The SJU tennis team visits Bethel for a 4 p.m. match today, its first outdoors in the upper Midwest this spring, at the Ona Orth Athletic Complex in Arden Hills.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (4-7, 0-3 MIAC) failed to gain any traction in a 7-2 tennis loss against St. Olaf on Saturday (April 5) at the Owatonna Tennis Center. Sophomores Jack Hansen (Dawson, Minn./Dawson-Boyd) and Andrew Nagel (Maple Grove, Minn.) tallied an 8-6 win for SJU at No. 1 doubles and junior Jordan Otto (Rice, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral) registered the visitors' lone win in singles competition at No. 4 (6-4, 6-2). The Oles posted doubles wins with scores of 8-6 and 8-5 at Nos. 2-3, respectively, and won five of the six singles matches in straight sets.

A LOOK AT THE ROYALS: Bethel (6-9, 2-3 MIAC) started the 2014 season with three straight wins, including a 5-4 victory over St. Scholastica in the opener Feb. 1. The streak came to an end against St. Olaf (6-3) Feb. 15, but the Royals bounced back with a 5-4 win over St. Thomas a week later before dropped seven straight matches. The Royals recently shut out Saint Mary's 9-0 on Saturday (April 5). Freshman Matt Schull is 11-4 (3-2 MIAC) at No. 1 singles, but the rest of the team is a combined 36-39 (11-14 MIAC) at Nos. 2-6. The Royals are 20-25 (5-10 MIAC) in doubles play.

LAST YEAR'S MATCH: SJU opened conference play with a 7-2 win over Bethel on last Feb. 24 (2013) in Sartell. The Johnnies won all but one of their singles matches on the afternoon. Nos. 1-3 proved to be tough matches as Fabricio Moncada '13 won at No. 1 (6-4, 7-5) and senior Joe Laue (St. Louis Park, Minn./Holy Angels) battled to a 10-8 win in the super-breaker at No. 3 [7-6 (7-3), 3-6]. Senior Connor Rust (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes) fell at No. 2 by a 7-5 decision in both sets. Hansen, Zach Shriwise '13 and Willie Paul '13 cruised to wins at No. 4 (6-1, 6-1); No. 5 (6-2, 6-4); and No. 6 singles (6-4, 6-2), respectively. Tucker Morris and Reggie Ronning improved to 3-0 at No. 1 doubles for BU with an 8-4 win over Moncada and Rust. Laue and Shriwise posted an 8-6 win at No. 2, while Hansen and Nagel 8-5 at No. 3.

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 9-7 against BU under the direction of head coach Jack Bowe (since 1998), including a 4-3 record on the road. SJU ended a five-match losing streak in the series with a 6-3 victory the last time these two schools met in Arden Hills on March 31, 2012.