Saint John's baseball visits Tucson, Ariz., for four games over three days from Saturday-Monday, March 16-18.

THE SCHEDULE: The Johnnies sandwich Sunday's doubleheader with a nine-inning game on Saturday and Monday.

-Saturday, March 16 vs. NAIA SAGU-American Indian College (Ariz.), 10 a.m. MT (9-inn.)
-Sunday, March 17 vs. Wesleyan (Conn.), 9:30 a.m. MT (DH)
-Monday, March 18 vs. Luther (Iowa), 9:30 a.m. MT (9-inn.)

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (6-4 overall) went 4-4 during its spring-break trip last week (March 3-9) in Florida. The Johnnies started their trip with a 10-2 victory over Otterbein (Ohio), which received votes in this week's D3baseball.com national poll. SJU then took an 8-3 in 13 innings to Heidelberg (Ohio) before dropping its next three games to then-No. 13 Misericordia (Pa.; L, 1-2), then-No. 24 Marietta (Ohio; L, 3-8) and Hiram (Ohio; L, 10-16). The Johnnies ended the trip with three-straight wins: a sweep of Baruch (N.Y.), 5-1 and 11-3, and a 6-3 victory over Muskingum (Ohio).

STRONG COMPETITION: Through games of March 14, the Johnnies' seven opponents in Florida currently have a combined record of 42-36 (including Baruch's 0-5). The four teams that defeated SJU are a combined 27-21. Misericordia dropped to No. 17 in the latest D3baseball.com poll, while Marietta moved out of the top 25 to receiving votes. 

PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Senior Jeremy Klick (Maple Grove, Minn.) was named the MIAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week on Monday (March 11) after he recorded his first collegiate save in two appearances, allowing one hit (a .067 opponent batting average) with 10 strikeouts in five innings in Florida. He gave up the lone single with four strikeouts in three innings of SJU's eventual 8-3, 13-inning loss to Heidelberg (Ohio) on March 4 and struck out all six batters faced for the save in the Johnnies' 5-1, game-one victory over Baruch (N.Y.) on March 8. 

The transfer from Division I St. Thomas is 1-0 with a .091 opponent batting average and 16 strikeouts (to one walk) in seven innings pitched so far this spring.

TRIP STATS
Offense
SJU batted .262 and out-scored the opposition 49-43 thanks to 29 extra-base hits (20 doubles, six triples and three home runs). The Johnnies went .329 (48-for-146) at the plate with runners on base and .348 (32-for-92) with runners in scoring position. Individually, senior third baseman Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) led the way with a .355 average (11-for-31), including five doubles, two homers, 12 RBI and six runs scored. Senior second baseman Owen Dauk (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) was next at .310 (9-for-29), including a team-best .474 on-base percentage, 10 runs scored and three triples.  

Pitching
The Johnnies' pitching staff posted a 4.06 ERA – thanks to 44 free passes (21 walks and 23 hit batsmen – despite a .222 opponent batting average with 75 strikeouts in 71 innings last week. The opposition totaled eight extra-base hits (five doubles and three triples) in eight games. Klick, senior Kody Dalen (Carver, Minn./Chanhassen), junior Connor Hartley (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Rosemount) and senior Griffin Larson (Edina, Minn.) combined for a 0.51 ERA, .143 opponent batting average (17-for-119) and 37 strikeouts (to three walks) in 35 innings during the trip.

IN THE RECORD BOOK: Becker is currently tied with Jed Riegelman '04 for third in doubles (34), seven from the program record of 41 owned by Matt Butorac '11. Becker is also eighth in RBI (97). The program's all-time leader in hit-by-pitch with 55, Dauk is also third in SJU history in runs scored (126), tied for fourth in triples (8), fifth in walks (68) and tied for 10th in doubles (28). Senior left fielder Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) is seventh in doubles (31), while senior right fielder Rodney Erickson (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury) is tied for seventh in triples (7). On the mound, Dalen is tied with Brett Kramer '11 for sixth with 146 strikeouts.

NATIONAL STATS: The Johnnies are currently (through games of March 14) third out of 382 teams in NCAA Division III in WHIP (1.09), sixth in both strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.81) and walks allowed per nine innings (2.73), and 13th in hits allowed per nine innings (7.08). Individually, Dauk is seventh in triples (3) and Becker is 10th in doubles (8).

THIS WEEKEND'S OPPONENTS
-NAIA SAGU-American Indian College (Ariz.): The Warriors are 6-14 overall in their first season of collegiate baseball and play Carleton Saturday afternoon after their game vs. SJU…the team is batting .252 and is led by junior Diego Mares' .391 average (25-for-64)…SAGU-AIC has a .933 fielding percentage and the pitching staff owns a 7.41 ERA, .278 opponent batting average and 137 free passes (100 walks and 37 hit batsmen) in 136 innings…freshman Robert Rust III is 2-0 with a 4.50 ERA, .197 opponent batting average and 19 strikeouts in 20 innings, while sophomore Jackson Dunn is 2-1 with a .208 opponent batting average in a team-best 22 innings.

-Wesleyan (Conn.): The Cardinals are 5-0 with wins over Gustavus Adolphus (5-0); Augsburg (7-6, 10-2, 19-1) and Hamline (11-6) in Tucson...Wesleyan faces Hamline again for a doubleheader on Saturday before taking on SJU Sunday…the Cardinals finished first in the New England Small College Athletic Conference's (NESCAC) West division with a 7-5 record (17-19 overall) and fell in the NESCAC quarterfinals last spring... SJU is 2-1 all-time against Wesleyan with a 12-11 win in 2019 and a doubleheader split last season (L, 1-3; W, 12-8)…all three games were played in Tucson…the Cardinals enter Saturday's game vs. Hamline with a .331 team batting average, while the pitching staff touts a 3.00 ERA and .258 opponent batting average…sophomore James Marsden is batting .471 with 13 RBI and six extra-base hits (a double, two triples and three homers).

-Luther (Iowa): The Norse are 6-4 this season and play Crown today (March 15), a doubleheader against Macalester Saturday and Carleton on Sunday before facing SJU on Monday morning...Luther finished second in the American Rivers Conference (ARC) last season with a 17-7 conference record (25-18 overall)…the Norse take the field today with a .333 batting average, 22 doubles and 12 home runs through the season's first 10 games…the team has a .933 fielding percentage and a 5.81 ERA, despite a .247 opponent batting average…fifth-year senior Joshua Matanich is batting .512 with a team-best 21 hits and 13 runs scored, while junior Mark Prince has five homers and 19 RBI…fifth-year senior Harry Blum is 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA, .082 opponent batting average and 18 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched.