The Saint Mary’s baseball team, making its first MIAC Playoff appearance since 2021, will square off agianst third-seeded Saint John's in an elimination game Friday at noon at CHS Field in St. Paul, Minn.

SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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2024: 13-7 MIAC, 20-17 Overall

ST. OLAF OLES

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2024: 17-3 MIAC, 28-12 Overall

SAINT JOHN’S JOHNNIES

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2024: 13-7 MIAC, 24-15 Overall

BETHEL ROYALS

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2024: 13-7 MIAC, 23-14 Overall

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MIAC PLAYOFF SCHEDULE:

Thursday, May 9, 2024

All Games at CHS Field *St. Paul, MN
Game 1: #1 St. Olaf 11, #4 Saint Mary’s 1 (7) | Recap

Game 2: #2 Bethel 17, #3 Saint John’s 7 (8) | Recap

Friday, May 10, 2024

Game 3: #4 Saint Mary's vs. #3 Saint John's, Noon

Game 4: #1 St. Olaf vs. #2 Bethel, 3 p.m.

Game 5: Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 6 p.m.

Saturday, May 11, 2024

Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 3 p.m.

Game 7: If necessary, 5:30 p.m.

MIAC PLAYOFF TICKETS

$10 - General Admission
$2 - Students with ID
Free - Children 5 and under
* MIAC passes accepted

SMU v. FIELD * EARLIER THIS YEAR:

• St. Olaf: April 13, 2024

W, 12-4; L, 7-4 * Series History

• Saint John’s: April 20, 2024

W, 5-2; L, 13-3 (8) * Series History

• Bethel: April 27, 2024

L, 3-0; L, 6-5 * Series History

SAINT MARY’S SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals head into Friday's second day of the double-elimination MIAC Playoffs sitting at 21-16 through 36 games, while boasting a 13-7 mark in conference play, a record that earned SMU the No. 4 seed in the four-team, double-elimination tournament.

• PLAYOFF CREDENTIALS: Saint Mary’s is making its seventh MIAC Playoff appearance, and first since 2021 — when the Cardinals earned the programs first-ever playoff title. … SMU has also appeared the MIAC Playoffs in ?2001, 2002, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2021.

• vs. THE FIELD: The Cardinals are 2-4 against the MIAC Playoff field this season, splitting with St. Olaf and Saint John’s, while falling twice to Bethel.

• LAST TIME OUT: The Cardinals could muster just four singles off St. Olaf starter Sam Lavin, as the top-seeded Oles dealt Saint Mary's an 11-1 setback in Thursday's MIAC Playoff opener at CHS Field in St. Paul, Minn.

• ROAD WARRIORS: The Cardinals closed out the home portion of its schedule with last Friday’s sweep of St. Scholastica. The two wins over CSS improved SMU to 10-3 on its home turf, while the Cardinals take a 10-13 road record into Monday’s showdown at Concordia.

• GAME 1 DOMINANCE: The Cardinals have played 12 doubleheaders this season — and have won Game 1 in 10 of those 11 contests — the lone losses, a 3-0 setback at Bethel on April 27 and a 6-2 loss to Concordia on Monday. … The Cardinals’ back-to-back losses to Bethel on April 27 marked the only time this season SMU has been swept in a doubleheader this season. SMU owns sweeps over Illinois College (5-2, 10-5), Saint Joseph’s (4-2, 11-3), Hamline (1-0, 7-2), Carleton (22-2, 9-3), Augsburg (2-1, 3-2), and St. Scholastica (W, 2-0, W, 7-3), while splitting with Macalester (W, 9-3, L, 14-4), St. Olaf (W, 12-4, L, 7-4), Gustavus (W, 13-2, L, 4-1), Saint John’s (W, 5-2, L, 13-3), and Concordia (L, 6-2, W, 7-1).

• REACHING THE 20-WIN MARK: With their 7-1 Game 2 win over Concordia Monday, the Cardinals reached the 20-win plateau for the sixth tie under head coach Nick Winecke — and the first since winning 30 games during the 2021 campaign.

• AT THE PLATE: Riley Bauman (Stratford, Wis.) heads into post-season play boasting a team-leading .364 batting average. He is one of four Cardinals boasting averages above .300, being joined by Cameron Weber (Holmen, Wis. / .349), Ryan Csida (Kimberly, Wis. / .336), and Tanner Bauman (Willmar, Minn. / .329), while Brinton Anderson (Pulaski, Wis. / .286) and Mason Coyle (Madison, Wis. / .281) just percentage points shy of joining the .300 club.

• IRON MAN: With his name penciled into the starting lineup in both of SMU’s games against Concordia on Monday, Weber has now started 125 consecutive games.

• ON THE RUN: The Cardinals have scored 208 runs through 36 games this season …. Weber leads the team with 29 runs scored, one more than Csida, while Coyle (25), Riley Bauman (24), and Cam Miller (Kimberly, Wis. / 21) have also recorded 20 or more runs scored this season. … SMU has had a player score three runs in a game nine times this season.

• RUNS A PLENTY: The Cardinals scored 22 runs in beating Carleton 22-2 in the opening game of the Cardinals MIAC sweep of Carleton on April 5. The 22 runs were the most in a game since SMU beat Graceland 23-3 on March 25, 2015. … SMU has scored 10+ runs six times — in wins over Illinois College (10-5), Saint Joseph’s (11-3), Carleton (22-2), St. Olaf (12-4), and Gustavus (13-2), and in last Tuesday’s 13-12 loss to UW-Stout. On the flip side, SMU has surrendered 10 or more runs eight times, going 0-8 in those eight contests.

• HIT PARADE: Bauman owns the team lead in hits with 47 — including five in SMU’s two games against Concordia on Monday — followed closely by Weber with 44 and Csida with 43. Coyle (34) has also cleared the 30-hit mark, while Daniel Sherman (Richfield, Minn. (28), Anderson (26), and Tanner Bauman (25) have all massed 20+ hits. … Csida has put together a team-leading 15 multiple-hit games — including 14 two-hit games — while Riley Bauman delivered a single-game season-high four hits against Dominican on March 4. … As a team, SMU has collected 14 hits in a game twice — vs. Carleton on April 5 and against Gustavus on April 18.

• PERFECTION: Riley Bauman went 5-for-5 and Csida added a 4-for-4 performance in SMU’s 13-12 nonconference loss to UW-Stout on April 23. Bauman followed that up with a hit in his first at-bat against UW-La Crosse the following day, while Csida opened 2-for-2 against the Eagles, before both were held hitless in the fifth inning. … Bauman’s career-high five hits in the SMU baseball team’s loss to UW-Stout on April 23 marked the second straight season the Cardinals have had a player record five hits in a game — Weber achieved the feat last year against Bethany Lutheran.

• EXTRA, EXTRA: Seventy-nine of the Cardinals’ 319 hits this season have been for extra bases, including 55 doubles, nine triples, and 15 home runs. … Coyle has clubbed a team-leading 10 doubles, one more than Riley Bauman, with Csida sitting third with six. … Riley Bauman also leads the team with three triples, one up on Tanner Bauman.

• BOMBS AWAY: Riley Bauman has belted seven of the team’s 15 home runs. Csida has hit three-round-trippers and Stephen Golden (Centerville, Minn.) owns a pair of HRs, with Coyle, Boeckman, and Anderson accounting for the other four. … Riley Bauman has homered in four of the Cardinals’ last six games. … Anderson clubbed HR No. 1 of his career against Gustavus on April 17. … Csida launched his first collegiate HR — a lead-off shot against Benedictine on March 8 — while Golden belted his first two home runs as a Cardinal against Carleton on April 5. … SMU has hit three home runs in a game twice this season — against Carleton on April 5 and at UW-Stout last Tuesday.

• BOMBS AWAY II: Csida became the second Cardinal to record a two-home run game this season, lacing a pair of HRs in SMU’s 13-12, 10-inning loss to UW-Stout on April 23. The two home runs by both Csida and Golden marks the first time SMU has had two players hit two home runs in a game in the same season since Ben Buerkle and Jake Barry each hit two round-trippers during the 2017 season.

• DRIVING ‘EM IN: Csida has delivered a team-best 26 RBIs, followed by Riley Bauman (25), Coyle (21), Weber (21), Anderson (20), Sherman (14), and Tanner Bauman (14). … Riley Bauman has accumulated a team-best seven multiple-RBI games, one more than Weber. … As a team, SMU has recorded 32 multiple-RBI games this season.

• LUCKY NO. 7: Csida recorded a single-game career-high seven RBIs in SMU’s 10-inning loss to UW-Stout on April 23. The seven runs were the most in a game since Ben Buerkle drove in seven against Hamline on May 13, 2016.

• STREAKING: Riley Bauman heads into SMU’s post-season opener against St. Olaf riding a season- and career-high 12-game hitting streak. … Weber and Csida have both put together season-best nine-game hitting streaks this season. … 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 was held off the bases in Game 2 against Gustavus on April 17 snapping a streak of 25 consecutive games in which the freshman had reached base. Csida has reached base safely in 27 of the team’s 28 games.

• OUCH: The Cardinals have been hit by a pitch 44 times this season — with Csida and Weber getting plunked 10 and nine times, respectively. Miller is third on the team, being hit by a pitch eight times.

• CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: Saint Mary’s is 85-for-110 in stolen base attempts this season, with Weber leading the way, going 28-for-33, followed by Csida (13-for-18), Riley Bauman (10-for-15) and Coyle (8-for-9). … SMU stole a school-record 11 bases in its Game 1 win over Carleton on April 5, with Weber setting a single-game school record with four steals. … With their 85 stolen bases, SMU is three steals shy of the single-season school record of 88, set during the 2021 season.

• MASTER THIEF: With his first-inning Game 2 steal against St. Olaf on April 13, Weber became the program’s single-season stolen base leader, breaking the mark of 23, set by Willie Doll ’16, during the 2014 season. … In his four-year SMU career, Weber has stolen 72 bases, leaving him just eight shy of the program record of 80, set by Willie Doll from 2013-16.

• ON THE MOUND: Saint Mary’s has used 18 different pitchers this season, with Addison Hochevar (Lake Geneva, Wis. / 5-4, 4.01 ERA) and Dylan Westcott (Holmen, Wis. / 4-1, 1.93 ERA) leading the way with 51 2/3 and 42.0 innings pitched, respectively. Eric Stomberg (St. Paul, Minn. / 5-2, 3.03 ERA, 38 2/3), Andrew Fischer (La Crosse, Wis. / 1-3, 3.47 ERA, 36 1/3 IP), and TJ Bergland (Farmington, Minn. / 2-2, 5.65 ERA, 28 2/3 IP) have also logged more than 20 innings. … Fischer has made a team-leading 14 pitching appearances, three more than Westcott, while Hochevar leads the staff with 10 starts, two in front of Stomberg. … Hochevar owns three of the team’s four complete games — including two shutouts — with Fischer tossing the other.

• SAVING THE DAY: Fischer picked up his team-leading fourth save of the season against Saint John’s on April 20, tossing a scoreless seventh in SMU’s 5-2 victory. … Westcott and Mason Windschitl (Excelsior, Minn.) each own one save. … Windschitl’s save against Augsburg on April 9 was the first of his collegiate career.

• FANNING THE FLAMES: The SMU pitching staff has combined to strike out 169 batters in 36 games this season, led by Fischer and Hochevar with 31 and 30 Ks, respectively. Stomberg is third with 28 and Westcott has recorded 19 strikeouts. … Fischer has struck out a single-game season-high seven batters twice this season — against Luther on Feb. 26 and vs. Saint Joseph’s on March 9.

• MIAC HONORS: Hochevar was named MIAC Pitcher of the Week on April 1, after putting together his third career complete game, a one-hit gem in beating Hamline 1-0 on March 30, while Weber collected his first weekly honor, earning MIAC Player of the Week accolades on April 8 – thanks to hitting .471 and stealing nine bases in SMU’s four games that week.

• THROWING UP ZEROS: The Cardinals’ 7-0 win over UW-Superior on March 28 and their 1-0 victory over Hamline two days later marked the first time SMU has posted back-to-back shutouts since blanking Augsburg (1-0) and Bethel (1-0) in late April, 2019.

• 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.

• 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.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: As a team, the Cardinals are hitting .289 (319-for-1104), including 79 extra-base hits, while scoring 208 runs and boasting 176 RBIs. SMU’s pitching staff, meanwhile, boasts a 5.21 ERA. … Saint Mary’s has scored at least three runs in 29 of its 36 games this season, … Saint Mary’s owns an 12-2 record when scoring at least six runs. … SMU has held its opponent to two runs or less in 12 of its 20 wins, and are 18-2 when holding their opponent to less than six runs. … SMU is 18-2 when leading or tied after the sixth inning. … Saint Mary’s is 14-6 when scoring the game’s first run. … SMU’s 13-12, 10-inning loss to UW-Stout on April 23 was its first extra-inning game of the season.

ST. OLAF SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Oles head into Friday's winners' bracket game boasting a 28-12 overall record, including a 17-3 mark in post-season play, a record that earned St. Olaf the MIAC regular-season title — and the No. 1 seed in this weekend’s MIAC Playoffs.

• PLAYOFF CREDENTIALS: St. Olaf is making its 12th appearance in the MIAC Playoffs and is in the field for the first time since 2019. The Oles have appeared in the tournament in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2019, and 2024 and have won the MIAC Playoffs three times (2003, 2006, 2009).

• LAST TIME OUT: St. Olaf pitcher Sam Lavin held Saint Mary's to four hits over six innings, while striking out 12 — including at least one in every inning — in leading the Oles to an 11-1 playoff-opening win over Saint Mary's Thursday afternoon at CHS Field in St. Paul, Minn.

• COMING IN HOT: The Oles head to CHS Field having gone 11-3 in its last 14 games. Since falling to Saint Mary’s 12-4 in the first game of the teams’ MIAC DH on April 13, St. Olaf rattled off nine straight wins, before going 2-3 in its last five.

• HOME SWEET HOME: St. Olaf was virtually unbeatable on its home field this season, going 10-1 at Mark Almli Field, while sporting a 17-11 record on the road — including a 6-4 showing in 10 neutral-site games.

• LEADING THE CHARGE: Sam Lavin enters post-season play leading the Oles with a .390 batting average. Lavin is one of six Ole regulars boasting batting averages above .300, being joined by Cole Pielmann (.385), Evan Hammonds (.350), Joey Glampe (.333), Matthew Kulesa (.325), and Mason Buck (.309).

• ON THE RUN: Scoring runs has not been a problem for the Oles this season, scoring 303 times in 39 games. Hammonds (44) and Lavin (43) have both eclipsed the 40-run mark, while Kulesa owns 30 runs scored, and Glampe (28), Buck (26), Pielmann (24), and Brendan Goldman (24) have crossed home plate more than 20 times. … Brian Nevin, Hammonds, and Kulesa have all scored four runs in a game this season

• HIT PARADE: Lavin has lashed out a team-high 57 runs, one more than Hammonds. The duo are two of six St. Olaf players who have recorded 40+ hits — Glampe (43), Buck (42), Pielmann (42), and Kulesa (41) are the others. … St. Olaf collected a season-high 20 hits against Bethel on April 18. 

• EXTRA, EXTRA: St. Olaf has recorded 417 hits this season, including 106 for extra bases. STO owns 78 doubles, nine triples, and 19 home runs. … Glampe and Lavin have both reached double figures in doubles with 11 and 10, respectively, while Hammonds is one two-bagger shy of double digits. … Lavin, Hammonds, and Jack Alley all share the team lead with two triples, with Pielmann, Buck and Breckin Hadley accounting for STO’s other three triples. … St. Olaf delivered a season-best six doubles against both Augsburg on April 4 and Macalester on April 21, and racked up a season-high three triples vs. Purchase on March 24.

• BOMBS AWAY: St. Olaf’s 19 home runs have come from seven different players, led by Lavin with six and Glampe with five. Hammonds, Hadley, and Christopher Woodside have all clubbed two round-trippers, with Pielmann and Goldman accounting for the other two. … Lavin owns the team’s lone two-home run game, launching a pair of round-trippers against Luther on March 9. … STO launched a season-high four home runs against Luther on March 9.

• DRIVING ‘EM HOME: Lavin and Glampe have delivered 43 and 41 RBIs, respectively., while Hammonds (29), Pielmann (29), Hadley (23), and Buck (23) have also posted 20+ RBIs this season. … Glampe recorded a season-high seven RBIs against Crown on April 10. … St. Olaf recorded a single-game season-high 18 RBIs against Wheaton (Ill.) on March 2.

• STREAKING ALONG: x

• ON THE MOUND: St. Olaf has used 15 different pitchers, with five logging at least 30 innings. Lavin (6-2, 3.15 ERA) has been the workhorse of the STO staff, tossing 54 1/3 innings, while Kevin Steel (5-1, 4.86 ERA, 46 1/3 IP), Jacob Fickenscher (3-3, 4.78 ERA, 37 2/3 IP), Kieran Haaland (4-1, 4.84 ERA, 35 1/3 IP), and Brock Brumley (2-0, 1.50 ERA, 30.0 IP) have also tossed at least 30 innings. … Brumley has made a team-leading 19 pitching appearances — all in relief — while Steel, Lavin, and Fickenscher share the team lead with nine starts. … Lavin owns both of St. Olaf’s complete-game performances.

• FANNING THE FLAMES: St. Olaf pitchers have combined to strikeout 266 batters this season, led by Lavin with 78 strikeouts. Steel (37) and Fickenscher (31) are second and third on the staff in strikeouts, followed by Brumley with 28 and Haaland with 21. … Lavin struck out a season-high 12 batters against Concordia on April 2.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: As a team, St. Olaf is hitting .321, going 417-for-1301 — with 78 doubles, nine triples, and 19 home runs — while scoring 303 runs and owning 271 RBIs. The Oles’ pitching staff, meanwhile, boasts a 4.31 ERA, while opponents are hitting just 260 off them. … St. Olaf has scored 10 or more runs 13 times this season — including three games of 18 or more runs. The Oles plated 18 runs against both Crown (W, 18-4) and Purchase (W, 18-0), while also scoring a season-high 19 runs in drubbing Wheaton (Ill.) 19-2 on March 2. … On the flip side, STO has surrendered 10+ runs four times — including allowing a season-high 16 runs in losses to UW-La Crosse (16-6) and Carthage (16-5).

SAINT JOHN’S SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Johnnies arrive at CHS Field for Saturday's losers' brack game against Saint Mary's sporting a 24-15 overall record, including a 13-7 mark in conference play that earned SJU a No. 3 seed in the four-team tournament.

• PLAYOFF CREDENTIALS: The Johnnies are making their 14th-consecutive appearance in the MIAC Playoffs and the 16th overall since the format started in 2003. Previous appearances include: 2003, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. … SJU is 20-23 in MIAC post-season games, with titles in 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2019. SJU has appeared

• LAST TIME OUT: SJU raced out to a 7-0 lead over Bethel in the early going of Thursday's MIAC Playoff opener against Bethel, only to surrender 17 unanswered goals in falling to the Royals 17-7 at CHS Field in St. Paul, Minn.

• SPLITTSVILLE: The Johnnies closed out the conference schedule collecting three doubleheader sweeps, while adding eight splits. SJU was not swept in conference play all season en route to its 13-7 MIAC record. … Saint John’s also played three nonconference twinbills this season, collecting sweeps of Northwestern and UW-Superior, while splitting with Wesleyan.

• LEADING THE CHARGE: Joe Becker heads into post-season play owning the team’s top batting average at .360. Becker is one of five Johnnies regulars hitting north of .300, being joined by Owen Dauk (.339), Zach Helfmann (.333), Jack Schleper (.324), Andrew Mahlke (.317), and Reed Marquardt (.314). Rodney Erickson is just percentage points away from joining the .300 club, hitting .396. 

• ON THE RUN: Saint John’s has scored 264 runs in 38 games, led by Dauk (40) and Becker (39). Erickson has also reached the 30-run plateau, scoring 36 times, while Schleper (28), Jackson Peter (26), Marquardt (26), and Blake Mellgren (23) have crossed home plate at least 20 times. … Dauk, Schleper, and Erickson have all scored a season-high four runs in a game this season.

• HIT PARADE: SJU boasts four players — Becker (49), Schleper (47), Erickson (47), and Dauk (43) — with 40+ hits, while Mellgren (35) and Marquardt (33) have eclipsed the 30-hit mark, and Jordan Amundson (29), Jackson Peter (28), and Owen Best (21) have collected 20 or more hits. … Erickson leads the team with 16 multiple-hit games, one more than Becker, while Dauk and Schleper both have 12. … 

• EXTRA, EXTRA: Saint John’s has amassed 357 hits in 38 games, including 139 for extra bases. The Johnnies own 88 doubles, 13 triples, and 38 home runs. … Schleper (15), Becker (13), Erickson (13), and Marquardt (10) have all delivered 10 or more doubles, while Dauk, Erickson, and Amundson share the team lead in triples with three each.

• BOMBS AWAY: SJU’s 38 home runs have come from 10 different players, led by Becker with 11. Dauk is second on the team with five HRs, followed by Schleper, Mellgren, and Peter with four, and Erickson and Amundson with three. Best has clubbed two round-trippers, with Mahlke and Marquardt each adding one. … Becker and Dauk each own two-home run games this season. … Saint John’s belted a season-high five home runs against Saint Mary’s on April 20.

• DRIVING ‘EM HOME: Becker has driven in a team-leading 51 runs, and is one of nine Johnnies with 10 or more RBIs this season. Schleper (34) and Helfman (31) have both reached the 30-RBI mark, with Mellgren (26), Erickson (21) and Amundson (21) sitting with 20+ RBIs. … Becker has compiled 12 multiple-RBI games — including three four-RBI efforts and one five-RBI performance. … The Johnnies delivered a season-high 20 RBIs in their 20-9 win over Carleton on April 13 – including a single-game season-best nine RBIs by Becker.

• STREAKING ALONG: Becker heads into post-season play riding a 12-game hitting streak. He is the only Johnnies with an active hit streak longer than three games. … Dauk has reached base safely in each of SJU’s last 26 games.

• ON THE MOUND: The Johnnies have used 12 different pitchers, including five who have logged at least 30 innings. Connor Hartley (6-3, 3.36 ERA) leads the staff with 59.0 innings pitched, followed by Kody Dalen (2-3, 3.18 ERA, 39 2/3 IP), Griffin Larson (6-0, 3.29 ERA, 38 1/3 IP), Will Fazio (2-1, 1.97 ERA, 32.0 IP), and Quinn Krueger (2-1, 2.40 ERA, 32.0 IP). … Jeremy Klick (1-2, 2.59 ERA, 24 1/3 IP) has made a team-leading 14 appearances — including 13 in relief — while Hartley has started a team-high nine games. … Hartley has tossed all three of SJ’s complete games and Klick leads the staff with three saves.

• FANNING THE FLAMES: Saint John’s pitchers have combined to record 298 strikeouts, led by Hartley with 50 Ks. Dalen (45), Larson (43), and Will Fazio (35) have also fanned more than 30 batters this season. … Larson struck out a season-high 11 batters against Baruch on March 8.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: As a team, Saint John’s is hitting a combined .294, going 357-for-1214 — with 88 doubles, 13 triples, and 38 home runs — while scoring 264 runs and owning 238 RBIs. SJU pitchers, meanwhile, have a collective 4.14 ERA, and opponents are hitting just .239 off them. … SJU has scored 10 or more runs 12 times this season, going 11-1. The Johnnies plated a season-high 20 runs in rolling to a 20-9 win over Carleton on April 13. On the flip side, the Johnnies have allowed 10+ runs just once, falling to Hiram 16-10 on March 7. … Saint John’s has been held to two runs or less in seven of its 14 losses. … The Johnnies are 15-3 when scoring in the first inning, and 20-3 when plating the game’s first run. … SJU is 19-1 when leading after six innings.

BETHEL SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: Bethel heads into Friday's MIAC Playoff winners' bracket game owning a 23-14 overall record, including a 13-7 mark that earned the Royals the No. 3 seed in the four-team playoffs.

• PLAYOFF CREDENTIALS: The defending MIAC Playoff champions, Bethel is making its fourth consecutive playoff appearance and 11th overall. BU is looking to make it a three-peat after winning the playoff in 2022 and 2023. With an all-time playoff record of 15-13, BU has reached the conference post-season tournament in 2000, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022. 

• LAST TIME OUT: Bethel scored 17 unanswered points, erasing a 7-0 deficit and dealing Saint John's a 17-7, eight-inning setback Thursday evening in the opening round of the MIAC Playoffs at CHS Field in St. Paul, Minn.

• COMING IN HOT: The Royals enter post-season play having won nine of their last 10. BU’s 11-5 Game 2 loss to UW-Stout last Saturday snapped the Royals’ season-high nine-game winning streak. 

• LEADING THE CHARGE: Matthew Carlsen enters the post-season leading the Royals’ offense with a .399 batting average. Carlsen is one of four BU players sporting batting averages above .300, being joined by Zach Thompson (.395), Carlson Christiansen (.342), and Xavier Lortie (.340).

• ON THE RUN: Bethel has scored 261 runs in 36 games this season, led by Carlsen with 37 and Lortie with 33. Thompson (29), Jordan Krupke (29), Nolan Jurgenson (28), and Christiansen (26) have all crossed home plate more than 20 times, while Noah Wenberg (17), Isaac Call (16), and Joe Meurer (12) have also reached double figures in runs scored. … Call, Christiansen, and Carlsen have all scored a season-high four runs in a game this season.

• HIT PARADE: Carlsen has amassed a team-leading 55 hits, followed by Thompson with 45. Christiansen (39), Lortie (35), and Krupke (35) give BU five players with 30 or more hits. Jurgenson (26), Wenberg (23), and Call (20), meanwhile, have all reached the 20-hit plateau. … Carlsen posted a season-high six hits against Johns Hopkins on March 16. … Carlsen has amassed a team-leading 18 multiple-hit games, followed by Thompson with 15, Christiansen with 14, and Lortie with 12. … BU collected a season-high 20 hits against Macalester on April 8.

• EXTRA, EXTRA: Bethel has collected 355 hits in 36 games, including 76 doubles, 10 triples, and 27 home runs. … Carlsen leads the team with 17 doubles, with Thompson sitting second with 10.  … Carlsen, Thompson, and Christiansen all share the team lead with two triples each, with Lortie, Call, Meurer, and Brody Schneider accounting for the team’s other four three-baggers.

• BOMBS AWAY: Saint John’s 27 home runs have come from nine different players — led by Carlsen with seven HRs. Lortie and Call are tied for second with four round-trippers, one more than Meurer, with Thompson and Christiansen each owning two home runs, and Wenberg and John Soifest clubbing the other two. … Lortie owns the Johnnies’ lone two-home run game — belting a pair of HRs against Rowan on March 15. … Saint John’s has hit three home runs in a game twice.

• DRIVING ‘EM HOME: Bethel has nine players who have recorded 10 or more RBIs this season, including two — Carlsen (35) and Christiansen (30) — sitting with at least 30 runs batted in. Thompson (26), Wenberg (24), Lortie (22), and Krupke (21), meanwhile, have all driving in at least 20 runs. … Carlsen and Christiansen share the team lead with nine multiple-RBI games, one more than Thompson. … Bethel recorded a season-best 18 RBIs in its 18-5 win over Macalester on April 8.

• STREAKING ALONG: Thompson put together the Royals’ only double-digit his streak this season, collecting hits in 11 consecutive games. Carlsen, however, heads into post-season play with the team’s longest active hit streak at eight games. … Thompson has reached base safely in each of the Royals’ last 27 games.

• ON THE MOUND: Bethel has used 18 different pitchers this season, including three who have logged at least 30 innings on the hill. John Solfest (5-4, 3.43 ERA) leads the staff in innings pitched with 60 1/3, followed by Max Sutter (1-2, 9.43 ERA) with 42.0 IP and Ty Koehn (4-0, 3.71 ERA) with 34.0 IP. … Ryan Parker (4-2, 2.63 ERA, 27 1/3 IP) has made a team-leading 15 pitching appearances — all in relief — while Sutter leads the staff in starts with eight. … Solfest has accounted for three of the team’s six complete games, and Parker is the team’s saves leader with two.

• FANNING THE FLAMES: BU pitchers have combined to strike out 244 batters in 36 games, led by Solfest with 67. Koehn is second on the staff with 32 strikeouts, followed by Jackson Hunter (26), Sutter (23), and Parker (22).

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: As a team, the Royals are hitting .306, going 355-for-1159 — with 76 doubles, 10 triples, and 27 home runs — while scoring 261 times and owning 241 RBIs. The BU pitching staff, meanwhile, boasts a 6.39 ERA, with teams hitting .299 off them. … Bethel has scored 10 or more runs in a game 10 times, including a season-high 18 runs twice — beating Johns Hopkins 18-8 on March 16 and drubbing Macalester 18-5 on April 8. On the flip side, BU has also surrendered 10+ runs in a game 10 times. The Royals gave up a season-high 18 runs in falling to Buena Vista 18-10 on Feb. 24. … Bethel has drawn a single-game season high 13 walks twice this season — against Johns Hopkins on March 16 and vs. Augsburg on April 23.