Senior Jaidan Quinn ties school record for home runs during two-game sweep of Waldorf Warriors, 15-9 and 21-5

Senior third baseman Jaidan Quinn (18) eyes up a pitch.

Photo credit: Cohen Carpenter

By Cohen Carpenter

In a two-game sweep of the Waldorf Warriors going 15-9 in the first and 21-5 in the second at their home opener, Concordia came home with much more than an early-season conference blowout.

Exactly 349 days after Joey Grabanski broke the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics all-time home run record, his former teammate, senior third baseman Jaidan Quinn did him one better – tying Grabanski’s career mark at 88 in an offensive performance that will go down as one of Concordia’s most prolific and historic.

With temperatures in the upper 70s, a sunset that could make a baseball blush and 23 mph south southwest gusts creating an jet stream towards left-center field – it was shaping up to be a great day for all involved, except maybe for both pitching staffs who were unknowingly due to give up 13 home runs across 14 innings of baseball.

If the crowd was seated, gearing up for a main course of home runs with a side of extra base hits, their appetizer came early in the top of the first. After Concordia starter, senior Christian Gutierrez kicked things off with a strikeout and groundout, Waldorf catcher Lucas Romero went yard down the left field line putting the Warriors up 1-0 through the first half frame – their last lead of the evening.

Concordia immediately responded with three deep shots of their own. Designated hitter, senior Bradley Hallock, kicked things off sending a ball 300 feet to centerfield, sophomore first baseman Matthew Rhoades followed suit going deep to center while junior centerfielder Bronx Lewis showed the right field parking lots some love, managing to muscle his solo shot just inside the foul pole.

Through an inning, beach coach Ryan Dupic’s squad was up 5-1 and that central-Nebraska wind had already established itself as a contributing factor in the series. For Dupic himself, winds as prominent as Friday’s certainly play a role in the game plan.

“You really want to emphasize for the pitcher that you don’t want to walk people on the mound because the ball is going to leave the yard more” said Dupic. “You’re just going to have more home runs on a day like today, so you don’t want to put yourself in bad situations, you want to throw strikes. I think the first game showed that; they actually out-hit us in the first game, but we just had more home runs and more baserunners. Offensively, you don’t want to swing at the pitch earlier in the count unless you feel like you can drive it… Our guys did a really nice job staying patient at the plate, and then when they got them, they got them.”

Gutierrez, Concordia’s starter, seemed to take Dupic’s advice. Despite surrendering 10 hits through his six innings of work, the California native walked nary a batter and therefore, only allowed four earned runs while striking out five.

When the dust settled after game one Concordia stood victorious 15-9 despite, as Dupic alluded to, being out-hit 15-12. However, those numbers proved to be deceptive. Concordia reached first the boring way (via the walk) 11 times in game one, compared to Waldrof’s zero – meaning the base paths were constantly crowded and, indeed, often cleared thanks to the Bulldogs’ power stroke.

Junior left fielder Jaeden Jordahl led the way in the hits and RBI department in the first game, plating four while going 3-4 with a walk. Jaidan Quinn for his part, while not recording a hit, recorded two RBIs via two separate bases loaded walks. Concordia’s third baseman, along with his double-play partner, senior Ty Nekoliczak both walked thrice in game one.

However, the real treat of the night came in Friday’s evening action; game two where the Bulldogs put on display the many hallmarks of their nationally ranked No. 22 ball club winning 21-5 and inducing the seventh inning mercy rule.

Micah Sweeton, freshman phenom got the start in game two and etched another quality start into his fast-growing collegiate resume – this time it came in the form of 4.2 innings pitched, and four strikeouts while only allowing six hits and one run. Despite another tremendous outing however, it is safe to say that all eyes were focused squarely on what Concordia was doing at the plate rather than the mound.

Coming into Friday’s action – Jaidan Quinn had 85 career home runs, an impressive total. His 12 long balls to start the 2025 season meant that he was well on-pace to shatter his former teammate’s team-high mark of 88. In fact, if Quinn was to mirror his 2024 efforts by hitting 27 homers yet again in 2025 – it would put him right at 100 home runs for his career.

“Obviously, it’s a big accolade for me,” said Quinn after the game with a smile. “Joey [Grabanski] was a great hitter, and I just wanted to be just like him… if not better than him, sorry Joey. But he was the stats guy. I just really stayed away from it, so it wasn’t really something I had circled – it was more just, ‘Hey, let’s do this for the team here.’”

This sentiment was echoed by coach Dupic after the game: “You know it’s funny actually — Joey was the guy who knew all his numbers and always knew what the next one was and Jaidan’s the guy that doesn’t want to know and doesn’t pay attention to it.”

In the past year, three National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics batters have hit 80 home runs, something inconceivable after Brice Cutspec (2007-10) from Azusa Pacific University set the standard at 77. Quinn, Grabanski and Charlie Muñez from University of the Cumberlands who has shattered Grabanski’s record. Muñez is the first NAIA player to hit 100 home runs and is gunning for the collegiate record.

Despite the nonchalant attitude, Quinn opened the game with possibly the three best innings a Concordia Bulldog has ever had. In the bottom of the game’s opening frame, Quinn crushed a solo-shot to left to put the Bulldogs up 1-0 — number 86. In the second, Quinn again homered down the left field line to put Concordia up 5-0 – number 87. And in the third, Jaidan lofted a ball into the jet stream and let the Seward breeze do the rest, a three-run bomb to left center – number 88.

When asked after the game how it felt rounding the bases after the record-tying bomb, Quinn had this to say: “I had no clue [I tied the record],” Quinn said with a chuckle. “I honestly had no clue, I thought I was around 85 until I heard the announcer, and then I said, ‘Oh, hey. I went and got that one.’”

Quinn’s day wasn’t over however, his number was called yet again in the fifth inning when he came up to bat with nobody on and one out in the inning. The Waldorf Warriors then proceeded to intentionally walk the Bulldogs’ third baseman, much to the chagrin of everyone in attendance.

“I wasn’t very happy,” said Quinn regarding the international walk. “But it is what it is. It’s honestly a compliment. I wouldn’t say I’m at Barry Bonds level yet but I’m starting to get the idea.”

For his part, coach Dupic had this to say about his star hitter and whether or not he was surprised by his game two home run barrage.

“Jaidan really doesn’t surprise us much around here anymore. We’ve been able to see if for four years. He’s certainly one of the best players that this program has ever seen and he’s a two-time all-American for a reason.”

While Quinn was the only one making program history, he certainly was not the only batter having a great game. Senior shortstop Jimmy Blumberg went 3-4 with four RBIs which matched Bronx Lewis’ hit total who also went 3-4 with a walk. Also worth noting: DH-extraordinaire Brad Hallock homered yet again in game two – giving him two homers in the two games versus Waldorf and with six homers in his last six games.

All in all, the large lead afforded the Bulldogs the ability to send 16 batters to the plate and six pitchers to the mound – a game that sent every fan in attendance not wearing Waldorf purple home happy.

The Bulldogs will be back in action on March 31 against Briar Cliff, where Jaidan Quinn will have the opportunity to break the tie and stand alone at the top of Concordia home run supremacy. First pitch for the first game of the doubleheader versus the Chargers will be tossed at 2 p.m. at Plum Creek Ballpark.