COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University baseball team hits the road on Wednesday, as the Cardinals head to Saint John's for a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader against the Johnnies. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.

The Matchup | Wednesday, April 24, 2013 | 2:30 p.m.
Saint Mary's Cardinals (0-2 MIAC | 9-8 Overall) at Saint John's Johnnies (0-2 MIAC | 9-8 Overall)

Last Action:
SMU has not played since April 7, when they surrendered 16 walks in 14 innings in dropping both games of their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference-opening doubleheader against seventh-ranked St. Thomas. UST used a four-run fifth inning in cruising to a 7-0 victory in the opening, before riding a six-run third to an 11-2 win in Game 2 at Koch Diamond in St. Paul, Minn. … Saint John's has also been off since April 7, when the Johnnies lost both games of a conference doubleheader against Concordia in Collegeville, Minn., falling 3-2 and 5-4 in nine innings.

SMU vs. Saint John's — A Year Ago:
April 21, 2012: SJU pitcher Ryan Spengler limited the Cardinals to just four hits in leading the Johnnies to a 5-1 win in the opening game of the teams' MIAC doubleheader at Max Molock Field. SMU got two hits and two RBIs from both Kevin Gannon (Roselle, Ill.) and Matt Tessmer (West St. Paul, Minn.) to carry the Cardinals to a 9-4 win in Game 2.
May 12, 2012: SMU's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament showdown with Saint John's looked eerily similar to the Cardinals' tournament-opener opener against top-seeded St. Thomas — which ended in a 4-2, 10-inning SMU victory. Against the high-powered Tommies, the Cardinals entered the eighth inning having managed just one hit — but were in the midst of a 2-2 stalemate. Against the Johnnies on Saturday, the Cardinals headed into the eighth inning having managed just two hits — but were again in the midst of a 2-2 stalemate. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, that's where the similarities ended, as Saint John's scored two runs in the top of the eighth and did not allow any late-inning Cardinal heroics, handing SMU a 4-2 setback in the double-elimination tournament.

Up Next:
The Cardinals are right back in action on Thursday, as SMU heads to Arden Hills, Minn., for a 2:30 p.m. conference doubleheader against Bethel. … Saint John's is back on action on Saturday, when the Johnnies travel to St. Paul, Minn., for a 1:30 p.m. MIAC twinbill against Hamline.

Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2013 Roster | 2013 Statistics | 2013 Schedule
SMU has not played since April 7 — and in that 17-day span, the Cardinals have had 14 postponements or reschedules. … SMU's 7-0 loss to seventh-ranked St. Thomas in the opener of their conference doubleheader on April 7 marked just the second time in six doubleheaders that the Cardinals have lost the opener. … The Cardinals' last two wins have been by one run — SMU is 4-1 in one-run games this season. … SMU's six hits in the opener vs. St. Thomas came from six different players — and all six were singles. Mike Feriancek (River Falls, Wis.) went 2-for-3 in Game 2, while Kevin Gannon (Roselle, Ill.) delivered a two-run, first-inning single to plate the Cardinals' only two runs. … Gannon had a hit in both games vs. UST on April 7 and has now hit safely in 16 of the team's 17 games — including a season-opening 10-game hitting streak and his current six-game hit streak. … Gannon has reached base safely in all 17 contests this season. … As a team, the Cardinals are hitting .313 and boast 10 regulars who are hitting above .300. … David Berry (Apple Valley, Minn.) owns a team-leading .409 batting average. … Gannon — who owns a .350 batting average — is the team's leader in at-bats (60), hits (21), triples (1), RBIs (16) and total bases (31). … Gannon posted his first collegiate six-RBI game against Illinois Institute of Technology on March 8. … Jon Schlemmer (De Pere, Wis.) belted his team-leading seventh double of the season in Game 2 against Wartburg on March 17. The junior has collected eight extra-base hits among his 13 hits this season and is second on the team with 11 RBIs. … Kyle Servais (Westby, Wis.) launched a three-run home run — the first of his four-year collegiate career — to fuel SMU's Game 1 win over UW-Superior on March 28. … Servais' round-tripper was the sixth of the season for the Cardinals, who have also gotten two HRs from Willie Doll (Amherst, Wis.) and one each from Gannon, Schlemmer and Zach Wolfe (Wabasha, Minn.). … Doll hit his first collegiate round-tripper against Illinois Institute of Technology on March 8. … Doll owns a team-best six multiple-hit games, one more than Wolfe, Paul LaNasa (Mahtomedi, Minn.) and Vince Lulic (Mendota Heights, Minn.), while Schlemmer boasts a team-leading five multiple-RBI games. … Pat Krieger (Mendota Heights, Minn.) set a school record, walking five times in the Cardinals' 12-inning win over Simpson on March 6. … As a team, the Cardinals have swiped 37 bases on 45 attempts — led by Doll with 10 steals in 11 tries. … The Cardinals have six pitchers who have thrown 10 or more innings through the season's first 17 contests — led by Matt Biagini (Maplewood, Minn.) with 22.1 IP. Teddy VanRanst (St. Paul, Minn.) is second with 16.1 innings, followed by Steph Scatassa (Westchester, Ill. / 14.1), Justin Kronebusch (Altura, Minn. / 14.1), Sean Minder (Roseville, Minn. / 12.1) and A.J. Redders (Middleton, Wis. / 12.0). … Biagini also leads the team with 22 strikeouts. … Sam Nord (Mendota Heights, Minn.) recorded his first collegiate save, working out of a first-and-third, one-out jam in the bottom of the seventh in SMU's 6-5 Game 1 win over UW-Superior on March 28. … Tyler Krysiak (Bloomington, Minn.) owns a team-best 2.25 ERA in a team-leading six appearances — all in relief. … Minder recorded his first collegiate complete-game win against Illinois Institute of Technology on March 9. … Scatassa collected his first collegiate win in SMU's 9-4 win over Marian on March 10. … SMU has outscored its opponents 13-3 in the second inning and 24-9 in the sixth. … The Cardinals have been held to two runs or less in six of their eight losses this season. … SMU's 11-2, Game 2 loss to St. Thomas marked the first time this season the Cardinals have lost when scoring in the first inning (7-1). … The Cardinals are 7-0 when outhitting their opponent and 7-0 when leading after the sixth inning. … The Cardinals have played three extra-inning games this season — and have won all three. SMU has now won its last nine extra-inning games, dating back to a 4-3 loss to Cornell on March 19, 2011. … Doll belted a solo home run in the top of the ninth to lift SMU to its 4-3 win over Cornell on March 25. It was the second time in three extra-inning games that Doll has had the game-winning hit — he also drilled a single in the bottom of the 11th to lift SMU past Iowa Wesleyan 4-3 on March 6. …  SMU's early season seven-game winning streak was the longest winning streak since the Cardinals won nine straight during the 2001 season.

Scouting The Saint John's Johnnies:
2013 Roster | 2013 Statistics | 2013 Schedule
SJU's back-to-back losses to Concordia on April 7 pushed the Johnnies' losing streak to a season-high three straight — their first three-game losing streak since the 2011 season. … Prior to their current three-game slide, the Johnnies had put together a season-best four-game winning streak, which was snapped with an 8-5 loss to Lewis & Clark in SJU's final game in Tucson, Ariz., on March 28. … Five of Saint John's eight losses this season — including both games against Concordia last Sunday — have been decided by two runs or less. … As a team, the Johnnies are hitting .317, with six regulars hitting above .300. … Brett Becker enters SJU's DH against Saint Mary's with a team-best .412 batting average, while Tom Druk (.389), Aaron Pfaff (.375) and Luke Larson (.375) close behind. … Pfaff also leads the team in at-bats (64), runs (18), hits (24), doubles (6) and total bases (30). … Connor Cline and Joey Long share the team lead in RBIs with 13 each, two more than Larson and Pfaff. … Larson led the team with 11 RBIs during the Johnnies eight-game spring trip to Tucson, Ariz. — nine of which came with two out. Larson finished the 2012 season as the team's RBI leader with 31. … Long has accounted for two of the team's five home runs this season. … Along with his 20 hits, Cline has also earned a team-high 16 walks and has reached base safely in each of the team's last 16 games. … Larson heads into SJU's DH vs. Saint Mary's riding a season- and team-best 10-game hitting streak. … Saint John's is 26-for-29 in stolen baess, led by Pfaff with eight steals in 10 attempts. … The Johnnies have four pitchers who have logged 10 or more innings, led by Cline's 27.0 IP. … Long (0-2, 4.50 ERA) and Cline (1-3, 6.00 ERA) share the team lead in pitching appearances with six each, while Scott Schroeder's 1.89 ERA and 2-0 record are both team highs. … Long has recorded three of the Johnnies' five saves, with Cline boasting a team-best 32 strikeouts. … SJU's 5-4, nine-inning loss in Game 2 vs. Concordia last Sunday was also the Johnnies' third extra-inning game — all losses. … Saint John's has been outscored 18-3 after the seventh inning. … SJU has stranded 159 men on base in 17 games this season — including leaving 29 men on base in their last three games.