The Saint John's University baseball team (7-10, 0-0 MIAC) begins its MIAC season at home this Saturday, April 3, against Bethel (9-6, 0-0 MIAC). The doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. at Saint John's Field in Collegeville.
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's begins conference play having one just two games in its last 12 since starting the 2010 season 5-0. SJU dropped both games of a doubleheader, 4-2 and 5-4, to Wis.-La Crosse in its most recent competition on March 30 at the Metrodome. In game one, senior leftfielder Andrew Gurbada (Royalton, Minn.) tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI-single in the top of the fourth inning. SJU scored again in the top of the seventh when junior designated hitter Matt Butorac (Maple Grove, Minn.) hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score senior first baseman Kyle Henkemeyer (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) following his leadoff triple. Henkemeyer went 3-for-4 with a run scored, while freshman shortstop Max Forster (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) added a 2-for-3 performance with a double. Senior pitcher Matt Johnson (Eagan, Minn.) suffered the tough-luck loss for the Johnnies, allowing two runs, one earned, in five innings pitched. He allowed six hits and struck out one. Freshman centerfielder Brooks Braga went 2-for-3 to lead Wis.-La Crosse (4-5, 0-0 WIAC), including a two-run, inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the sixth to give the Eagles a 4-1 edge. He entered the night's doubleheader batting .150 (3-20) on the season.
The Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a run in each of the first two innings of game two. Junior designated hitter Eric Smith (Rogers, Minn.) cut the deficit to 2-1 with an RBI-single in the top of the third. In the bottom of the fifth inning with the score now 3-1 in favor of La Crosse, Forster was thrown out at home attempting to score off of a double by junior centerfielder Matt Boys (Eden Prairie, Minn./Minnetonka). SJU added another run in the sixth and two more in the bottom of the seventh, but the rally fell short. Henkemeyer and Butorac each went 2-for-4 at the plate. Henkemeyer smacked another triple and added two runs scored, while Butorac added a run and an RBI. Smith went 2-for-3 with an RBI of his own. Junior Brett Kramer (Baxter, Minn./Brainerd) took the loss, allowing two earned runs on three hits in three innings of work. Senior Aaron Hellem (Lincoln, Neb./Pius X) gave up one hit, one run and struck out two in his inning of relief. Another pitching change brought in senior Andrew Aebly (Madison, Wis./Edgewood), who gave up a hit and struck out one. Sophomore Hayden Zimmerman (New Richmond, Wis.) finished the last two innings, allowing a two-run "Metrodome" single by Braga in the top of seventh. Braga hit a chopper to third base, which bounced five feet over sophomore Bert Marsnik (Annandale, Minn.) into left field.
A LOOK AT THE ROYALS: Bethel's four-game winning streak came to an end against Lakeland (Wis.) on March 20. The Muskies defeated the Royals 5-1 in what was the third game between the two teams in two days. Sophomore infielder Mike Sedjo finished the day with a 3-for-4 performance and an RBI. Freshman pitcher David Freed was saddled with the loss for the Royals. After pitching a perfect first three innings, Freed allowed two earned runs on one hit and struck out three. Bethel returns senior outfielder Tim Oesterlin who was named to the nine-man American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings NCAA Division III Midwest Region Gold Glove team as well as the ABCA All-Region first team. Oesterlin is currently batting .277 (13-47) with 13 runs scored, two doubles and six RBI. All-MIAC senior third baseman Bjorn Anderson and sophomore catcher Jay Slick also return. Slick earned ABCA All-Region third-team honors last season. Anderson is batting .192 (5-26) with three doubles, a triple, six runs scored and three RBI, while Slick is batting .400 (18-45) with 16 runs scored, five doubles, two triples, a home run, 13 RBI, 30 total bases and 15 walks. The pitching staff needs to replace MIAC Pitcher of the Year Travis Adams, who graduated last spring. Senior pitcher Kyle McCracken has jumped out to a 4-0 start on the year with a 2.73 ERA in 26.1 innings pitched. He has allowed 19 hits, 10 runs (eight earned), walked 12 and struck out 12.
LAST YEAR'S SERIES: Last season, Saint John's split with Bethel in a pair of high-scoring games. The Johnnies lost game one 12-8, but went on to win the second 9-8 in 11 innings. Butorac went 3-for-4 with a three-run home run in the first game, while junior catcher Brian Skluzacek (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) led the Johnnies in game two with a two-run homer. Butorac ended the day 4-for-8 with five RBI and two runs scored, while Boys also went 4-for-8 with three runs scored, two RBI, two doubles, two stolen bases and a triple.
MIAC OPENERS: Since 1998, SJU is 19-5 in the MIAC opener, including a 9-1 record in Collegeville. The Johnnies swept Macalester (5-0 and 3-0) in last year's opener at the Metrodome.
