Sioux City, Iowa – Concordia University totaled 99 points and is the preseason coaches’ selection to win the 2021 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Baseball Championship. The Bulldogs garnered nine first place votes as the top selection. The other two first place votes went to the University of Jamestown who is picked second with 87 points. Mount Marty was third (79) and Northwestern fourth (71) after a vote of league coaches before the season started.
The 2020 season was cut short due to Covid-19, but in 2019, Concordia was the regular season champion in the GPAC spring with a league mark of 23-5 and an overall record of 33-20. Jamestown won the GPAC Tournament Title after going 19-9 in conference play and posting an overall record of 35-18. Both Concordia and Jamestown advanced to the NAIA Baseball National Opening Round.
The GPAC Postseason Tournament will feature two four-team tournaments (Seeds 1,4,5,8 and Seeds 2,3,6,7) (double elimination) on May 6-8 at the sites of the top two seeds. Then the two tournament winners will play on Tuesday, May 11, in the Cypress Risk Management GPAC Championship (one nine inning game) at the highest remaining seed.
Points were awarded on a 10-1 basis and coaches could not vote for their own team.
Here is the complete 2021 GPAC Baseball Preseason Coaches’ Poll:
1. Concordia (99), 9 first place votes
2. Jamestown (87), 2 first place votes
3. Mount Marty (79)
4. Northwestern (71)
5. Midland (64)
6. Morningside (57)
7. Doane (48)
8. Briar Cliff (33)
9. Dakota Wesleyan (32)
10. Dordt (19)
11. Hastings (16)
