Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

FT. MYERS, Fla. – Saint John's baseball opened its 2018 season with 38 runs and 38 hits in 13 innings of a doubleheader sweep over Finlandia (Mich.), 17-2 and 21-0, on Monday, March 5, in Ft. Myers, Fla.

The Johnnies batted .500 (38-for-76) and cracked 13 extra-base hits, including four home runs, on the day. SJU hit three home runs in 38 games last season.

Junior centerfielder Max Jackson (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) entered the 2018 season needing two hits to become the 28th Johnnie to reach 100 for a career. He led SJU with a 6-for-7 performance that included two doubles and a triple, with six RBI and four runs scored on the day.

Sophomore Joey Stock (Cold Spring, Minn./Saint John's Prep) stroked an RBI double in his first varsity at-bat and crushed home runs in his second (3-run) and third (solo) in game one.

Sophomore outfielder Wyatt Ulrich (Indus, Minn./International Falls), last year's Division III batting champion with a .500 average (61-for-122), took over right where he left off by going 5-for-8 with five runs scored and three RBI from the leadoff spot.

Junior infielder Thomas Meland (Northfield, Minn.) matched Ulrich with five hits, including a homer in a game two, and three RBI. Junior outfielder Jack Wingerd (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) gave SJU a quick 2-0 lead in game one with his second career homer in his first at-bat since last March 10 (2017).

The Johnnies picked up two strong starts from a pair of junior righties who were making their second varsity starts on the mound. Danny Kuhn (Alexandria, Minn.) retired the first 11 batters he faced in game one and allowed one earned run on two hits in five innings. He struck out 10 and did not issue a free pass.

Lance Kilde (Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) picked up the win in game two thanks to four scoreless innings. He struck out nine and walked one. Sophomore Mason Miller (Big Lake, Minn.), freshman Alec Spevacek (Maple Grove, Minn./Totino-Grace) and senior Nick Noack (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Westlake) pitched a scoreless inning of relief each to combine for the shutout.

SJU plays a pair of nine-inning games against Pennsylvania schools on Tuesday, March 6, beginning with a 9 a.m. EST first pitch against Alvernia. The Johnnies take on Pitt-Bradford at noon EST.