Saint John's plays host to Saint Mary's for the home and MIAC opener at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 29, at Haugen Field at Becker Park in Collegeville. – Live Stats | Live Video

SCHEDULE CHANGE: Sunday's doubleheader was originally scheduled for Saturday but was postponed and rescheduled for Sunday due to the forecast of colder temperatures and wind.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (9-6 overall) dropped a pair of one-run games, 3-2 and 6-5, at Bethany Lutheran on Tuesday (March 24) in Mankato. SJU batted .196 (10-51) on the day, including a 3-for-17 (.176) showing with runners in scoring position. All 10 hits were singles and the Johnnies recorded 12 strikeouts at the plate, while the pitching staff issued 10 free passes (seven walks and three hit batsmen) in 12.2 innings. Five of the Vikings' nine runs scored reached base via walk or hit-by-pitch, including four in game two alone. Bethany Lutheran's other two runs in the nightcap reached base via error.

BLC erased a 2-1 deficit with a two-out, pinch-hit double in the bottom of the sixth inning. SJU left the bases loaded with one out in the top of the seventh. 

The visitors batted 3-for-17 (.176) with runners on base, including 2-for-12 (.167) with runners in scoring position, and left 10 men on base in the doubleheader's first game. 

The Johnnies led by four runs twice, 4-0 and 5-1, in game two but lost 6-5 on a walk-off error with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Four of SJU's six losses so far this spring have been decided by one run.

Game 1 – at Bethany Lutheran 3, Saint John's 2
SJU coaxed three walks but left the bases loaded in the top of the first inning and BLC capitalized on a leadoff double for a 1-0 lead after one complete.

The Johnnies finally broke through in the top of the fifth inning after junior Alex Matchey (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) tripped up the Vikings when his single through the right side was bobbled by the right fielder to give SJU the lead with two unearned runs. 

Freshman southpaw Dylan Bloom (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) took the loss in his second collegiate start and appearance, allowing three runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings.

Senior Jack Dobesh (Edina, Minn.) surrendered the go-ahead double and recorded the sixth inning's final out in relief.

Game 2 – at Bethany Lutheran 6, Saint John's 5
SJU scored four runs with two outs in the top of the second inning. The Johnnies took advantage of a single and three walks, including a base-loaded base-on-balls with junior center fielder Riley Schwellenbach (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) at the plate for the first run. Freshman shortstop Will Koeppen (Minnetonka, Minn.) followed with a rare three-run single in the next at-bat.

BLC answered with a single run in the bottom half of the second inning but SJU responded with one of their own in the top of the third. Junior third baseman Justin Brooks (Champlin, Minn./Champlin Park) singled to start the frame and scored when junior catcher Mason McCurdy (Lake Elmo, Minn./Stillwater Area) singled to left field and the ball got past the Viking outfielder.

The Vikings made the score 5-4 with three runs without a hit in the fourth inning and tied the game with an unearned run in the fifth.

Junior Carter Theisen (Rosemount, Minn.) allowed four runs (two earned) on three hits in 3.1 innings for the no-decision. Sophomore Ben Rudser (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) gave up an unearned run on two hits in 1.2 innings, while classmate Dylan Marciulionis (Esko, Minn.) was tagged with the loss following the game-winning, unearned run in 1.2 hitless innings.

STAT COMPARISONS
Batting Average
-SJU, .307 
-SMU, .281 

Slugging Percentage 
-SJU, .446 
-SMU, .415 

On-Base Percentage 
-SJU, .400 
-SMU, .394 

Fielding Percentage 
-SMU, .987 
-SJU, .951 

ERA 
-SJU, 3.22 
-SMU, 4.18 

Opponent Batting Average 
-SJU, .250 
-SMU, .276

A LOOK AT THE CARDINALS: Saint Mary's (11-6 overall) brings a five-game win streak to Collegeville Saturday, including a four-game sweep of Wisconsin-Superior last weekend (March 20-22) in West Liberty, Iowa. UWS' six-game win streak failed to intimidate the Cardinals as they outscored the Yellowjackets 26-6 over the four games. Junior Sam Knickerbocker leads the SMU offense, batting .379 (22-for-58), while senior Josh Costello maintains a team-best 17 RBI. Junior Ryan Csida follows close behind with 13 RBI, and tops the Cardinals in home runs (3), doubles (6) and triples (3). Senior Andrew Milner (2-0) has solidified himself as a top arm for Saint Mary's with a 0.43 ERA and 14 punchouts in 18.1 innings. Freshman Brady Patten (1-0) has earned two saves in 10.0 scoreless frames across four relief appearances.

LAST SPRING: The Johnnies and Cardinals split their second-straight doubleheader – and fourth in the last five – last April 23 (2025) in Winona.  

SJU was held to three singles in a 1-0 defeat in the opener, but erupted for 14 hits to take game two with an 11-1 win in seven innings. The Johnnies were 0-for-11 with runners on base, including 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position, in the loss. 

Game 1 – at Saint Mary's 1, Saint John's 0 
A two-out walk for Saint Mary's came back to haunt Connor Hartley '25 as the game's lone run in the first inning. Stephen Golden walked on five pitches, stole second and scored when Matchey's attempt in the gap came up short on a sinking liner. 

Hartley took the tough-luck loss after he allowed the run on four hits and struck out four in the complete-game, seven-inning effort. 

Game 2 – Saint John's 11, at Saint Mary's 1 (7 inn.) 
SJU jumped out to a 4-0 lead and broke the game open with a seven-run fourth inning. Matchey put the Johnnies on the scoreboard with a two-run single in the first inning. The visitors plated an unearned run in the second inning and senior right fielder Brendan Hemr (Blaine, Minn./Centennial) capped three-straight singles to start the third to make it 4-0. 

The Johnnies started the fourth inning with singles from catcher Blake Mellgren '25 and senior Marquardt (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes) before third baseman Joe Becker '24 launched his 11th home run of the season in the next at-bat. Matchey singled, Hemr doubled and second baseman Ryan Janzen '25 was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Junior designated hitter Zach Helfmann (St. Louis Park, Minn.) walked to make it 8-0 and senior center fielder Owen Amrhein (Waconia, Minn.) stroked a two-run single. Helfmann eventually scored SJU's 11th run on a wild pitch. 

Lefty Will Fazio '25 pitched five scoreless innings to collect his fifth win of the season. He allowed four hits and struck out three without a free pass. 

Kade Bowar '25 pitched a scoreless sixth inning of relief and Dobesh gave up the Cardinals' lone run with two outs in the seventh. 

Matchey led SJU's bats by going 4-for-5 with two RBI. Marquardt followed with a 3-for-4 performance and two runs scored, while Amrhein and Hemr tallied two hits apiece. Marquardt finished 4-for-7 on the afternoon.

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 59-46 against Saint Mary's on the baseball diamond since 1974, including a 24-19 record in Collegeville. The series is knotted at 5-5 in the past 10 games.