University of St. Thomas Athletics
St. Thomas is 8-1 in NCAA playoff games thus far
Photo by: Larry Radloff
Tommie Baseball Championship Series Notes -- June 6
6/7/2021 12:54:00 PM | Baseball
Here We Go
No. 19-ranked St. Thomas (37-8) and No. 6-ranked Salisbury (32-4) have secured the two spots for this week's the Division III Baseball championship series in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, after both went 3-0 to start the eight-team national tournament.
Their best-of-three format starts Monday afternoon (3:30 p.m.) and continues Tuesday morning (11 a.m.), with a third game if needed. All games will have live video streams with Monday's game here at ncaa.com
Did You Know?
St. Thomas needed at at-large berth just to make the 48-team NCAA playoff field after taking second in its conference tournament to St. Mary's.
Small Ballers
St. Thomas (57 in 45 games) and Salisbury (53 in 36 games) rank 1-2 in Division III in sacrifice bunts this season.
Sea Gull Notes
Salisbury has won 12 in a row and 18 of its last 19 contests. The Gulls' last loss was a 23-inning game by a 7-6 score to Southern Virginia, a contest than ran over two days early last month.
The Sea Gulls are playing in the program's first D-III baseball title game and are in their sixth overall trip to the College World Series.
This year's SU team has two 2021 All-Americans, both seniors, in starting pitcher Clayton Dwyer (10-0, 2.31 ERA) and OF Justin Meekins (.383, 51 hits, 39 RBI in 34 games).
The Gulls are 11-0 in the postseason and have outscored opponents by an average score of 11-4. They have outscored seven NCAA playoff foes by a 65-36 margin.
So far in Cedar Rapids, they have an 11-9 victory over No. 12-ranked Wheaton (Mass.), and 11-1 and 11-8 wins over No. 15-ranked Cortland. In Sunday night's late game they erased an 8-7 deficit against Cortland with a four-run ninth inning.
In 36-game season stats, Salisbury is batting .335 and averages nine runs, 12 hits and five walks a game. Its pitching has a 3.01 ERA, and the team has just 30 errors in 36 games to rank in the top three of Division III.
Seventh-year head coach Troy Brohawn is a former Nebraska Cornhusker and major-league baseball pitcher who won a World Series ring with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has a 203-56-2 record at Salisbury.
Last Hurrah
St. Thomas is closing out its Division III era this week with these championship games. The Tommies will compete in all 20 sports in Division I -- most being in the 11-school Summit League, but also in the Pioneer Football League; CCHA men's hockey; and WCHA women's hockey. That chapter starts in fall 2021.
The Toms ended their 101-year run in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Conference in May. St. Thomas won six of a possible 12 conference championships held in 2020-21, all this spring.
St. Thomas was the lone D-III institution to send both its softball and baseball teams to this year's College World Series play.
Baseball was the fourth St. Thomas spring team to secure a top-eight national finish -- Men's Golf finished eighth at the NCAAs; Women's Tennis tied for ninth; and Softball tied for fifth.
Young and Hungry
Ten true freshmen or redshirt freshmen have played major roles in the Toms' 8-1 NCAA baseball playoff run.
He's Seen it All
St. Thomas' 12-year head coach Chris Olean came to Tommie Baseball in St. Paul as a freshman pitcher from Minneapolis in fall 1995. He was an All-American and lost 1-0 with a complete-game effort in the 1999 NCAA title game to North Carolina Wesleyan.
After pitching professionally for two seasons, Olean was the Toms' pitching coach for their 2001 and 2009 NCAA championship runs. He's also guided St. Thomas to three CWS trips as a head coach with third-place finishes in 2012 and 2014 to go with this year's 8-1 NCAA playoff run thus far. His overall 12-year record is 338-146-1 (.698).
Tradition
St. Thomas is playing in its program's seventh College World Series and fifth championship game. The Tommies took second place in 1999 and 2000; won the national title in both 2001 and 2009; and took third place in 2012 and 2014.
The Tommies have won six in a row in the NCAA playoffs, including five consecutive come-from-behind victories.
The Toms have advanced to the NCAA playoffs for the 21st time in the last 26 seasons (not counting 2020's canceled season), but competed in a regional tourney in the state of Minnesota for the first time, winning the Collegeville regional.
Their all-time NCAA playoff record of 77-43 (.632) is the seventh-best win percentage among current D-III baseball teams and seventh most wins.
In all sports, St. Thomas has won 16 team national titles in eight different sports -- women's CC (five); men's cross country (two); men's indoor track and field (1985); women's basketball (1991); baseball (2001, 2009); softball (2004, 2005); volleyball (2012) and men's basketball (2011, 2016).
The Tommies also have 13 NCAA runner-up finishes in cross country (four); outdoor track and field (two); baseball (1999, 2000); men's hockey (2000 and 2005); softball (2006); football (2012 and 2015).
In the last six years alone, 11 St. Thomas teams in six different sports have reached a College World Series, Final Four or NCAA championship game.
Comeback Kids
St. Thomas has shown poise after falling behind or being tied late in each of its last six NCAA playoff games:
Who's Hot
The Toms' 11-3 postseason record includes two walk-off wins and seven other comeback victories.
St. Thomas is 23-3 in its last 26 games. In the 23 wins it has outscored opponents by a 77-31 margin in the seventh inning and beyond. That nearly matches their total runs scored in the first six innings of those games.
The Tommies went unranked for all of the regular season. After a 3-3 start, they have won 34 of their last 39 games.
They scored a combined 13 runs in their eight defeats, but are 32-0 in games when they score four or more runs. Since April 1 they are 27-0 in games when they allow four or less runs.
Redshirt freshman Jake Porter has reached base in 16 consecutive games and comes into the Salisbury game with an eight-game hitting streak. The Toms were down to their last strike June 5 in the 11th inning trailing Wash U by a 7-5 margin when Porter delivered a two-run double to tie. The Purple walked off the Bears in the 12th inning for an 8-7 win.
Senior Kyle Halverson has hit safely in six consecutive games.
Redshirt freshman shortstop Matthew Enck is 12-for-23 with six runs and six RBI in the Toms' current six-game win streak. He had the walk-off double to beat Wash U. Saturday in the 12th inning.
Redshirt sophomore closer T.J. Constertina (4-0, 0.62 ERA, six saves, 36 Ks, nine walks in 29 innings) has been especially clutch in the postseason going 3-0 with an 0.68 ERA and recording three saves in seven appearances.
Redshirt sophomore catcher Charlie Bartholomew is 10-for-21 in his last five games with five RBI. His two-out single on Sunday snapped a 4-4 tie in the ninth inning against Wash U. He has only one error this season in 326 chances.
Senior Graham Laubscher was voted conference Pitcher of the Year and made second-team All-America. In 36 career appearances he has 230 strikeouts. In April and May he went 8-0 with a 1.94 ERA with 89 strikeouts and 18 walks in 65 innings. Overall he's 8-2 with a 2.40 ERA and a 5-to-1 K-to-walk ratio with 114 Ks in 83 innings.
True freshman pitcher Kolby Gartner -- slated to be the punter on the 2021 Tommie football team this fall -- is 1-0 with two runs allowed in 15 innings in the postseason, including a complete-game effort in just his second college start, to top Chapman, 4-3, May 30 in the NCAA regional.
In his last six starts, redshirt freshman pitcher Duke Coburn is 5-0 with a 1.72 ERA with 36 Ks and seven walks over 47 innings.
Redshirt freshman Charlie Eldredge made his first varsity start May 29 in the NCAA playoffs. He's remained in the lineup for each of the last eight games and is hitting 13-for-32 (.406) with nine runs scored and five RBI.
Other Lineup Notes:
Batters
Pitchers
No. 19-ranked St. Thomas (37-8) and No. 6-ranked Salisbury (32-4) have secured the two spots for this week's the Division III Baseball championship series in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, after both went 3-0 to start the eight-team national tournament.
Their best-of-three format starts Monday afternoon (3:30 p.m.) and continues Tuesday morning (11 a.m.), with a third game if needed. All games will have live video streams with Monday's game here at ncaa.com
Did You Know?
St. Thomas needed at at-large berth just to make the 48-team NCAA playoff field after taking second in its conference tournament to St. Mary's.
Small Ballers
St. Thomas (57 in 45 games) and Salisbury (53 in 36 games) rank 1-2 in Division III in sacrifice bunts this season.
Sea Gull Notes
Salisbury has won 12 in a row and 18 of its last 19 contests. The Gulls' last loss was a 23-inning game by a 7-6 score to Southern Virginia, a contest than ran over two days early last month.
The Sea Gulls are playing in the program's first D-III baseball title game and are in their sixth overall trip to the College World Series.
This year's SU team has two 2021 All-Americans, both seniors, in starting pitcher Clayton Dwyer (10-0, 2.31 ERA) and OF Justin Meekins (.383, 51 hits, 39 RBI in 34 games).
The Gulls are 11-0 in the postseason and have outscored opponents by an average score of 11-4. They have outscored seven NCAA playoff foes by a 65-36 margin.
So far in Cedar Rapids, they have an 11-9 victory over No. 12-ranked Wheaton (Mass.), and 11-1 and 11-8 wins over No. 15-ranked Cortland. In Sunday night's late game they erased an 8-7 deficit against Cortland with a four-run ninth inning.
In 36-game season stats, Salisbury is batting .335 and averages nine runs, 12 hits and five walks a game. Its pitching has a 3.01 ERA, and the team has just 30 errors in 36 games to rank in the top three of Division III.
Seventh-year head coach Troy Brohawn is a former Nebraska Cornhusker and major-league baseball pitcher who won a World Series ring with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has a 203-56-2 record at Salisbury.
Last Hurrah
St. Thomas is closing out its Division III era this week with these championship games. The Tommies will compete in all 20 sports in Division I -- most being in the 11-school Summit League, but also in the Pioneer Football League; CCHA men's hockey; and WCHA women's hockey. That chapter starts in fall 2021.
The Toms ended their 101-year run in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletics Conference in May. St. Thomas won six of a possible 12 conference championships held in 2020-21, all this spring.
St. Thomas was the lone D-III institution to send both its softball and baseball teams to this year's College World Series play.
Baseball was the fourth St. Thomas spring team to secure a top-eight national finish -- Men's Golf finished eighth at the NCAAs; Women's Tennis tied for ninth; and Softball tied for fifth.
Young and Hungry
Ten true freshmen or redshirt freshmen have played major roles in the Toms' 8-1 NCAA baseball playoff run.
He's Seen it All
St. Thomas' 12-year head coach Chris Olean came to Tommie Baseball in St. Paul as a freshman pitcher from Minneapolis in fall 1995. He was an All-American and lost 1-0 with a complete-game effort in the 1999 NCAA title game to North Carolina Wesleyan.
After pitching professionally for two seasons, Olean was the Toms' pitching coach for their 2001 and 2009 NCAA championship runs. He's also guided St. Thomas to three CWS trips as a head coach with third-place finishes in 2012 and 2014 to go with this year's 8-1 NCAA playoff run thus far. His overall 12-year record is 338-146-1 (.698).
Tradition
St. Thomas is playing in its program's seventh College World Series and fifth championship game. The Tommies took second place in 1999 and 2000; won the national title in both 2001 and 2009; and took third place in 2012 and 2014.
The Tommies have won six in a row in the NCAA playoffs, including five consecutive come-from-behind victories.
The Toms have advanced to the NCAA playoffs for the 21st time in the last 26 seasons (not counting 2020's canceled season), but competed in a regional tourney in the state of Minnesota for the first time, winning the Collegeville regional.
Their all-time NCAA playoff record of 77-43 (.632) is the seventh-best win percentage among current D-III baseball teams and seventh most wins.
In all sports, St. Thomas has won 16 team national titles in eight different sports -- women's CC (five); men's cross country (two); men's indoor track and field (1985); women's basketball (1991); baseball (2001, 2009); softball (2004, 2005); volleyball (2012) and men's basketball (2011, 2016).
The Tommies also have 13 NCAA runner-up finishes in cross country (four); outdoor track and field (two); baseball (1999, 2000); men's hockey (2000 and 2005); softball (2006); football (2012 and 2015).
In the last six years alone, 11 St. Thomas teams in six different sports have reached a College World Series, Final Four or NCAA championship game.
Comeback Kids
St. Thomas has shown poise after falling behind or being tied late in each of its last six NCAA playoff games:
- May 28, Regional: Trailed Scranton 4-2 after six innings, won 8-4
- May 30, Regional: Tied with Chapman 3-3 into last of ninth inning in elimination game, scored 4-3 walk-off win
- May 31, Regional: Trailed Pacific 4-0 after two innings of elimination game, won 7-4
- May 31, Regional: Fell behind Pacific 9-8 into last at bat of region championship contest, scored five runs in top of ninth and won 13-9
- June 4, CWS: Trailed Adrian 5-0, came back to win 7-5
- June 5, CWS: Trailed Wash U. 5-3 in sixth inning and 7-5 in 11th inning came back to win 8-7 in 12 innings
- June 6, CWS: Trailed Wash U. 4-3 after eight innings, scored three in top of the ninth and won 6-4.
Who's Hot
The Toms' 11-3 postseason record includes two walk-off wins and seven other comeback victories.
St. Thomas is 23-3 in its last 26 games. In the 23 wins it has outscored opponents by a 77-31 margin in the seventh inning and beyond. That nearly matches their total runs scored in the first six innings of those games.
The Tommies went unranked for all of the regular season. After a 3-3 start, they have won 34 of their last 39 games.
They scored a combined 13 runs in their eight defeats, but are 32-0 in games when they score four or more runs. Since April 1 they are 27-0 in games when they allow four or less runs.
Redshirt freshman Jake Porter has reached base in 16 consecutive games and comes into the Salisbury game with an eight-game hitting streak. The Toms were down to their last strike June 5 in the 11th inning trailing Wash U by a 7-5 margin when Porter delivered a two-run double to tie. The Purple walked off the Bears in the 12th inning for an 8-7 win.
Senior Kyle Halverson has hit safely in six consecutive games.
Redshirt freshman shortstop Matthew Enck is 12-for-23 with six runs and six RBI in the Toms' current six-game win streak. He had the walk-off double to beat Wash U. Saturday in the 12th inning.
Redshirt sophomore closer T.J. Constertina (4-0, 0.62 ERA, six saves, 36 Ks, nine walks in 29 innings) has been especially clutch in the postseason going 3-0 with an 0.68 ERA and recording three saves in seven appearances.
Redshirt sophomore catcher Charlie Bartholomew is 10-for-21 in his last five games with five RBI. His two-out single on Sunday snapped a 4-4 tie in the ninth inning against Wash U. He has only one error this season in 326 chances.
Senior Graham Laubscher was voted conference Pitcher of the Year and made second-team All-America. In 36 career appearances he has 230 strikeouts. In April and May he went 8-0 with a 1.94 ERA with 89 strikeouts and 18 walks in 65 innings. Overall he's 8-2 with a 2.40 ERA and a 5-to-1 K-to-walk ratio with 114 Ks in 83 innings.
True freshman pitcher Kolby Gartner -- slated to be the punter on the 2021 Tommie football team this fall -- is 1-0 with two runs allowed in 15 innings in the postseason, including a complete-game effort in just his second college start, to top Chapman, 4-3, May 30 in the NCAA regional.
In his last six starts, redshirt freshman pitcher Duke Coburn is 5-0 with a 1.72 ERA with 36 Ks and seven walks over 47 innings.
Redshirt freshman Charlie Eldredge made his first varsity start May 29 in the NCAA playoffs. He's remained in the lineup for each of the last eight games and is hitting 13-for-32 (.406) with nine runs scored and five RBI.
Quick Hitters
- St. Thomas won the MIAC regular-season title on percentage points at 17-2 just ahead of 18-3 Gustavus
- The Tommies are a combined 18-4 on the season against NCAA D-III playoff qualifiers, including a 5-1 mark against 34-win Northwestern-St. Paul (UMAC Conference champ); 5-2 against 30-win St. Mary's (MIAC playoff champ); 2-1 vs. Pacific; 2-0 vs. No. 1-ranked Wash U (Mo.); and 1-0 against Scranton, York, Chapman and Adrian.
- Six of their eight losses have come by three runs or less
- The Toms did not take two losses on the same day in a shortened 2020 season, and were swept just once in the same day in 2021 (U.S. Bank Stadium, March 24, two 3-2 defeats to St. John's).
- The Toms have avenged each of their eight losses in later games against St. John's (3-0), Bethel (2-1), Gustavus (2-1), Northwestern, St. Mary's and Pacific
- The Tommies went 5-1 in elimination games in their conference and regional tournaments, with four comeback victories plus one ninth-inning tie-breaking walk off.
- In the NCAA regional, they won three elimination games in 24 hours, including a 7-4, 13-9 sweep of Pacific, a team it lost to 10-1 one day earlier.
- They rank near the top of Division III in ERA (2.56), runs allowed (130 in 45 games) and fielding percentage (.974), with 30 double plays turned (eight in current six-game NCAA playoff win streak).
- Redshirt freshman second baseman Sam Kulesa has been involved in 25 double plays and took his first error in what's now 175 defensive chances on June 5. As the leadoff man he's batting a team-best .370 with 57 hits and 36 runs in 42 games
- Kulesa and Laubscher were joined on one of the two D-III All-Region teams (ABCA, D3Baseball) by senior pitcher Andrew Tri (7-4, 2.28 ERA), 97 Ks in 67 innings)
- The Toms aren't afraid to play small ball, averaging seven singles among their nine hits per game. Their modest .373 slug percentage ranks 251th in D-III out of 352 teams. They lead D-III in sac bunts with 57 in 45 games, though, and also rank in the top 25 in stolen bases.
- Tommie pitchers are allowing opponents just a .211 batting average
- St. Thomas is expecting to return at least 20 players for the 2022 season including a few fifth-year or grad-student seniors. They have 15 players signed to play next year, including one Canadian prospect and players from five states.
Other Lineup Notes:
Batters
- Redshirt freshman second baseman Sam Kulesa has been involved in 25 double plays and has one error in 175 defensive chances... as the leadoff man he's batting .370 with 57 hits in 42 games
- Senior Avery Lehman has hit safely in 19 of his last 24 games and has scored 16 runs in 14 postseason games... he has started all 45 games and has 47 hits, 37 runs, 17 walks and 17 steals... he has thrown out three runners in center field trying to advance
- Redshirt freshman RF Jake Porter -- a Colorado native -- has 52 hits, 30 runs, 40 RBI, 19 steals, 19 walks, eight HBP and 14 extra-base hits in 42 games, and only one error in 59 chances in the field
- Redshirt sophomore catcher Charlie Bartholomew has 44 hits and 32 RBI in 37 games, and on defense has just one error in 326 chances... he has 17 hits in his last 13 games
- Fifth-year senior Josh Thorp played in the Tommies' NCAA regional run in 2017... this year in 39 games he has 31 hits, 14 walks and 23 runs.. he had a 10-game hitting streak end May 29 but has hit safely in 14 of his last 17 games.
- Senior third baseman Kyle Halverson has 16 hits in his last 12 games... in 45 starts he has 35 hits, 21 walks and 20 runs, and leads the team with four home runs
- Redshirt freshman OF Mike Wallace made his varsity debut in the conference playoffs and went 7-for-14 at the plate... he missed the NCAA regional with an injury but is back on the CWS 25-man roster.
- Redshirt freshman OF Charlie Eldredge made his first season start in the NCAA regional May 29 against York and had two HRs, a double and a sacrifice in four trips. He went 7-for-17 in five regional starts, and went 6-for-15 so far in the CWS.
- True freshman 1B-OF-C Max Moris was named the conference's Rookie of the Year... he has started all 45 games and has 43 hits, 31 runs and 26 RBI... he has 14 multi-hit games... he has just three errors in 265 chances...
- Redshirt freshman shortstop Matthew Enck has 47 hits and 24 walks in 45 games and bats in the 8-9 spots. Enck is 12-for-23 with six runs and six RBI in the Toms' current six-game win streak. He had the walk-off double to beat Wash U. Saturday in the 12th inning.
Pitchers
- Senior Graham Laubscher was voted conference Pitcher of the Year and made second-team All-America. In 36 career appearances he has 230 strikeouts. In April and May he went 8-0 with a 1.94 ERA with 89 strikeouts and 18 walks in 65 innings. Overall he's 8-2 with a 2.40 ERA and a 5-to-1 K-to-walk ratio with 114 Ks in 83 innings.
- Senior pitcher Andrew Tri is 7-4 with a 2.28 ERA and 97 Ks in 67 innings in 2021.. He went 2-0 last season as the Toms started 6-1 before the season was called off by Covid.
- Redshirt sophomore closer T.J. Constertina (4-0, 0.62 ERA, six saves, 36 Ks, nine walks in 29 innings) has been especially clutch in the postseason going 3-0 with an 0.68 ERA and recording three saves in seven appearances.
- Senior Graham Laubscher was voted conference Pitcher of the Year and made second-team All-America. In 36 career appearances he has 230 strikeouts. In April and May he went 8-0 with a 1.94 ERA with 89 strikeouts and 18 walks in 65 innings. Overall he's 8-2 with a 2.40 ERA and a 5-to-1 K-to-walk ratio with 114 Ks in 83 innings.
- True freshman pitcher Kolby Gartner -- slated to be the punter on the 2021 Tommie football team this fall -- is 1-0 with two runs allowed in 15 innings in the postseason, including a complete-game effort in just his second college start, to top Chapman, 4-3, May 30 in the NCAA regional.
- In his last six starts, redshirt freshman pitcher Duke Coburn is 5-0 with a 1.72 ERA with 36 Ks and seven walks over 47 innings.
- True freshman pitcher Jack Blesch -- a Michigan native -- is 3-0 with a 4.54 ERA and 28 Ks in 38 innings. He left the May 31 deciding regional game with Pacific after six innings with an 8-4 lead. He worked three innings and got the win on June 5 in the 8-7 extra-inning defeat of Wash U.
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