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Saint John’s baseball wraps up its long homestand with a pair of 2:30 p.m. doubleheaders against St. Scholastica (Tuesday, May 2) and St. Olaf (Wednesday, May 3) at Haugen Field at Becker Park. – Live Stats/Live Video
A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John’s (18-13, 9-5 MIAC) played Gustavus Adolphus to a doubleheader split yesterday (Sunday, April 30) in Collegeville.
Fueled by three RBI each from senior first baseman Max Nyrop (Alameda, Calif.) and junior left fielder Jack Schleper (Shakopee, Minn.), the Johnnies posted a 7-2 win in game one. SJU, however, left 10 men on base and allowed seven runs after the seventh inning in an 11-2 loss to the Gusties in the nightcap.
The home team batted only .174 (4-for-23) with runners in scoring position and .125 (2-for-16) with two outs on the day.
Game 1
GAC gained an early 2-0 lead in the second inning thanks to a wind-aided homer and a two-out, RBI single. The lead lasted 15 minutes as Schleper roped a two-run double into the right-center gap in the bottom half of the inning.
The Johnnies took advantage of back-to-back walks to start the bottom of the third inning and Schleper smacked an RBI single up the middle for the go-ahead run.
Junior right fielder Rodney Erickson (St. Paul, Minn./Woodbury) made it 4-1 with a solo homer, his second of the season and fourth of his career, in the fourth inning and Nyrop drove in another with a two-out double. Nyrop ended the scoring with a two-run double in the sixth.
Sophomore Connor Hartley (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Rosemount) picked up the win in relief (2-1 record). He allowed only one hit and struck out three in three scoreless innings.
Senior Wyatt Rudolf (Carver, Minn./Chanhassen) made the start and surrendered the two runs on four hits in three innings for the no-decision. Freshman Evan Soeffker (Buffalo, Minn.) pitched the scoreless seventh.
The Johnnies handed GAC’s Luke Siegle his first loss of the season (7-1). The sophomore righty entered the start with a 1.77 ERA and a .175 opponent batting average, but SJU tagged him with five runs on just three hits. He walked four and struck out three in 3.1 innings.
Game 2
Junior third baseman Joe Becker (New Prague, Minn.) and Nyrop hit back-to-back doubles off the right-field fence in the first inning and junior center fielder Jordan Amundson (Eden Prairie, Minn.) brought in the game’s first run with an infield, RBI single in the ensuing at-bat.
Sophomore lefty Will Fazio (Minneapolis, Minn./Blake) started the game with three, no-hit innings before GAC broke through to tie the game in the fourth with a leadoff single and a two-out, RBI single. The Gusties added three solo homers – one to start the fifth inning and back-to-back with two outs in the sixth – to end Fazio’s day.
Gustavus broke the 4-2 game open with six runs on seven hits in the eighth inning and plated another for good measure in the ninth.
Nyrop led SJU at the plate by going 4-for-8 with three doubles and three RBI on the afternoon.
Becker and sophomore shortstop Jackson Peter (Elrosa, Minn./Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa) followed with three hits apiece.
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Nyrop was named the MIAC Baseball Player of the Week today (Monday, May 1) for the second times this season and fourth of his career. He batted .500 (12-for-24) with a 1.413 OPS, three doubles, two home runs, 13 RBI and five runs scored as SJU went 4-2 – including a 3-1 record against the MIAC’s top-two teams in the standings – last week.
Nyrop became SJU’s all-time leader in RBI with six – a grand slam and two-run single – in SJU’s 15-5 win in game two April 24 at Macalester. Nyrop totaled three hits and four RBI in the Johnnies’ sweep of league-leading Bethel April 26 and collected four hits, including three doubles, with three RBI in Sunday’s split against Gustavus Adolphus. The three doubles lifted him into second on SJU’s all-time list with 35, six behind the record held by Matt Butorac ’11.
UP TO SECOND: SJU’s all-time leader in RBI with 119, Nyrop is also climbing a handful of other lists in program history. His three doubles on Sunday lifted him into second on SJU’s all-time list with 35, six behind the record held by Matt Butorac ’11, as well as second with 270 total bases.
-Second with 23 home runs, two behind the record of 25 held by Ethan Roe ’22;
-Second with 270 total bases, 24 behind the record of 294 held by Jed Riegelman ’04;
-Second with 35 doubles, six behind the record of 41 held by Matt Butorac ’11;
-Tied with Derek Schiebel ’17 for sixth with 164 hits, five behind Logan Hershey ’16 in fifth (169).
-10th with 416 at-bats, 16 behind Matt Ode ’98 in ninth (432).
GETTING ON BASE: Becker has now reached base safely in all 31 games this spring, which is the longest streak since the stat was first recorded in 2012, and his last 35 games going back to last season. The 35-game streak is the Johnnies’ second-longest behind Nyrop’s 43-gamer that ended April 18. Peter is currently riding a 19-game streak.
FIVE AWAY: Erickson needs five hits to become the fourth Johnnie this season, and 38th in program history, to reach 100 for a career.
STAT COMPARISONS: SJU leads St. Scholastica and St. Olaf in three of the four major statistical categories in conference play.
Batting Average
2. SJU, .349 (.320 overall)
7. STO, .310 (.293 overall)
8. CSS, .307 (.258 overall)
Extra-Base Hits
-SJU, 94 (66 doubles, 7 triples, 21 home runs)
-CSS, 60 (38 doubles, 12 triples, 10 home runs)
-STO, 56 (42 doubles, 7 triples, 7 home runs)
ERA
3. SJU, 4.25 (5.41 overall)
7. STO, 7.52 (7.45 overall)
10. CSS, 8.82 (6.84 overall)
Opponent Batting Average
2. SJU, .268 (.288 overall)
9. STO, .337 (.303 overall)
10. CSS, .350 (.318 overall)
Fielding Percentage
3. STO, .971 (.956 overall)
6. CSS, .958 (.960 overall)
7, SJU, .952 (.955 overall)
A LOOK AT THE SAINTS: St. Scholastica (6-21, 4-10 MIAC) saw its three-game win streak end with a 13-12, walk-off loss on Saturday (April 29) at St. Olaf for the doubleheader split. Junior Jake Schelonka leads the team, both at the plate and on the mound. He is batting .396 with a team-leading 42 hits and is second in runs scored (18) and RBI (16). Schelonka (1-6 with a .545 ERA) leads the pitching staff in innings (39.2) and strikeouts (32).
LAST SPRING: SJU spoiled a complete-game, one-hitter from senior lefty Casey Trapp (Blaine, Minn./Centennial) and settled for a doubleheader split with St. Scholastica last April 19 (2022) at Wade Stadium in Duluth.
The Johnnies took the opener with an 8-2 victory and out-hit St. Scholastica by a 7-1 margin, including four doubles, but batted 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position (1-for-15 with runners on base) in a 2-1 defeat in the nightcap. The feels-like temperature dipped into the upper 20’s during the loss. CSS batted .096 (5-for-52) on the day.
Game 1
SJU gained a 3-0 lead thanks to three hits and an error in the top of the first inning. Becker and Nyrop reached via infield singles before Soren Roe ’22 opened the scoring with an RBI double. Amundson made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly in the next at-bat and Roe came around to score on an error off the bat of his twin brother, catcher Ethan Roe ’22.
The Saints tallied back-to-back RBI hits, a single and a double, with two outs to cut its deficit to one run in the bottom half of the first inning. Nyrop, however, gave a run back to the visitors with an RBI single of his own with two outs in the top of the second.
The Johnnies padded their lead with four runs in the top of the seventh inning. Nyrop came through once again with an RBI double and moved to third on a flyout from S. Roe. He then scored on Amundson’s RBI single. Following a balk, Ethan Roe reached on an infield single and both runners scored on a two-out double from Schleper.
Nathan Brandecker ’22 improved to 5-1 with the victory. He allowed the two runs on four hits in six innings of work. Trapp, the reigning MIAC Pitcher of the Week, recorded the final three outs in relief.
Game 2
Trapp cruised to two outs in the bottom of the third inning before the Saints tacked on two unearned runs thanks to three walks, an error and two wild pitches. Scholastica’s lone hit of the game came with two outs in the bottom of the fourth.
Amundson doubled to start the seventh inning, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on Erickson’s sac fly with one out.
The Johnnies threatened again in the eighth and ninth innings, but could not score the tying run. Shortstop Matthew Hayford doubled to start the eighth and moved to third on a flyout from Becker, but was stranded. Amundson and Erickson reached with infield singles in the ninth, but were left on second and first base, respectively.
Trapp struck out seven and walked four (plus a hit batter) in eight innings, his first loss (3-1 record) and fourth complete game of the season.
Amundson (3-for-6) and Nyrop (4-for-8) both batted .500 with two RBI on the day. Nyrop roped two doubles to Amundson’s one.
SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies own a 9-3 advantage in the series, but are 2-2 in Collegeville. Last year’s 2-1 loss snapped a five-game win streak against CSS.
A LOOK AT THE OLES: St. Olaf (11-14, 6-5 MIAC) salvaged a split against St. Scholastica on Saturday (April 29) with a 13-12, walk-off win in game two. The Saints tied the game at 12-12 with three runs in the top of the ninth, but issued a leadoff walk in the bottom half. A sacrifice bunt advanced the runner to second base before sophomore Evan Hammonds’ walk-off single. Junior Sam Lavin leads the Oles in batting average (.418), runs scored (22), hits (33), doubles (11) and RBI (21). He also touts a team-best 24 strikeouts in 21 innings (five starts). STO hosts crosstown-rival Carleton tomorrow (Tuesday, May 2) before Wednesday’s trip to Collegeville.
FINALLY: SJU’s home doubleheader vs. St. Olaf was originally scheduled for April 15, but was rescheduled for April 17, April 23, April 30 and now May 3.
A YEAR AGO: The Johnnies swept St. Olaf, 14-6 and 4-3, last April 16 (2022) in Northfield. E. Roe broke his tie with Jed Riegelman ’04 for sole possession of SJU’s program record for career home runs with a pair of long balls, his 21st and 22nd, in game one. SJU hit four home runs in game one and batted .324 (24-for-74) on the day. St. Olaf, meanwhile, batted .207 (12-for-58), including 6-for-32 (.188) with runners on base and 2-for-20 (.100) with runners in scoring position.
Game 1
Nyrop started the game’s scoring with a two-run homer, his fifth of the season and 16th of his career, in the top of the first inning. SJU tacked on four more runs in the third inning on an RBI single from Amundson and Roe’s record-breaking, three-run homer in the third inning.
STO scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the third inning and SJU did the same in the top of the fourth to make the score 8-2.
The Johnnies crossed the plate twice in the fifth inning thanks to back-to-back doubles from Nyrop and Becker, and right fielder Soren Roe ’22 registered a sacrifice fly. A pair of home runs – a leadoff dinger from Ethan Roe and a three-run blast from senior second baseman Owen Dauk (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) – ended the Johnnies’ scoring in the sixth.
Dalen earned his first win of the season (1-1 record), allowing six runs (two earned) on seven hits. He struck out seven in 6.1 innings. Haring recorded the final two outs in relief.
Dauk and Nyrop, SJU’s second and third hitters in the lineup, combined to go 6-for-7 with seven runs scored and five RBI.
Game 2
SJU followed a similar blueprint to game one with three runs in the first inning. Nyrop stroked an RBI double, while Amundson and Erickson recorded a pair of two-out, RBI singles. Erickson gave SJU a 4-0 lead with a sac fly in the top of the third inning.
Sam Lavin made it a one-run game with a one-out, three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning. Joey Glampe followed with a double, but Brandecker relieved junior Quinn Krueger (Woodbury, Minn.) and recorded the final two outs to end the threat.
Junior Griffin Larson (Edina, Minn.) picked up the win in his second collegiate start. He allowed only one hit and struck out nine in five scoreless innings, but walked six.
Hayford led SJU’s bats in game two with a 3-for-4 performance to end the day 5-for-7. Amundson and Soren Roe tallied two hits apiece. Dauk and Nyrop each batted 4-for-8 with five runs scored and three RBI in the doubleheader.
SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 17-6 against the Oles since 2010, including wins in 11 of the last 14 meetings. SJU is 7-3 in the last five doubleheaders played in Collegeville.
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