COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - Brendan Hemr didn't get a varsity at-bat during his first two seasons on the Saint John's baseball team.

The outfielder from Centennial High School didn't travel on the Johnnies' early-season trips to Florida and Arizona as a freshman or sophomore and saw his only game action on JV.

But when an opening finally presented itself last season, he made sure he was ready to answer the call.

"As a sophomore, our outfield was stacked with seniors and there wasn't any room for me," the now-senior recalled. "But after those guys graduated, it left spots to fill. I knew I'd probably get just one chance and I had to solidify my spot in the lineup right away. If I didn't, there were plenty of other talented guys who could have stepped in and played well.

"So I approached it like it was my only shot. I worked really hard to get stronger and increase my power. It paid off because the season wound up going even better than I could have expected it to."

Indeed, Hemr went from zero varsity appearances in two seasons to becoming the only Johnnie to start all 41 games in 2025. He ranked third on the team with a .357 batting average and second with 39 RBI while belting six home runs.

"I built up a lot more confidence," he said. "It actually started the summer after my sophomore year. I switched townball teams and started playing for (the) Chisago Lakes (Bulldogs). I got to start right away and had a lot of success. 

"That was a big confidence booster and it carried over into the college season."

Hemr's success has continued this season. Going into this weekend's MIAC doubleheader vs. St. Olaf Saturday (April 18), he boasts a batting average of .352 (highest on the team among those who have played in 17 games or more) with 19 RBI and five home runs.

"He's one of the hardest workers you'll find," said SJU head coach Scott Lieser, whose team enters play against the Oles 5-5 in MIAC action and 14-11 overall.

"He's definitely someone who, if he says he's going to do something, he'll do it. He also has a short memory. He doesn't let the highs get too high or the lows get too low. He's improved so much over his time here. He is hitting for power a lot more now and his defensive play in the outfield has come a long way.

"But the biggest thing is just confidence," Lieser continued. "You can see he believes in himself a lot more and his play reflects that."

Hemr's performance is even more impressive when you consider baseball wasn't the top priority for him in junior high and high school.

He played the sport growing up and earned a starting spot on varsity as a senior, but his first love was hockey. 

"Baseball was just something I did when springtime rolled around," Hemr said. "I was doing it to have fun. My senior year, I got a chance to start on varsity. But it wasn't like I was really looking for a spot before that. It was just a chance to be with my friends."

But his outlook started to change his senior year. While Hemr's initial postgraduation plans had been to play junior hockey, he began to have misgivings about that path. And teammate Jake Slipka – who also went on to play baseball for the Johnnies – presented him with an alternative.

"Juniors started to feel like something I wasn't sure about," Hemr said. "You don't get to go to school right away, and it can be a weird path that doesn't work out the same for everybody. I didn't want to spend a couple years doing that and not end up playing somewhere (collegiately).

"Jake was already planning to come here for baseball. He told me he thought I was good enough to play here too. I'd always heard good things about Saint John's. Jon Lieser – who is related to Scott – was one of our coaches. And Scott had coached (at Centennial) too at one point. So that connection was in place. It seemed like a good place to be."

That's turned out to be the case on and off the field. Hemr – a computer science major – earned Academic All-MIAC honors a year ago and is a teaching assistant in the department. 

He already has a job lined up as a software engineer with The Travelers Companies in St. Paul.

"I got an internship with them last summer through a Johnnie who is pretty high up in the company (Nick Kulenkamp '98, the senior vice president and chief information officer, corporate technology at the company). He helped me out and made that happen. The internship went well and they offered me a job.

"It's nice to already have that lined up. It removes a whole other level of stress during the spring of my senior year. I can keep my focus on baseball."

Hemr's four siblings are also involved in athletics. His sister Noelle is a sophomore forward on the women's hockey team at Gustavus Adolphus and brother Joey is a senior at Centennial who will play junior hockey next season.

Another sister, Kaitie, is a junior at Centennial who plays hockey and lacrosse, while youngest sister Ellie is a seventh grader also active in sports.

"We're a pretty big sports family," he said. "It can get kind of competitive, especially between my brother and I. But I love to be there to support them. I try to get back home for their games as much as I can."

But Hemr still has games of his own left to play as the Johnnies head into the heart of the MIAC schedule.

"We really want to win an MIAC (tournament) championship," he said. "That's the goal we're all working toward. I used to be focused more on my individual stats. But now that I've gotten to my senior season, I realize my own stats don't matter.

"It's all about doing whatever I need to do to help the team be successful."