Season Preview Video
DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – In the final year of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome hosting college baseball teams from around the region, the St. Scholastica baseball team opens its season Monday at the dome against Macalester College.
Game Schedule: (Game Day Media)
Monday vs. Macalester – 4:30 p.m. (DH)
(Live Video on Saints Sports Net)
About the Saints
2012 Record: 35-11, 21-0 UMAC
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The Saints enter the season ranked 22nd in the D3baseball.com preseason poll.
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CSS was the unanimous pick to win the UMAC once again, according to the preseason coaches' poll.
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The 2012 Saints made the NCAA Tournament for the eighth straight year and won its 16th consecutive UMAC regular season title and 15th straight UMAC Tournament championship.
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CSS was the unanimous pick to win the UMAC once again, according to the preseason coaches' poll.
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CSS ended last season with a loss on the final day of the NCAA Regional Tournament for the second consecutive year.
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The Saints went unbeaten in league play for the first time since the 2006 season and won their first two games at the regional tournament for the first time in program history.
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Big names CSS will have to replace include all-region catcher Kyle Moody (Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo HS ), first baseman Brandon Peterson (Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) and outfielder Tom Juberian (Park Rapids, Minn./Park Rapids HS).
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The Saints do bring back a lot of firepower in first team all-region performer senior Kyle Flagstad (Hinckley, Minn./Hinckley-Finlayson HS).
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Flagstad was an honorable mention postseason All-American by D3baseball last season and a first team ABCA All-Midwest Region selection to go along with being named the UMAC Player of the Year.
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Other key seniors this year include reigning co-UMAC Pitcher of the Year Jake Nystrom (Fargo, N.D./Fargo North HS), all-region performer Kyle Jensen (Wyoming, Minn./Forest Lake HS), Andy Schwantes (Lakeville, Minn./Apple Valley HS (Minn.-Duluth)), who named to the All-Whitewater Regional team, Jake Casareto (International Falls, Minn./Falls HS) at shortstop and David Vogelgesang (Hastings, Minn./Hastings HS) who returns after missing the second half of last season due to injury.
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Parker Olson (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS (Minn.-Duluth)) and Thomas Rogers (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet HS ) lead the junior class. Olson really played well at the end of the season in 2012, with the game-winning RBI in both regional tournament wins and being named to the All-Whitewater Regional team.
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Rogers had a minuscule 0.28 ERA in 16 appearances last season. He was 2-0 with four saves and allowed only 17 hits in 32.2 innings. At the Whitewater Regional, Rogers allowed only four hits in 11 innings and recorded a win and a save to also be named to the regional team.
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Catcher Tyler Henderson (Chisago Lakes, Minn./Chisago Lakes HS) is another junior that will see a lot of action this season with the departure of Moody.
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Another key arm that returns after injury is Andy Davis (Chippewa Falls, Wis./McDonell HS ). Davis started just one game last season, before being sidelined. During his freshman year, Davis shut down St. Thomas to advance to the Regional championship.
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John Hietpas (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge HS ) and Jesse Heaton (Heyworth, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic HS ) are key sophomores that return this season.
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For newcomers, expect Division I transfer Padraic Getchell (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS (North Dakota) ) to make an impact early along with freshman catcher Jake Kuschke (Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi HS ) and freshman outfielder Austin Colvard (Little Canada, Minn./Roseville HS).
About the Scots
2012 Record: 19-20, 9-11 MIAC
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Macalester placed sixth in the MIAC last season and have been picked to finish ninth this season, according to the preseason poll.
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The Scots will have to replace Mitch Glasser and Robert Williams from last year's squad.
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Glasser was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the spring and Williams was an all-region player, who recorded 132 RBIs in his career.
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Back for the Scots is shortstop Jimmy Belfont. Belfont was an All-MIAC performer his freshman year in 2011.
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Also back is Ross Bronfenbrenner. Bronfenbrenner was 17-for-17 in stolen base attempts last season.
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Another key loss for the Scots on the mound was All-MIAC pitcher Nick Meerson, who went 9-3 last season.
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The Macalester roster features just three seniors and 12 freshmen.
Series History: (CSS is 2-0 vs. Macalester)
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The Saints swept the Scots at the Metrodome during the 1999 season. CSS won game one 3-1 and then had an offensive explosion in a 31-0 game two win.
