LEADING OFF: The Cardinals earned a spot in the six-team MIAC Tournament with their 2-1 showing against Augsburg in last weekend's MIAC Tournament qualifier series. SMU beat the Auggies 6-1 and 7-1 to advance and maintain the No. 3 seed. … The Cardinals — who are 7-3 in their last 10 — enter post-season play sporting a 25-13 overall record. The 25 wins are the most since 2016, when SMU finished the year 27-15-1. … In their two wins over Augsburg in their three-game series last weekend, Saint Mary's collected 25 hits. SMU banged out 12 hits in last Saturday's 6-1 win over the Auggies, including two-hit games from Tyler O'Brien (Belle Plaine, Minn.), Joey Costello (Victoria, Minn.), Justin Weinberg (Eagan, Minn.), and Liam Belleveau (Middleton, Wis.). The Cardinals added 13 hits — including three by Taylor Anderson (Waukesha, Wis.) and two each from Costello, Weinberg, and Andy Tepp (Stevens Point, Wis.).
AT THE PLATE: Weinberg — who has had two hits in each of the Cardinals' last three games — leads the team with a .359 batting average among regulars with 90 or more at-bats, percentage points in front of Will Matthews (Geneva, Ill. / .355). … Weinberg also leads or shares the team lead in at-bats (128), runs (34), hits (46), and home runs (2) … Matthews, sitting second ot Weinberg in at-bats (121), runs (26), and hits (43), leads of shares the team lead in doubles (14), home runs (2), total bases (65), slugging percentage (.537) and on-base percentage (.424). … Weinberg boasts a team-best 15 multiple-hit games, two more than Matthews. Weinberg's four-hit showing against St. Olaf on April 26 is the Cardinals' first four-hit game of the season. … Andy Tepp (Stevens Point, Wis.) leads the team in RBIs with 27, including a team-high nine multiple-RBI games . … Costello picked up hits in both games he played against Augsburg last weekend, extending his season- and career-high hitting streak to 11 games — the longest among Cardinal hitters this season. Tepp — who had a nine-game hitting streak earlier this season — has reached base safely in 18 straight contests, while Zach Drake (Westby, Wis.) has reached in 16 consecutive games. … The Cardinals' seven home runs this season have come from five different players. Along with two each from Matthews and Weinberg, 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 has stolen a single-season, program record 77 bases. Drake leads the way with 15 steals on 16 attempts, one more than Weinberg, who is 14-for-16. … Saint Mary's 18 hits against Carleton on April 12 — which came from 12 different players — were a season-high.
ON THE MOUND: Luke Gilbertson (Windom, Minn.) tossed his third nine-inning complete game of the season last Saturday, limiting Augsburg to just one run on five hits — and only one hit over the game's final five innings. With his win against Augsburg, Gilbertson pushed his record to 7-0, while lowering his ERA to 2.42. Gilbertson has now thrown a team-leading 52.0 innings — including three nine-inning complete games. … Gilbertson notched a complete-game, six-hit shutout in Game 2 against Macalester on April 22 for his first collegiate complete game, and first collegiate shutout. … Ryan Wolfe (Wabasha, Minn. / 6-3, 4.18 ERA) went seven innings to pick up his sixth win of the year against Augsburg last Sunday, allowing just one run on three hits. Wolf — 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, 2.25 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, 2.03 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, 5.57 ERA) collected his first collegiate pitching win against Gustavus on March 26. … Jonathan Cieminski (Fountain City, Wis. / 0-0, 3.32 ERA) recorded his first collegiate save in the nightcap against Carleton on April 6, facing the minimum nine batters in three innings of relief. … Saint Mary's used a single-game, program-record nine pitchers in last Wednesday's 11-10 win over Carleton. Four days later, SMU used seven pitchers — one in each inning of its 6-1 loss to Augsburg last Sunday.
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 their 11-10 win over Carleton on May 12 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 13-0 when holding its opponent to two runs or less — and 15-2 when scoring the game's first run. … SMU is 21-1 when leading after six innings, and 12-0 when leading heading into the eighth. … Saint Mary's has now played Augsburg seven times this season, going 5-2, owning 6-1, 7-1, 5-3, 3-0, and 5-4 wins, while falling 4-2 and 6-1. … 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 Cobbers are coming off an upset of fifth-seeded St. Olaf in the MIAC Tournament qualifier series, beating the Oles 8-6 and 8-1 in the first two games, before falling 10-8 in the third contest. Fifteen of the Cobbers' 16 runs in their two wins over St. Olaf were unearned. … CC's 8-6, Game 1 win over St. Olaf snapped its four-game losing streak.
AT THE PLATE: Sean McGuire and Matt Gruber — who have both started 34 of the Cobbers' 35 games — are the team's offensive leaders, hitting .358 and .355, respectively. … Gruber leads the team in at-bats (138), hits (49), and doubles (11), while McGuire second to Gruber in hits (44) and doubles (7). … Thomas Horan has recorded a team-high 28 RBIs, while Andy Gravdahl holds the top spot in triples (7), home runs (4), total bases (69), slugging percentage (.539), walks (20), and stolen bases (12). … The Cobbers boast four players with 10 or more multiple-hit games, led by Gruber with 14 and McGuire with 13. Horan is the team-leader in multiple-RBI games with six — including five-RBI games against both Hamline on April 10 and Bethel on May 1. … Gruber put together a season-high 15-game hitting streak earlier this season, but his five-game run is the longest active hit streak. Gravdahl drew a ninth-inning walk against St. Olaf last Sunday and has now reached base safely in 23 straight games.
ON THE MOUND: The Cobbers boast six pitchers who have logged more than 20 innings this season, led by Ty Syverson (7-2, 3.28 ERA) with 57.2 IP, Gabe Duncan (1-3, 5.40 ERA) with 35.0 IP, and Ashwin Stratton (1-2, 3.89 ERA) with 32.9 IP. … Luke Levasseur (4-2, 3.86 ERA has made a team-high 14 appearances, while Syverson and Stratton share the team lead with eight starts. … Mason Penske (1-0, 2.87) and Stratton have tossed the Cobbers' two complete games, and Penske has also accounted for two of the team's four saves. … Syverson is the only CC pitcher with more than 20 strikeouts, boasting a team-high 66, and opponents are hitting just .203 off of him.
BY THE NUMBERS: The Cobbers, who scored eight runs in all three games against St. Olaf last weekend, have scored six or more runs in 11 of their 17 wins this season. … Concordia is 6-0 when holding its opponent to two runs or less, but are winless (0-8) when scored less than three runs. … The Cobbers are 11-2 when leading after six innings. … Concordia has scored 10 or more runs five times, including a season-high 13 runs in losing to Jamestown 18-13 on April 5. … CC belted a season-high 16 hits — including three home runs — against Hamline on April 2.
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