You don’t have to know anything about Concordia University or Mount Marty to appreciate a truly baffling strike call.
Over the weekend, a clip from their NAIA matchup in South Dakota stunned the internet, but not in a good way. Baseball fans from every level are shaking their heads after witnessing what might be the worst strike call anyone has ever seen.
The call was so wild that the scoreboard operator initially didn’t believe it. The pitch was so far outside it nearly skipped to the backstop. The catcher had to lunge just to keep it in front. Everyone expected “ball two.” Instead, the home plate umpire rang up strike two- and jaws dropped across the ballpark.
A Call So Bad, Even Little League Wouldn’t Buy It
The controversial moment came in the top of the sixth inning with Concordia leading Mount Marty 7–4. The Bulldogs had a runner on second. The count stood at 0–1 when Mount Marty’s Jake Stolnack delivered a pitch that tailed far outside. The catcher stretched to stop it, and even then, barely kept it from skipping away. No one in the stadium saw what was coming next.
“Strike two!” the umpire shouted.
Next time you think you got a bad call, remember there’s always midwest NAIA who has it worse. pic.twitter.com/8Oq2mNRJV8
— Caleb Lang (@CalebLang22) April 13, 2025
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The crowd gasped. The scoreboard operator marked it as a ball before realizing it had been ruled a strike and changed it. Confused murmurs filled the stands. One fan could be heard saying, “Are you kidding me?” while others just laughed in disbelief.
Concordia, officially known as Concordia University, hails from Seward, Nebraska, a town of just over 7,600. Mount Marty is based in Yankton, South Dakota, with 1,100 enrolled students. Both schools compete in the Great Plains Athletic Conference, a part of the NAIA- a level below even NCAA Division III. These are small schools, playing in small towns, with small crowds. Still, bad officiating doesn’t get a free pass.
While Concordia went on to win the game and take three out of four in the series, this moment stole the spotlight. Mount Marty salvaged one game in extra innings, but nothing could salvage the umpire’s strike call from online criticism.
If you missed it, you’re not alone. Few people follow NAIA baseball. But this one call broke through, serving as a reminder that no matter the level, baseball fans know a bad call when they see one.
Also Read: College Baseball Team Was Forced To Forfeit Game After Just One Pitch Thrown For The Oddest Reason
