MIAC Release

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Sixteen Saint John's University football student-athletes earned All-MIAC honors, including a school-record 11 on the first team, as the Johnnies claimed two of the league's three major conference awards on Tuesday, Nov. 26.

Senior offensive tackle Ben Bartch (Dayton, Ore./Blanchet Catholic) earned the MIAC's Mike Stam Award as the conference's most outstanding lineman. Head coach Gary Fasching '81 was named the MIAC John Gagliardi Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season, and fourth time in his seven-year tenure.

Bartch, sophomore wide receiver Ravi Alston (Lake Elsinore, Calif./Vista Murrieta), senior running back Kai Barber (Minneapolis, Minn./Totino-Grace), senior linebacker Richard Carriveau (Rice, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice), senior quarterback Jackson Erdmann (Rosemount, Minn.), senior guard Dan Greenheck (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall), senior cornerback Chris Harris (Lake Elsinore, Minn.), senior safety Ryan LaCasse (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.), junior center Nick Neumann (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall), junior linebacker Danny Pietruszewski (South St. Paul, Minn.) and senior defensive tackle J.W. Windsor (Mesa, Ariz./Chandler) were named to the first team. 

Sophomore wide receiver T.J. Hodge (Miami, Fla./Doral Academy) and senior defensive end Nick Jensen (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen) were named to the All-MIAC second team.

Senior defensive end Kyle Borgeson (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes), senior linebacker James Inman (Bismarck, N.D./Shiloh Christian) and senior linebacker Alex Sais (Los Lunas, N.M./St. Pius X) were All-MIAC honorable mention. Senior wide receiver Andrew VanErp (Battle Lake, Minn./Ottertail Central) was named to the MIAC All-Sportsmanship team.

Bartch is the ninth Johnnie in program history to win the MIAC's Mike Stam Award, the second consecutive (defensive lineman Nathan Brinker '19) and the first SJU offensive lineman since the Johnnies' first recipient, Burt Chamberlin '94, in 1992. Bartch has started all 11 games at left tackle this season and 24 straight at the position since he switched from tight end during the 2018 preseason. He earned an invite to the 2020 Reese's Senior Bowl and is a 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team honoree. 

Fasching led SJU (10-1, 7-1 MIAC) to its MIAC-record 34th conference title and 30th postseason appearance (26th in Division III) this fall. The NCAA appearance the program's sixth consecutive, which tied the MIAC record held by former head coach John Gagliardi. 

The Johnnies had six first-team honorees on offense, including Bartch, Greenheck and Neumann on the line. The first-team honor is the third consecutive for Greenheck, who is a two-time All-American, and the second straight for Neumann. The trio anchored an offensive line that allowed the Johnnies to lead the MIAC (conference games only) in total offense (563.3 ypg.) and passing offense (366.3 ypg.). Both totals were the largest in SJU history. The Johnnies finished third in scoring (43.6 ppg.) and fourth in rushing (197.0 ypg.). 

A three-time All-MIAC first-team honoree, Erdmann led the conference in passing yards (2,809) and passing efficiency (190.1), while finishing second in passing touchdowns (25). He topped 300 yards in six conference games, including three games of more than 400 yards, and ended his MIAC career with four league records in conference play: single-season pass-efficiency rating (190.14), single-season 300-yard passing games (tied with six), career completion percentage (.640) and career multi-touchdown games (23). Erdmann set SJU single-season records for passing yards (496) and yards of total offense (563) Oct. 29 at St. Olaf.

Erdmann owns the top four passing games in SJU history and has set program records for season passing yards (3,833), season yards of total offense (3,948) and career yards of total offense (10,824) this fall. He needs 306 passing yards to break the SJU and MIAC record of 10,737 held by Alex Kofoed '07 and currently leads NCAA Division III in passing yards and is second in total offense (358.9 ypg.).

Alston led the Johnnies in all three receiving categories with 49 receptions for 834 yards and seven touchdowns in conference play. The receiving yards and touchdowns were both third in the MIAC. He recorded four 100-yard receiving performances, including 188 yards on nine catches Oct. 12 against Bethel. Alston currently leads the Johnnies with 64 receptions for 1,106 yards and nine touchdowns. The 1,106 receiving yards are an SJU sophomore record and eighth-most in an SJU season. 

Barber led the Johnnies with 475 rushing yards on 75 carries (6.0 avg.) and scored seven rushing touchdowns in league play. Barber was one of seven Johnnies with double-digit receptions (13) and finished third on the team in receiving yards (257) and touchdowns (3). He currently leads the team in rushing yards (618) and rushing touchdowns (10) overall.

The Johnnies led the MIAC in total defense (250.6 ypg.), passing defense (160.0 ypg.) and scoring defense (11.6 ppg.) in conference play. 

The first-team honor is the second consecutive for Pietruszewski, who led the Johnnies in tackles for loss (10.0) and sacks (4.5) in conference play. Both totals were good for third in the MIAC. Overall, he leads the MIAC with 7.0 sacks and is tied for first with 13.5 tackles for loss. 

Carriveau led the Johnnies with 49 tackles (26 solo) in conference play, including 3.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Overall, Carriveau leads the Johnnies with 33 solo tackles, and is tied for second with 66 total.  

A 2018 D3football.com All-West Region honoree at Cal Lutheran last season, Windsor finished the conference schedule second on the team in tackles for loss (5.5) and sacks (4.0). Overall, Windsor has eight tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. 

Harris tied for second in the MIAC with three interceptions in league play, two of which were returned for touchdowns, and leads the conference with seven interceptions overall. The seven interceptions are the most by a Johnnie since Bobby Fischer '13 in 2012 and his 11 career interceptions are three away from the program's top-10 list. 

LaCasse, meanwhile, intercepted two passes and tied for fifth on the team with 29 tackles (15 solo) in conference play.

Hodge's 659 receiving yards in league play ranked fifth and his 43 receptions ranked seventh in the MIAC. He topped 100 yards four times, including career highs of nine catches for 119 yards Oct. 19 against St. Thomas. Overall, Hodge is currently second on the team to Alston with 59 receptions for 852 yards and six touchdowns.  

The transition to the defensive line from fullback paid off for Jensen, who tallied 18 tackles (seven solo), 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery in conference play. He has three tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in his last three games.  

No. 8 SJU travels to No. 12 Chapman (10-0) in the second round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs this Saturday, Nov. 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. PT in Orange, Calif.