University of St. Thomas Athletics
Wednesday, April 10
Iowa City, Iowa / Duane Banks Field
4:00 p.m. Central
at
Iowa
Photo by: Wesley Dean
Baseball set for midweek game at Iowa, weekend series at Oral Roberts
4/9/2024 10:16:00 AM | Baseball
Tommies begin 10-game road stretch against the Hawkeyes
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The St. Thomas baseball team is on the road facing Iowa in a midweek game, and Oral Roberts in a weekend series. First pitch is set for 4:05 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10 at Iowa.
The Summit League series in Tulsa, Okla. is schedule for 6:00 p.m. on Friday, April 12, 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 14.
Be sure to follow along for live streams through links found at tommiesports.com/sports/baseball/schedule – and on Twitter @TommieBase and Instagram at @TommieBaseball
Last Time Out
Game One – L, 6-5
•After a quick 4-0 start for the Omaha Mavericks, the Tommies would score five unanswered runs and carry their lead into the seventh inning. However, a pair of late Omaha runs lifted the Mavericks to a 6-5 Summit League victory.
• Junior, Ben Vujovich and senior, Max Moris each reached base four times and were two of three Tommies to record multi-hit games
Game Two – L, 12-10
• All but one Tommie starter recorded a hit in the first game of the doubleheader, led by Joe Roder and Zan Von Schlegell who each tallied three.
•Tanner Recchio recorded his first collegiate home run, recording three RBIs to close the Mavericks' lead to two runs, but the comeback bid was not enough.
• Mikey Gottschalk tied his season-high, recording four RBIs for the second time in Purple.
Game Three – W, 9-8
• The Tommies went into the final inning down by one run. With the bases loaded, Brigs Richartz recorded his fourth hit of the game for a walk-off single to lift the Tommies over Omaha.
•Devon Schewe, Kolby Gartner, and Carl Cano (1-1) combined for 10 strikeouts in the final game of the series.
Next up for the Tommies
• St. Thomas Baseball is on the road facing Iowa in a midweek game, and Oral Roberts in a weekend series.
• Iowa (16-13, 5-4 B1G) is led by Head Coach Rick Heller in his 11th season with the Hawkeyes.
• Senior, Andy Nelson paces the Hawkeyes, recording a .408 batting avg., 1.193 OPS, and .676 SLG% in 21 games played.
• In 18.0 innings of work, Aaron Savary has posted a 2.50 ERA, holding opponents to a .209 batting avg.
•Oral Roberts (12-19-1, 4-7-1 Summit League) is led by Head Coach Ryan Folmar in his 12th season with the Golden Eagles.
•In 29 games played, Holden Breeze leads Oral Roberts, posting a .348 batting avg., .496 SLG%, .420 OB%.
• Leading Oral Roberts in innings pitched, Jakob Hall has recorded a 4.67 ERA and 60 strikeouts in the first half of the season.
Tommie Offense
•The St. Thomas offense has exploded in the first half of the season, totaling 159 runs in 23 games played. In 2023, the Tommies recorded 34 runs in 15 games played in the months of February and March.
•Nine Tommies have combined for 19 home runs to start the season. The Tommies totaled 14 home runs a season ago.
•Matthew Maulik (.400), Zan Von Schlegell (.380), Brigs Richartz (.371), and Ben Vujovich (.344) all rank in the top-10 spots in the Summit League in batting average.
Look back at 2023
•St. Thomas wrapped up the 2023 season with an overall record of 10-34, winning its final three of six games.
• The Tommies were 4-8 at Koch Diamond and 6-26 on the road last year.
•The Tommies earned their second Power 5 win over Kansas State on March 22, 2023 – defeating the Wildcats 2-1
•Last season, Brigs Richartz recorded the first Tommie cycle since 1996 against Northern Colorado.
Summit League Ranks (As of 4/8/24)
Team
Batting Avg (1st/.309)
Triples (1st/15)
SLG% (2nd/.457)
OBP(1st/.400)
Runs (4th/159)
Hits (4th/256)
Home Runs (4th/19)
RBI (4th/151)
ERA - Pitching (3rd/7.17)
Individual – Pitching
Opp. Batting Average (J. Mrosko – 1st/.163)
Opp. Batting Average (K. Gartner – 3rd/.238)
Strikeouts (J. Mrosko – 3rd/51)
Earned Run Average (J. Mrosko – 4th/4.71)
Individual – Hitting
Batting Average (M. Maulik – 1st/.400)
Batting Average (Z. Von Schlegell – 3rd/.380)
Batting Average (B. Richartz – 5th/.371)
OPS (M. Maulik – 3rd/ 1.040)
OPS (B. Richartz – 4th/ .993)
OB% (M. Maulik – 1st/.475)
Hits (B. Richartz – t-5th/ 36)
Runs (B. Vujovich – 3rd/27)
Doubles (B. Richartz – t-4th/8)
Triples (Z. Von Schlegell – t-2nd/3)
SLG% (M. Maulik – 5th/.557)
RBI (M. Maulik – 9th/ 21)
Individual - Fielding
CSB (M. Moris – 3rd/ 6)
Putouts (M. Moris – t-3rd/ 170)
Assists (M. Gottschalk – t-8th/48)
Tommie Baseball DI Record Holders
•Brigs Richartz – RBI (66), At Bats (444), Hits (130), Games played (111)
• Ben Vujovich -- Runs (79), Batting Avg. (0.309), SLG% (.475)
• Kolby Gartner – Games started pitching (22), Innings pitched (145.0)
Summit League Weekly Honors
Jacob Mrsoko earned the Summit League Baseball Peak Pitcher of the week honor on Feb. 26 after his performance against SEMO:
• Earned first career win after a seven-inning, complete-game outing
• Allowed two earned runs on three hits while striking out a career-high 12 Redhawks
• Surrendered just one hit and fanned 11 through the first six innings
• Earned the first weekly award of his career
Summit League Preseason Poll
•Juniors Ben Vujovich (OF) and Evan Esch (LHP) were named the St. Thomas Player and Pitcher to Watch, as released in the 2024 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• St. Thomas was selected to finish sixth in the Summit Preseason Poll.
Leading the Pack
• Chris Olean begins his 15th season with St. Thomas in 2024. He has totaled an overall record of 374-225-1 (338-148-1 in NCAA Division III) since being named the head coach prior to the 2010 season.
• Olean is a three-time NCAA DIII Region Coach of the Year and closed out its DIII era by winning championships in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and region en route to a national runner-up finish and 37-10 record.
• During the last 12 DIII seasons the Purple won eight MIAC Championships, capped by third-place national finishes in both 2012 and 2014, in addition to the runner-up finish in 2021.
• Olean mentored seven DIII All-American pitchers. He was voted MIAC and Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2012, 2013, and 2021. In addition, Olean works with the Tommie pitching staff, which was a perennial top-10 group in DIII baseball.
Follow Along
Any and all information pertaining to the St. Thomas baseball team can be found at tommiesports.com and on Twitter @TommieBase and Instagram at @TommieBaseball.
The Summit League series in Tulsa, Okla. is schedule for 6:00 p.m. on Friday, April 12, 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 14.
Be sure to follow along for live streams through links found at tommiesports.com/sports/baseball/schedule – and on Twitter @TommieBase and Instagram at @TommieBaseball
Last Time Out
Game One – L, 6-5
•After a quick 4-0 start for the Omaha Mavericks, the Tommies would score five unanswered runs and carry their lead into the seventh inning. However, a pair of late Omaha runs lifted the Mavericks to a 6-5 Summit League victory.
• Junior, Ben Vujovich and senior, Max Moris each reached base four times and were two of three Tommies to record multi-hit games
Game Two – L, 12-10
• All but one Tommie starter recorded a hit in the first game of the doubleheader, led by Joe Roder and Zan Von Schlegell who each tallied three.
•Tanner Recchio recorded his first collegiate home run, recording three RBIs to close the Mavericks' lead to two runs, but the comeback bid was not enough.
• Mikey Gottschalk tied his season-high, recording four RBIs for the second time in Purple.
Game Three – W, 9-8
• The Tommies went into the final inning down by one run. With the bases loaded, Brigs Richartz recorded his fourth hit of the game for a walk-off single to lift the Tommies over Omaha.
•Devon Schewe, Kolby Gartner, and Carl Cano (1-1) combined for 10 strikeouts in the final game of the series.
Next up for the Tommies
• St. Thomas Baseball is on the road facing Iowa in a midweek game, and Oral Roberts in a weekend series.
• Iowa (16-13, 5-4 B1G) is led by Head Coach Rick Heller in his 11th season with the Hawkeyes.
• Senior, Andy Nelson paces the Hawkeyes, recording a .408 batting avg., 1.193 OPS, and .676 SLG% in 21 games played.
• In 18.0 innings of work, Aaron Savary has posted a 2.50 ERA, holding opponents to a .209 batting avg.
•Oral Roberts (12-19-1, 4-7-1 Summit League) is led by Head Coach Ryan Folmar in his 12th season with the Golden Eagles.
•In 29 games played, Holden Breeze leads Oral Roberts, posting a .348 batting avg., .496 SLG%, .420 OB%.
• Leading Oral Roberts in innings pitched, Jakob Hall has recorded a 4.67 ERA and 60 strikeouts in the first half of the season.
Tommie Offense
•The St. Thomas offense has exploded in the first half of the season, totaling 159 runs in 23 games played. In 2023, the Tommies recorded 34 runs in 15 games played in the months of February and March.
•Nine Tommies have combined for 19 home runs to start the season. The Tommies totaled 14 home runs a season ago.
•Matthew Maulik (.400), Zan Von Schlegell (.380), Brigs Richartz (.371), and Ben Vujovich (.344) all rank in the top-10 spots in the Summit League in batting average.
Look back at 2023
•St. Thomas wrapped up the 2023 season with an overall record of 10-34, winning its final three of six games.
• The Tommies were 4-8 at Koch Diamond and 6-26 on the road last year.
•The Tommies earned their second Power 5 win over Kansas State on March 22, 2023 – defeating the Wildcats 2-1
•Last season, Brigs Richartz recorded the first Tommie cycle since 1996 against Northern Colorado.
Summit League Ranks (As of 4/8/24)
Team
Batting Avg (1st/.309)
Triples (1st/15)
SLG% (2nd/.457)
OBP(1st/.400)
Runs (4th/159)
Hits (4th/256)
Home Runs (4th/19)
RBI (4th/151)
ERA - Pitching (3rd/7.17)
Individual – Pitching
Opp. Batting Average (J. Mrosko – 1st/.163)
Opp. Batting Average (K. Gartner – 3rd/.238)
Strikeouts (J. Mrosko – 3rd/51)
Earned Run Average (J. Mrosko – 4th/4.71)
Individual – Hitting
Batting Average (M. Maulik – 1st/.400)
Batting Average (Z. Von Schlegell – 3rd/.380)
Batting Average (B. Richartz – 5th/.371)
OPS (M. Maulik – 3rd/ 1.040)
OPS (B. Richartz – 4th/ .993)
OB% (M. Maulik – 1st/.475)
Hits (B. Richartz – t-5th/ 36)
Runs (B. Vujovich – 3rd/27)
Doubles (B. Richartz – t-4th/8)
Triples (Z. Von Schlegell – t-2nd/3)
SLG% (M. Maulik – 5th/.557)
RBI (M. Maulik – 9th/ 21)
Individual - Fielding
CSB (M. Moris – 3rd/ 6)
Putouts (M. Moris – t-3rd/ 170)
Assists (M. Gottschalk – t-8th/48)
Tommie Baseball DI Record Holders
•Brigs Richartz – RBI (66), At Bats (444), Hits (130), Games played (111)
• Ben Vujovich -- Runs (79), Batting Avg. (0.309), SLG% (.475)
• Kolby Gartner – Games started pitching (22), Innings pitched (145.0)
Summit League Weekly Honors
Jacob Mrsoko earned the Summit League Baseball Peak Pitcher of the week honor on Feb. 26 after his performance against SEMO:
• Earned first career win after a seven-inning, complete-game outing
• Allowed two earned runs on three hits while striking out a career-high 12 Redhawks
• Surrendered just one hit and fanned 11 through the first six innings
• Earned the first weekly award of his career
Summit League Preseason Poll
•Juniors Ben Vujovich (OF) and Evan Esch (LHP) were named the St. Thomas Player and Pitcher to Watch, as released in the 2024 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• St. Thomas was selected to finish sixth in the Summit Preseason Poll.
Leading the Pack
• Chris Olean begins his 15th season with St. Thomas in 2024. He has totaled an overall record of 374-225-1 (338-148-1 in NCAA Division III) since being named the head coach prior to the 2010 season.
• Olean is a three-time NCAA DIII Region Coach of the Year and closed out its DIII era by winning championships in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and region en route to a national runner-up finish and 37-10 record.
• During the last 12 DIII seasons the Purple won eight MIAC Championships, capped by third-place national finishes in both 2012 and 2014, in addition to the runner-up finish in 2021.
• Olean mentored seven DIII All-American pitchers. He was voted MIAC and Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 2012, 2013, and 2021. In addition, Olean works with the Tommie pitching staff, which was a perennial top-10 group in DIII baseball.
Follow Along
Any and all information pertaining to the St. Thomas baseball team can be found at tommiesports.com and on Twitter @TommieBase and Instagram at @TommieBaseball.
Players Mentioned
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