LEADING OFF: The Cardinals head into this weekend's three-game MIAC Tournament qualifier against Augsburg as the No. 3 seed, finishing regular-season MIAC play with a 16-9 mark to finish tied with Saint John's for third behind regular-season champion St. Thomas and runner-up Gustavus. SMU held the tie-breaker over Saint John's to land the third seed. … This weekend's games against Augsburg will be the fifth, sixth and seventh between the two teams this season. Saint Mary's is 3-1 thus far vs. the Auggies, owning 5-3, 3-0, and 5-4 wins, while dropping a 4-2 decision. … With Wednesday's nonconference win over Carleton, the Cardinals have won five of their last seven and are sitting at 23-12 overall. Saint Mary's 23 wins are the most since 2016, when the Cardinals finished the year 27-15-1. … Six players had two hits — to pace the Cardinals' 18-hit attack against Carleton on Wednesday — including the first collegiate two-hit games for Isaac Blum (Verona, Wis.) and Brandon Merfeld (La Crosse, Wis.). … Saint Mary's 18 hits against the Knights — which came from 12 different players — were a season-high. … Saint Mary's used a program-record nine pitchers in Wednesday's 11-10 win over the Knights.
AT THE PLATE: Will Matthews (Geneva, Ill.) enters this weekend's games against Augsburg as the team-leader with a .360 batting average among regulars with 90 or more at-bats, while Justin Weinberg (Eagan, Minn. / .350) and Taylor Anderson (Waukesha, Wis. / .319) are also hitting above .300. … Matthews also leads or shares the team lead in doubles (14), RBIs (24), total bases (58), and slugging percentage (.509). … Weinberg is the team-leader in at-bats (120), hits (42), home runs (2) and runs (32). … Anderson has induced a team-best 18 walks. … Weinberg boasts a team-best 13 multiple-hit games, one more than Matthews. Weinberg's four-hit showing against St. Olaf on April 26 was the Cardinals' first four-hit game of the season. … Andy Tepp (Stevens Point, Wis.) leads the team with eight multiple-RBI games. … Tepp was held hitless in Game 2 against Hamline on April 29, snapping his career-high nine-game hitting streak. Tepp's nine-game streak is the longest by a Cardinal this year. … The Cardinals' six home runs this season have come from five different players. Along with Weinberg's two, Matthews, Liam Belleveau (Middleton, Wis.),Tyler O'Brien (Belle Plaine, Minn.), and Jack Arndt (Coon Rapids, Minn.) have each hit one HR. … Belleveau's HR vs. Concordia on April 17, and O'Brien's and Arndt's round-trippers against Augsburg on April 11, were all collegiate firsts. … Saint Mary's boasts three players who have recorded their first collegiate three-hit games this season — Anderson, O'Brien, and Trevon VanEgtern (La Crosse, Wis.). … Drake's four runs scored in the nightcap against Crown on March 29 were a single-game career-high and marked the first time since Joe Seegers against Rose-Hulman on March 1, 2018 that a Cardinal has scored four runs in a game. … VanEgtern drove in a career-high four runs in SMU's 14-6, Game 2 loss to the Oles on April 24 — it's the Cardinals' only four-RBI game this season. … Saint Mary's stole four bases against Carleton Wednesday, pushing their single-season, program record to 73. Drake leads the way with 14 steals on 15 attempts, two more than Weinberg, who is 12-for-14.
ON THE MOUND: Luke Gilbertson (Windom, Minn.) pushed his record to 6-0 with a Game 2 win over Bethel on May 6. … Gilbertson (6-0, 2.72 ERA) has thrown 43.0 innings — including back-to-back nine-inning complete games against Macalester and Hamline. … Gilbertson allowed one run on three hits, while striking out five and walking three. … Gilbertson notched a complete-game, six-hit shutout in Game 2 against Macalester on April 22 for his first collegiate game, and first collegiate shutout. … Ryan Wolfe (Wabasha, Minn. / 5-3, 4.63 ERA, 44.2 IP) — who picked up his fifth win in his first relief appearance in SMU's 9-4 Game 1 win over Hamline on April 29 — tossed a complete-game, one-hit shutout against Augsburg on April 10. Wolfe faced just 22 batters — one over the minimum, and allowed one a third-inning single. It was his third career shutout and fifth career complete game. … Justin Haugo (Springfield, Minn. / 1-1, 2.45 ERA) collected his first collegiate pitching win against Augsburg on April 11, tossing four innings of shutout relief in the Cardinals' 5-4 victory. … Addison Hochevar (Lake Geneva, Wis. / 3-1, 2.10 ERA) earned his first win as a Cardinal against Augsburg on March 16, and notched his first collegiate save against Hamline last Thursday. … Jordan Zabel (Elgin, Minn. / 2.2, 5.17 ERA) collected his first collegiate pitching win against Gustavus on March 26. … Jonathan Cieminski (Fountain City, Wis. / 0-0, 3.48 ERA) recorded his first collegiate save in the nightcap against Carleton on April 6, facing the minimum nine batters in three innings of relief.
BY THE NUMBERS: Saint Mary's has played 13 games decided by two runs or less — including seven one-run contests. SMU is 6-1 in those seven one-run games, with its 3-2 decision against SJU on April 15 being the only loss. … Saint Mary's 8-7, 10-inning win over Concordia on April 17 was the Cardinals' first extra-inning game of the season. … The Cardinals' 11 runs in Wednesday's 11-10 win over Carleton equaled their single-game season-high and marked the fifth time this season Saint Mary's has plated 10 or more runs. … Saint Mary's is 11-0 when holding its opponent to two runs or less — and 14-2 when scoring the game's first run. … The Cardinals' DH vs. Luther on March 14 was their first home game in 683 days, dating back to a conference DH vs. Gustavus on May 1, 2019. |
LEADING OFF: The Auggies enter this weekend's three-game series with Saint Mary's sitting at 7-24 overall. Augsburg finished regular-season conference play at 5-16 in landing the No. 10 seed for this weekend's action. … Augsburg dropped a 4-2 decision to Bethel on Wednesday, extending its losing streak to six straight. The Auggies have not won since beating Hamline 6-5 in nine innings on April 24. … Three of Augsburg's last four losses have been decided by two runs or less, including 8-6 and 4-2 losses to Bethel on May 9 and May 11.
AT THE PLATE: Connor Stolk enters the weekend against Saint Mary's lead the Auggies with a .299 batting average, while also leading or sharing the team lead in hits (26), runs (15), doubles (7), triples (2), total bases (40), walks (11), and on-base percentage (.408). … Steven Salz, who is second to Soltk with a .295 batting average, owns a team-best 17 RBIs and has hit two of Augsburg's three home runs this season. … Michael Weiss, who leads the team with 95 at-bats, has recorded a team-high nine multiple-hit games, two more than Stolk, Salz, and Carson Tomony. Augsburg owns six three-hit games, led by Stolk with three, but the Auggies have not had a player recorded a four-hit game this season. … Salz is the team-leader with six multiple-RBI games, while Ty Gage owns the team's lone four- and five-RBI performances.
ON THE MOUND: Augsburg boasts six pitchers who have tossed 20 or more innings this season, led by Austin Jerylo (2-2, 3.07 ERA) with 44.0 innings pitched. … Mathew Nicklay (2-4, 6.18 ERA) has made a team-leading nine starts and has tossed both of the Auggies' complete games. … Matthew Moe (1-2, 4.01 ERA) and Chase Thomley (1-4, 6.43 ERA) share the team lead in appearances with 11 each. … Thomley and Moe own Augsburg's two saves, while Jerylo is the strikeout leader with 27, three more tan John Retterath (0-2, 6.26 ERA).
BY THE NUMBERS: Augsburg has been outscored 197-96 this season — including 34-6 in the second inning. … The Auggies have played 13 games decided by two runs or less, going 5-8. … Augsburg is 0-13 when scoring less than three runs. On the flip side, the Auggies are 5-1 when limiting their opponents to two runs or less. … Augsburg is 3-18 when its opponent scores the game's first run. … The Auggies have not won (0-20) when trailing after six innings.
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