CAROL STREAM, Ill. — The Saint Mary's University baseball team returns to action this weekend, squaring off against Buena Vista and Wheaton on Friday, before facing Aurora on Saturday. All three games will be played at Wheaton College's Pfund Stadium.
 
The Matchups:
Friday, March 20 | Pfund Stadium * Carol Stream, Ill.
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (10-2 Overall) vs. Buena Vista Beavers (7-1 Overall), 11 a.m.
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (10-2 Overall) vs. Wheaton Thunder (4-7 Overall), 5 p.m.
Saturday, March 21 | Pfund Stadium * Carol Stream, Ill.
• Saint Mary's Cardinals (10-2 Overall) vs. Aurora Spartans (9-4 Overall), 11 a.m.
 
GameDay Live On The Web:
Live Stats | Tournament Homepage
 
Last Action:
• Saint Mary's: Jon Schlemmer (De Pere, Wis.) went 5-for-8 with three RBIs and Jacob Dawson (Oakdale, Minn.) threw four more shutout innings, as the Cardinals swept Northwestern 4-1 and 10-5 in a nonconference doubleheader Tuesday in St. Paul, Minn. | Recap
• Buena Vista: The Beavers completed a 7-1 run during their spring trip to Tucson, Ariz., with a 15-3 win over Nebraska Wesleyan on March 15 | Recap
• Wheaton: The Thunder closed out their 11-game spring trip to Florida with a 6-3 loss to Ramapo in Auburndale, Fla., on March 14 | Recap
• Aurora: North Park scored in every inning but the fifth—including four runs in both the second and seventh—in handing the Spartans a 14-3 nonconference setback Tuesday in North Park, Ill. | Recap
 
Saint Mary's vs. Buena Vista — Their Last Meeting:
• April 26, 2008: The Beavers took advantage of a ball lost in the sun to score two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat the Cardinals 4-3 in the opening game of their nonconference doubleheader in Storm Lake, Iowa.  The Cardinals got the upper hand in Game  2—in much the same fashion—taking advantage of three Buena Vista errors in the top of the eighth inning to beat the Beavers 7-6 and earn the split | Recap
Saint Mary's vs. Wheaton—Their Last Meeting:
• March 21-22, 2014: The Cardinals dropped a pair of one-run games to the Thunder in the teams' meetings at the Wheaton Invitational in Carol Springs, Ill., falling 7-6 and 5-4 | Game 1 Recap * Game 2 Recap
Saint Mary's vs. Aurora—Their Last Meeting:
• Saturday's game between the Cardinals and Spartans will be the first in program history
 
Up Next:
• Saint Mary's: The Cardinals are back on the road on Wednesday, heading to Copeland Park in La Crosse, Wis., to take on UW-La Crosse in a nonconference doubleheader. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
• Buena Vista: Following this weekend's three nonconference games, the Beavers are right back on the diamond on Monday, traveling to Mount Vernon, Iowa, for a nonconference game against Cornell.
• Wheaton: After this weekend's games against Saint Mary's, Buena Vista and Aurora, the Thunder are right back on their home field on Tuesday, hosting Benedictine in a 6 p.m. nine-inning contest at Pfund Stadium.
• Aurora: Following this weekend's three contests, the Spartans are back on the road next Saturday, traveling to Fond du Lac, Wis., to open NACC play with a conference doubleheader against Marian. First pitch is set for noon.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2015 Roster | 2015 Statistics | 2015 Schedule
The Cardinals enter this weekend's action riding a five-game winning streak and having won 10 of their first 12 games. … The Cardinals' 10-2 start to the season is their best since 1995, when Saint Mary's opened the year 10-2. The last time the Cardinals won 11 of their first 13 games was 1993, when they kicked off the year going 14-2. … After scoring 79 runs during their 10-game spring trip to Winter Haven, Fla., the Cardinals erupted for 14 runs in their sweep of Northwestern on Tuesday. … The Cardinals' 10-run outburst in Game 2 vs. the Eagles Tuesday marked the fifth time this season Saint Mary's has plated 10 or more runs. … The Cardinals scored a season-high 13 runs in a 13-2 win over Lyndon State on March 3. … Jon Schlemmer (De Pere, Wis.), Steph Scatassa (Westchester, Ill.), Kevin Miley (St. Paul, Minn.), and Jake Mencacci (Wheaton, Ill.) all posted 3-for-4 efforts against Northwestern Tuesday—Schlemmer's in Game 1 and the other three in Game 2. … Ben Buerkle (Roseville, Minn.), one of five Cardinals to start all 12 games this season, owns a team-leading .475 batting average, while also boasting team highs in runs (18)—including five in two games vs. Northwestern Tuesday—hits (19), triples (2), home runs (2), RBIs (13), total bases (32), slugging percentage (.800), and on-base percentage (.532). … Buerkle had at least one hit in both games vs. Northwestern Tuesday—extending his hitting streak to 12 straight. … Buerkle is one of three Cardinals to reach base safely in all 12 contests this season—Schlemmer and David Barry (Apple Valley, Minn.) are the other two. … Fueled by his 12-game hitting streak, Buerkle has now had at least one hit in 48 of the 52 games he's played in a Cardinal uniform—and has reached base safely in 51 of 52 contests. … Saint Mary's belted eight home runs during its 10-game spring trip, led by Buerkle with two. Schlemmer, Miley, Tyler Lursen (Maple Grove, Minn.), Willie Doll (Amherst, Wis.), Drew Denning (St. Paul, Minn.), and Cale Pieczynski (Plover, Wis.) hit Saint Mary's other six round-trippers. The home runs by Denning and Pieczynski were collegiate firsts. … Pieczynski's home run was a pinch-hit, three-run, walk-off shot in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Saint Mary's a 10-8 win over Concordia. … Doll, who leads the team with seven stolen bases, has put together a team-high seven multiple-hit games—one more than Buerkle—while Schlemmer owns five multiple-RBI performances. … Jacob Dawson (Oakdale, Minn.) has been virtually untouchable in his three starts this season. The junior, who tossed 12 scoreless innings in his two spring trip starts, extended that scoreless streak to 16 innings by blanking Northwestern on two hits over four innings in Game 2 on Tuesday. Dawson, who has won all of his starts, has allowed just eight hits, while walking five and striking out 11. … Dawson hurled his first collegiate complete game in a three-hit, seven-strikeout 1-0 shutout of Loras on March 5. … Ryan Feit (Westchester, Ill.), and Nathan Mathwig (Woodbury, Minn.) both picked up their first collegiate pitching wins for the Cardinals during their 10-game spring trip. Feit did not allow a run, scattering two hits and striking out two in three innings to earn the win vs. Lyndon State on March 3, while Mathwig got the win in relief against Concordia on March 2. … The Cardinals have outscored their first 12 opponents 93-41—including 13-3 in the first inning, 17-2 in the second and 19-2 in the fifth. … Saint Mary's is 9-0 when holding its opponent to five runs or less. On the flip side, the Cardinals are 8-0 when plating six or more runs. … The Cardinals are 10-0 when leading after the sixth inning.
 
Scouting The Buena Vista Beavers:
2015 Roster | 2015 Statistics | 2015 Schedule
Buena Vista opened its 2015 campaign by stringing five straight wins together during its spring trip to Tucson, Ariz. The Beavers had their five-game winning streak snapped against Nebraska Wesleyan, falling 4-3 on March 14. BVU then put together back-to-back wins against the Prairie Wolves to close out the trip 7-1. … Tanner Truesdell heads into this weekend as the Beavers' offensive leader, leading the squad in batting average (.533), at-bats (30), hits (16), doubles (3), RBIs (13), on-base percentage (.576), and slugging percentage (.767). … Brandon Wessels belted a team-leading three triples, while Bryce Wessels owns the team's lone home run. … Justin Lange has been the ace of the Beavers' pitching staff, throwing 14 scoreless innings in two starts. He owns a 2-0 record and a 0.00 ERA. … Lucas Hadaway has made a team-high four appearances—all in relief—and has amassed three saves. … As at team, Buena Vista boasts a 2.20 ERA with 64 strikeouts. … Buena Vista has scored 66 runs in its first eight games—including 11 or more runs four times.
 
Scouting The Wheaton Thunder:
2015 Roster | 2015 Statistics | 2015 Schedule
The Thunder, who play four games in a three-day span—beginning Thursday against Rockford University—are in the midst of a three-game losing streak. … This weekend's games are part of a five-game homestand for the Thunder, who do not hit the road until next weekend, when they face Millikin in a three-game series in Decatur, Ill. … Wheaton has scored seven or more runs in each of its four wins this season—including a season-high 11 runs in an 11-1 victory over Loras on March 9. … Wheaton boasts five players with batting averages above .300—led by Andrew Laucella (.345), Matt Schappell (.345), Matt Krause (.343), and Johnny Peltz (.341). … Peltz also leads the team in at-bats (44), hits (15), doubles, and total bases (20). … Kyle Mellinger (.333) has plated a team-high 10 runs, while Krause is the team's RBI leader with eight, one more than Laucella and Tyler Sigler. … Krause and Peltz have launched the team's two home runs, while Laucella, Schappell, Krause, and Mellinger have each laced a triple. … Wheaton has stolen 26 bases on 31 attempts, led by Krause and Sigler with six steals each. … Michael Kaufman has logged a team-high 20.1 innings pitched, posting a 1-2 record and a 3.98 ERA with one complete game and 18 strikeouts. … Peter Moran (1-0, 5.59 ERA), Tom Bishop (0-0, 6.14 ERA), and Josh Arevalo (1-2, 8.25 ERA) have all made a team-high four pitching appearances. … Moran owns a team-leading two saves. … Wheaton is 2-0 in one-run games, but are 0-5 when scoring five runs or less. … The Thunder have outscored their opponents 11-6 after the seventh inning.
 
Scouting The Aurora Spartans:
2015 Roster | 2015 Statistics | 2015 Schedule
After opening the season with five consecutive wins, the Spartans have gone 4-4 in their last eight games. … Three of Aurora's four losses this season have been decided by two runs of less. … North Park's 14 runs in Tuesday's 14-3 win were the most allowed by the Spartans this season. … As a team, Aurora is hitting at a .344 clip, and boasts seven players hitting .300 or better—led by Tanner Oymaian's .533 average. … Oymaian also leads the team in hits (26), slugging percentage (.617), and on-base percentage (.582). … Jeffrey Gersch (.375) owns team-highs in at-bats (48) and runs (17), while sharing the team lead in RBIs (12) with Oymaian. … Gersch has hit the Spartans' lone triple this season, while Dillon Popovich owns their only home run—a solo shot against Alma on March 13. … Aurora has scored 87 runs through 13 games—including a season-high 20-run effort in a 20-5 win over Clark on March 3. … Aurora has seven pitchers who have logged 10 or more innings through 13 games, led by Colin Hart, who owns a 2-1 record and 2.05 ERA in 22 innings. … Hart has thrown three complete games in his three starts this season, while also striking out a team-best 14 batters. … Aron Okamoto has compiled a 1-0 record and 0.90 ERA with one save in three appearances. … The Aurora pitching staff enters the weekend boasting a 3.97 ERA , and opponents are hitting just .267. … Aurora is in the midst of a 17-game, season-opening road trip. The Spartans do not kick off the home portion of their schedule until March 29, when they entertain Milwaukee School of Engineering in an NACC doubleheader.