SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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• 2022: 7-7 MIAC, 15-16 Overall

SAINT JOHN’S JOHNNIES

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2022: 10-4 MIAC, 18-14 Overall

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SMU v. SJU * A YEAR AGO:

April 15, 2021 * Collegeville, MN

L, 3-2; W, 4-3 * Series History

SAINT MARY’S LAST ACTION:

April 23, 2022 * St. Peter, MN

Gustavus * L, 7-2; L, 8-3

SAINT JOHN’S LAST ACTION:

April 23, 2022 * Collegeville, MN

Macalester * W, 6-5; W, 10-0

SAINT MARY’S UP NEXT:

May 1, 2022 * Mankato, MN

Bethany Lutheran * 1:00

SAINT JOHN’S UP NEXT:

April 30, 2022 * St. Peter, MN

Gustavus * 1:00

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals head into their final home MIAC doubleheader of the regular season against Saint John’s sitting at 15-16 overall, including a 7-7 showing in conference play — which has them sitting fourth in the standings through their first 14 games of conference play.

• LAST TIME OUT: Saint Mary’s fell behind big early in both of its games in last Saturday’s doubleheader against Gustavus last Saturday in St. Peter, Minn. SMU gave up the game’s first seven runs in dropping a 7-2 decision to the Gusties in the opener, before falling behind 5-0 in an 8-3 loss in the nightcap.

• HOME SWEET HOME: SMU’s doubleheader against Saint John’s is the final homestand of the regular season for the Cardinals, who close out the regular-season slate with five straight road contests — a nine-inning nonconference game against Bethany Lutheran on Sunday, and MIAC doubleheaders at Concordia on May 4, and at Carleton on May 8. … SMU is currently 4-4 on its home diamond, while owning an 11-12 mark away from Max Molock Field. 

• LEADING THE CHARGE: Trevon VanEgtern (La Crosse, Wis.)  leads the Cardinals with a .364 batting average, going 36-for-99 — including a pair of three-hit games last week, a perfect 3-for-3 effort in last Tuesday’s Game 1 win over Hamline, and a 3-for-4 effort in Game 2 against Gustavus last Saturday. … Brandon Merfeld (La Crosse, Wis.) is also hitting above .300, sitting at .315, while Cameron Weber (Holmen, Wis.) is third on the team with a .290 batting average. … As a team, the Cardinals are hitting .260 (245-for-959).

• ON THE RUN: The Cardinals have scored 153 runs in 31 games, with Merfeld and Weber leading the way, scoring 28 and 24 runs, respectively. Tanner Bauman (Willmar, Minn. / 17), VanEgtern (16), Tyler O’Brien (Belle Plaine, Minn. / 15), Mason Coyle (Madison, Wis. / 13), Daniel Marxen (Maple Grove, Minn. / 11), and Ben Coons (Kimberly, Wis. / 10) have also scored 10 or more runs this season. … Merfeld scored a single-game season- and career-high four runs in against Rose-Hulman on March 3.

• HIT PARADE: The Cardinals have six players who have recorded at least 20 hits this season, led by VanEgtern with 36 and Weber with 31. Merfeld, O’Brien and Marxen have all collected 28, followed by Coons with 24. … SMU had three players collect three hits in Game 2 against Bethel on April 13 and has now had seven players record three hits in a game. … As a team, SMU has amassed 63 multiple-hit games, led by VanEgtern with four, three-hit games.

• EXTRA, EXTRA: Saint Mary’s has belted out 72 extra-base hits through 31 games, including 52 doubles, five triples, and 15 home runs. … Merfeld and O’Brien share the team lead with nine doubles, two more than VanEgtern, Marxen, and Weber. … SMU’s five triples have come from four different players. Weber owns two, and Merfeld, O’Brien, and Coyle have accounted for the other three.

• BOMBS AWAY: With their home run against Gustavus on Saturday, the Cardinals pushed their home run total to 15. VanEgtern and Marxen lead the way with four HRs each, two in front of Mason Coyle (Madison, Wis.) and Jake Mercado (Belle Plaine, Minn.). Coons, Weber, and Merfeld own the Cardinals’ other three round-trippers. … All seven SMU home run hitters this season have belted their first career HRs this season.

• DRIVING ‘EM HOME: As a team, Saint Mary’s has driven in 130 runs through 31 games, led by Marxen with 24, and VanEgtern and O’Brien with 17. Weber is fourth on the team with 12 RBIs, followed by Jack Arndt (Coon Rapids, Minn.) with 11, and Coons with 10. … Arndt delivered a career-high five RBIs in Saint Mary’s 9-7 win over Grove City on Feb. 28, while Marxen — who leads the team with six multiple-RBI games — has driven in a career-best four runs twice this season. 

• STREAKING ALONG: Arndt, O’Brien, and Coons have all put together season-high eight-game hitting streaks this season, but no Cardinal has an active streak longer than one. … Merfeld has reached base safely in each of SMU’s last 10 contests. 

• ON THE MOUND: Saint Mary’s has used 12 different pitchers through its first 31 games — and boasts eight hurlers who have logged more than 10 innings. Luke Gilbertson (Windom, Minn.) leads the Cardinal staff with 46 1/3 innings pitched, followed closely by Jordan Zabel (Elgin, Minn.) and Addison Hochevar (Lake Geneva, Wis.) with 39 1/3 IP and 38 2/3 IP, respectively. … Andrew Fischer (La Crosse, Wis. / 3-1, 4.78 ERA) leads the staff in appearances with 11, two more Justin Haugo (Springfield, Minn. / 1-1, 4.42 ERA), and three in front of Gilbertson (2-3, 5.05 ERA), Hochevar (2-4, 4.42 ERA), Zabel (2-4, 4.33 ERA), and Dylan Westcott (Holmen, Wis. / 0-1, 3.75 ERA). … Hochevar and Gilbertson lead the staff with eight starts.

• COMPLETING WHAT THEY STARTED: Gilbertson and Zabel tossed back-to-back complete games in SMU’s spring trip-ending split against Northwestern on March 5. Gilbertson allowed four runs on seven hits in a 6-4 win, while Zabel surrendered five runs on six hits in suffering the 5-1, Game 2 loss. The complete game was the first of Zabel’s career, while Gilbertson owns four career complete games.

• PITCHING FIRSTS: Timmy Smith (South St. Paul, Minn.) picked up his first collegiate pitching win and Westcott earned his first save as a Cardinal in SMU’s 14-10 win over Concordia on Feb. 27. Smith allowed three runs – only one of which was earned — on five hits in four innings of relief, while Wescott worked a scoreless ninth. Westcott picked up save No. 2 the following day, working a one-run ninth in SMU’s 9-7 win over Grove City. … Fischer set Wheaton down in order in the bottom of the seventh to preserve SMU’s 3-2 win and in his first save in a Cardinal uniform. … Haugo notched his first career save in SMU’s Game 2 win over Hamline on April 19, blanking the Pipers on three hits over the final four innings of the nine-inning contest.

• SAVING THE DAY: Fischer picked up his team-leading fifth save with four innings of shutout relief in SMU’s 5-3 win over Augsburg last Thursday. Westcott is second to Fischer with four saves, while Haugo owns the other one.

• FANNING THE FLAMES: The SMU pitching staff has struck out 203 batters through 31 games, led by Hochevar with 44, followed by Zabel (30), Gilbertson (28), Fischer (28), Haugo (19), and Smith (17). … Hochevar struck out a career-high nine batters in SMU’s 3-0, Game 2 loss to Macalester on April 16. The nine Ks were one more than his previous career-best of eight in SMU’s 3-2 win over Wheaton on March 22.

• WALKING OFF: Saint Mary’s and Luther both claimed 7-6, walk-off victories in their nonconference doubleheader split on March 13. Luther got a two-run scoring double to cap a three-run seventh inning in winning the opener, while VanEgtern laced a run-scoring single in the bottom of the 11th to give Saint Mary’s the win in Game 2.

• THIS AND THAT: The Cardinals have scored six or more runs in 11 of their 15 wins — including a season-high 16-run showing in dropping Rose-Hulman 16-7 on March 3. On the flip side, Saint Mary’s has been held to five runs or less in 14 of its 16 losses. … The Cardinals are 10-4 in games decided by two runs or less — 5-3 in one-run games and 5-1 in two-run contests. … Saint Mary’s has scored in the first inning in eight of its 31 games — going 7-1. … SMU is 13-2 when leading after six innings, but are only 2-13 when trailing heading into the seventh frame. … Saint Mary’s has scored four or more runs in an inning seven times — including a seven-run fourth inning against Hamline on April 19, and a season-high eight-run second inning in its 16-7 win over Rose-Hulman on March 3. … Saint Mary’s has played three extra-inning games this season — beating Luther 7-6 in 11 innings on March 13 and topping St. Olaf 5-4 in 10 innings on April 9, before dropping a 2-1, eight-inning decision to Macalester on April 16.

• FOR THE RECORD: The Johnnies head into their conference doubleheader at Saint Mary’s sitting at 18-14 overall, while sporting a third-place mark of 10-4 through 14 MIAC contests.

• LAST TIME OUT: Saint John’s picked up a key conference sweep of Macalester last Saturday at Becker Park in Collegeville, Minn. SJU rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the bottom of the seventh inning, capping a five-run frame with a walk-off, three-run home run off the bat of Ethan Roe for a 6-5 victory. The Johnnies left little doubt in the nightcap, erupting for 10 runs to complete the sweep with a 10-0, eight-inning victory.

• ROAD WARRIORS: SJU’s doubleheader at Saint Mary’s is the first of back-to-back road contests for the Johnnies, who will be at Gustavus on Saturday, before closing out the regular season with a home twinbill against Augsburg on May 7. SJU, which is in the midst of playing four of five doubleheaders on the road — the lone exception, last Saturday’s sweep of Macalester — sports a 10-2 record on its home turf, while going 8-12 away from Becker Park this season.

• STREAKING ALONG: SJU heads into its matchup against Saint Mary’s having won seven of its last eight, the lone loss a 2-1, Game setback at the hands of St. Scholastica on April 19. That 2-1 loss snapped the Johnnies’ season-high five-game winning streak. On the flip side, eight of SJU’s 14 losses this season have come during two season-high four-game losing streaks.

• AT THE PLATE: As a team, the Johnnies are hitting .282, and boast five regulars who are hitting above .300 through 32 games — led by Owen Dauk’s team-best .355 batting average. Max Nyrop is second to Dauk, sporting a .345 average, followed by Soren Roe (.327), Ethan Roe (.313), and Matthew Hayford (.311).

• RUNNING WILD: Saint John’s has scored 189 runs through 32 games, led by Dauk with 29 runs scored, one more than Soren Roe. Joe Becker (25) and Ethan Roe (23) have also crossed the plate more than 20 times this season. … Becker and Dauk have both scored a single-game, season-high four runs this season — Becker against Marietta on March 10 and Dauk vs. St. Olaf on April 16.

• HIT PARADE: Nyrop leads the Johnnies with 39 hits and is one of five players with 30 or more hits this season — Becker (37), Ethan Roe (36), Soren Roe (34) and Dauk (33) are the others. Hayford and Jordan Amundson have each surpassed 20 hits this season, chipping in 28 and 27 hits, respectively. … Ethan Roe leads the team with 12 multiple-hit games, two more than both Becker and Nyrop. … Ethan Roe and Nyrop have accounted for SJU’s two four-hit games this season — both coming against Marietta on March 10.

• EXTRA, EXTRA: The Johnnies boast 103 extra-base hits among their 284 hits this season, including 53 doubles, nine triples, and 41 home runs. … Ethan Roe has delivered a team-high nine doubles, two more than Nyrop, Soren Roe, and Becker, while Becker, Amundson, and Rodney Erickson all lead the team with two triples.

• GOING DEEP: Ethan Roe has clubbed a team-high 10 home runs, with Dauk, Nyrop, Becker, Amundson, and Jack Schlepper all sitting second with five round-trippers each. … Becker and Ethan Roe have both hit two home runs in a game this season — Becker against Marietta on March 10 and Roe vs. St. Olaf on April 16. … The Johnnies’ 41 home runs lead the conference and rank No. 13 in all of NCAA Division III.

• DRIVING ‘EM IN: The Johnnies have seven players with 10 or more RBIs this season, led by Ethan Roe with 38. Becker is second with 25 RBIs, followed by Nyrop (24), Soren Roe (18), Amundson (17), Dauk (14), and Schleper (13). … SJU has collected 41 multiple-RBI games, led by Roe with 10, and Nyrop and Becker with seven each. … Ethan Roe has driven in four runs in a game four times, while Soren Roe racked up a single-game season-high six RBIs against Macalester last Saturday.

• STREAKING ALONG: Nyrop heads into the Johnnies’ matchup against Saint Mary’s riding an 11-game hitting streak — the team’s longest of the season. … Dauk has reached base safely in each of the Johnnies’ last 20 games, while Nyrop has been on base in 15 consecutive games.

• ON THE MOUND: Saint John’s has used 19 pitchers through 32 games this season, with six logging at least 15 innings pitched. Casey Trapp leads the staff with 56.1 IP, followed by Nathan Brandecker (48 2/3 IP), Kody Dalen (38.0 IP), Griffin Larson (23 2/3 IP), Quinn Krueger (16 2/3 IP), and Will Fazio (15 1/3 IP). … Trapp (4-1, 3.67 ERA) has made a team-high 11 pitching appearances, once more than both Larson (4-2, 2.66 ERA) and Brandecker (5-1, 4.07 ERA). … Brandecker leads the team with five wins, one more than Larson and Trapp. … Trapp has accounted for four of the team’s six complete games, with Brandecker tossing the other two.

• FANNING THE FLAMES: The Johnnie pitching staff has combined to record 243 strikeouts this season, led by Trapp with 59, Larson and Kody Dalen (1-1, 3.79 ERA) with 37, and Brandecker with 31. … Trapp struck out a single-game season-high 13 batters against Concordia on April 2.

• FREE BASEBALL: Saint John’s has played four extra-inning games this season. SJU beat Concordia 9-8 in eight innings on April 2, while falling to Haverford 6-5 in eight innings, Bethany Lutheran 8-6 in nine innings, and Heidelberg 12-9 in 13 innings.

• BY THE NUMBERS: Saint John’s has outscored its opponents 189-172, including 33-19 in the first inning and 17-7 in the second. … The Johnnies have been involved in 14 games decided by two runs or less. SJU is 5-6 in one-run games, and 2-1 in contests decided by two runs. … Saint John’s has scored six or more runs in 14 of its 18 wins this season. On the flip side, SJU has allowed six or more runs in nine of its 14 losses. … SJU is 4-0 when scoring 10 or more runs, while going 0-5 when allowing 10 or more runs. … The Johnnies are 14-5 when scoring first, and 10-3 when plating at least one run in their first at-bat. … SJU is 14-4 when leading after the sixth inning, while going 4-10 when tied or trailing heading into the final frame.