Saint John's begins its 2012 baseball season with a doubleheader against Valley City State (N.D.) at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at the Metrodome.
Preview Video:
-Head coach Jerry Haugen (1:22)
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: At any level, baseball has always been about an arms race. The more quality arms - pitchers - you have, the better your chances of getting ahead.
That certainly holds true for the 2012 Saint John's University baseball team. The Johnnies return the bulk of a pitching staff which led the MIAC in ERA (3.45) last spring en route to a fourth-place finish in the MIAC (13-7 record) and a 19-14 overall record. That earned the Johnnies a trip to the MIAC playoffs, where they lost two well-pitched decisions to end their season.
While head coach Jerry Haugen, who begins his 35th season as the Johnnies' head coach with a 636-549-5 (.536) career record, has a pitching staff to build around, it will take some time to establish the offensive and defensive lineup. The five doubleheaders at the Metrodome and the spring trip (March 5-8) to Tucson, Ariz., should help get a lineup set for conference play.
Here's a pre-season look at the2012 Johnnies, by position:
Pitchers
The conference's top pitching staff a year ago is expected to contend for that title once again as the Johnnies return senior Hayden Zimmerman (New Richmond, Wis.) and junior Connor Cline (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) as its top starters in 2012.
Zimmerman got off to a shaky start last season before recording a 2.89 ERA in his final four starts (28 innings) to end the year, including a seven-inning no-hitter against Saint Mary's. As a sophomore in 2010, he set a school record with 75 innings pitched and five saves (which tied a school record) while posting an 8-3 record with a 4.56 ERA. He recorded 57 strikeouts and held opponents to a .247 batting average to earn ABCA All-Midwest Region third-team honors.
Cline, meanwhile, racked up a 6-1 record in his first full season as a starter last year with a 2.31 ERA. He also recorded a team-best .225 opponent batting average and struck out 35 batters in 46.2 innings. Cline posted an undefeated 4-0 record, including two complete-game shutouts, in conference play last spring.
The rest of the staff looks to be made up of juniors Joey Long (Belvidere, Ill./Rockford Boylan), Ryan Spengler (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) and Adam Wenker (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen). Long posted a 3-2 record and four saves with a 1.40 ERA in 19.1 innings pitched last spring, including a 1.20 ERA in 10 MIAC appearances (15 innings). He struck out 16 while walking only two batters as the Johnnies' closer last season.
Wenker pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in three appearances and struck out three. Spengler took a line drive off of his shin in his first start of the year last spring in Arizona and missed the entire 2011 season.
Junior Max Forster (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) is expected to reduce his role to more of a spot starter and serve as the Johnnies' everyday shortstop in 2012. He posted 2-3 record in 34.0 innings, eight appearances (six starts), on the mound last spring.
Junior Scott Schroeder (Richmond, Minn./Rocori) and sophomores Tony Gazich (Arden Hills, Minn./Mounds View) and Dylan Graves (Mora, Minn.) are expected to fill out the Johnnies' bullpen. The three combined for a 3.44 ERA in 12 relief appearances last season. Freshmen Collin Felhaber (North St. Paul, Minn.) and Jack Hamilton (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) are expected to contribute right away this spring.
The Johnnies needs to replace Brett Kramer, a 2011 ABCA All-Midwest Region second-team selection, who graduated in May. Kramer led the conference (min. 30 innings pitched) with a 0.95 ERA in 38 conference innings to earn All-MIAC honors for the second consecutive season. He tallied a 3-0 record in MIAC play with 34 strikeouts and a .239 opponent batting average. Kramer ended the season with a 4-3 record with a 1.44 ERA in 62.1 innings (10 starts). He struck out 59 to just 18 walks and recorded a .239 opponent batting average. Righties batted only .207 (34-164) off the Johnnies' right-handed ace.
Infielders
The Johnnies enter the 2012 season in need of replacing both middle infielders, including a three-year starter at shortstop. To do that, Forster is expected to slide over to shortstop from third base this spring. He started 28 games at third for the Johnnies and totaled three doubles, one triple and eight RBI.
Sophomore Luke Larson (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson), a transfer from conference-foe Saint Mary's, is expected to take over for Forster at the “hot corner.” He was named to the All-MIAC first team after batting .333 with four doubles and 14 RBI as a freshman for the Cardinals last year. Sophomore Josh Groth (Fridley, Minn.) is penciled in as the backup at third and may also see time at shortstop.
In addition to closer duties from the bullpen, Long is expected to see more time at second base in the absence of Kramer and Andrew Hengel, who both graduated last May. He tallied six RBI in 12 games between second and third base last season. Hengel batted .288 (.341 in 19 MIAC games) with a triple, home run and a .423 slugging percentage in 27 games last season. Kramer, meanwhile, batted .358 with seven doubles and 13 RBI in 21 games at second base last year.
When Cline is not pitching, he may find a spot at first, second or as the designated hitter. He started 25 games for SJU and finished last season with two doubles, two homers and 14 RBI. Senior Ben Moen (Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) and juniors Matt Chuppe (Bismarck, N.D./St. Mary's Central) and Charlie Perrine (Edina, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) will also all vie for time at first base this season.
When he's not on the mound, Zimmerman may find a home in the lineup at either second base or as the Johnnies' designated hitter. A pair of 2011 Lions' All-Stars, freshmen Brett Becker (North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View) and Aaron Pfaff (New Ulm, Minn./Cathedral), are expected to provide depth as utility players in either the infield or outfield this season.
SJU needs to find a way to replace Matt Butorac at shortstop, and, more importantly, in the lineup. A 2011 ABCA All-Midwest second-team selection, Butorac was one of only two players to start all 33 games for the Johnnies last season. He batted .393 in conference play and posted a .339 average with the team-lead in hits (37), doubles (15), extra-base hits (17), RBI (29) and slugging percentage (.523). Butorac ended his career as SJU's all-time leader in doubles (41) and seventh in school history in three different career categories: hits (129), total bases (191) and RBI (84).
Catchers
Haugen must replace a four-year starter behind the plate, Brian Skluzacek. Sophomore Justin Thompson (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) is expected to lead a group of catchers that includes freshmen Billy Gregg (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) and Kurt Jantscher (Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong). Jantscher topped out in the upper 80's this spring and could also see a few innings on the mound in 2012.
A two-time MIAC All-Defensive team selection, Skluzacek started all but one game behind the plate for the Johnnies and tallied his best season, in regard to stolen-base percentage, throwing out potential base stealers (.630, 87-138) in 2011. The school's all-time leader in runners caught stealing (51), Skluzacek finished second in school history in walks (52), fifth in both doubles (27) and games played (125), and 10th in RBI (74). He hit eight doubles in MIAC play last year, including a school-record three in one game against Carleton April 17. Skluzacek ended his career a .266 hitter with 97 hits, 69 runs scored with a .384 on-base percentage.
Designated Hitter
Senior Bert Marsnik (Annandale, Minn.) is expected to bounce back from a disappointing junior season in which he posted only four RBI, 14 total bases and 12 hits in 18 games last spring. He batted .438 with a .625 slugging percentage in conference play, as well as 17 RBI, 40 total bases and two home runs to earn All-MIAC honors as a sophomore in 2010. Aside from DH duties, Marsnik may also see a few innings behind the plate in 2012.
Outfielders
Haugen hopes that his fast and athletic outfield will serve to spark the Johnnies, both offensively and defensively, this spring. SJU returns junior Alex Powell (Hopkins, Minn.), an All-MIAC selection last season, who played in 26 games for the Johnnies and will look to replace Matt Boys in center field. He played in 26 games for SJU and was fourth on the team in hits (25), including two doubles, two triples, nine RBI. Powell also led the team with 12 walks and ended the season on an eight-game hitting streak. The coaching staff is hopeful Powell can return from a wrist injury in time for the MIAC schedule this season.
Graves will be the likely replacement for Powell in centerfield early in the season. He batted .348 with a .522 slugging percentage in 11 conference games last season.
Senior Jimmy Loonan (Waseca, Minn.) returns to the SJU outfield after missing all of the 2011 season due to shoulder surgery. He batted .293 with 11 RBI in 28 games in 2010.
Sophomore Joe Lampe (Osceola, Iowa/Clarke) and junior David Naughtin (Plymouth, Minn./Benilde-St. Margaret's) are expected to contend for the vacant outfield position and provide depth. Lampe hit four homers in 13 junior varsity games as a freshman last year, while Naughtin missed all of last season due to a knee injury. Sophomores Jeremy Klein (Brooklyn Center, Minn./Totino-Grace) and Tom Lambert (Broomfield, Colo./Holy Family) may also be a pair of names to watch for in 2012.
The Johnnies need to replace Boys and Eric Smith, who both graduated last May. Boys played in all 33 games for the Johnnies and finished second on the team in hits (29) and ended his career and the school's all-time leader in triples with 11. He collected three triples, one home run, 14 RBI and 41 total bases on the year. Smith, meanwhile, batted .324 in 22 games with two triples and one home run.
Season Information
The Johnnies begins their 2012 season with the first of five doubleheaders at the Metrodome Feb. 21 against Valley City State (N.D.). SJU is scheduled to play eight games in four days during its annual spring break trip March 5-8 in a new venue, Tucson, Ariz. The MIAC opener is April 4 at Carleton before the Johnnies return to Collegeville for the home opener against Concordia-Moorhead April 7.
