DULUTH, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica baseball team returns to La Crosse, Wisconsin for the second straight year to compete in an eight-team double-elimination NCAA Division III Midwest Regional and will open with Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Tournament champion Saint John's University on Wednesday.
Where:
Copeland Park – La Crosse, Wis.
When:
Wednesday
Game #1 – St. Scholastica (#4 seed) vs. Saint John's (#5) - 10 a.m.
Game #2 - UW-La Crosse (#1) vs. Beloit (#8) - 1:15 p.m.
Game #3 – North Central (Ill.) (#3) vs. Luther (#6) - 4:30 p.m.
Game #4 – Concordia-Chicago (#2) vs. Kalamazoo (#7) - 7:45 p.m.
Thursday
Game #5 - Loser Game #1 vs. Loser Game #2 - 10 a.m.
Game #6 - Loser Game #3 vs. Loser Game #4 - 1:15 p.m.
Game #7 - Winner Game #1 vs. Winner Game #2 - 4:30 p.m.
Game #8 - Winner Game #3 vs. Winner Game #4 - 7:45 p.m.
Friday
Game #9 - Winner Game #6 vs. Loser Game #7 - 10 a.m.
Game #10 - Loser Game #8 vs. Winner Game #5 - 1:15 p.m.
Game #11 - Winner Game #7 vs. Winner Game #8 - 4:30 p.m.
Game #12 - Winner Game #9 vs. Winner Game #10 - 7:45 p.m.
Saturday
Game #13 - Winner Game #12 vs. Loser Game #11 - Noon
Game #14 - Winner Game #11 vs. Winner Game #13 - 3:30 p.m.
Sunday
Game #15 - Winner Game #14 vs. Loser Game #14 - TBA (If necessary)
Regional Web Site: http://www.uwlathletics.com/index.aspx?path=2016_ncaa_regional
Live Video: http://www.uwlathletics.com/sports/2016/5/15/2016-ncaa-iii-midwest-regional-broadcasts.aspx?path=2016_ncaa_regional
Live Audio: http://www.csssaints.com/ssn
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/uwlax/baseball/
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St. Scholastica Saints
Stats
Record: 31-9, 15-1 UMAC
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Standings | Stats
Last Action: The Saints won their 19
th straight Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Tournament championship … CSS opened with an 11-0 victory over the University of Minnesota Morris and then defeated the University of Northwestern twice to capture the title … The Saints scored at least 10 runs in two of the wins and did not allow more than three runs or eight hits in any of the three games.
More UMAC Titles: The Saints won their 20
th consecutive UMAC regular season championship and 19
th straight UMAC Tournament title this season … CSS has never lost more than two games to UMAC teams in a season since 1998.
8-Team Regional: The Saints will play in an eight-team regional for the second straight year and the third time overall … The first time it happened was 2012 in Whitewater, Wisconsin … At that regional, CSS did something it had never done before and that was win its two opening games at a regional … The Saints eventually were the next-to-last team eliminated from the tournament by host UW-Whitewater … Last year, the Saints opened with a loss to host and eventual national runner-up UW-La Crosse and then saw their season end with a loss to Concordia-Chicago … This will be the highest seed the Saints have had at an eight-team regional … CSS was a No. 6 seed in 2012 and a No. 7 seed in 2015.
Postseason vs. the MIAC: Saint John's will be only the third different MIAC program the Saints have seen in a NCAA Regional Tournament … The Saints fell to Hamline University 3-2 in 13 innings in the 2011 regional in Whitewater … All of the other meetings have come against St. Thomas and the Saints are 3-3 in NCAA postseason meetings with the Tommies.
10-Hit Mark: The Saints are 24-2 this season when they record at least 10 hits … The Saints were 24-5 last season when they had at least 10 hits … CSS has gone eight straight NCAA Tournament games without recording at least 10 hits.
Fast Starts: The Saints have scored at least 50 runs in first and second innings this season … They have outscored teams 143-48 in the first three innings.
Streaks/Trends: Al Marolt (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) has reached base safely in 29 consecutive games, while Minks is on a 26-game streak … The Saints are 28-1 this season when they score at least six runs, but are only 3-8 when they score five or fewer runs … CSS is 29-1 when leading after six innings.
Tournament Teams
Saint John's University Johnnies (No. 5 Seed)
Record: 28-12, 13-7 MIAC
Players to Watch:
- Patrick Strey (.405 BA, 5 HR, 19 2B, 46 RBIs; 49.1 IP, 44 K)
- Logan Hershey (.366 BA, 8 2B, 30 RBIs)
- Derek Schiebel (.355 BA, 7 3B, 36 RBIs)
- Alex Kendall (6-2, 2.86 ERA, 53 K, 69.1 IP)
The Johnnies won the MIAC Tournament championship for the second straight year last weekend, without having to beat top-seeded University of St. Thomas … Saint John's finished in a three-way tie for second in the league during the regular season … Patrick Strey finished second in the MIAC with 46 RBIs … Strey also has a team-best .405 batting average, 19 doubles and five home runs … Derek Schiebel has seven triples and the Johnnies as a team are 32-for-34 in stolen base attempts … Nick Noack tied for a conference-high with seven victories mostly in relief appearances … Alex Kendall leads the team with 2.86 earned run average and 53 strikeouts … The Johnnies had the best team ERA in the MIAC (4.29).
Series History (SJU leads 3-2): The Johnnies defeated the Saints in Collegeville by a score of 6-2 last season … That was the first meeting since the 2004 season … The teams were scheduled to face each other this year, but the games were canceled due to conference make-ups … This will be the first postseason meeting between the two programs.
#4 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Eagles (No. 1 Seed)
Record: 34-8, 18-2 WIAC
Players to Watch:
- Taylor Kohlway (.494 BA, 7 HR, 19 2B, 8 3B, 48 RBIs, .831 Slg. %)
- Justin Anderson (.445 BA, 9 HR, 16 2B, 69 RBIs)
- Alex Cordova (.407 BA, 14 2B, 37 RBIs)
- Caleb Boushley (8-0, 1.83 ERA, 68 K, 73.2 IP)
The Eagles won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Tournament title last weekend, defeated UW-Whitewater twice along the way … It was the third WIAC Tournament title in program history … La Crosse also won its 14
th WIAC regular season title … Senior Taylor Kohlway is on a tear for the Eagles, with a hitting streak now at 45 games, the third-longest in NCAA history … Kohlway also hit for the cycle in Sunday's championship game … Kohlway leads the nation in batting average (.493) and runs scored (60) … La Crosse leads NCAA Division III in hitting with a .363 batting average and third in scoring (9.2 runs per game) … Justin Anderson leads the country in RBIs per game (1.67) … Caleb Boushley is 8-0 on the year with a 1.83 ERA and team-high 68 strikeouts.
Series History (CSS leads 8-7): The Eagles took two out of three games against the Saints earlier this season at Copeland Park … The games were originally scheduled to be played in Duluth, but were moved because of weather … La Crosse defeated the Saints 10-3 in last year's regional, the only postseason meeting between the programs.
#19 Concordia University Chicago Cougars (No. 2 Seed)
Record: 32-11, 16-4 NACC
Players to Watch:
- Andrew Massey (.410 BA, 16 2B, 32 RBIs)
- Joe Silva (.381 BA, 3 HR, 30 RBIs, 25 SB)
- Mitch Wilson (.354 BA, 3 3B, 33 RBIs)
- Eric Palmer (6-0, 1.48 ERA, 80 K, 67.1 IP)
The Cougars won their fourth straight Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Tournament title and will make its fifth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament … Concordia ranks third in the nation in stolen bases (114) and in doubles (114) … The Cougars also have the second-best fielding percentage in the country (.977) … Andrew Massey leads the offense with a .410 batting average … Mitch Wilson leads the team with 33 RBIs and seven triples … Joe Silva has 25 stolen bases and Bryan VanDuser has 21 stolen bases … On the mound, Eric Palmer is 6-0 with a 1.48 ERA and 80 strikeouts.
Series History (CUC leads 3-0): The Cougars ended the Saints' season last year in the Midwest Regional by a score of 7-4 … All three games have been decided by three runs or less.
#13 North Central College Cardinals (No. 3 Seed)
Record: 30-10, 15-6 CCIW
Players to Watch:
- Nick Sotiros (.405 BA, 22 2B, 41 RBIs)
- Chris Hill (.350 BA, 19 2B, 35 RBIs)
- Bobby Smith (.347 BA, 12 2B, 36 RBIs)
- Bryan Polowy (5-2, 3.81 ERA, 37 K, 52.0 IP)
The Cardinals, who were ranked No. 1 in Central Region rankings, are the only team at the Midwest Regional that failed to earn an automatic qualifier … North Central was defeated in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament championship by Augustana College (Ill.) … Nick Sotiros led the CCIW in hitting with a .461 average … He ranks fourth in the country with 22 doubles … Chris Hill has 35 RBIs and 19 doubles … The Cardinals pitching staff has four pitchers with five wins … Bryan Polowy leads the team with 37 strikeouts.
Series History: The Saints and Cardinals have never met.
Luther College Norse (No. 6 Seed)
Record: 32-12, 1711 IIAC
Players to Watch:
- Mitch Knippenberg (.377 BA, 20 2B, 4 HR, 47 RBIs)
- Czenvic Rojer (15 2B, 6 HR, 45 RBIs)
- Nate Beckman (9-2, 2.90 ERA, 41 K, 77.2 IP, 5 CG)
- Blake Peterson (7-1, 3.74 ERA, 62 K, 67.1 IP)
The Norse won the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Tournament title and will making their first NCAA Tournament since the 2007 season … Mitch Knippenberg leads the squad with a .377 BA, 20 doubles and 47 RBIs … Knippenberg is also one of the leaders in NCAA Division III with nine sacrifice flies … Czenvic Rojer has a team-high six home runs and has 45 RBIs … Nate Beckman has nine wins with a 2.90 ERA … Blake Peterson has seven wins and a team-high 62 strikeouts.
Series History: The Saints and Norse have never met.
Kalamazoo College Hornets (No. 7 Seed)
Record: 24-18-1, 17-11 MIAA
Players to Watch:
- Jack Clark (.371 BA, 30 RBIs, 30 BB, 11 SB)
- Mitchell VanKoevering (8 2B, 29 RBIs)
- Ian Kobernick (.307 BA, 13 2B, 3 3B, 34 R)
- Ryan Orr (8-3, 1.71 ERA, 8 CG, 70 K, 84.1 IP)
The Hornets will be participating in their first-ever NCAA Tournament as it captured the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Tournament title last weekend … Junior Jack Clarks leads the team with .371 batting average and 30 RBIs … Another junior Ian Kobernick has 13 doubles and three triples this season … Kalamazoo has hit only three home runs this season … Sophomore pitcher Ryan Orr has eight complete games with 70 strikeouts in 84.1 innings pitched.
Series History: The Saints and Hornets have never met.
Beloit College Buccaneers (No. 8 Seed)
Record: 27-12, 10-6 Midwest
Players to Watch:
- Kam Sallee (.354 BA, 8 2B, 5 HR, 35 RBIs)
- Mike Gulve (.310 BA, 12 2B, 25 RBIs)
- Jeremy Dutton (8 2B, 28 RBIs)
- Ryan Kaveney (8-3, 2.01 ERA, 85 K, 85.0 IP, 6 CG)
This will be the second NCAA Tournament appearance for the Bucs with the first coming back in 2009 … Beloit won the Midwest Conference Tournament to get the automatic qualifier … The offense is led by Kam Sallee with a .354 batting average, five home runs and 35 RBIs … Mike Gulve has a team-high 12 doubles and 25 RBIs … The Buccaneers rank fifth in NCAA Division III with 207 walks this season … On the mound, Ryan Kaveney averages a strikeout per inning with 85 in 85 innings pitched this season … Kaveney has six complete games this season.
Series History: The Saints and Buccaneers have never met.
