Saint John's baseball takes on Bethany Lutheran for a 7 a.m. doubleheader Wednesday, March 10, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. – Live Stats | Live Video

NO FANS AT U.S. BANK STADIUM: At this time, U.S. Bank Stadium does not allow spectators. The Johnnies are scheduled to play two more non-conference doubleheaders in the venue, March 17 vs. Northland (Wis.) and March 24 vs. St. Thomas.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (1-0 overall) clubbed a school-record six home runs, including three from junior catcher Ethan Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake), in a 13-10 win over Crown on Sunday (March 7) in Collegeville.

Roe's third homer of the game, a no-doubter to left to start the bottom of the seventh, broke a 10-10- tie. He finished 4-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored.

A two-run shot from sophomore Max Nyrop (Alameda, Calif.) padded the Johnnies' lead and ended the scoring in the bottom of the eighth. Nyrop finished 3-for-4 with three RBI.

SJU totaled 15 hits, 10 for extra bases. Crown, meanwhile, cracked 11 hits but was 0-for-6 with the bases loaded and left 14 men on base. The Storm's first eight runs scored with two outs.

The Johnnies threw a different pitcher each of the first seven innings until Nick Penick (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) closed the door with a two-inning save. He struck out four and did not allow a baserunner. The previous seven pitchers issued 10 free passes (seven walks and three hit batsmen). Sophomore Alex Otto (Monticello, Minn.) was credited with the win.

Junior outfielder Soren Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake) tripled in his first plate appearance and crushed a two-run homer in the third inning. Sophomore third baseman Zach Selchow (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) also went 2-for-5.

SJU erased a 5-1 deficit with four runs in both the second and third innings. Senior outfielder Trey Cavello (Minnetrista, Minn./Holy Family Catholic) started the second-inning rally with his first collegiate home run and Ethan Roe followed with his first homer of the day two pitches later.

Down 11-10 with two outs in the top of the eighth inning, Crown's Mason Brock looked to have tripled off the base of the left-field pole. The Johnnies, however, appealed to first base and Brock was called out for missing the bag, ending the inning (and scoring threat).

ELITE COMPANY: The three homers - the first of his collegiate career - tied Ethan Roe with four other Johnnies, the most recent being Matt Ode '98 (April 15, 1997, at Gustavus Adolphus), for SJU's single-game record (see below)

-Bob Ilg '59 at Macalester (April 22, 1959)
-Jeff Norman '78 vs. Concordia (May 10, 1977)
-Neal Binsfeld '81 at South Dakota (March 27, 1981)
-Matt Ode '98 at Gustavus Adolphus (April 15, 1997)
-Ethan Roe vs. Crown (March 7, 2021)

Roe's 14 total bases, thanks to an eighth-inning double, set an SJU record. The previous record was shared by Ilg and Norman, both from their three-homer games listed above. 

TEAM OF THE WEEK: Ethan Roe was named to the D3baseball.com Team of the Week earlier today (March 9) for Sunday's performance. Roe was the first Johnnie to be named to the Team of the Week   since Joey Stock '20 earned the honor in back-to-back weeks in April 2019. During that two-week stretch (eight games), Stock hit .567 (17-for-30) with seven home runs, 20 RBI and 13 run scored as the Johnnies went 7-1. 

ROE POWER: Ethan Roe entered Sunday's opener with 12 extra-base hits (11 doubles, 1 triple) in 127 at-bats. His twin brother, Soren, meanwhile, tallied six hits during the shortened, 8-game season in 2020, three of which were for extra bases. He blasted his first homer as a Johnnie in his second game after launching seven over the fence to earn All-MIAC honors as a freshman in 2019 at Macalester.

SOLID START AT THE PLATE: Nyrop's lone plate appearance last spring as a freshman was a two-run homer March 5 (2020) against Rivier (N.H.). Meaning, he has four hits, including two home runs, and five RBI in his first five collegiate at-bats.  

A LOOK AT THE VIKINGS: Bethany Lutheran ended its 2020 season during its spring trip in Tucson, Ariz. - with three games remaining - with a 1-6 record. The Vikings won back-to-back UMAC Tournament championships in 2018 (snapping St. Scholastica's streak of 20 consecutive) and 2019, as well as the 2019 UMAC regular-season co-championship.

BLC's top hitter from the shortened 2020 season, senior infielder Jake LaBerge, returns. He recorded eight hits in 18 at-bats (.444), with three doubles, a home run and four RBI. The team's top hitter in 2019, junior outfielder and pitcher Ross Beumer, also returns. Beumer started all 41 games and posted a .410 batting average (66-for-161), including 14 doubles, two triples, a homer, 41 RBI and a team-leading 12 stolen bases. Junior outfielder and pitcher Connor Side is also a notable returnee from the 2019 team. He racked up 26 hits in 89 at-bats (.292) with six doubles, three triples and eight RBI.

Junior pitcher Dallas McBroom made two appearances (one start) and totaled six strikeouts (to five walks) and a 2.57 in seven innings. In 2019, he pitched 64.1 innings (12 appearances) and registered 39 strikeouts and a .237 opponent batting average. Junior Adam Fjerstad went 7-4 with 62 strikeouts in 68 innings, while senior Logan Nissen struck out 39 in 45 innings in 2019. 

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 3-2 all-time against the Vikings on the diamond. The last meeting was March 5, 2012, in Tucson; a pair of shutout victories, 7-0 and 6-0, for SJU.