The Saint John's University baseball team (18-15, 11-5 MIAC) travels to take on Hamline (14-20, 7-7 MIAC) this Saturday, May 1. The doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. at St. Anthony Village High School. - Live Stats
Preview Video:
-Head Coach Jerry Haugen (1:50)
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's snapped its streak of four consecutive splits with a sweep of Macalester, 9-7 and 9-0, earlier this week. The Scots jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after the first inning before SJU cut the deficit to 3-1 in the next half inning. The Johnnies proceeded to add eight runs in the final three innings to seal the win. SJU took a 4-3 lead thanks to three singles, a double and an error in the fifth. Macalester, however, re-gained the lead at 5-4 in the bottom half of the inning. The Johnnies responded by loading the bases with nobody out in the sixth. Senior second baseman Joe Eiden (Maple Grove, Minn./Totino-Grace) followed a strikeout with a fielder's choice RBI for the second out. Senior first baseman Kyle Henkemeyer (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) then came through with a clutch single to score the second run of the inning. Junior outfielder Matt Boys (Eden Prairie, Minn./Minnetonka) blasted a three-run homer, with two outs, in the top of the seventh. The dinger, which was his first of the season, increased the Johnnies' lead to 9-5. The insurance runs proved to be crucial, as the Scots added a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh before succumbing to defeat. Senior Andrew Aebly (Madison, Wis./Edgewood) allowed five runs on nine hits thru six innings to earn the win. Freshman Connor Cline (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) allowed the two-run homer in the seventh, though both runs were unearned. Sophomore outfielder Jimmy Loonan (Waseca, Minn.) was 3-for-4 at the plate, while Eiden and sophomore designated hitter Bert Marsnik (Annandale, Minn.) added two hits apiece. Junior Brett Kramer (Baxter, Minn./Brainerd) recorded his second consecutive complete-game shutout against Mac, allowing five hits with three strikeouts and one walk. He is now 2-0 with a scoreless 0.00 ERA in 14 career innings against the Scots, including 10 strikeouts, three walks and a .216 opponent batting average (11-for-51). SJU scored six unearned runs in the second inning thanks to two bases-loaded walks, an RBI-double from junior catcher Brian Skluzacek (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) and RBI-singles from Henkemeyer, junior shortstop Matt Butorac (Maple Grove, Minn.) and senior outfielder Andrew Gurbada (Royalton, Minn.). Freshman third baseman Max Forster (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) added a two-run double in the fourth inning and Skluzacek tallied his second RBI on a single in the seventh to end the scoring. Forster posted his first collegiate three-hit game with two runs scored and three RBI, while Butorac went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.
A LOOK AT THE PIPERS: Hamline lost a pair of games to Bethel earlier this week, 11-5 and 14-2, as the Pipers were out-hit 31-16 in the doubleheader. In game one, Bethel jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second inning. The Royals then committed two fielding errors and the Pipers hit two doubles to score four runs making to tie it at 4-4 in the bottom half of the inning. Bethel then added seven runs over the next four innings to win, 11-5. Senior Alex Buresh led the Piper offense in the first game going 4-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and three RBI. Sophomore Cory Miller added a 2-for-3 performance with two RBI. In game two, Bethel jumped to an 11-0 lead by the third inning and never looked back. Sophomore Andy King scored the only two runs for the Pipers and added a 2-for-3 performance at the plate. Sophomore Brett Bugielski threw 1.2 innings to take the loss for the Pipers. Tony Rogers currently leads the Pipers in batting average (.377), hits (43), doubles (9), triples (4), total bases (63) and walks (14). Rogers is also tied for first on the team with 24 RBI and has 14 stolen bases in 19 attempts. Matt Eickman is leads the pitching staff with a 4.14 ERA. In 43.1 innings pitched he has given up 55 hits, 32 runs (20 earned), walked 11 and struck-out 24 batters.
LAST YEAR'S SERIES: The Johnnies split with the Pipers in last year's final games of the season. In game one, SJU posted a five-run fourth inning to hold onto an 8-7 win. Eiden, Henkemeyer and senior Aaron Traut (St. Cloud, Minn./Rocori) tallied two hits apiece, while Butorac posted two RBI. Aebly pitched the final 1 1/3 scoreless and hitless innings to earn his third save of the season. In game two, Hamline jumped to an early 8-0 lead and eventually won, 11-4. Butorac went 2-for-4 at the plate and the Johnnies left eight men on base. Since 1993, the Johnnies are 24-10 against the Pipers, six wins in the last 10 meetings.
A HITTING STREAK ENDS, ANOTHER KEEPS GOING: Gurbada's 13-game hitting streak came to an end following his 0-for-3 performance in game one of Tuesday's doubleheader at Macalester. He posted a .514 batting average and belted out 19 hits, including four doubles and a home run, during the streak. Gurbada has reached base safely in 20 of the last 21 games. In MIAC play, Gurbada leads the team in batting average (.426), slugging percentage (.638) and home runs (2). Gurbada and Marsnik lead the team with 20 hits apiece. Marsnik, meanwhile, extended his current hitting streak to 10 games with a 3-for-6 performance against the Scots. He is batting .412 (14-34) during the streak and has reached base safely in each of the past 19 games.
