The Saint Mary’s baseball team is back in action on Tuesday, as the Cardinals head to CHS Field in St. Paul, Minn., for a 4 p.m. conference doubleheader against Hamline.

SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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2023: 6-10 MIAC, 11-18 Overall

HAMLINE PIPERS

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2023: 6-10 MIAC, 10-24 Overall

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SMU-HAM * LAST MEETING:

April 19, 2022 * Winona, MN

W, 6-4; W, 9-1 * Series History

SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:

April 30, 2023 * Mankato, MN

Bethany Lutheran * W, 19-9

HAMLINE * LAST ACTION:

May 1, 2023 * St. Paul, MN

Carleton * L, 3-2; L, 12-5

SAINT MARY’S * UP NEXT:

May 4, 2023 * Eau Claire, WI

Hamline * Noon/2:30 p.m.

BETHANY LUTHERAN * UP NEXT: 

May 6, 2023 * Duluth, MN

St. Scholastica * 1 p.m./3:30 p.m.

SAINT MARY’S SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals head into their conference doubleheader at Hamline sitting at 11-18 overall, including a 6-10 showing MIAC play.

• LAST TIME OUT: The Cardinals erupted for a season-high 19 runs — including six in the third inning and four in the ninth — en route to a 19-9, nonconference win over Bethany Lutheran Sunday afternoon at ISG Field in Mankato, Minn.

• ON A HIGH-OCTANE ROLL: With their win over Bethany Lutheran on Sunday, the Cardinals have now won three straight — scoring 38 runs in that three-game span. … SMU’s 19-run outburst against BLC Sunday marked the highest run production since March 1, 2017, when the Cardinals blitzed Finlandia 19-4. … SMU also set season-highs in hits (17), RBIs (18), doubles (5), triples (2), and walks (10) against Bethany Lutheran on Sunday.

• AT THE PLATE: Saint Mary’s boasts a three players who are hitting above .300 this season, led by Cameron Weber (Holmen, Wis.), who has gone 39-for-106 — including 5-for-7 against Bethany Lutheran on Sunday — en route to a team-best .368 batting average. Mason Coyle (Madison, Wis.) is second on the team, hitting .338, followed closely by Riley Bauman (Stratford, Wis.) at .330. Brandon Merfeld (La Crosse, Wis.) is just one percentage point away from joining the group, sporting a .299 batting average. … As a team, Saint Mary’s is hitting .267 (233-for-872).

• ON THE RUN: The Cardinals have plated 142 runs in 29 games thus far this season. Riley Bauman has scored a team-leading 23 runs, four more than both Weber. Trevon VanEgtern (La Crosse, Wis.) is third on the team with 16 runs scored, while Coyle (14), Merfeld (14), and Tanner Bauman (Willmar, Minn. / 10) have also reached double figures in runs scored. … Weber scored a single-game season- and career-high four runs against Bethany Lutheran on Sunday. … Coyle and Merfeld each scored a career-high four runs in a game a year ago — Merfeld’s coming against Rose-Hulman on March 3, 2022, while Coyle achieved the feat against Carleton on May 8, 2022.

• HIT PARADE: Weber sits atop the team lead in hits with 39, five more than Riley Bauman, with Merfeld (29), VanEgtern (27), and Coyle (27) have also reached the 20-hit plateau. … Weber has collected a team-best 12 multiple-hit games, one in front of Riley Bauman and three up on Coyle. … Weber’s five hits against Bethany Lutheran Sunday were a season- and career-high, and marked the first time this season SMU has had a player record more than three hits in a game.

• FIRST AS A CARDINAL: Saint Mary’s has had seven players record their first collegiate hits this season — Ryan Campbell (New Berlin, Wis.), Jaxon Vance (Eau Claire, Wis.), Daniel Sherman (Richfield, Minn.), Patrick Schork (Janesville, Wis.), Reese Berg (Green Bay, Wis.), Alex Crusan (Bloomington, Minn.), and Noah Lahner (Waukesha, Wis.).

• EXTRA, EXTRA: Saint Mary’s has collected 233 hits in its first 28 games, including 53 for extra bases — 38 doubles, five triples, and 10 home runs. … Coyle leads the team with seven doubles, one more than Weber and Riley Bauman, while Merfeld (2), Coyle, Boeckman, and Campbell own the team’s three triples.

• BOMBS AWAY: After belting 15 home runs a year ago, SMU has hit 10 round-trippers this season. Riley Bauman launched his team-leading fourth HR of the season — a three-run shot — against Concordia on April 28. Coyle is second with three home runs, while VanEgtern, Will Boeckman (Big Lake, Minn.), and Marxen (Maple Grove, Minn.) have launched the other three. … Bauman’s first home run of the season against Franklin on Feb. 26 was the first of his collegiate career, while Boeckman’s two-run bomb against Bethany Lutheran on Sunday was his first as a Cardinal.

• DRIVING ‘EM IN: Riley Bauman owns the team lead in RBIs with 21, with Coyle (19), VanEgtern (15), Marxen (12), Tanner Bauman (10), and Weber (10) also reaching double figures. … Riley Bauman leads the team with six multiple-RBI games, two more than VanEgtern, and two up on Marxen, Tanner Bauman, and Coyle. … Riley Bauman and Sam Schneider () have each delivered a single-game career-high four RBIs this season – Bauman against St. Olaf on April 8 and Schneider vs. Bethany Lutheran on Sunday.

• OUCH: The Cardinals have been hit by a pitch 29 times in 29 games, led by Weber, who has been beaned five times. … Saint Mary’s had two games in 2022 — vs. Rose-Hulman on March 3, 2022 and vs. Carleton on May 8, 2022 — in which five Cardinals were hit by a pitch. … Individually, SMU had a player hit by a pitch twice in a game five times.

• CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: Saint Mary’s has stolen 60 bases on 75 attempts through 29 games, led by Weber (15-for-18), Riley Bauman (9-10), and Tanner Bauman (8-10). SMU has gotten at least one stolen base from 13 different players. 

• STREAKING: Weber each head into SMU’s DH against Hamline riding nine-game hitting streaks. … Coyle has reached base safely in 12 consecutive contests.

• ON THE MOUND: Saint Mary’s has used 13 different pitchers this season — including seven who have logged 10 or more innings. Timmy Smith (South St. Paul, Minn. / 5-1, 4.00 ERA) leads the staff with 52.0 IP, followed by Addison Hochevar (Lake Geneva, Wis. / 2-5, 2.96 ERA, 45 1/3 IP) and Andrew Fischer (La Crosse, Wis. / 1-4, 7.39 ERA, 35 1/3). TJ Bergland (Farmington, Minn. / 0-3, 8.10 ERA, 23 1/3 IP), Dylan Westcott (Holmen, Wis. / 0-3, 3.38 ERA, 16.0 IP), Eric Stomberg (St. Paul, Minn. / 0-2, 4.80 ERA, 15.0 IP), and Mason Windschitl (Excelsior, Minn. / 0-0, 3.00 ERA, 12.0 IP) have also reached double figures in innings pitch.. … Westcott has made a team-leading 10 appearances, two more than Hochevar, Smith, Windschitl and Bergland, while Smith and Hochevar have each made a team-high eight starts.

• PITCHING FIRSTS: Smith tossed his first collegiate nine-inning complete game against Northwestern on March 22, holding the Eagles to one run on five hits in a 3-1 SMU victory. Smith tossed his second nine-inning complete game in SMU’s 5-4 win over Gustavus last Sunday. … Eric Charest (Blaine, Minn. / 1-0, 6.43 ERA, 7.0 IP) picked up his first collegiate pitching win against Calvin on March 2, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits in five innings of SMU’s 8-2 win over the Knights. The freshman right-hander also collected his first save in a Cardinal uniform with one inning of scoreless relief in SMU’s 3-2 win over MSOE on Feb. 27. … Fischer tossed his first collegiate complete game in Friday’s 6-0, Game 1 loss to Saint John’s. … Alec Amin earned his first collegiate pitching win against Bethany Lutheran, allowing five runs — all unearned — on five hits in three innings of relief of Andrew Milner (Eau Claire, Wis.), who made his first collegiate start against the Vikings, surrendering four runs on five hits in four innings.

• SAVING THE DAY: Westcott collected his team-leading fourth save of the season against Concordia on April 28, while Charest and Stomberg each own one save. … Fischer closed out the 2022 season as team’s saves leader with six, one more than Westcott.

• FANNING THE FLAMES: The SMU pitching staff has struck out 151 batters in 28 games, led by Hochevar with 45, Smith with 28, and Fischer with 24. … Hochevar fanned a career-high 10 batters in last Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Carleton. … Smith struck out a career-high eight batters against Northwestern on March 22.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: The Cardinals have scored 142runs in 29 games, including nine or more runs six times. … Saint Mary’s is 10-9 when scoring at least three runs, but winless (0-9) when being held under three runs. On the flip side, SMU has allowed six runs or more in 12 of its 18 losses, including a season-high 13 runs in its 13-9 loss to Aurora on March 21. … The Cardinals are 11-3 when leading or tied after the sixth inning, but are still searching for their first win (0-15) when trailing heading to the seventh. … Saint Mary’s has scored four or more runs in an inning six times this season — including a season-high six-run third inning in Sunday’s 19-9 win over Bethany Lutheran. SMU plated five sixth-inning runs in both games against Concordia on April 28, and also owns three, four-run innings this season. … SMU has played just one extra-inning year this season — falling to Aurora 13-9 in 10 innings on March 20.

HAMLINE SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Pipers head into their conference matchup against Saint Mary’s sitting at 10-24 overall, including 6-10 in conference play.

• LAST TIME OUT: Hamline came out on the short end of both games of its MIAC doubleheader against Carleton Monday at CHS Field in St. Paul, Minn., falling 3-2 in the opener, before dropping a 12-5 decision in the nightcap.

• LIMPING IN: With their two losses to Carleton, Hamline has now dropped four straight — allowing along 46 runs in that four-game span. HU was swept by Concordia 11-2 and 20-16 last Wednesday, before Monday’s 3-2, 12-3 losses to Carleton.

• LEADING THE CHARGE: Hamline will take the field against Saint Mary’s boasting five players who are hitting above .300, led by Tyler Johnson’s team-best .349 batting average. Mac Enlow (.336), Caden Erickson (.309), and Max Gerstner (.308) are also sporting averages north of .300. …. As a team, Hamline is hitting .294 (315-for-1072)

• ON THE RUN: Gerstner leads the team lead in runs scored with 25, one more than Johnson, with Erickson (21) and Braeden Bourne (20) also crossing about plate at least 20 times this season.

• HIT PARADE: Hamline has two players — Enlow (44) and Johnson (44) — who have eclipsed the 40-hit mark this season, while Gerstner (37) and Erickson (34) have 30+ hits through 34 games. … Johnson and Enlow have both reached double figures in multiple-hit games — Johnson owns 13 and Enlow has 11.

• EXTRA, EXTRA: Hamline has banged out 315 hits this season, including 82 for extra bases — 62 doubles, eight triples, and 12 home runs. … Johnson and Enlow lead the Pipers in doubles with 13 and 10, respectively, while five different players have accounted for HU’s five triples.

• BOMBS AWAY: Hamline’s 12 home runs have come from nine different players. Johnson leads the team with three round-trippers, with Finn Melchior (2), Enlow, Erickson, Owen Christenson, Bourne, Gavin Renwick, Matt Rusch, and Nick Zezulka all clubbing one HR.

• DRIVING ‘EM IN: The Pipers have nine players who have recorded at least 10 RBIs this season, including three — Johnson (27), Enlow (24), and Christenson (23) — who have delivered 20+ RBIs. … Christenson and Enlow share the team lead in multiple-hit games with six, one more than Erickson, Johnson, and Gerstner.

• STREAKING ALONG: Gerstner and Johnson have both put together hitting streaks of 10 or more games this season, but Bourne’s six-gamer is the Pipers’ longest active streak. … Gerstner has reached base safely in 15 consecutive games. 

• ON THE MOUND: HU has used 14 different pitchers this season, and boast four who have logged at least 30 innings on the mound. Zach Branson (3-6, 7.71 ERA) leads the staff in innings pitched at 51 1/3, followed by Dalton Maxwell (2-1, 4.90 ERA, 39 2/3 IP), Parker Leipzig (2-5, 4.97 ERA, 38.0 IP), and Jonah Smallfield (1-1, 4.24 ERA, 36.0 IP). … Smallfield leads the staff with 14 pitching appearances — all in relief — while Branson has made a team-high 10 starts. … Branson owns HU’s lone complete game.

• FANNING THE FLAMES: As a staff, Hamline pitchers have struck out 220 batters, led by Branson (52), Leipzig (34), Maxwell (29), and Smallfield (20).

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: Hamline has scored 10 or more runs in a game five times, going 4-1. … HU scored a season-high 21 runs in routing Macalester 21-6 on April 17. On the flip side, HU has allowed 10+ runs in a game 12 times — including 20 or more runs twice. The Pipers allowed 20 runs in a 20-16 loss to Concordia on April 26, while surrendering a season-high 29 runs in falling to Concordia (Wis.) 29-8 on March 12. … Hamline has put together winning streaks of two and four games this season, while suffering through losing streaks of three, four, five, and six games.