Saint John's plays host to Hamline for a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader this Wednesday, April 18, at Saint John's Field in Collegeville.
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (17-9, 5-3 MIAC) settled for a doubleheader split with Bethel this past Saturday in Collegeville. The Johnnies battled for a 4-3 win in nine innings to take game one, but fell by a 4-1 decision in the nightcap. Bethel took a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs off Ryan Spengler (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) in the top of the third. Junior Connor Cline (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) tied the game with a two-run double in the bottom half of the inning. The Royals gained a 3-2 lead with a single run off junior Joey Long (Belvidere, Ill./Rockford Boylan) in the top of the ninth. Freshman Aaron Pfaff (New Ulm, Minn./Cathedral) singled through the right side and advanced to second on the throw. Cline was intentionally walked to load the bases before sophomore Luke Larson (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) walked to plate the game-tying run. Junior Max Forster (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) was then walked and to bring in the game-winning run. Spengler allowed two runs, one earned, on just two hits. He walked five and struck out two. Junior Scott Schroeder (Richmond, Minn./Rocori) threw three innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits with three K's. Long earned the win, allowing one run on two hits. Junior Adam Wenker (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen) cruised through 4.2 innings, allowing three hits with three strikeouts, until three consecutive two-out singles gave Bethel a 3-0 lead in game two. SJU cut the deficit to 3-1 with a two-out RBI single from Larson in the bottom of the fifth inning before BU added an unearned run in the top of the seventh. Pfaff ended the day 4-for-7 and scored three of the Johnnies' five runs from the No. 9 spot in the lineup.
STRUGGLING BATS SEE TOP PITCHING: The Johnnies have faced the opponents' top two (Nos. 1 and 2) pitchers in each of their last three MIAC doubleheaders: Concordia (Zach Frappier and Shawn Krueger), St. Thomas (Steve Maher and Dylan Thomas) and Bethel (Matt Rowley and David Freed).
STRIKE OUT PROSTATE CANCER: Throughout the week of April 16-22, MIAC baseball teams are joining forces with the Prostate Cancer Foundation to raise funds and awareness. The two primary goals of Strike Out Prostate Cancer week are to raise money to benefit the PCF and its work to discover a cure for the disease, and to raise awareness of the affliction, particularly in males ages 18-30, to encourage them to be aware of the disease and how to detect it as early as possible. Donations will be accepted at all games, of which all proceeds go directly to the PCF. Fans may also donate online via the link on miac-online.org or write a check (to: “PCF-Athletes for a Cure” and mail to: Athletes for a Cure, 1250 Fourth Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401). The MIAC's goal is to raise $3,000 during this week's games.
A LOOK AT THE PIPERS: The Pipers (11-16, 2-6 MIAC) split with Macalester Saturday in St. Paul. The Scots won game one, 4-2, but HU came back to win the second after a 3-0 deficit in just two innings. In game two, Andy Weiss came in in the third inning and threw 3.1 scoreless, two-hit innings to give the Pipers a chance to rally. Rannon Arch came in and pitched the remaining innings to help get the win, retiring all eight batters he faced. Mark Radmacher hit an RBI double to tie the game at three. Jordan Buck led off the eighth with a double and came around to score on an Evan Cordell single. Cordell also came around to score and the Pipers would hold on to win. Andy King's two-run home run was the only offense in game one. King leads, or is tied for the team-lead, in runs (20), hits (36), doubles (8), triples (5), home runs (6), RBI (30) and slugging percentage (.774). Matt Eickman (1-3, 2.88 ERA) and Dan Ellefson (2-4, 3.40 ERA) lead the Pipers' pitching staff, though the rest of the staff carries a 5.51 ERA and a .299 opponent batting average. The reigning MIAC Playoff champions were picked to finish second in the preseason coaches' poll.
FIELDING %: SJU and Hamline have identical .952 fielding percentages with 42 errors. The Johnnies have turned 23 double plays to Hamline's 12. The Pipers, however, lead the MIAC with a .982 fielding percentage in conference play (four errors in eight MIAC games).
LAST YEAR: Saint John's settled for a split against Hamline last April 28 in Collegeville. The Johnnies scored five runs in the first two innings en route to a 5-2 win in game one, but lost a 3-0 lead by allowing six unearned runs in a 9-3 loss in game two. Cline hit a three-run homer in the first inning of game one to put SJU on top 3-0. Matt Butorac '11 added to the lead with a two-run single in the second. Senior Hayden Zimmerman (New Richmond, Wis.) earned the win allowing both runs on five hits with six strikeouts and four walks. Long tallied a 1-2-3 seventh to record the save. SJU scored a run in the second and two more in the third, on a total of two hits, in game two. Cline scored on an RBI single from Forster. Brian Skluzacek '11 reached on a fielder's choice in the third. Junior Alex Powell (Hopkins, Minn.) scored on an RBI single from Butorac and Forster brought Skluzacek home on a sacrifice fly. Forster took the loss, allowing six runs (three earned) on six hits. He walked four and struck out two. Schroeder surrendered three unearned runs in 0.2 innings.
GAME-ONE WINS: Since 1993, SJU is 26-12 against the Pipers, including a 12-4 record in Collegeville. The Johnnies have won game one in 13 of the last 15 doubleheaders, though HU claimed game two in each of the last four.
