Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Saint John's baseball returned to the win column with a doubleheader sweep of Rutgers-Camden (N.J.), 7-2 and 13-2, on Thursday, March 19.

The Johnnies (8-4 overall) batted .367 (22-for-60) on the day, including .455 (15-for-33) with runners on base and .440 (11-for-25) with runners in scoring position, and belted 11 extra-base hits (six doubles, three home runs and two triples).

Senior right fielder Brendan Hemr (Blaine, Minn./Centennial) collected 11 total bases on just three hits – two home runs and a triple – and drove in seven runs on the day thanks to a grand slam in game two. The grand slam was the first for a Johnnie since 2024 (Owen Dauk '24 vs. Saint Mary's on April 20) and the first during a spring trip since 2022 (Ethan Roe '22 vs. Heidelberg, Ohio on March 10 in Port Charlotte, Fla.).

Senior third baseman Reed Marquardt (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) and junior second baseman Alex Matchey (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) combined for eight hits and nine runs scored. Marquardt (4-for-7) scored four runs with a double, triple and RBI. Matchey (4-for-6), meanwhile, crossed the plate five times with a double and three RBI.

Four SJU pitchers held the Scarlet Raptors (6-7 overall) batted 1-for-13 (.077) with two outs and 2-for-16 (.125) with runners in scoring position.

Game 1 – Saint John's 7, Rutgers-Camden 2
The Johnnies put together a two-out rally for three runs in the top of the first inning. Matchey walked with one out and made it to third base on a failed pickoff attempt that sailed wide of the bag. Junior first baseman Justin Brooks (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) followed with an RBI single up the middle and Hemr launched an opposite-field homer, his first of the day, for the 3-0 lead. The home run was the first allowed by Rutgers-Camden this season. 

RUC took advantage of a leadoff double and hit batsmen to manufacture a run in the bottom half of the first inning, but SJU added two more runs in the second. Freshman left fielder Kyle Boutwell (Maple Grove, Minn./Wayzata) and junior center fielder Riley Schwellenbach (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) singled to start the frame and freshman shortstop Will Koeppen (Minnetonka, Minn.) walked to load the bases. Matchey drilled a two-run, RBI single in the ensuing at-bat and the Johnnies re-loaded the bases with one out but failed to score the rest of the way.

Brooks (fourth inning) and Schwellenbach (fifth inning) extended the lead to 7-1 with RBI singles and Rutgers ended the scoring with a single run in the bottom of the fifth.

Junior Matthew Magnuson (Chanhassen, Minn./Chaska) moved his season record to 2-1 with the win, allowing the two runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in six innings of work.

Sophomore Dylan Marciulionis (Esko, Minn.) made his season debut and pitched a scoreless seventh inning to lock down the win.

Game 2 – Saint John's 13, Rutgers-Camden 2
The Scarlet Raptors found the scoreboard first with a pair of hits and a walk in the top of the first inning, but had a runner thrown out at the plate to end the frame.

Hemr's grand slam – his third homer of the season and ninth of his career – gave SJU a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning.

A leadoff triple scored on a sacrifice fly to cut the Johnnies' lead to 4-2 in the top of the second inning, but RUC mustered only two hits the rest of the game.

Matchey doubled to start the bottom of the third inning and scored on a two-out triple from Hemr. The Johnnies then plated four runs each in the fifth and sixth innings for the 13-2 final. Junior designated hitter Zach Helfmann (St. Louis Park, Minn.) clubbed a two-run homer, his fourth of the season and 12th of his career, in the fifth inning.

Freshman lefty Dylan Bloom (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) earned the win in his first collegiate start and appearance. He gave up the two runs on five hits and struck out four in five innings.

Senior Vinny Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.) struck out five in two hitless innings of relief.

The Johnnies wrap up their spring-break trip with a nine-inning game against Ramapo (N.J.) at 10 a.m. ET Friday, March 20, in Davenport, Fla.