Saint John's plays host to Macalester for a 2:30 p.m. doubleheader today at Saint John's Field in Collegeville. The games were originally scheduled for St. Paul but have been moved to Collegeville due to poor field conditions. SJU will be the visiting team in both games.
SATURDAY'S INAUGURAL DIAMOND DASH 5K (weather permitting): The inaugural Diamond Dash 5k Walk/Run, a fundraiser to support the SJU baseball program, is scheduled for 10 a.m. this Saturday, May 4, by the new Saint John's Field. Cost is $30 for adults, $15 for non-CSB/SJU students (K-College) and $5 for current CSB/SJU students. Walk-up registration is available from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Each participant is automatically entered into a prize raffle. The pre-game cookout from 11 a.m.-12:30 is free for alumni, parents and other guests, though registration is appreciated. - Register
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (12-13, 3-7 MIAC) got back in the win column with a sweep of Bethel (7-2, 6-0) April 28 in Arden Hills. Sophomore Aaron Pfaff (New Ulm, Minn.) led off the game with a double and later scored on a double-play ball to get the Johnnies on the scoreboard early 1-0. The Johnnies scored three more runs in the third when Cline and junior Josh Groth (Fridley, Minn.) hit back-to-back singles before junior Dylan Graves (Mora, Minn.) reached on a bunt single. Cline was able to score on the play off an error by the second baseman. Graves then stole second, which enabled Groth to advance home on the throw. Junior Luke Larson (Bloomington, Minn.) doubled to bring home Graves, giving the Johnnies a 4-0 lead. Bethel responded with runs in the third and fourth to cut the lead to 4-2. However, with the bases loaded, the Royals hit two Johnnies with a pitch and walked another to plate three more runs give SJU a 7-2 lead. Senior Ryan Spengler (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech) pitched a complete game, allowing the two runs on eight hits to improve his record to 4-0 on the season.
The Johnnies scored the first run of game two when sophomore Brett Becker (North Oaks, Minn.) singled, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on an infield single from senior Connor Cline (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson). The visitors scored four more runs in the sixth, getting RBI singles from Cline and Graves. Sophomore Kurt Jantscher (Plymouth, Minn.) drove in two more runs later in the inning on a single down the right-field line. Larson ended the scoring with a sac fly in the seventh. Senior Scott Schroeder (Richmond, Minn./Rocori) nearly threw a no-hitter but improved to 3-1 on the year.
TRIPLE PLAY: SJU got out of a jam in the bottom of the first in game one's 7-2 win over Bethel thanks to a triple play turned by senior shortstop Max Forster (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) to senior first baseman Connor Cline (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson). The triple play was the Johnnies' first since May 4, 2002 (lineout to first baseman Jamie Louwagie, to shortstop John Hoffer at second base).
“CATCHING” FIRE AT THE PLATE: Jantscher and fellow catcher Justin Thompson (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) entered conference play a combined 10-for-39 (.256) with four doubles in 15 non-conference games, but are 12-for-23 (.522) with two doubles, a triple and five runs scored in their last eight MIAC games.
WINS AND LOSSES: The Johnnies are batting .357 (61-for-171) with runners in scoring position and .400 (54-for-135) with two outs, with 41 two-out RBI, in their 12 wins this season. SJU is batting .202 (22-for-109) with runners in scoring position and .263 (35-for-133) with two outs, with only 16 two-out RBI, in its 13 losses this spring. The contrast between wins and losses is not as prevalent statistically for the Johnnie baseball team as at the plate with the bases loaded: 9-for-23 (.391) in the 12 wins and .056 (1-for-18) in the 13 losses; a difference of .335. SJU (12-13, 3-7 MIAC) travels to face Macalester (May 1) and St. Olaf (May 2) before returning home to host Gustavus Adolphus at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 4.
WELCOME BACK: Cline returned to the mound April 27 against Hamline, his first appearance since injuring his throwing hand April 7, but suffered a 2-1 loss. He allowed the two runs on only three hits with five walks and five strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Cline then made his first appearance in the lineup and went 4-for-6 with four runs scored in the doubleheader sweep of Bethel the next day (April 28).
RECORDBOOK UPDATE: Cline is currently third in school history with 153 career strikeouts, four from passing former teammate Hayden Zimmerman '12 for second. Joel Swenson (1996-99) holds the school record with 201 K's. He is also third in SJU history in pitching appearances (43), is tied for sixth in wins (15), tied for seventh in pitching starts and eighth in innings pitched (167.0).
NEAR NO-HITTER: Schroeder nearly no-hit Bethel in the Johnnies' 6-0 shutout in game two to complete the sweep. He carried the no-hitter into the seventh, where he induced a flyball out to the first batter before Luke Schultz slipped a groundball single into right field. An infield single with two outs and a walk loaded the bases, forcing the decision to bring in senior Joey Long (Belvidere, Ill./Rockford Boylan), who ended the game with a three-pitch strikeout. Bethel entered the day batting .309 on the season and averaging nearly seven runs (6.7) per game. Schroeder, Spengler and sophomore Colin Felhaber (North St. Paul, Minn.) combined for a no-hitter of Presentation (S.D.) in a 10-1 win on March 16 of last season at the Metrodome. Spengler allowed the lone run with nine strikeouts and five walks, while Felhaber and Schroeder pitched 1-2-3 sixth and seventh innings, respectively.
A LOOK AT THE SCOTS: Macalester's (9-20, 2-8 MIAC) struggles in conference play continued with a pair of losses to Hamline, 7-6 and 13-2, April 28 in St. Paul. Senior infielder Jimmy Belfont leads the Scots in batting average (.418), runs (22), doubles (8), RBI (22) and total bases (54). Freshman infielder Nick Sia leads the team in triples (5) and is tied for second on the team in hits (29) and RBI (15). The Scots' pitching staff has an 8.07 ERA and allows a .343 opponent batting average.
LAST SEASON'S MEETINGS: Saint John's locked up the No. 2 seed in last year's MIAC Tournament, its third consecutive appearance, with a doubleheader sweep of Macalester last May 2 in Collegeville. The Johnnies jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning en route to a 7-2 win in game one. Cline and Long combined for a one-hitter and SJU rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth for a 2-1 victory in game two.
The bats cooled for both teams in game two. Mac's Chase Kahn battled out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and struck out the side following a leadoff double from Forster in the fourth. Cline, meanwhile, cruised through five no-hit innings until the sixth. He looked to have struck out Garrett Salzman with two close pitches, but the senior catcher won the seven-pitch at-bat with a single up the middle. His pinch runner, Scott Foltz, took second on a passed ball and made it to third on a sac bunt from Nick Mar. Joe Famalette brought him in, unearned, on a sac fly to left to give the visitors their first lead of the day, 1-0.
The Johnnies put Kahn in a tough spot with the bases loaded right away in the seventh. Long reached on a fielding error at second, followed by back-to-back singles from Cline and Forster. Long scored on an infield single from Larson to tie the game with one out before Groth plated what proved to be the game-winning run with a pinch-hit single to center. Long pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to seal the win and record his eighth save of the season. Cline improved to 7-4 on the year, allowing the lone hit with eight strikeouts. Forster, Groth and Larson combined for a 9-for-13 day with four doubles and six RBI.
