Baseball Wins GPAC Tournament in Walk-off Fashion

CRETE, Neb. — Doane capped a remarkable GPAC postseason run Monday afternoon with a 17-16, 10-inning victory over Concordia (Neb.) to win the 2026 Great Plains Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament Championship at the Doane Ballfield Complex. Doane dropped the opening game of the conference tournament before running off five straight victories.

In a game that featured 33 combined runs and constant momentum swings, the Tigers (44-9) delivered the decisive rally in the bottom of the 10th inning, scoring four runs to secure the title in walk-off fashion.

Trailing 16-13 entering their final at-bat, Doane quickly mounted one last charge. Sam Kwapnioski and Jordan Bond opened the inning with singles before Max Harris drove both runners in with a triple to right-center, cutting the deficit to one. Carter Roth followed with an RBI single to tie the game, and moments later, Roth scored the winning run on a Concordia throwing error, igniting a celebration on the field.

The championship game was a back-and-forth battle from the start. Concordia (37-16) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning and extended its advantage to 6-2 in the second. Doane responded immediately, scoring twice in the second and adding single runs in the third and fourth innings to even the score at 6-6.

Concordia regained control with runs in the fifth and sixth innings and built an 11-6 lead by the seventh. The Tigers answered with one of their biggest innings, plating five runs in the bottom half. Harris delivered an RBI single, and after an error helped bring another run home, Tanner Nelson laced a two-run double to pull Doane within one. Jett Grossart followed with an RBI double to tie the game at 11-11.

The Bulldogs again moved in front late, scoring twice in the ninth for a 13-11 lead. But Doane responded in dramatic fashion when Grossart launched a two-out, two-run home run to right field, tying the game and forcing extra innings.

Concordia appeared poised to claim the title after scoring three runs in the top of the 10th to take a 16-13 lead. Instead, the Tigers delivered their final comeback, finishing with 23 hits and scoring in seven different innings to complete the rally.

Doane's offense was led by Tanner Nelson, who went 4-for-6 with three runs batted in, while Brayden Jones also had four hits and drove in two runs. Harris collected three hits and three RBIs, including the pivotal triple in the 10th, and Grossart added three RBIs highlighted by his game-tying home run in the ninth. Jordan Bond scored three runs and recorded three hits as part of the Tigers' balanced attack.

Ethen Roberts earned the win in relief, recording the final three outs after entering in the 10th inning. Doane used eight pitchers in the game, navigating through 18 Concordia hits and 16 runs allowed to keep the Tigers within striking distance throughout the afternoon .

The victory completes a dominant conference season for Doane, which also secured the GPAC regular-season title. With the tournament championship in hand, the Tigers now turn their focus to the upcoming NAIA National Championship Opening Round. Doane will host the NAIA Opening Round on May 11-14 in Lincoln at Sherman Field.

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