Saint John's travels to Tucson, Ariz., for its annual Spring Break Trip this Monday-Thursday, March 5-8. SJU opens the grueling eight-game schedule with a doubleheader against Bethany Lutheran on Monday, March 5. The Johnnies will also face NAIA William Penn (Iowa), Rockford (Ill.), Presentation (S.D.), NCAA Division II Southwest Minnesota State and Swarthmore (Pa.).
Preview Video:
-Head coach Jerry Haugen (1:56)
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Both teams exchanged walk-off wins in a split between Saint John's (2-2) and eighth-ranked Buena Vista (Iowa) in a late-night doubleheader Feb. 26 at the Metrodome. Sophomore Luke Larson (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) capped a two-out, three-run bottom of the seventh with a two-run single to give SJU a 3-2 victory in game one. Buena Vista, meanwhile, broke a scoreless tie with a game-winning single in the bottom of the eighth inning of game two. Junior Max Forster (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) started the seventh-inning rally with a leadoff walk, but was thrown out at second on a fielder's choice off the bat of senior Bert Marsnik (Annandale, Minn.). Marsnik advanced to second on a single from senior Jimmy Loonan (Waseca, Minn.), but a strikeout in the next at-bat placed the Johnnies within one out of defeat. Sophomore Justin Thompson (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) jumped on the first pitch and put SJU on the scoreboard with an RBI single. A passed ball moved Loonan and freshman Aaron Pfaff (New Ulm, Minn./Cathedral), a pinch runner for Thompson, to third and second base, respectively. Larson then laced a 1-1 pitch to left-center for the bases-clearing win. The Beavers plated both runs off senior Hayden Zimmerman (New Richmond, Wis.) on a pair of hits on 0-2 counts in the sixth inning. Zimmerman went six innings in the no-decision outing. Junior Adam Wenker (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen) pitched a scoreless seventh inning to earn his first collegiate win.
SJU outhit BVU 5-2 in game two but left seven men on base and batted 1-or-7 with runners in scoring position. The loss spoiled a seven-inning one-hitter from junior Connor Cline (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson). He struck out five and walked one in the no decision. Junior Ryan Spengler (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) took the loss, allowing two walks in a shrunken strike zone with two wild pitches in a third of an inning. Freshman Billy Gregg (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) went 2-for-3 at the plate in game two. Cline and Zimmerman each have a 1.80 ERA in 10 innings on the mound this season. Cline, however, leads the team with eight strikeouts and a .091 opponent batting average.
A LOOK AT THE VIKINGS: Bethany Lutheran (3-1) opened its 2012 season with a split against Hamline, winning 4-1 in game one before falling 11-2 in game two, Feb. 22. Senior Aaron Siefken earned the win in game one, collecting nine strikeouts in six innings pitched. Siefken also led the Vikings offensively with three RBI, including a two-run home run. The Vikings swept Carleton in a doubleheader at the Metrodome Feb. 28. Siefken pitched the complete game victory in game one (5-1) with nine strikeouts and two walks. Adam Geiger blasted a three-run homer for good measure in the 4-0 win in game two. He leads the team with five in four games this season. The Vikings finished the 2011 season with a 27-10 overall record and claimed second behind St. Scholastica at the 2011 UMAC Tournament.
A LOOK AT THE STATESMEN: NAIA opponent William Penn (1-5) lost four straight to Northwestern at the Metrodome before completing a split at St. Mary (Kan.) Feb. 26. Senior Brad Chin leads the team in batting average (.368) and hits (7), while senior Randall Packard touts a .333 average with a three doubles and 7 RBI. Junior Jorge Quezada is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 10 innings of work. The Statesmen finished the 2011 season with a 22-23 record, but just 6-18 in the Midwest Collegiate Conference (MCC).
A LOOK AT THE REGENTS: Rockford will be led by four seniors (Ryne Billesbach, Jimmy Dercks, Ryan Lesner and Kevin Miller) in 2012 after finishing the 2011 season with a 17-20 record. The four combined to bat .354 (178-for-503) with 95 RBI, 29 doubles, four triples and six RBI. On the mound, 12 different pitchers earned a win, though the staff combined for a 5.78 ERA and a .306 opponent batting average. The Regents begin their 2012 season at the RussMatt Greater Phoenix Invitational March 3-10. RC will make the 115-mile trip to Tucson March 6 for a pair of nine-inning games against SJU and Bethany Lutheran.
A LOOK AT THE SAINTS: Presentation (S.D.) was 16-18 overall and 12-9 in the UMAC last spring. The Saints return junior Heath Giedt, who earned a spot on the All-UMAC first team last season, while senior pitcher Matt Kervin was named honorable mention. Giedt batted .352 with a .625 slugging percentage, while Kervin posted a 4-1 mark from the mound with a 4.30 ERA in 11 appearances (six starts).
A LOOK AT THE MUSTANGS: Division II Southwest Minnesota State (2-0) returns its starting catcher, three starting infielders and starting two outfielders from last season's squad that finished 11-25 and 7-18 in the NSIC. The SMSU pitching staff has seven returners who made starts a season ago. The Mustangs swept Minnesota-Duluth, 5-3 and 8-6, Feb. 23. Sophomore Jordan Kontz collected two hits and three RBI in game one while junior Tyler Flattum led SMSU in game two going 2-3 with four RBI. The Mustangs are currently ranked ninth in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's (NCBWA) Central Region poll. SMSU finished the 2011 season with a record of 11-25 overall and a 7-18 mark in the NSIC.
A LOOK AT THE GARNET: Swarthmore (2-2) split a pair of doubleheaders against Catholic (D.C.) and Eastern (S.C.). Nick Burnett is 5-for-10 with two doubles, a triple, home run, six runs scored and four RBI in four games. Ignacio Rodriguez boasts a scoreless 0.00 ERA with eight K's in seven innings (1-0 record, one save). The Garnet ended the 2011 season with a 20-14 record (9-9 Centennial Conference).
