Saint John's baseball begins an eight-game homestand against league-leading Bethel at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, in Collegeville. – Live Stats/Live Video

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (15-12, 6-4 MIAC) senior Max Nyrop (Alameda, Calif.) broke the program record for career RBI as the Johnnies played to a doubleheader split at Macalester yesterday (Monday, April 24) in St. Paul. The Johnnies let a 2-1 lead slip away in a 3-2 walk-off defeat in game one but took out their frustrations at the plate in a 15-5 win (completed in seven innings due to the 10-run rule) in the nightcap. 

Nyrop's second-inning grand slam, his fourth home run of the season and 22nd of his career, tied the record of 110 RBI held by Max Jackson '19 and his two-run single in the sixth inning gave him the crown for good. He finished 5-for-7 with six RBI and is now three homers from the SJU record of 25 held by former teammate Ethan Roe '22.

SJU batted .377 (23-for-61), including .462 (12-for-26) with runners in scoring position, during its first trip to Macalester's Nicholson Field since 2016.

Game 1
The Johnnies started the doubleheader with three straight hits for two runs in the top of the first inning. Junior third baseman Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) followed senior second baseman Owen Dauk's (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) leadoff double with a double of his own to put SJU on the scoreboard. He moved to third on a single from Nyrop and scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of junior center fielder Jordan Amundson (Eden Prairie, Minn.).

A soft single from the Scots' No. 9 batter cut SJU's lead in half with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning. SJU left the bases loaded in the top of the fourth and left a runner on third in the seventh.

Senior Wyatt Rudolf (Carver, Minn./Chanhassen) walked Joe Margolis with one out and the bases empty in the bottom of the seventh before Hayes Waddell, who Rudolf struck out in his first three plate appearances, doubled off the right-field fence. The next batter was intentionally walked to load the bases and create the force out at any base, but Charlie Burton hit a 0-1 pitch to left field for the walk-off, two-run single for Macalester.

Rudolf fell to 3-2 with the loss. The three runs came on eight hits (seven singles). He struck out five and walked five on 122 pitches.

Game 2
Mac followed SJU's blueprint from game one and started the bottom of the first inning with three-straight hits to plate the first run.

Sophomore designated hitter Jackson Peter (Elrosa, Minn./Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa) led off the Johnnies' six-run second inning with a double and moved to third on a single from junior left fielder Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.). Senior catcher Zach Selchow (Apple Valley, Minn.) followed with an RBI single to tie the game and junior right fielder Rodney Erickson (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury) gave the Johnnies the lead with a fielder's choice RBI. Dauk walked to load the bases before Nyrop's two-out grand slam – the third of his collegiate career – made it 6-1.

Peter and Schleper started the third inning with singles, and Selchow blasted his second collegiate homer to extend the lead to 9-1. Selchow finished 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored in the victory.

After Mac added single runs on RBI doubles in the third and fifth innings, Nyrop made it 11-3 with his record-breaking, two-run single in the top of the sixth. Schleper then belted a three-run homer with two outs – his first of the season and ninth of his career – to give SJU a 14-3 lead. Selchow followed with a double, sophomore shortstop Ryan Janzen (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) reached with an infield single and Erickson added to the lead with his second double of the contest.

The Scots ended the scoring with two runs off sophomore Tien Foudray (Excelsior, Minn./Holy Family Catholic) in the seventh inning, but could not eliminate the 10-run rule.

Sophomore lefty Will Fazio (Minneapolis, Minn./Blake) improved to 3-2 on the year with the win. He allowed the three runs on seven hits and struck out five with two walks in five innings.

Mac opened the bottom of the sixth inning with a single and double off Cade Marsolek (Savage, Minn./Burnsville), but the senior responded with three-straight strikeouts to end the threat.

MAX ON THE OTHER LISTS: Nyrop is currently rising on four other SJU all-time lists:

-Second with 22 home runs, three behind the record of 25 held by Ethan Roe '22;
-Third with 257 total bases, eight behind Max Jackson '19 in second (265);
-Tied with Jamie Louwagie '02 for fourth with 32 doubles, one behind E. Roe in third (33);
-Ninth with 157 hits, two behind Matt Ode '98 in eighth (159).

THIRD JOHNNIE OVER 100 HITS: Nyrop's feat was not the only milestone yesterday as Dauk became the 37th Johnnie, and third this season, to reach 100 career hits with his leadoff double to start the doubleheader. Dauk also scored his 100th career run – which is ninth-most in SJU history – and fifth on the all-time list with 57 walks. He joined Becker and Schleper, who both eclipsed the 100 career hits April 18 vs. Concordia-Moorhead. Erickson is the next Johnnie approaching the mark with 91 hits.

27 STRAIGHT: Becker has now reached base safely in all 27 games this season – which ties SJU's season record (since 2012) set by Wyatt Ulrich '20 in 2017 and Gabe MacDonald '16 in 2015 – and in his last 31 games going back to last season. The 31-game streak is the Johnnies' second-longest behind Nyrop's 43-gamer that ended April 18.

HOT BAT: Schleper is batting .500 (17-for-34) through the first 10 MIAC games, which is second to Concordia's Andy Gravdahl (.558, 24-for-43) among those with 30 at-bats or more. He is tied with Nyrop for the team-lead in hits (17) and RBI (13) in conference play.

STAT COMPARISONS: Bethel is second in the MIAC in all of the major statistical categories in conference play, and SJU is right behind in third in batting average, ERA and opponent batting average.

Batting Average
2. BU, .346 (.342 overall)
3. SJU, .342 (.313 overall)

Extra-Base Hits
-SJU, 78 (56 doubles, 6 triples, 16 home runs)
-BU, 75 (53 doubles, 5 triples, 17 home runs)

ERA
2. BU, 2.82 (3.52 overall)
3. SJU, 3.70 (5.37 overall)

Opponent Batting Average
2. BU, .253 (.264 overall)
3. SJU, .261 (.288 overall)

Fielding Percentage
2. BU, .977 (.972 overall)
8. SJU, .944 (.952 overall)

A LOOK AT THE ROYALS: Bethel (20-4, 12-0 MIAC) extended its win streak to 12 games with a sweep at Carleton – 13-9 and 13-4 – yesterday (April 24) in Northfield. BU's offense touts a .342 batting average, with a .441 on-base percentage, and four Royals are batting over .370: Nick Kulseth (.442), Matthew Carlsen (.423), Tommy Friesen (.382) and Ty Koehn (.372). Friesen, Koehn and Kulseth are all fifth-year players (using the extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19) – three of the seven on BU's roster – while  Carlsen is a junior. Sophomore pitcher Max Sutter is 4-0 with a 2.00 ERA and 37 strikeouts – to two walks – in 36 innings. The pitching staff boasts 195 strikeouts – to 62 walks – in 192 innings.

LAST YEAR: BU swept last season's doubleheader on April 10 (2022) in Arden Hills. The Johnnies lost a 3-0 lead by allowing four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning of game one's 4-3 defeat and suffered a 13-3 loss in seven innings in the nightcap. SJU committed four errors in game two and batted .125 with runners on base (3-for-24) and with runners in scoring position (2-for-16) on the day. The Royals, meanwhile, went 8-for-16 with runners in scoring position. Fifteen of BU's 17 runs scored came in three innings.

Game 1
The Johnnies broke open a scoreless game with two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Schleper put the first run on the scoreboard with a leadoff home run, his fourth of the season. Becker doubled with one out and Nyrop brought him in with a double of his own with two outs.

E. Roe followed Schleper's lead with a leadoff home run, his sixth of the season and second in as many games, in the top of the sixth inning. Becker doubled to start the top of the seventh inning, but was stranded on third base. SJU finished 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

Junior Kody Dalen (Carver, Minn./Chanhassen) walked the leadoff batter in the bottom seventh and was relieved by junior Griffin Larson (Edina, Minn.). Larson recorded the first out, a fielder's choice groundout, but hit the next batter on a 0-2 count and followed that with a walk to load the bases. Noah Wenberg recorded an RBI single and Justin Winterfeldt tied the game with a two-run double. SJU elected to re-load the bases with an intentional walk before Marcus Krupke ended the game with a sacrifice fly to left field.

SJU out-hit BU by a 9-7 margin, but issued nine free passes (six walks and three hit batsmen). The Johnnies' defense turned three double plays.

Dalen was credited with one earned run on five hits in the no-decision. He struck out two and walked four in six innings.

BU starting pitcher Ty Koehn allowed two runs on six hits (three doubles and a homer), in five innings. He struck out 10, including five in the first trip through the lineup, and walked one.

Game 2
Bethel broke the scoreless game open with six runs on six hits in the bottom of the third inning. Koehn hit a leadoff, wind-aided home run to make it 7-0 in the bottom of the fifth and the Royals added five more runs (only one was earned), including a grand slam, in the sixth.

Erickson erased the shutout with a solo home run, his first of the season and second of his career, with one out in the top of the seventh inning. Shortstop Matthew Hayford singled with two outs and scored on a two-run homer off the bat of Becker to make it 12-3. The dinger was Becker's fifth of the season.

Nick Kulseth reached second base on an error to start the bottom of the seventh and scored on an RBI single from Keenan Hodgkin to end the game via the 10-run rule.

Junior Quinn Krueger (Woodbury, Minn.) made his first collegiate start and took the loss (2-2 record), allowing six runs on seven hits in three innings. 

BU's Max Sutter entered the game with a 5-0 record, 0.73 ERA, .221 opponent batting average and 40 strikeouts in 37 innings.

Hayford led SJU's bats in game two with two hits, including a double. Becker went 3-for-8, in which all three hits were for extra bases (two doubles and the homer), on the day.

SERIES HISTORY: SJU is 44-31 against Bethel since 1988, including an 18-13 record in Collegeville. The series is tied at 16-16 over the last 32 meetings overall (since 2009).