Third-seeded Saint John's baseball opens the double-elimination MIAC Tournament against second-seeded Bethel at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 8, in Collegeville. - Listen Live (WBHR-660 AM) | Live Stats | Live Video | MIAC Tournament Website/Tickets

FIRST 200 CSB/SJU STUDENTS: Thanks to the CSB and SJU Senates, the first 200 CSB/SJU students gain free admittance to Thursday night's game!

TICKET INFORMATION: All tickets will be sold and purchased online via HomeTown Ticketing. There will not be cash sales at the venue. However, spectators can purchase tickets using a mobile device, including while at the venue. The rate is $12 (plus HTT service charge) for adults and $3 (plus HTT service charge) for any student with an ID (children aged 5 years old and younger are free). One ticket is good for the entire day of games. There is no senior discount. MIAC Passes will be honored. No other passes will be accepted. – Purchase Tickets

*Pets, seeds/shells and fan coolers are not permissible at Becker Park*

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 8
G1: (No. 1) No. 17/18 Gustavus Adolphus vs. (No. 4) St. Olaf, 2:30 p.m.
G2: (No. 2) Bethel vs. (No. 3) Saint John's, 7 p.m.

Friday, May 9
G3: G1 Loser vs. G2 Loser, 12 p.m.
G4: G1 Winner vs. G2 Winner, 3 p.m.
G5: G4 Loser vs. G3 Winner, 6 p.m.

Saturday, May 10
G6: G4 Winner vs. G5 Winner, 3 p.m.
G7: 25 minutes after G6, if necessary

LAST YEAR'S CHANGES: Two changes to the league policy were made by the MIAC baseball coaches prior to the 2024 conference tournament:

-The 10-run rule is now in effect for the MIAC Tournament (must complete seven innings, like the regular season).
-The home team will be designated to the higher seed throughout the tournament.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (24-14, 14-6 MIAC) ended its regular-season schedule with a 9-2 win over Crown on Monday (May 5) in Collegeville. The Johnnies totaled 12 hits in the game, which they broke open with a three-run third inning and added two runs each in the sixth and eighth.

The home team batted .375, both with runners on base (9-for-24) and with runners in scoring position (6-for-16), while six pitchers combined to hold the Polars to 3-for-17 (.176) with runners on base and 2-for-12 (.167) with an RBI opportunity.

Junior left fielder Owen Amrhein (Waconia, Minn.) drove in four runs and went 2-for-3 at the plate, while four other Johnnies matched his two hits apiece.

Crown opened the game's scoring with an unearned run in the top of the first inning but Amrhein tied it with an RBI single in the bottom of the second. Senior catcher Blake Mellgren (Northfield, Minn.) started the bottom half of the third with a hit-by-pitch and senior third baseman Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) was plunked with one out. Sophomore second baseman Alex Matchey (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) gave the Johnnies the lead with a two-out single up the middle and Amrhein followed a walk by junior right fielder Brendan Hemr (Blaine, Minn./Centennial) with a two-run single through the left side.

The Polars cut their deficit to 4-2 in the fourth inning, but SJU closed the game with five unanswered runs. The Johnnies plated an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth and added two more in the sixth on a two-run single from senior first baseman Owen Best (Aurora, Colo./Regis Jesuit).

Junior shortstop Reed Marquardt (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo homer, his third of the season, on the first pitch and Amrhein made it 9-2 with a sacrifice fly.

Freshman Dylan Marciulionis (Esko, Minn.) earned the win in relief after he pitched two scoreless innings after classmate Ben Rudser (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) made the start and allowed the unearned run in the first.

Sophomore Brady Drkula (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park), sophomore P.J. Johnson (Glenwood, Minn./Minnewaska Area), junior Noah Jensen (St. Cloud, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) and freshman Tyler Gruye (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) provided the rest of the work on the mound for SJU. Gruye made his collegiate debut and allowed one hit over the game's final two innings.

MIAC PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Senior Connor Hartley (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Rosemount) was named the MIAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season on Monday (May 5). He pitched the complete game, his fourth of the season, and allowed an unearned run on just two hits in seven innings in the Johnnies' 4-1 win over Concordia last Tuesday (April 29). He tied a season high with seven strikeouts and is now 6-4 on the year. Hartley is 2-1 with three complete games, a 1.35 ERA, .068 opponent batting average (5-for-74) and 15 strikeouts (to five walks) over his last three starts (20 innings).

SJU's MIAC TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The Johnnies are making their 15th-consecutive appearance in the MIAC Tournament, which they are hosting for the fifth time (2016, 2017, 2021, 2023),and the 17th overall since the format started in 2003. SJU is 20-25 in MIAC Tournament games with titles in 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2019. 

The No. 3 seed is SJU's fifth in the 17 appearances: 2007 (1-2 record), 2010 (0-2), 2017 (0-2) and 2024 (0-2). Four of the eight losses were decided by one run.

MIAC STATS: Three Johnnies led the MIAC statistically in conference play. Becker led the MIAC in home runs (9), walks (19) and slugging percentage (.933), was fourth in runs scored (25) and sixth in RBI (21). He tied with Matchey for eighth in batting (.400), as both were 24-for-60 at the plate. Senior second baseman Ryan Janzen (St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral) led the MIAC in triples (4) and was tied for third in sacrifice bunts (3). Marquardt tied for sixth in runs scored (20) and Hemr tied for ninth in RBI (19).

On the mound, Hartley led the MIAC in opponent batting average (.155), tied for the MIAC lead with four complete games and tied for seventh in innings pitched (32.0). Senior southpaw Will Fazio (Minneapolis, Minn./Blake) took fourth in ERA (1.91), tied with Hartley for fourth in wins (4) and tied for sixth in strikeouts (26).

STAT COMPARISONS: As expected, this week's tournament features four of the conference's top statistical teams in league play.

Batting Average
1. GAC, .367 (.349 overall)
3. SJU, .307 (.311 overall)
4. STO, .304 (.290 overall)
6. BU, .297 (.293 overall)

Slugging Percentage
1. GAC, .582 (.523 overall)
2. SJU, .463 (.473 overall)
4. BU, .437 (.421 overall)
5. STO, .428 (.421 overall)

On-Base Percentage
1. GAC, .462 (.443 overall)
3. SJU, .392 (.404 overall)
5. BU, .382 (.386 overall)
6. STO, .382 (.376 overall)

ERA
1. BU, 3.44 (3.21 overall)
3. GAC, 4.22 (4.76 overall)
4. SJU, 4.59 (4.75 overall)
7. STO, 6.01 (5.83 overall)

Opponent Batting Average
2. GAC, .254 (.261 overall)
3. BU, .258 (.257 overall)
4. SJU, .261 (.264 overall)
7. STO, .296 (.283 overall)

Fielding Percentage
1. STO, .983 (.974 overall)
2. BU, .979 (.977 overall)
3. GAC, .977 (.967 overall)
9. SJU, .962 (.957 overall)

A LOOK AT THE ROYALS: Bethel (28-11, 15-5 MIAC) ended its regular-season schedule on Sunday (May 4) with a pair losses – 7-3 and 7-5 – at Saint Mary's. Fifth-year Zach Thompson (.353) and junior Oran Hinkle (.344) lead BU with 53 hits. Thompson boasts a team-best 15 doubles and seven stolen bases (7-for-9), and is second in runs scored (27). Hinkle, meanwhile, leads the Royals in runs (31), home runs (9) and RBI (29). Sophomore Jackson Hunter has made 10 starts (11 appearances) and is 4-3 with a 3.36 ERA in a team-best 59 innings pitched. Freshman Mark Anderson leads the staff with five wins (5-2 record) and has a 2.84 ERA in 44.1 innings.

LAST MONTH: SJU dropped a pair of games, 4-0 and 5-4, at Bethel back on April 19 in Arden Hills. The Johnnies mustered four hits and went down on strikes nine times to Bethel's Max Sutter in game one and surrendered a 4-1 lead in the nightcap. 

BU held the Johnnies to a .190 (11-for-58) batting average and recorded 19 strikeouts on the day. SJU batted 5-for-23 (.217) with runners on base, including 2-for-14 (.143) with runners in scoring position.

Game 1 – at Bethel 4, Saint John's 0
SJU had two runners on base in each of the first two innings before Bethel broke through for a single run with three doubles in the bottom of the second.

Oran Hinkle hit his seventh home run of the season to lead off the bottom of the third and a leadoff walk eventually scored with two outs in the fifth. Back-to-back doubles to start the bottom of the sixth inning plated BU's fourth run.

Sophomore Carter Theisen (Rosemount, Minn.) took the loss after he allowed all four runs on seven hits – five of which were for extra bases (four doubles and a homer) – with four strikeouts in the seven-inning, complete-game effort.

Game 2 – at Bethel 5, Saint John's 4
Hayden Sperbeck gave the Royals an early 1-0 lead with a solo shot – the lone hit allowed by sophomore starter Hunter Hoen (Belle Plaine, Minn.) in four innings – in the bottom of the first.

Becker and Best walked to start the fourth inning and trotted home when Hemr blasted a three-run homer with two outs to give SJU its first lead of the day. 

Another two-out RBI, this time a single from Matchey, made it 4-1 in the top of the fifth inning. BU left the bases loaded in the bottom half of the fifth.

Marquardt and Becker singled to start the seventh inning but they did not budge from second and first, respectively.

The Royals cut their deficit to 4-3 with a pair of runs off Fazio in the bottom of the sixth inning. Junior Jack Dobesh (Edina, Minn.) relieved Fazio with one out and runners at second and first, and induced a lineout to Matchey in left. Matchey then doubled up the runner at second base to end the inning.

Freshman Drew Lange (Albany, Minn./Holdingford) took the loss (2-1 record) after he allowed two runs, one earned due to his own throwing error, in the seventh inning.

Marquardt led SJU's bats with a 3-for-5 performance.

SERIES HISTORY: SJU is 47-35 against Bethel since 1988, including a 21-14 record in Collegeville, but just 19-20 in the series over the last 39 meetings since 2009. The Johnnies are 2-6 all-time against the Royals in the MIAC Tournament (0-3 at CHS Field, 0-1 in Cold Spring, 0-1 in Collegeville, 2-1 in Minnetonka) with losses in each of the last five postseason meetings.

A LOOK AT THE GUSTIES: Gustavus Adolphus (33-7, 17-3 MIAC) collected its 16th MIAC regular-season title with a sweep of Macalester last Friday (May 2) in St. Paul. The Gusties opened the series with an 8-2 score, followed by a high-scoring 12-7 win in game two. Sophomore Danny Gavin leads GAC in batting (.439), runs scored (56) and doubles (13). Sophomore Brayden Kohls, the reigning MIAC Player of the Week, is first on the team in hits (71), RBI (50) and stolen bases (10). Sophomore Benny Mcdonald is 7-0 with a 3.84 ERA in 10 starts and 58.2 innings, while fifth-year lefty Adam Biewen owns a team-best 2.70 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 43.1 innings on the mound.

BACK ON APRIL 6: Then-No. 18 Gustavus handed SJU a doubleheader sweep, 17-6 and 12-4, last month (April 6) in Collegeville. The Johnnies issued 20 free passes (18 walks and two hit batsmen) in 16 innings and committed six errors. The Gusties, meanwhile, batted .419 (18-for-43) with runners on base, including .406 (13-for-32) with runners in scoring position, and .404 (19-for-47) with one out or less on the day.

Game 1 – Gustavus Adolphus 17, Saint John's 6
SJU built a 3-1 lead after three innings thanks to an unearned run in the second inning and a pair of extra-base hits in the third. Becker walked with two outs in the third and scored on a triple off the bat of Best, who crossed the plate on a double from Hemr in the next at-bat.

The Gusties, however, responded with six runs on four hits in the top of the fourth inning and broke the game open further with 10 runs in the over the next three frames (two in the fifth and four each in the sixth and seventh).

Becker launched his team-leading sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot, in the seventh inning and drove in the Johnnies' sixth and final run with an RBI single – the 200th hit of his career – with two outs in the seventh.

Hartley took the loss for SJU, allowing seven runs on five hits in four innings.

Game 2 – Gustavus Adolphus 12, Saint John's 4
GAC jumped out to a 5-0 lead thanks to five runs (two earned) on four hits, coupled with two SJU errors, in the top of the second inning.

Sophomore designated hitter Zach Helfmann (St. Louis Park, Minn.) led off the bottom half of the second with a towering homer down the left-field line for his fifth of the season. 

The visitors tacked on a homer of their own in the top of the fourth inning and SJU matched it with a manufactured run in the bottom half. Matchey doubled for his second-consecutive at-bat to start the frame, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly from Amrhein.

SJU cut its deficit to 6-3 with a single run in the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Gusties responded with six runs over the next three innings to put the game away.

Best ended the game's scoring with a two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The home team was 3-for-20 with runners on base, including 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, in the loss.

Fazio suffered his first loss of the season, allowing six runs (three earned) on seven hits in five innings.

Matchey led SJU's bats with a 3-for-4 performance in the nightcap.

Becker (3-for-6) and Hemr (3-for-9) matched Matchey with three hits on the afternoon. Hemr extended his reached-base streak to 15 games, including a hit in 13-straight contests.

SERIES HISTORY: SJU 46-37 against Gustavus since 1988 (4-4 in the MIAC Tournament), including a 21-18 record on the home diamond. SJU holds a 21-17 advantage since 2010 (8-9 at SJU).

A LOOK AT THE OLES: St. Olaf (22-14, 13-7 MIAC) clinched a postseason berth with a sweep of crosstown rival Carleton, 3-0 and 9-8, on Saturday (May 3) on its home field. Junior Mason Buck leads the Oles in batting average (.398), slugging percentage (.553), on-base percentage (.479) and hits (49). Senior southpaw Jacob Fickenscher leads STO's pitching staff with a 7-2 record, 58.2 innings, 65 strikeouts and a .214 opponent batting average.

APRIL 15 IN NORTHFIELD: Becker went 4-for-6 with three home runs and became the program's all-time leader in career hits and runs scored as the Johnnies earned a doubleheader sweep at St. Olaf – 6-3 and 15-4 in seven innings – on April 15 in Northfield.

A two-run homer, Becker's second of the day, in the second inning of game two enabled him to break both records in the same batted ball. He finished with four RBI, four runs scored and walked three times as SJU batted .393 (24-for-61) with nine extra-base hits (five homers and four doubles) on the afternoon.

Game 1 – Saint John's 6, at St. Olaf 3
The Johnnies found the scoreboard first in the top of the second inning with Hemr doubled off the center-field fence to score Matchey from second base.

The Oles tied the game with an unearned run in the bottom of the third inning, but SJU answered with two runs in the next at-bat. Helfmann recorded a leadoff single, Matchey reached when his sacrifice-bunt attempt turned into a hit and Hemr loaded the bases with an infield single. Janzen gave the visitors the lead with a sac fly in the ensuing at-bat before Amrhein doubled in another run.

Becker hit his first homer of the day to make it 4-1 in the top of the fifth inning, though STO responded with two runs to cut the deficit to 4-3 in the bottom half.

SJU pulled away with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Amrhein singled to start the sixth and eventually scored on a wild pitch, while Janzen executed a safety-squeeze bunt for the game's final run in the seventh.

Hartley went the distance, allowing the three runs (two earned) on four hits. He struck out four and walked one. Six of his 21 outs came on the first pitch.

Hemr finished 3-for-3 at the plate, while Amrhein, Becker and Helfmann posted two hits apiece.

Game 2 – Saint John's 15, at St. Olaf 4 (7 inn.)
Marquardt started the scoring right away in game two when he blasted the first pitch of the game for his second home run of the season. The spark carried over to the second inning where the Johnnies erupted for six runs on six hits.

Amrhein stroked his second RBI double of the day to start the second inning's scoring and another crossed the plate via wild pitch before Mellgren launched a two-run shot for his second homer of the season. Marquardt singled and Becker blasted his record-breaking homer two batters later.

SJU plated a pair of runs with two outs, thanks to an RBI double from Helfmann and an RBI single from Matchey, in the fourth inning and tacked on three more to make it 12-0 in the fifth.

The Oles erased the shutout with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. The Johnnies added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning which proved to be pivotal for the 10-run rule as the Oles scored two in the bottom half of the frame before the final out was recorded.

Fazio improved to 4-1 on the season with the win after he allowed one run on seven hits in five innings of work.

Senior Kade Bowar (Burnsville, Minn.) surrendered three runs (one earned) on six hits in two innings of relief.

SJU took advantage of 11 walks and two hit batsmen (Janzen) in the nightcap and was led by Amrhein, Becker, Marquardt and Mellgren with two hits each. Mellgren drove in four.

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 22-7 against the Oles since 2010, including a 9-5 record in Collegeville and wins in 16 of the last 20 meetings overall. SJU is 2-2 against STO in the MIAC Tournament: 2003 (L, 3-4 in Dundas); 2007 (L, 3-4 in Northfield); and 2019 (W, 6-3 and W, 8-4 at CHS Field).