DULUTH, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica baseball team begins Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) action on Saturday with a doubleheader against the University of Minnesota Morris at Wade Stadium.
Where:
Wade Stadium – Duluth, Minn.
When:
Saturday at Noon (DH)
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St. Scholastica Saints
Stats
Record: 11-6, 0-0 UMAC
Upper Midwest Athletic Conference: Standings | Stats
Last Action: The Saints are coming off back-to-back doubleheader sweeps of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and No. 11 University of Wisconsin-La Crosse over the weekend … Both Oshkosh victories were decided by one run, with
Joey Zwak (Duluth, Minn. /Duluth East HS ) delivering a walk-off single in the first game …
Riley Bernsdorf (Meadowlands, Minn. /Floodwood HS) hit a walk-off home run to defeat UW-La Crosse in the first game on Sunday … It is the first walk-off home run by a Saint since Steve Gerten hit one to defeat Richard Stockton University (N.J.) down in Florida in 2010.
Neutzling Named to D3baseball.com Team of the Week: Junior
Steven Neutzling (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral ) became the second Saint this season to be named to the D3baseball.com Team of the Week; it was announced on Tuesday … Neutzling was named the UMAC Player of the Week on Monday … In seven games last week, Neutzling went 16-for-33 (.485) with five doubles, two triples, two home runs, 12 RBIs and 11 runs scored … He currently ranks in the top 25 of NCAA Division III in slugging percentage (.786), home runs per game (0.29) and home runs (5).
Back-to-Back Sweeps vs. the WIAC: This weekend's victories marked the first time in program history the Saints swept Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) teams in back-to-back doubleheaders … Prior to this past weekend, the last doubleheader sweep of a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) school was UW-La Crosse at the Metrodome in 2012 … The only other times were against UW-Stout in 2003 and UW-Superior in 1992.
Extra Baseball: The Saints are 3-0 in extra-inning games on the year … The last time St. Scholastica won at least three extra-inning games in a season was 2014 … Since 2003, the most extra-inning wins in a season has been four during the 2006 and 2012 years … The 12-inning game against La Crosse on Sunday, was CSS' longest game since a 13-inning victory over Aurora University (Ill.) at the 2012 NCAA Regional, aka "The Thomas Rogers Game".
Out-Hitting Opponents: The Saints have out-hit their counterparts in each of the last six games and 11 games overall this season … CSS is 9-2 when they out-hit their opponents.
Streaks/Trends: Riley Bernsdorf (Meadowlands, Minn. /Floodwood HS) enters the weekend on an eight-game hitting streak, while
Brian Minks (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral HS ) and
Tyler Duex (Bloomer, Wis./Chippewa Falls HS (UW-Superior) ) are on a six-game streak … Minks has reached base in 10 straight games.
Tough to Beat at Wade: Since 2006, the Saints are 126-8 at Wade Stadium, including 61-2 since 2011 … On the resurfaced turf, the Saints are 33-2.
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
Upcoming Opponents
Minnesota Morris Cougars
Record: 5-12, 0-0 UMAC
The Cougars opened the season with eight straight losses, but have since gone 5-4 … Morris is scheduled to face Hamline University in a non-conference doubleheader on Friday, before facing the Saints on Saturday … Last season, Morris made the UMAC Tournament for the first time since 2007 … The Cougars return First Team All-UMAC selections Chandler Erickson, Jackson Gessell and Joey Hyde … Gessell leads the squad with 12 RBIs thus far … Connor Spindler leads the team with a .375 batting average … He has struck out only once thus far … Michael Dockendorf has two of the team's wins on the mound, including one complete-game shutout … Dockendorf has yet to walk a batter in 25.2 innings.
Series Record: CSS leads 41-3
(Last Meeting: 11-0 CSS – 5/12/2016)
Series History: The Saints defeated the Cougars 11-0 to open the UMAC Tournament last season …
Martin Alcoverde (Tucson, Ariz. /Sahuarita HS (Mesabi Range CC)) threw a complete game in the seven-inning affair … This will be Morris' first regular season game at Wade Stadium since 2012.
Looking Ahead: The Saints will be at North Central University (Minn.) on Tuesday, April 11, for another UMAC doubleheader.
