit the bat again. She bought into that. Holy moly, that kid is unbelievable. She had a great year. She’s going to be a big part of what we’re doing going forward. Then you have Laycee at shortstop, another freshman. She’s going to be absolutely fantastic. Taryn Ganstrom came in and threw some really good innings this year. Kaylei Denison has big upside to her. We have a lot players coming back and we have a real nice class coming in.”

After transferring from Southwestern Community College, Ganstrom settled into the No. 2 pitching role behind Eurich. She made eight starts and posted a 3.72 ERA in 64 innings. As for Denison, she threw 49 innings and is capable of making a jump from her freshman to sophomore year in 2025.

With so many of the key players in place for next season, Concordia figures to take on increased expectations heading into 2025. The Bulldogs should open next spring as a more confident bunch. The senior class will be a large one led by the likes of Bruning, Eurich, Katz, Shottenkirk and Voshell.

“We finished 10th last year and we were picked ninth this year,” Culler said. “We started 2-6 in the conference. This team could have given up. The assistant coaches and myself kept pushing this team. We never gave up on them. The way we ended it built some momentum for us going forward. That was just so huge for the direction that we’re going to be going.”

Softball places six Bulldogs on Scholar-Athlete list

May 22, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Softball program earned six 2024 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete awards, as announced on Wednesday (May 22) by the NAIA. The list includes repeat award winners in Megan Eurich, Creighton Taylor and Julia Van Wey. Additional honorees are Taylor Glause, Emma Kirby and Isabella Wolter. Eurich and Van Wey were also recognized as Academic All-District selections by College Sports Communicators in 2023.

The 2024 list of softball honorees features 1,250 total student-athletes. In order to be nominated by an institution’s head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended one full year at said institution.

Winner of the 2023-24 GPAC All-Sports Championship Trophy, Concordia University ranks as the NAIA’s all-time leader in number of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes with 2,322 entering the 2023-24 academic year. The school record for number of Scholar-Athletes in one academic year is 226 achieved in 2019-20. Concordia has been a regular national leader for both Scholar-Athletes and Scholar-Teams.

2024 Softball NAIA Scholar-Athletes

·        Megan Eurich (Gretna, Neb.)

·        Taylor Glause (Malcolm, Neb.)

·        Emma Kirby (Lincoln, Neb.)

·        Creighton Taylor (Gretna, Neb.)

·        Julia Van Wey (San Diego, Calif.)

·        Isabella Wolter (Benson, Minn.)

Four Bulldogs selected to 2024 CSC Academic All-District Softball Teams

May 28, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – A quartet of Bulldogs represented the Concordia University Softball program with recognition from College Sports Communicators (CSC) on Tuesday (May 28). The organization honored Megan Eurich, Taylor Glause, Julia Van Wey and Jennifer Katz as 2024 Academic All-District® Softball Team award winners. Both Eurich and Van Wey are repeat All-District honorees from 2023.

The 2024 Academic All-District® Softball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom. Student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be nominated for this award. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — for each gender.

A native of Gretna, Neb., Eurich took her game to another level in 2024. Among GPAC pitchers, Eurich ranked first in innings pitched (196.2), second in strikeouts (194), third in wins (18) and ninth in ERA (2.53). Eurich limited opposing batters to a .249 average and allowed 54 walks. She racked up nine shutouts and threw 20 complete games in one of the best individual seasons for a pitcher in program history. Her 194 strikeouts broke the previous program standard of 193 by Nicole Sempek in 2010. Through three seasons as a Bulldog, Eurich owns a 29-22 record to go along with a 3.15 ERA and 335 strikeouts in 375.1 innings (77 appearances). Eurich is a Criminal Justice major with one collegiate season remaining.

The Malcolm, Neb., native Glause graduated this May following a three-year run with the Bulldogs. She enjoyed her best season yet while batting .322 (39-for-121) in 2024. Glause started 41 games and recorded 13 runs scored, eight doubles, a triple and 10 RBIs. She sported a .369 on-base percentage and .405 slugging percentage and added 10 stolen bases. Glause made just one error in 194 chances (.995 fielding percentage). Over her three Concordia seasons, Glause notched 98 hits and 41 RBIs. She earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology with a minor in Communications. She plans pursue her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Concordia University starting this fall.

The San Diego, Calif., native Julia Van Wey earned her first career All-GPAC award in 2024. A consistently solid performer at third base, Van Wey finished the season with a .292 batting average (45-for-154), 25 runs, five doubles, two triples, a home run and 14 RBIs. She also stole six bases and posted a .951 fielding percentage. In four years at Concordia, Van Wey played in 169 games and totaled 74 runs, 143 hits, 28 doubles, five triples, two home runs and 65 RBIs. She struck out just 23 times her entire career. Van Wey also helped the 2021 team reach the NAIA National Tournament. Van Wey graduated with a degree in Chemistry with a minor in Criminal Justice. She has moved back home and plans to find a career in forensic science with the goal of working in a crime lab.

A transfer from Southwestern Community College, Katz immediately stepped into the center field role and started every game in 2024. She batted .271 (35-for-129) with 21 runs scored, six doubles, three triples, two home runs, 26 RBIs and nine stolen bases to go along with a .354 on-base percentage and .411 slugging percentage. Katz earned a GPAC Player of the Week award in March. She is a Biochemistry major (pre-Veterinary) and will return to the Bulldogs in 2024-25.

Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced on June 18.

Melissa Martinez named top assistant for Concordia Softball

June 6, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – Formerly the Head Softball Coach at Lincoln Northeast High School, Melissa Martinez has been named the top assistant on the Concordia University, Nebraska Softball coaching staff, as announced by Concordia Athletics on Thursday (June 6). Martinez will officially begin her new role as Assistant Softball Coach on July 8 and will work with Head Coach Brock Culler, who in 2024 completed his second season leading the Bulldogs. Martinez is well-connected to the softball scene within the state of Nebraska as a Lincoln native and Lincoln Southeast High School graduate.

The hiring of Martinez continues the momentum for a Bulldog Softball program that finished 2024 in a tie for third place in the GPAC standings. The addition of Martinez as a full-time assistant creates an opportunity for further growth on the diamond while enhancing the student-athlete experience within the program.

Said Martinez, “I am grateful and excited to join the Concordia University Softball Program. Thank you to Coach Culler for believing in my coaching ability and providing me this opportunity. The team made some noise in the GPAC last season, in part due to the dynamic energy and bold expectations of Coach Culler. I am thrilled to be a part of this type of team culture. I cannot wait to build upon the foundation he has established and compete for championships with the Bulldogs.”

Said Culler, “Melissa has played and coached the game at a high level and brings a lot of knowledge and experience to the Bulldog program. Coach Martinez values her faith and family. She not only brings value to the softball side of our program, but her core values will help guide and prepare our student-athletes for success after college. Melissa is a great addition to the Bulldog family, and I am looking forward to working with her.”

Most recently, Martinez has served as assistant coach on the Nebraska National Softball team out of Omaha, Neb. She spent four seasons as the head coach at Lincoln Northeast High School. Martinez has also followed her passion in positions as Head Women’s Softball Coach of the Dutch Fork Bulldogs in the Carolina Collegiate Summer Softball League (Columbia, S.C.) and as Assistant Softball Coach of the Fastpitch U Women’s Softball team of the Florida Gulf Coast League (Sarasota, Fla.). Additionally, she’s coached various competitive softball teams in the Omaha and Lincoln areas, as well as the National Stars and Stripes baseball team out of Florida and has privately trained baseball and softball prospects in the Lincoln and Omaha areas.

As a collegiate student-athlete, Martinez starred at catcher for NCAA Division II St. Cloud State University in Minnesota. Over four seasons at St. Cloud, Martinez helped lead the Huskies to three straight NCAA Division II tournament appearances and to one North Central Conference championship. In addition, her teams won a combined 168 games and were nationally ranked in three of the four seasons. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Elective Studies. As a prep at Lincoln Southeast, Martinez was instrumental in the Knights winning three district championships and four conference championships while earning three trips to the NSAA State Softball Tournament. She earned all-conference, honorable mention all-state and all-city honors in her high school career.

Melissa is engaged to be married to Mathias Wendeln of Syracuse, Neb. She has three children and two “bonus children,” all of whom are involved in extra-curricular activities. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys spending time with family, traveling, reading and supporting her children in their sporting endeavors.

Martinez added, “I would also like to thank Director of Athletics Devin Smith and Associate Athletics Director Angela Muller, along with all the many other coaches and staff members at Concordia University for welcoming me and my family with open arms. As soon as I stepped foot on campus, I knew this is where God was calling me to serve and continue my softball coaching career. Lastly, thank you to my family and friends for always encouraging me along the way. I would not be here without your unconditional love, support, and prayers.”

Eurich, Shottenkirk highlight Concordia Softball All-Midlands honorees

June 10, 2024

SEWARD, Neb. – Standout juniors Megan Eurich and Kylie Shottenkirk represented the Concordia University Softball team with 2024 All-Midlands Softball Team accolades, as selected by the Omaha World-Herald and announced on June 8. Seven other Bulldogs were also recognized by Nebraska’s largest newspaper as honorable mention award winners: Aubrey Bruning, Taylor Glause, Laycee Josoff, Jennifer Katz, Aubriana Krieser, Julia Van Wey and Delanie Voshell.

The World-Herald’s All-Midlands Softball Team features the top players from Nebraska four-year colleges and universities outside of the NCAA Division I level. The 2024 team (listed at bottom) includes players from NAIA and NCAA Division II and III institutions. The nine Bulldog honorees helped Head Coach Brock Culler’s squad leap to third place in the final GPAC standings.

A native of Gretna, Neb., Eurich starred as one of the GPAC’s top pitchers this past spring and broke the program record for strikeouts in a single season with 194. She also hurled nine shutouts and completed 20 games as a workhorse in the circle. Shottenkirk got the World-Herald’s nod at first base after a season that included an NAIA National Player of the Week award. The Lincoln North Star High School alum paced the team with five home runs.

2024 Concordia All-Midlands Team Honorees

Megan Eurich | Gretna, Neb.
2024 stats: 18-10 W-L, 2.53 ERA, 36 G, 28 GS, 20 CG, 9 SHO, 196.2 IP, 188 H, 52 BB, 194 K, .249 BAA

Kylie Shottenkirk | Lincoln, Neb.
2024 stats: 47 G, .310 BA, 21 R, 39 H, 7 2B, 5 HR, 28 RBIs, .389 OBP, .484 SLG, 6 SB, .972 F%

Aubrey Bruning (HM) | Lincoln, Neb.
2024 stats: 45 G, .323 BA, 25 R, 43 H, 4 2B, 9 RBI, .379 OBP, .353 SLG, 17 SB, .917 F%

Taylor Glause (HM) | Malcolm, Neb.
2024 stats: 41 G, .322 BA, 13 R, 39 H, 8 2B, 3B, 10 RBIs, .369 OBP, .405 SLG, 10 SB, .995 F%

Laycee Josoff (HM) | Yutan, Neb.
2024 stats: 44 G, .290 BA, 23 R, 31 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 15 RBIs, .438 OBP, .374 SLG, 8 SB, .882 F%

Jennifer Katz (HM) | Omaha, Neb.
2024 stats: 48 G, .271 BA, 21 R, 35 H, 6 2B, 3 2B, 2 HR, 26 RBIs, .354 OBP, .411 SLG, 9 SB, .953 F%

Audriana Krieser (HM) | Lincoln, Neb.
2024 stats: 24 G, .389 BA, 19 R, 28 H, 7 2B, 4 HR, 24 RBIs, .395 OBP, .653 SLG, 2 SB

Julia Van Wey (HM) | San Diego, Calif.
2024 stats: 48 G, .292 BA, 25 R, 45 H, 5 2B, 2 3B, HR, 14 RBIs, .319 OBP, .370 SLG, 6 SB, .951 F%

Delanie Voshell (HM) | Shenandoah, Iowa
2024 stats: 45 G, .254 BA, 13 R, 30 H, 4 2B, 3B, 13 RBIs, .305 OBP, .305 SLG, 9 SB, .914 F%

2024 Omaha World-Herald All-Midlands Softball Team (NAIA/D2/D3)

P – Cory Carrillo, Bellevue
P – Katie Cunningham, Bellevue
P – Megan Eurich, Concordia
* P – Aliyah Rincon, Midland
P – Elise Warneke, Nebraska Wesleyan
C – Amanda Schmaderer, Midland
1B – Kylie Shottenkirk, Concordia
2B – Liana McMurtry, Bellevue
SS – Mary Chvatal, UNK
*3B – Roni Foote, Midland
OF – Emily Prai, Midland
OF – Lauren Schneider, Hastings
OF – Alexa Sidel, Bellevue
DP – Katelyn Hays, Doane
U – Lauren Zimmerman, Chadron State
*Honorary Captain

Honorable mention: Bellevue: Savannah Gunn, Atiana Rodriguez. Chadron State: Ashland Baca, Mackenzi Kroll. Concordia: Aubrey Bruning, Taylor Glause, Laycee Josoff, Jennifer Katz, Audriana Krieser, Juia Van Wey, Delanie Voshell. Doane: Grace Dowding, Faith Molina, Anna Prauner. Hastings: Lexie Mudloff, Sam Skinner. Midland: Paeton Coler, Reese Floro, Camille Vestal. Nebraska Wesleyan: Val Gerlach, Hanna Roth, Lyndsey Roth. Peru State: Ellie Ohlde, Leann Hawkins. Saint Mary: Kayla Reed, Savannah Schewe, Ella Watts. UNK: Daniella Morillas, Rylyn Nelson. Wayne State: Jordyn Klein, Jordyn Rochholz. York: Kennedie Anderson, Sofia Perez.