SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

Home | Roster | Stats | Schedule

2024: 6-4 Overall

AURORA SPARTANS

Home | Roster | Stats | Schedule

2024: 8-2 Overall

WHEATON THUNDER

Home | Roster | Stats | Schedule

2024: 2-5 Overall

U. OF DUBUQUE SPARTANS

Home | Roster | Stats | Schedule

2024: 9-2 Overall

LIVE ON THE WEB:

Follow Along: Live Stats

MIAC: Standings * Schedule

Social: Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * YouTube

SMU-AURORA * LAST MEETING:

March 20, 2023 * Carol Stream, IL

L, 13-9 (10) * Series History

SMU-WHEATON * LAST MEETING:

March 20, 2023 * Carol Stream, IL

L, 9-8 * Series History

SMU-DUBUQUE * LAST MEETING:

Feb. 28, 2023 * Auburndale, FL

L, 11-2 * Series History

SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:

March 9, 2024 * Davenport, FL

Saint Joseph’s * W, 4-2; W, 11-3

AURORA * LAST ACTION:

March 9, 2024 * Auburndale, FL

Wheaton (Mass.) * W, 3-1

WHEATON * LAST ACTION:

March 5, 2024 * Tucson, AZ

Gustavus * W, 11-9

DUBUQUE * LAST ACTION:

March 2-3, 2024 * Dubuque, IA

St. Norbert * W, 8-4; W, 5-0; W, 5-0

SAINT MARY’S * UP NEXT:

March 23-24 * Milwaukee, WI

MSOE * 1:00/3:30 & 1:00

AURORA * UP NEXT: 

March 23, 2024 * Montgomery, IL

Wisconsin Lutheran * 12:00/2:30

WHEATON * UP NEXT: 

March 19, 2024 * Carol Stream, IL

University of Chicago * 5:00

DUBUQUE * UP NEXT: 

March 22-23, 2024 * Decorah, IA

Luther * 3:00/12:00/3:30

SAINT MARY’S SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals head into their nonconference games against Aurora, Wheaton, and University of Dubuque sitting at 6-4 through the first 10 games of the season.

• LAST TIME OUT: Saint Mary’s closed out its eight-game spring trip with a 5-3 record, sweeping doubleheaders against Illinois College and Saint Joseph’s, and adding a come-from-behind, 7-6 win over Marian, while dropping nine-inning decisions to Dominican, Benedictine, and UW-Oshkosh.

• GETTING SOME (VERY) EARLY SWINGS: SMU’s season-opener against Bethany Lutheran on Feb. 25 and its game against Luther the followed day marked the earliest games played on Max Molock Field in program history. Saint Mary’s has never played a game in February on its home field.

• SWEEPING UP: The Cardinals have played two doubleheaders this season, sweeping both. SMU posted 5-2, 10-5 wins over Illinois College to kick off their spring trip on March 3 and closed out their eight-game stay in Davenport, Fla., with 4-2, 11-3 wins over Saint Joseph’s six days later.

• AT THE PLATE: Ryan Csida (Kimberly, Minn.) heads into the weekend sporting a team-leading .375 batting average through SMU’s first 10 games. He is one of four SMU players hitting above .300, being joined by Brinton Anderson (Pulaski, Wis. / .357), Daniel Sherman (Richfield, Minn. / .345), and Cameron Weber (Holmen, Wis. / .343), while Riley Bauman (Stratford, Wis.) is percentage points shy of the .300 mark, hitting .294.

• ON THE RUN: The Cardinals have scored 59 runs through their first 10 games this season …. Csida leads the team with 11 runs scored, followed by Mason Coyle (Madison, Wis.) with eight, and Weber and Cam Miller (Kimberly, Wis.) with seven each. … Miller, Coyle, and Riley Bauman have all scored a single-game season-high three times this season. … Weber and Riley Bauman (Stratford, Wis.) each scored a single-game season- and career-high four runs in 2023 — Weber against Bethany Lutheran on April 30 and Bauman vs. Hamline on May 2.

• HIT PARADE: Csida, who picked up two hits in his first two collegiate games against Bethany Lutheran and Luther on Feb. 25-26, shares the team lead in hits (12) with Weber, while Riley Bauman and Sherman have also reached double figures with 10 hits apiece. … Weber and Csida have each put together four two-hit games this season, while Riley Bauman delivered a single-game season-high four hits against Dominican on March 4. … Weber posted a single-game career-high five hits against Bethany Lutheran on April 30, 2023. The five-hit game marked the only time SMU had a player record more than three hits in a game in 2023.

• EXTRA, EXTRA: Nineteen of the Cardinals’ 85 hits this season have been for extra bases, including 13 doubles, four triples, and two home runs. … Csida leads the team with three doubles, one more than Golden, while eight other Cardinals each own one two-bagger. … Csida, Riley Bauman, Sherman, and Coyle have clubbed SMU’s four triples.

• BOMBS AWAY: Will Boeckman (Big Lake, Minn.) belted SMU’s first home run of the season, a two-run shot against Bethany Lutheran on Feb. 25. … Csida has accounted for SMU’s other round-tripper, belting his first collegiate HR —a lead-off shot — against Benedictine on March 8. … Saint Mary’s hit 11 home runs in 2023, led Riley Bauman with five.

• DRIVING ‘EM IN: Weber and Csida share the team lead in RBIs with seven, two more than Anderson and three up on Boeckman, Sherman, Coyle, and Alex Hanneman (Appleton, Wis.). … Sherman accounted for all four RBIs in SMU’s 4-2 win over Saint Joseph’s on March 9, while Hanneman delivered a career-high three RBIs in the SMU baseball team’s loss to Dominican on March 4.

• OUCH: The Cardinals, who were hit by a pitch 32 times in 35 games in 2023, have already been plunked 14 this season — with Csida getting hit a team-high four times

• CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: Saint Mary’s is 22-for-27 in stolen base attempts this season, with Weber a perfect 7-for-7, followed by Riley Bauman (4-for-4), Csida (33-for-3), and Golden (3-for-3). … SMU swiped 10 bases in its doubleheader sweep of Saint Joseph’s on March 9 — including six in Game 1. … Riley Bauman and Weber have each stolen a season-high three bases in a game this season — Bauman against Dominican on March 4 and Weber vs. Saint Joseph’s on March 9.  

• STREAKING: Weber closed out the 2023 season riding a 15-game hitting streak, and picked up at least one hit in each of SMU’s first four games this season, before going 0-for-6 against Dominican on March 4. … Csida has reached base safely in all 10 SMU Games this season.

• ON THE MOUND: Saint Mary’s has used 10 different pitchers this season, with Andrew Fischer (La Crosse, Wis.) leading the way with a 1-1 record and 1.69 ERA in 16 innings of work. Eric Stomberg (St. Paul, Minn.) has logged 14 innings, going 2-0 with a 3.21 ERA, while Addison Hochevar (Lake Geneva, Wis. / 0-2, 6.75 ERA) and Dylan Westcott (Holmen, Wis. / 1-0, 2.70 ERA) have put in 10 2/3 and 10 innings, respectively. … Fischer collected his third career complete game with a five-hitter in SMU’s 4-2 win over Saint Joseph’s on March 9. … Westcott owns SMU’s lone save this season. 

• FANNING THE FLAMES: The SMU pitching staff has combined to strike out 59 batters in 10 games this season, led by Fischer with 16 strikeouts and Stomberg with 13. … SMU pitchers struck out 187 batters in 35 games a year ago, led by Hochevar with 52. …Hochevar fanned a career-high 10 batters in a 1-0 loss to Franklin.

• REACHING 100: Weber and Hochevar each reached the career century mark in 2023. Weber owns 117 career games played and 118 hits, while Hochevar boasts 151 career strikeouts.

• COMEBACK KIDS: The Cardinals put together three, five-run innings to beat Illinois Chicago (twice) and Marian during their eight-game spring trip. SMU scored five runs in the fifth inning of 5-2 and 10-5 wins over Illinois Chicago on March 3, before racking up five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning of a 7-6, walk-off win over Marian two days later.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: As a team, the Cardinals are hitting .274 (82-for-299), including 19 extra-base hits, while scoring 59 runs and boasting 47 RBIs. … SMU has outscored its opponents in each of the first three innings — 8-3 in the first, 3-2 in the second and 4-1 in the third — and holds a 16-8 advantage in the sixth. … The Cardinals have scored just one fifth-inning run, being outscored 18-1 in that frame. … Saint Mary’s has scored at least three runs in all 10 games this season — including 10+ runs twice in wins over Illinois College (10-5) and Saint Joseph’s (11-3). … The Cardinals are 5-0 when holding their opponent to less than six runs, and are 4-0 when leading after the sixth inning.

AURORA SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Spartans head into the weekend sporting an impressive 8-2 overall record, including a 6-2 mark during its spring trip to Auburndale, Fla., last week.

• LAST TIME OUT: Aurora closed out its stay in Florida picking up back-to-back wins over Bethel (6-1) and Wheaton (Mass.) (3-1) on March 8-9. … The Spartans also posted spring trip wins over St. John Fisher (10-7), John Carroll (11-8, 9-0), and Buena Vista (11-1), before falling to Rowan (5-2) and Bethel (11-8).

• ROAD WARRIORS: After opening the season with 13 straight road games, the Spartans will kick off the home portion of their schedule on March 23 with a pair of games against Wisconsin Lutheran. … Aurora finished the 2023 campaign 15-3 on its home diamond, while going 27-3 on the road.

• YEAR TO REMEMBER: Aurora is coming off a 42-6 season a year ago that included a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) regular season and tournament titles, and a run to the NCAA Super Regional, where the Spartans fell to Baldwin Wallace 6-5 and 16-6. … The Spartans, who ended 2023 with a 42-6 overall record, including a 23-1 mark in NACC play, made their fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, and their 25th all-time. 

• LEADING THE CHARGE: The Spartans enter this weekend’s contest boasting eight players who are hitting above .300 through the first 10 games of the season, led by Joe Lukancic, Logan Riley, and Sean Rivera, who are all sitting north of .400. Lukancic owns a team-best .474 batting average, going 18-for-38, while Riley and Rivera are tied for second with .400 batting averages. 

• ON THE RUN: Aurora has already plated 80 runs in 10 games, and has three players — Nico Bermeo (15), Lukancic (12), and Derek Angela (11) — who have scored more than 10 times. … Bermeo has scored three runs in a game twice this season, while Angelo has scored three times once. 

• HIT PARADE: Lukancic has delivered a team-high 18 hits, one more than Dominick Curcio, while Angelo (14), Riley (14), Bermeo (13), Nik Panico (13), and Rivera (10) have also chipped in at least 10 hits through the season’s first 10 games. … Curcio and Lukancic share the team lead with six multiple-hit games, and both have posted one four-hit game — Curcio against Buena Vista on March 4 and Lukancic vs. Ripon on Feb. 25.

• EXTRA, EXTRA: Thirty-nine of Aurora’s 114 hits this season have gone for extra bases, including 30 doubles, two triples, and seven home runs. … Curcio, Bermeo, and Panico have all belted a team-leading five doubles, two more than Lukancic, Angelo, and Riley, while Curcio and Rivera have accounted for Aurora’s two triples.

• BOMBS AWAY: Riley and Angelo have accounted for five of the Spartans’ seven home runs,, with Riley launched three round-trippers, one more than Angelo. Panico and Tyler Patton own Aurora’s other two HRs.

• DRIVING ‘EM HOME: Riley is the only Spartan to reach double figures in RBIs, sitting atop the team lead with 14, while Rivera and Bermeo are one RBI shy of reaching double figures. … Aurora has had five players deliver three-RBI games this season — with Riley, Bermeo, and Rivera all doing it twice.

• STREAKING ALONG: Bermeo and Angelo both had their season-opening nine-game hitting streaks snapped against Wheaton (Mass.) on March 9. … Curcio’s six-game run is the Spartans’ longest active hitting streak. … Bermeo and Rivera have both reached base safely in all 10 Aurora games this season.

• ON THE MOUND: Four of Aurora’s eight pitchers who have taken the mound this season have logged more than 10 innings, led by Justin Zimmerman (2-1, 7.31 ERA) with 15 IP. Joey Pettie (1-0, 6.89 ERA, 15 2/3 IP), Bryce Miller (2-0, 1.42 ERA, 12 2/3 IP), and Adrian Ruiz (2-0, 5.25 ERA) have also thrown 10+ innings this season. … Ruiz owns Aurora’s lone complete game, while C.J. Cazares (1-0, 6.14 ERA) has made a staff-leading five appearances.

• SAVING THE DAY: Cazares and Jack Fisher have each collected a save for the Spartans this season.

• FANNING THE FLAMES: Aurora hurlers have struck out 74 batters in 10 games, led by Ruiz with 16 strikeouts and Miller with 15. Pettit (12) and Zimmerman (10) have also reached double figures in strikeouts this season.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: As a team, Aurora is hitting .347 (114-for-329), with 30 doubles, two triples, and seven home runs, while scoring 80 runs and driving in 69. … Aurora has scored 10 or more runs four times this season, including a season-high 14-run effort in a 14-11 season-opening victory over Ripon on Feb. 25. On the flip side, AU has surrendered 10+ runs twice — losing to Bethel 10-8 and beating Ripon 14-11. … The Spartans opened the season with six straight wins, before dropping two straight to Rowan and Bethel.

WHEATON SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Thunder head into this weekend’s games sitting at 2-5 overall, including a 2-2, rain-shortened spring trip to Tucson, Ariz., last week.

• LAST TIME OUT: Wheaton bounced back from back-to-back losses to Schreiner (5-4) and St. Olaf (19-2) to open its spring trip by beating Waldorf (6-2) and Gustavus (11-9), before rain washed out the Thunder’s final three spring trip games.

• HOME SWEET HOME: After opening the season with seven consecutive road games, Wheaton will play its next nine contests on their home turf at Lee Pfund Stadium. The Thunder do not play another road game until heading to Naperville, Ill., for a doubleheader against North Central (Ill.) on March 30. … Wheaton collected 10 of 16 wins last season at home, going 10-9, while sporting a 6-13 mark on the road.

• LEADING THE CHARGE: The Thunder boast three players who come into the weekend hitting at or above .300, led by Joe Klein’s .320 batting average. Nathan Hedlund (.316) and Jacob Snyder (.300) also boast batting averages above .300. 

• ON THE RUN: Wheaton has scored 30 runs in its first seven games, with Kyle Wu leading the way with five runs scored, one more than both Snyder and Matt Nelson. Klein, Hedlund, Daniel Hillyer, Mason Diel, Chris Lynam, Luke Hamm, and Tim Whitfield have all scored twice. … Wu is the only Thunder player to score more than one run in a game, scoring twice against Gustavus on March 5.

• HIT PARADE: Snyder has amassed a team-leading nine hits in 30 at-bats, with Klein and Wu one hit back with eight each. … Hedlund and Klein have both posted three-hit games this season — Hedlund against Adrian on Feb. 23 and Klein vs. Gustavus on March 5.

• EXTRA, EXTRA: Sixteen of Wheaton’s 48 hits this season have been for extra bases, including 13 doubles and three triples. Lynam leads the team with three doubles — two coming against Gustavus on March 5 — while Snyder has recorded two of the team’s three triples.

• BOMBS AWAY: Wheaton, which hit 32 home runs a year ago — including 10 from Klein and six from Snyder — is still searching for its first round tripper of the 2024 season.

• DRIVING ‘EM HOME: Lynam has driven in a team-leading five runs, with Klein and Snyder both owning four RBIs. … Lynam recorded a single-game season-high three RBIs against Waldorf on March 4.

• STREAKING ALONG: Snyder comes into this weekend’s games riding a team-best five-game hitting streak. … Snyder and Klein have each reached base safely in all seven Wheaton games this season.

• ON THE MOUND: John McCraith has logged a team-leading 10 1/3 innings on the mound, compiling a 1-0 record and 1.74 ERA. Alex Bagley (0-1, 7.27 ERA) is second to McCraith with 7 2/3 IP, followed by Caleb VanKerkhoff (0-0, 9.45 ERA) with 6 2/3 IP. … Wheaton has used 13 different pitchers through seven games, with McCraith and Sean Smith (1-0, 0.00, 3 2/3 IP) making a staff-leading three appearances. … Smith owns Wheaton’s lone save.

• FANNING THE FLAMES: The Thunder pitching staff has struck out 55 batters in seven games, led by McCraith with 11 strikeouts and Josh Ortiz (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5.0 IP) with eight.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: As a team, the Thunder are hitting just .215, going 48-for-223, with 13 doubles and three triples, while owning 27 RBIs. … After opening the season with five consecutive losses, Wheaton heads into the weekend have won back-to-back games over Waldorf (6-2) and Gustavus (11-9). … Wheaton’s 11 runs against Gustavus on March 5 were a season-high. On the flip side, the Thunder surrendered a season-high 19 runs in falling to St. Olaf 19-2 on March 2. … Wheaton has held its opponent under four runs just once — limiting Waldorf to two runs in a 6-2 win on March 4. The Thunder’s offense, meanwhile, has plated at least four runs in four of its first seven games.

DUBUQUE SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Spartans come into their three weekend games sporting a 9-2 overall record, including wins in each of their last three games.

• LAST TIME OUT: UD closed out its five-game spring trip to Auburndale, Fla., on Feb. 25-27 — with a 3-2 record, beating Carthage (8-7), Alma (7-1), and Grove City (9-7), while falling to Alma (5-3) and Rose-Hulman (6-5) – before returning home to take three from St. Norbert, winning 8-4, 5-0, and 5-0 on March 2-3.

• ROAD WARRIORS: The Spartans play their next seven games away from home, beginning this weekend against Aurora, Saint Mary’s, and Wheaton in Carol Stream, Ill. UD, which will play at Augustana (Ill.) on Monday and at Luther for three next Friday and Saturday, does not play another home game until hosting Coe in a doubleheader on March 26. … Dubuque is 3-0 at home this season, while going 6-2 away from Dan W. Runkle Baseball Field.

• LEADING THE CHARGE: UD enters the weekend boasting five players who are hitting above .300 through 11 games, led by Colin Husko, who owns a .372 batting average (16-for-43). … Kyle Radl (.345), Luke Burgos (.333), Jake Cekander (.325), and J.D. Schaffer (.308) are also sporting batting averages above.300.

• ON THE RUN: The Spartans have scored 75 runs in 11 games, led by Husko and Radl with 12 and 10 runs scored, respectively. … UD has gotten at least one run scored from 14 of its 15 players who have taken the field this season. … Ixander Colon scored a single-game season-high three runs against Carthage on Feb. 25.

• HIT PARADE: Husko owns a team-leading 16 hits, three more than Cekander, with Aidan Elxwfering (12), Schaffer (12), Burgos (11), Radl (10), and Colon (10) also reaching double figures in hits through 11 games. … Husko leads the team with five multiple-hit games. … Maguire Fitzgerald has posted a pair of three-hit games, while Blake and Burgos both own one three-hit performance.

• EXTRA, EXTRA: Thirty-six of UD’s 111 hits this season have gone for extra bases, including 25 doubles, five triples, and five home runs. … Husko, Cekander, and Elfering have all posted a team-high four doubles, while UD’s five triples have come from five different players — Schaffer, Radl, Daniel Maller, Johnny Blake, and Matt Wolverton.

• BOMBS AWAY: The Spartans have hit five home runs this season, one each from Husko, Elfering, Schaffer, Burgos, and Maguire Fitzgerald.

• DRIVING ‘EM HOME: Schaffer and Elfering lead the Spartans in RBIs with 12 and 11, respectively, while Husko and Radl are two RBIs shy of the double-digit mark. … Elfering and Schaffer share the team lead with three multiple-RBI games, while Burgos delivered a season-high five RBIs against Lyon on Feb. 15.

• STREAKING ALONG: Husko heads into the weekend riding a season-long 11-game hitting streak, while he and Cekander have reached base safely in all 11 UD games. Elfering has reached safely in each of UD’s last 10 contests. … The Spartans had three players put together hitting streaks of 10+ games last season — including a 12-game by Husko.

• ON THE MOUND: Dubuque has used 12 different pitchers through 11 games, with three — Charlie Jaeger (2-0, 0.44 ERA, 20 1/3 IP), Elfering (1-0, 2.65 ERA, 17.0 IP), and Johnny Blake (2-0, 3.38 ERA, 16.0 IP) — logging more than 15 innings pitched. … Patrick Rafferty (1-0, 1.50 ERA, 6.0 IP) and Christian Battista (1-0, 1.69 ERA, 5 1/3 IP) share the team lead with four pitching appearances, while Battista has collected three of the team’s five saves.

• FANNING THE FLAMES: UD pitchers have combined to strike out 127 batters in 11 games, led by Blake (28 Ks), Jaeger (23 Ks), and Elfering (21 Ks). Fitzgerald (15) and Shae Buskohl (12) have also reached double figures in strikeouts this season.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: As a team, the Spartans are hitting .285, going 111-for-390, with 26 doubles, five triples, and five home runs, while owning 65 RBIs. … UD has stolen 27 bases on 29 attempts in 11 games. … UD has won at least back-to-back games three times this season — opening the year with four straight wins, bouncing back from a 5-3 loss to Alma with back-to-back wins, and rebounded from a 6-5 loss to Rose-Hulman with three straight wins. … The Spartans scored a season-high 13 runs in a season-opening 13-1 win over Lyon on Feb. 15. On the flip side, UD has not allowed more than seven runs in a game all season — and have held its opponents to one run or less in five of its 11 games — including back-to-back shutouts of St. Norbert on March 2-3.