Saint John's senior catcher/closer Kurt Jantscher (Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) batted .571 (8-for-14) with seven runs scored, two doubles, two home runs, five RBI and an eye-opening 1.768 OPS (1.143 slugging percentage + .625 on-base percentage) at the No. 8 spot in the lineup as SJU went 3-1 last week. He was named the MIAC Baseball Player of the Week May 4 for his performance.
Jantscher blasted a line-drive home run to right-centerfield at the St. Paul Saints' new stadium April 29 and his second homer of the week was a game-tying, solo shot with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning of SJU's eventual 6-5 win over Gustavus Adolphus May 2 (seven-inning game).
He ended the conference schedule as the MIAC's leader in home runs (7), slugging percentage (.959) and on-base percentage (.550), for an impressive 1.509 OPS, and finished third in batting average (.449) in 16 conference games.
Jantscher is currently riding a six-game hitting streak, in which he is batting .571 (12-for-21) with 12 runs scored, seven RBI, two doubles and two home runs during the stretch. He batted .600 (15-for-25) with 13 runs scored, nine RBI, three doubles and three homers in his final seven MIAC games.
His seven home runs on the season, all hit in MIAC play, are the most by a Johnnie since All-American Jay Kasner '07 hit nine in 2007.
On the mound, Jantscher compiled a 1-0 record in two relief appearances (four innings) on the week. He has a 4-1 record with seven saves, a 2.70 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 20 innings pitched (13 appearances) this season.
The Johnnies (22-13, 12-6 MIAC) will face Concordia-Moorhead (25-9, 12-6 MIAC) in the four-team, double-elimination tournament at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 8, at Veterans Field in Minnetonka. SJU swept the Cobbers, 7-4 and 8-7, to open conference play back on April 1 in Moorhead.
