DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica baseball team begins its 2017 season on Friday down in Florida when it takes on Spalding University (Ky.) in a doubleheader at the Russmatt Invitational.
 
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St. Scholastica Saints
Roster | 2016 Stats
2016 Record: 32-11, 15-1 UMAC
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Standings | Stats
 
Key Returners:
-Brian Minks (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral HS ) – Third Base – A d3baseball.com Honorable Mention Preseason All-American … Named First Team All-Midwest Region by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and D3baseball.com last season … The 2016 Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Player of the Year … Led the team in on-base percentage (.497), doubles (17), walks (24) and total bases (98) … Led the UMAC in hits (33), runs (32), doubles (11), RBIs (25), total bases (58), extra base hits (16), batting average (.524), on base percentage (.615) and slugging percentage (.921) in conference games … Finished the season on a 12-game hitting streak and reached base safely in his last 29 games.
-Steven Neutzling (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral ) - Outfielder – Makes the move to the outfield after playing his first two seasons at shortstop … A Second Team All-Midwest Region by D3baseball.com last season … An ABCA Third Team All-Region choice … Led the UMAC in RBIs (46) and triples (6) … Led the team in slugging percentage (.620) and home runs (5) … The 2015 UMAC Rookie of the Year.
-Trevor Bernsdorf (Elmer, Minn./Floodwood HS ) – Outfielder – Honorable mention All-UMAC last season … Led the UMAC in sacrifice flies (8) … Was second on the team in triples (3) … Was a second team all-region choice by the ABCA and D3baseball.com in 2015 … Named the D3baseball.com Midwest Region Rookie of the Year in 2014.
-Tyler Duex (Bloomer, Wis./Chippewa Falls HS (UW-Superior) ) – Shortstop – Missed all of the 2016 season due to injury … A two-time First Team All-UMAC performer … Was named second team all-region by the ABCA and D3baseball.com in 2014 …  He ended the 2015 season on a seven-game hitting streak.
-Martin Alcoverde (Tucson, Ariz. /Sahuarita HS (Mesabi Range CC)) – Pitcher– A First Team All-UMAC selection in his first season as a Saint in 2016 … Named to NCAA Midwest Regional All-Tournament Team after his complete game NCAA Tournament victory over Beloit College (Wis.) … Finished second on the team in wins (5), innings pitched (54.1) and strikeouts (50).
-Jacob Dzubay (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS (Butler) ) – Pitcher – First Team All-UMAC selection last season … Went a perfect 4-0 … Was third in the UMAC in earned run average (1.69) in league games.
 
Key Losses:
-Jordan Risse (Sioux Falls, S.D./Washington HS ) – Pitcher – The 2016 UMAC Pitcher of the Year … A Second Team All-Midwest Region selection by the ABCA and D3baseball.com … Had career-highs in wins (7), earned run average (2.67), innings pitched (67.1), strikeouts (88) and opponents' batting average (.198) in 2016 … His 88 strikeouts were the fourth-most in a single season in program history.
-Austin Colvard (Little Canada, Minn./Roseville HS) – Outfielder – A four-time First Team All-UMAC selection … Led the conference in hits (68), runs (47), stolen bases (20) and batting average (.425) … Finished his career third in program history with 89 career stolen bases and with the fifth-most hits (218) and runs scored (174) … In his four years, Colvard averaged 1.47 hits per game, which is the highest ratio of any Saint that has over 200 hits in a career.
-Al Marolt (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) – Second Base – A Third Team All-Midwest Region selection by D3baseball.com and the ABCA last year … Reached base safely in the final 32 games of his collegiate career.
-Daniel Wood (Canyon, Minn./South Ridge HS ) – Pitcher – The 2015 UMAC Pitcher of the Year … A two-time First Team All-UMAC selection … Recorded a career-high 40 strikeouts last season.
 
Coach Kemp: Head Coach Corey Kemp enters his eighth season at the helm for the Saints … In his first seven seasons, Kemp has guided the Saints to seven straight UMAC regular season and tournament championships and seven NCAA Regional Tournament appearances … In three of those seven NCAA appearances the Saints have been within two wins of a regional championship.
 
Opening the Season in Florida: For third time since 1999, the Saints will open their season down in Florida during spring break … 1999 and 2015 were the other years the Saints opened their season in the Sunshine State … This is the second straight year the Saints are taking part in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational.
 
NCAA Record Home Win Streak: The Saints hold the NCAA Division III record with a 52-game home winning streak … That streak was ended last season with a narrow loss to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point … This season the Saints will welcome formidable foes Saint Mary's University, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse to Wade Stadium
 
Pitching Staff: The Saints finished second in NCAA Division III last season with a 2.77 team earned run average … They were fourth in the nation allowing 7.72 hits per nine innings … CSS loses three players from that staff.
 
10-Hit Mark: The Saints were 25-4 last season when they recorded at least 10 hits … The Saints were 24-5 in 2015 when they had at least 10 hits.

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Top 5 Games to Watch
3/13 – vs. Washington-St. Louis
The Bears have been a NCAA Tournament team the past two seasons and are now coached by former UW-Stevens Point head coach Pat Bloom.
3/18 – vs. Webster
The Gorloks had a two-year run of making the NCAA Tournament come to an end last season, but they have still made the tournament three of the last five years … Webster has won 10 straight St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) regular season titles.
4/2 – vs. UW-La Crosse
The Eagles have made the NCAA Tournament each of the last three seasons and have advanced to the NCAA World Series each of the last two years.
4/23 – at Saint John's
The Johnnies defeated the Saints at the NCAA Regional Tournament last season … CSS has not beaten Saint John's since the 2004 season.
5/7 at St. Thomas
The Saints will face rival St. Thomas to close the regular season … The Saints swept the Tommies last season at Wade Stadium for the first doubleheader sweep against St. Thomas since the 2006 season.

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UMAC Preseason Poll
1. St. Scholastica- 64 points (8 First Place Votes)
2. Northwestern - 55 (1)
3. Wisconsin-Superior - 48
4. Bethany Lutheran - 39
5. Northland - 38
6. Minnesota Morris -35
7. Crown - 20
8. Martin Luther - 17
9. North Central - 8

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Spring Break Opponent Notables
 

• 2016 NCAA Regional Teams:

                -Wheaton (Mass.)
                -Washington-St. Louis

• Teams Ranked or receiving votes

                -NCBWA/D3baseball.com: Washington-St. Louis (RV), Webster (RV), Rowan (RV)
                -Collegiate Newspaper: Washington-St. Louis (#12), Wheaton (#31), Rowan (RV)

• Preseason All-Americans to Watch

                -Ben Browdy (2B) – Washington-St. Louis
                -Kyle Uhrich (DH) – Webster

• Series Records Against

                -Spalding (0-0)
                -Cornell (Iowa) (2-2)
                -Wheaton (Mass.) (0-0)
                -Washington-St. Louis (1-3)
                -McDaniel (0-0)
                -Rowan (0-0)
                -Webster (3-1)

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Looking Ahead: The Saints are scheduled to have their home opener on Saturday, March 25 against Saint Mary's University.