Saint John's (21-16, 14-6 MIAC) makes its third appearance in the MIAC Tournament this Friday, May 14, against Concordia-Moorhead (23-15, 14-6 MIAC). The nine-inning contest is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Sechler Park in Northfield. – Tournament Website
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's clinched its first MIAC Tournament appearance since 2007 with a pair of extra-inning victories over Gustavus Adolphus, 7-6 (8) and 4-3 (9), on May 8 in Collegeville. The Johnnies took a 6-3 lead into the seventh inning of game one, only to allow three runs in the seventh before winning the contest in the eighth. SJU put together a four-run fifth inning, on six hits, to take a 4-2 lead. A two-run homer from senior first baseman Kyle Henkemeyer (Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice), the first of his collegiate career, gave SJU a 6-3 lead. Sophomore Hayden Zimmerman (New Richmond, Wis.) entered the seventh to record his sixth save of the season, but instead allowed three runs on two hits, including two hit batsmen with the bases loaded, to tie the game. Junior outfielder Matt Boys (Eden Prairie, Minn./Minnetonka) led off the eight with a double and advanced to third base on a sacrifice bunt from junior catcher Brian Skluzacek (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori). Senior second baseman Joe Eiden (Maple Grove, Minn./Totino-Grace) then smacked a screamer back to the pitcher, who threw it to first, holding Boys at third. The Gusties proceeded to intentionally walk Henkemeyer and junior shortstop Matt Butorac (Maple Grove, Minn.) to load the bases. Sophomore designated hitter Bert Marsnik (Annandale, Minn.) then singled to left field for the walk-off win. Junior Brett Kramer (Baxter, Minn./Brainerd) allowed three runs on seven hits, including six walks, in six innings of work. Senior Matt Johnson (Eagan, Minn.) earned the victory following a scoreless eighth.
The Johnnies' answered the Gusties' three-run first inning with three runs of their own in the second to tie the game at 3-3. A sacrifice fly from Boys and RBI-singles from Eiden and Henkemeyer accounted for the runs. The stalemate continued to SJU's half of the ninth inning. Following a groundout to open the inning, Skluzacek and Eiden poked back-to-back singles before Henkemeyer was intentionally walked. Butorac hit into a fielder's choice, in which the lead runner was thrown out at the plate. Marsnik then hit a deep fly ball to center field, but the centerfielder drop the ball, scoring Eiden to end the game. Johnson allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings. Zimmerman entered in relief to earn the win and improve to 8-1 on the season. He allowed only one hit with three strikeouts in four innings.
The Johnnies are led offensively by Marsnik, Butorac, Gurbada and Kyle Henkemeyer. The four combine for a .383 batting average, .435 on-base percentage, .528 slugging percentage and account for 54 percent of the team's hits. The Johnnies' pitching staff is led by Zimmerman, who boasts an 8-1 record (5-0 MIAC) with five saves and a 4.48 ERA. He has 51 strikeouts in 68.1 innings with a .244 opponent batting average.
A LOOK AT THE COBBERS: Concordia is led offensively by junior Dan Wackler with a .409 batting average, followed by seniors Jake Krause (.400) and Nathan Haase (.366). Wackler went 3-for-8 with a pair of doubles against the Johnnies earlier this season, while Haase went 3-for-6. Krause did not play. Wackler leads the team in doubles (13), while Krause leads in both hits (46), stolen bases (22-25) and home runs (t-5). Senior Adam Johnson, who leads the team in both RBI (29) and home runs (t-5), also leads the Cobbers with a 3.40 ERA in 47.2 innings pitched (5-3 record). Senior Chris Fellows leads the team in wins (6-2 record) and innings pitched (55.2).
EARLIER THIS SEASON: The Johnnies and Cobbers split a doubleheader earlier this season on a windy April 13 in Collegeville. SJU dropped the first game 4-2 before registering a six-run third inning enroute to a 6-2 win in game two. The Johnnies hit the ball hard in game one, collecting seven line-drive outs, but surrendered all four runs in the first inning. SJU also left a total of nine men on base. The Cobbers stretched a pair of singles into doubles and recorded two other wind-aided hits to take an early 4-0 lead. Senior Andrew Aebly (Madison, Wis./Edgewood) settled down after the outburst and took control, allowing just four hits over the next six innings in the complete-game outing. He struck out four and walked none. An interesting situation arose in the sixth inning with the Johnnies threatening. With runners on first (Andrew Gurbada) and second (Butorac), Boys ripped a line drive thru the right side and Butorac scored from second. The second-base umpire, however, ruled that the ball hit Gurbada, which ended the inning and kept the run off the scoreboard. Eight of the Johnnies' 10 hits in the contest came with two outs. SJU added two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning thanks to an RBI-single from junior outfielder Eric Smith (Rogers, Minn.) and a fielder's choice from Butorac. Marsnik then laced a double down the left-field line to extend the inning. Freshman third baseman Max Forster (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) came to the plate as the tying run, but grounded out to the shortstop on a bang-bang play.
The Johnnies' hard hitting finally paid off in the third inning of game two. Skluzacek led-off the inning with his first home run of the season, a blast to right field. Eiden then singled, followed by a hit batsman and a walk to load the bases. Butorac singled to give SJU its first lead of the day and chase starter Jake Torrison from the ballgame. Marsnik then tallied an RBI-single of his own before Forster recorded the first out of the inning. Gurbada and Boys followed with consecutive RBI-singles and Skluzacek plated another on a fielder's choice, his second RBI of the inning, to end the scoring. The Cobbers put together a bases-loaded threat with one out in the fifth. Boys, however, made a diving catch in centerfield and doubled off the runner at first to end the inning and preserve the 6-2 lead. Seven different Johnnies recorded a hit each in game two. Kramer allowed two runs, one earned, on seven hits in the complete-game victory. He struck out four and walked two.
THE TOURNAMENT: The winner between SJU and Concordia will play the winner of Augsburg and St. Thomas at 7 p.m. at Dundas' Memorial Park. The losing teams, meanwhile will face each other in an elimination game at 7 p.m. at Sechler Park. The remaining games (including Sunday, if necessary) will be played in Dundas. The winner of the double-elimination tournament receives the MIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
