The Johnnie baseball team hosts Concordia-Moorhead for the MIAC opener - a 1 p.m. doubleheader - this Saturday, April 2, at Haugen Field at Becker Park. - Live Stats/Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (8-10 overall) settled for a non-conference split with Northwestern (Minn.) nearly two weeks ago (March 21) in Collegeville. The Johnnies received a complete-game shutout from junior southpaw Casey Trapp (Blaine, Minn./Centennial) in game one's 3-0 victory, but suffered a 3-2 loss – the team's fourth defeat by one run this season – in the nightcap.

Northwestern batted only .143 (8-for-56) on the day but received 11 free passes (10 walks and one hit batsmen). SJU, meanwhile, batted 1-for-13 (.077) with runners in scoring position.

Game 1: Saint John's 3, Northwestern 0
The Johnnies scored all three of the game's runs in the first inning, thanks to a sacrifice fly from junior first baseman Max Nyrop (Alameda, Calif.) and a two-run homer from senior catcher Ethan Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake). The home run was his third of the season and 16th of his career.

Trapp took care of the rest, allowing four hits and three walks in the seven-inning effort. He struck out eight in his first victory of the season (1-0 record). A UNW baserunner reached second base safely three times in the game.

Game 2: Northwestern 3, at Saint John's 2
The Eagles took advantage of two walks and scored the game's first run via wild pitch in the top of the first inning. UNW, however, was held to one hit through the game's first 6.1 innings.

Sophomore left fielder Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) doubled to start the fifth inning, but was stranded at third base with one out.

Northwestern's second batter of the seventh inning reached via error before Payton Christenson swung at the first pitch and earned the Eagles' second hit of the game, a double into the right-field corner. Bryce Crabb followed with a two-run single on the ensuing pitch to give UNW a 3-0 lead.

Nyrop, senior right fielder Soren Roe (Golden Valley, Minn./Blake) and Ethan Roe singled to start the bottom of the ninth inning, loading the bases with nobody out. Schleper brought in SJU's first run with a sac fly and junior catcher Zach Selchow (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) made it 3-2 with a fielder's choice groundout. UNW, however, recorded the final out to end the game.

Sophomore Alex Gwost (Little Falls, Minn.) made his first collegiate start on the mound and took the loss. He gave up one run on one hit in three innings.

Freshman lefty Will Fazio (Minneapolis, Minn./Blake) surrendered two runs, one earned, on two hits in four innings of relief. Another freshman, Kade Bowar (Burnsville, Minn.), pitched the final two scoreless innings.

Schleper went 3-for-6 with two doubles and Ethan Roe collected three hits in the doubleheader.

ROE THE BAT: Ethan Roe needs one hit to become the 33rd Johnnie in program history to reach 100 for a career. He is currently batting .308 with 20 hits in 18 games so far this spring. A team-leading 10 of his 20 hits were for extra bases: six doubles, a triple and three home runs. 

A LOOK AT THE COBBERS: Concordia-Moorhead (5-4 overall) recorded a 5-4 record during its spring-break trip in Florida from Feb. 27-March 7, which concluded with two wins against Marian (Wis.). The Cobbers are led at the plate by freshman Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe, who has a .560 batting average (14-for-25) and nine RBI. Sophomore Wyatt Gunkel is close behind at .538 (14-for-26), while senior Andy Gravdahl leads the team in hits (16), runs scored (12) and stolen bases (4). On the mound, junior Ashwin Stratton is 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA and leads CC in innings pitched (13.0) and strikeouts (10).

LAST SPRING: SJU earned a 3-1 victory over Concordia the last time these two teams met on April 9 (2021) in Moorhead.

Junior second baseman Owen Dauk (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) gave the Johnnies a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer, the first of his collegiate career, in the top of the fourth inning.

Concordia answered with a single run, a walk and RBI double with one out, in the bottom half.

Ethan Roe added an insurance run with a one-out homer to straight away center in the top of the ninth inning. The blast was his eighth of the season.

Nick Penick '21 allowed one run on five hits and struck out six. He is now 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA, a .200 opponent batting average and 26 strikeouts in 27.1 innings pitched this season.

Nyrop went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk to lead the Johnnies' bats.

CC's Ty Syverson entered the game with a 4-0 record, 0.92 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 19.2 innings. The quality pitching on both sides contributed to the snappy game in 1:55.

SERIES HISTORY: SJU leads the series with a 35-32 record against CC since 1989, including a 14-16 mark in Collegeville. The Johnnies swept the last two doubleheaders at Becker Park and have won the last seven games overall. Eight (6-2 SJU record) of the last 12 matchups, and 13 (9-4 record) of the last 19, were decided by two runs or less.