No. 22 Saint John's opens the MIAC schedule with a nine-inning game against Gustavus Adolphus at 1 p.m. on Good Friday, April 2, in St. Peter. SJU returns home to finish the three-game series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, April 3, at Becker Park. – Live Stats (Friday) | Live Video (Friday) | Live Stats/Live Video (Saturday)

SPECTATORS: Fans of the visiting team are not allowed to attend at either venue this weekend.

AT SJU: Spectators will be limited to SJU baseball parents first, then CSB/SJU students and staff (with a CSB/SJU ID) on a first-come, first-served basis for the remaining seats available. The baseball parents will receive an online document for pre-registration.

-No fans from the opposing team will be allowed at this time. This policy will be revisited in early April.

-Spectators allowed in Becker Park may sit in groups of 4. Available seating areas will be labeled.

-The area above the dugouts in Becker Park are reserved for the student-athletes (for additional social distance seating).

-No tailgating or gatherings in the parking lot or around the stadium will be allowed before, during or after the game/s.

Click here for SJU's spectator policy.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (10-1 overall) saw its 14-game win streak end in a doubleheader split with Wisconsin-Superior last Sunday (March 28) in Collegeville. UWS scored an unearned run in the top of the ninth inning to win game one, 8-7 in extras, but SJU bounced back with a 9-3 victory in the nightcap to earn the split. 

Game 1 (Wisconsin-Superior 8, at Saint John's 7; 9 inn.)
Superior gifted the Johnnies extra life with two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, thanks to two errors on the same play, only to claim victory due to a miscue in the top of the ninth. 

SJU was down to its final strike, an 0-2 count, with runners on the corners when sophomore shortstop Matt Hayford (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes) chopped a groundball to the third basemen, who whipped the throw wide of first base. Junior Peter Schroeder (Minneapolis, Minn./Providence Academy), the pinch-runner of first base, wheeled around second and reach third, and tied the game when the throw home was off the mark.

Sophomore southpaw Casey Trapp (Blaine, Minn./Centennial) took over in the top of the eighth and struck out the side. His first batter of the ninth inning reached on a two-base throwing error, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a two-out, groundball up the middle. 

The Johnnies broke open a 1-1 game with three, two-out runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Yellowjackets, however, answered with five runs on three hits - one left the infield - in the top of the fifth. UWS totaled 15 hits (13 singles) in the win.

Sophomore Alex Otto (Monticello, Minn.) allowed one run on four hits in 2.1 innings in relief of junior Nathan Brandecker (South St. Paul, Minn.), who surrendered six runs (five earned) on nine hits in the first 4.2 innings.

Game 2 (at Saint John's 9, Wisconsin-Superior 3)
The tide shifted for UWS in game two, as the visitors were held to four hits. The Yellowjackets did, however, gain an early 2-0 lead, thanks to two singles and two hit batsmen, off senior Nick Penick (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) in the top of the first inning. 

The Johnnies responded with three runs in the second inning and a tally each in the third and fourth. Junior third baseman Casey Lieser (Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial) put SJU on the scoreboard with a bases-loaded walk in the second and sophomore shortstop Lucas Ammons (Minneapolis, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) followed with a two-run double in the ensuing at-bat. Ammons finished 2-for-3 with four RBI in his first collegiate appearance/start.

Freshman outfielder Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) brought in junior outfielder Soren Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake) with a sacrifice fly in the third inning and SJU's other outfielder, freshman Rodney Erickson (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury), launched his first collegiate home run with two outs in the fourth.

SJU broke the game open with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Ammons brought in two more with a single and sophomore second baseman Owen Dauk (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) copied a page from UWS' game-one playbook with an RBI, infield single two batters later. Dauk stole second and scored on a throwing error by the third baseman.

Penick earned the win, allowing three runs on four hits. He struck out four and walked two. Sophomore Matt Herold (North Oaks, Minn./Mounds View) pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

4+ RBI IN A COLLEGIATE DEBUT: Four RBI in a first career start is rare, or at least should be rare. Ammons' four-RBI performance in his collegiate debut was the first for a Johnnie since…last season. Schroeder collected four RBI, including a home run (3-for-4 with three runs scored), in SJU's 18-0 win over Finlandia (Mich.) on March 4, 2020, in Ft. Myers, Fla.

Oddly enough, the Johnnies' previous instance before Schroeder's was Joey Stock '20, also against Finlandia in 2018. Stock went 3-for-4, including two home runs, and drove in five in a 17-2, season-opening victory in Ft. Myers. 

GET ME OUT OF THE FIRST: The Johnnies have struggled to hold the opposition scoreless in the first inning so far this season. Through 11 games played, SJU has allowed eight first-inning runs - all at home - despite a .227 (10-for-44) opponent batting average, thanks to seven walks and six hit batsmen. The Johnnie pitching staff has collected 15 of the 33 first-inning outs by way of strikeouts and have stranded 18 runners on base.

RANKED NO. 22 NATIONALLY: SJU was ranked No. 22 in the latest D3baseball.com Top 25 poll released Tuesday (March 30). The Johnnies have received votes in each of the previous six weeks, including the D3baseball.com preseason poll. St. Olaf (5-1 overall) received votes (8) in Tuesday's rankings.

STAT COMPARISONS: The Johnnies and Gusties are very similar, statistically, so far this spring.

Batting Average
-GAC, .356
-SJU, .318

Slugging Percentage
-SJU, .574
-GAC, .541

ERA
-GAC, 2.21
-SJU, 3.29

Opponent Batting Average
-GAC, .188
-SJU, .214

Fielding Percentage
-SJU, .953
-GAC, .946

A LOOK AT THE GUSTIES: Gustavus Adolphus (6-1, 1-1 MIAC) went 4-1 over a four-day stretch last week. The Gusties rolled to a 13-5 home win March 25 over St. Scholastica, started the MIAC schedule with a doubleheader split (10-3 win and 9-5 loss) March 26 at Saint Mary's and swept Bethany Lutheran (3-0 and 4-3 in eight innings) March 28 in St. Peter. Junior first baseman Jack Hanson batted .500 (11-for-22) with three home runs and 10 RBI in the five games and leads the team in hits (14), home runs (3) and RBI (13). Sophomore outfielder Bryce Novak leads the team in batting average (.565, 13-for-23) and is tied for the team lead in runs scored (8). GAC is batting .356 as a team, .310 without Hanson and Novak, while the pitching staff touts a 2.21 ERA and a .188 opponent batting average.

THE 2019 MEETINGS: Saint John's and Gustavus faced each other five times in the 2019 season, a regular-season split in Collegeville and three meetings in the MIAC Tournament (2-1 SJU record).

Gustavus 2, at Saint John's 0 (8 inn.); at Saint John's 4, Gustavus 2
The Gusties scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning to earn a 2-0 extra-inning win over the Johnnies, but SJU bounced back with a 4-2 win in the nightcap on April 9, 2019, in Collegeville.

Gustavus 2, Saint John's 0 (8 inn.)
Both starting pitchers cruised through the scheduled seven-inning game in 1:12, but GAC scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning. The Gusties' Brice Panning singled with one out and moved to third base on a double down the right-field line. SJU argued that the ball landed in foul territory. The Johnnies chose to intentionally walk Cole Pengilly to load the bases and the plan nearly worked.

Sam Archer, the GAC pitcher, chopped a 1-2 pitch to Jack Schramel '20, who started what would have been a 5-2-3 double play to end the inning. Junior Ethan Roe's (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake) throw to first base was outside the bag, though Hunter Lindquist '20 was able to make the catch. Archer, however, collided with Lindquist, causing him to drop the ball and allow Clemensen to score from second. Matt Berkner make it 2-0 with an RBI single in the next at-bat.

Jake Dickmeyer '19 suffered the loss, allowing the two runs (one earned) on eight hits in eight innings for his sixth complete game in six starts. He struck out four and walked one. 

Max Jackson '19 led SJU with a 2-for-3 showing at the plate. Archer entered the game with a 7.04 ERA in 15.1 innings pitched, but surrendered six singles for the complete-game shutout.

Saint John's 4, Gustavus 2
SJU found the scoreboard first in game two on an RBI groundout from Joey Stock '20 in the first inning. The Gusties, however, scored two runs in the top of the fourth to gain a 2-1 lead.

Jack Wingerd '19 started the Johnnies' rally with a leadoff double, his 10th of the season, in the bottom of the fifth inning to become the 30th Johnnie to reach 100 career hits. Aaron Kloeppner '20 and Ethan Roe followed with back-to-back singles to tie the game at 2-2. Jackson walked with the bases loaded three batters later to give SJU a 3-2 lead. The Johnnies added an insurance run, unearned, on a wild pitch in the sixth inning.

Bennett Wiggins '19 improved to 5-2 with the win, allowing two runs on four hits in five innings. Alex Budde '19 allowed one hit in two scoreless innings to earn his second save of the season. The Gusties left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh.

Gustavus 9, Saint John's 5 (MIAC Tournament - Second Round)
SJU fell to GAC in a winners' bracket game, 9-5, on May 10, 2019, at CHS Field in St. Paul.

The Gusties started the bottom of the third inning with three straight singles to load the bases and built a 3-0 lead on a sacrifice fly, RBI single and an SJU throwing error.

The Johnnies tied the game with three runs in the top of the fifth inning, thanks to RBI singles from Jackson and Wingerd, and a throwing error. 

Gustavus, however, answered right back with four runs, including three with two outs, to gain a 7-3 lead in the bottom half of the fifth. GAC coaxed back-to-back walks to start the bottom of the sixth and plated two more runs to make it 9-3 following a sac bunt and a seeing-eye single.

Wingerd came through with a two-out, RBI single in the top of the seventh and SJU added another run thanks to a fielding error in the next at-bat. The Johnnies threatened with two on and one out in the top of the eighth but did not score. SJU left 10 men on base in the loss.

Danny Kuhn '19 fell to 6-2 on the year with the loss. He allowed six runs (five earned) on 10 hits in 4.1 innings. Brandecker and Stanley Ridgeway '20 each recorded a 1-2-3 inning of relief.

Stock went 0-for-3 with two walks, one intentional, which ended his 13-game hit streak. He batted .512 (22-for-43) with a 1.876 OPS, 10 home runs and 28 RBI during the streak.

Saint John's 4, Gustavus 3; Saint John's 4, Gustavus 1 (MIAC Tournament - Championship Round)
Saint John's staved off elimination and defeated Gustavus twice, 4-3 and 4-1, to win the MIAC Playoff championship on May 11 (2019) at CHS Field. SJU earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament with the postseason title, the program's fourth in the previous eight seasons.

The Johnnies scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning to win the day's first game and force a winner-take-all showdown for the championship. SJU broke a 1-1 tie in game two with three runs in the seventh inning for the crown.

SJU only used three pitchers on the day. Tommy Auger '19 took a line drive off his right shin on the third at-bat of game two, but powered through the pain for a complete-game effort. He allowed an unearned run on three hits in his first start since March 6 (in Ft. Myers, Fla.).  

Wyatt Ulrich '20 went 6-for-8 with five runs scored and two doubles on the day. He batted .600 (12-for-20) with four extra-base hits and eight runs scored in five tournament games.

Saint John's 4, Gustavus Adolphus 1 (Game 2)
Ulrich drove in what proved to be the game-winning run with a one-out double down the right-field line in the top of the seventh inning. Jackson followed with a full-count, two-run single to make it 4-1 in the next at-bat. The two RBI enabled Jackson to break his tie with Jay Kasner '07 to become SJU's all-time leader with 109.

Ulrich singled to start the game, moved to second on a wild pitch and over to third on a sacrifice bunt from Jackson. Stock walked to put runners on the corners before Schramel brought him in with a sac fly for the game's first run.

Hanson recorded the first hit for Gustavus with one out in the bottom of the fifth. Panning walked to start the bottom of the sixth inning and moved to second on a sac bunt. GAC tied the game when Archer's liner deflected off Auger's glove and slid under Meland's glove at second base. 

Auger and Co. evaded trouble with a 4-6-3 double play, SJU's first of the tournament, to end the seventh inning.

The Johnnies survived another scare in the bottom of the eighth inning. With one out and runners on first and second, Ethan Roe attempted a snap throw to first base following a 1-0 pitch. The throw, however, went past Kloeppner and into the right-field corner. There was good reason for the errant throw, however. Roe's throwing arm hit the umpire, who ruled interference and sent the runners back.

Auger recorded a 1-2-3 ninth inning to seal the win and send SJU to its eighth national tournament (sixth at the Division III level).
 
Saint John's 4, Gustavus Adolphus 3 (Game 1)
Down 3-2 entering the ninth inning, SJU's top of the lineup came through with three straight singles to load the bases. Schramel tied the game with an RBI single and Wingerd brought in his high-school teammate, Jackson, for the go-ahead run on a suicide-squeeze bunt. 

The Johnnies nearly tied the game in the top of the eighth inning, producing runners on second and third with one out, but GAC squashed the threat with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning. 

A two-out walk advanced to third base, but Brandecker recorded a strikeout to end the game. He earned the win, allowing two unearned runs on one hit in five innings of relief.

Ulrich started the game with a triple and scored on a two-out, RBI single from Wingerd. Ulrich started the third inning with a four-pitch walk, went to second on a groundout from Jackson and scored on a sinking line drive off the bat of Stock to make it 2-0.

SJU loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the fourth but did not score. The momentum shift coaxed a single run for the Gusties in the bottom half of the inning off Budde. Budde made his second collegiate start, his 10th appearance of the season, and allowed the one run on four hits in four innings.

Gustavus gained a 3-2 lead with two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 42-27 against the Gusties since 1988, but just 17-15 in St. Peter. SJU is 14-8 in the last 22 meetings, in which seven of the eight losses were decided by two runs or less (five by one run).

IN THE MIAC OPENER: Friday's MIAC opener is SJU's third against GAC since 1993 (2004 and 2018). The Johnnies are 2-0 in the first game and 3-1 in the conference-opening doubleheader.