University of St. Thomas Athletics
Sunday, April 23
Brookings, S.D.
12:00 p.m. Central
at
South Dakota State
Photo by: Wesley Dean
Baseball travels to South Dakota State in altered weekend games
4/20/2023 10:32:00 AM | Baseball
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- St. Thomas Baseball returns to Summit League action April 23-24 at South Dakota State in Brookings, S.D.
The Tommies and Jackrabbits will play a doubleheader Sunday beginning at 12 p.m. followed by the series finale Monday at 1 p.m. The series was originally scheduled to be played April 21-23 but was moved due to cold temperatures.
Live video will be available HERE with live stats available HERE.
The Last Time Out
• St. Thomas was scheduled to play at Minnesota on Wednesday, April 19 before the game was canceled due to rain and cold in the forecast. It's the second game in the season series that was canceled due to weather.
• The Purple opened home play at Koch Diamond April 14-15 welcoming the North Dakota State Bison for a three-game series. The Purple lost both games of the doubleheader on Friday before capping off the series with a walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth inning.
• The Tommies opened the series against the Bison with a 13-3 loss in eight innings as NDSU scored seven runs in the first two innings. A triple by Tanner Marsh set up the Tommies' second run in the bottom of the third inning. Charlie Bartholomew finished 3-of-3 with one RBI and Vujovich went 2-of-3 with one RBI, combining for five of the team's seven hits in the game.
• The Tommies faced an early deficit again in game two as the Bison scored three runs in the first inning, including a two-run home run. The Bison strung together six runs to start the second inning on six hits and three Tommies errors. Parker Mathieson, Max Moris, and Joe Vos all recorded multiple hits while Moris drove in two RBI. Brigs Richartz scored two runs after reaching base three times by three errors.
• Junior Sam Kulesa played hero on a rainy Saturday afternoon as his single in the bottom of the ninth inning gave St. Thomas Baseball a 2-1 walk-off win to cap the series against North Dakota State. Starting pitcher Evan Esch threw 6.0 innings of scoreless ball, finishing with five strikeouts, two hits, and two walks. After a leadoff walk set up an RBI single by NDSU to tie the game in the ninth inning, Roder led off the home half with his second single and finished as the only Tommie with multiple hits. A sacrifice bunt by Vujovich advanced Roder to second base before an intentional walk added a runner to first. Kulesa sent the walk-off single to right field to drive in Roder for the game-winning run.
Next Up for the Tommies
• St. Thomas travels to South Dakota State University as the Tommies and Jackrabbits meet for a three-game series. This marks the Tommies only series versus SDSU this season as the Tommies look to climb up the Summit League ranks.
• The Jackrabbits are led by Ryan McDonald who currently paces the team with a .410 batting average this season. Along with McDonald, the Jackrabbits have four other batters hitting over the .300 mark this season. McDonald leads the squad with team-highs of 43 hits, 37 runs, 15 home runs, 34 RBI's, 30 walks, and an astounding .933 slugging percentage. McDonald is currently tied for 11th in the nation in home runs this season at the 15 mark, with everyone ahead of him appearing in at least four more games than the senior catcher.
• The pitching staff are led by the bullpen duo of Ryan Bourassa and Eli Sundquist who have combined for 20 appearances on the season. Bourassa currently sits at a 3.38 ERA (2-2) and has tallied a team-high 42 strikeouts over 26.2 innings pitched. Sundquist has appeared in nine games for the Jackrabbits recording a 3.52 ERA (1-0), tallying 25 strikeouts, 6 earned runs, a .120 opponent batting average, and only six hits allowed through 15.1 innings of work.
• South Dakota State started off the season losing two of three games in a series against Little Rock before splitting a four-game series against Utah Tech. The Jackrabbits lost their next five games bringing their overall record to 3-9, before bouncing back with a 5-1 win over Saint Louis. Since Summit League play began, SDSU has gone 13-6, and is currently sitting on a seven-game winning streak sweeping conference opponents Omaha and Western Illinois to bring their overall record to 14-17 on the year.
Fresh Esch
• Sophomore Evan Esch was named the TicketSmarter Summit League Peak Pitcher of the Week for the first time in his career following his start Saturday, April 15 against North Dakota State.
• Esch went 6.0 innings during his longest outing of the season, not allowing any runs during his fourth start of the season. He finished with five strikeouts, tying a season-high, and allowed just two hits and two walks.
• The weekly award is the first of Esch's career, who has made eight appearances on the mound in 2023 and made 14 with eight starts as a freshman. It also marks the first weekly honor by a Tommie this season. St. Thomas earned four award winners last season, including two pitchers and two performers of the week.
• Esch leads all active Tommies with 74 career strikeouts during the Division I era. Walker Retz follows with 60 while Duke Coborn has 59 and Kolby Gartner has 57.
Summit League Ranks (As of 4/19/23)
Team
Earned Run Average (4th/7.18)
Fielding Percentage (5th/.957)
Opp. Batting Average (6th/.301)
Individual - Pitching
Earned Run Average (W. Retz - 5th/4.73, D. Coborn - 6th/4.74, E. Esch - 8th/5.02)
Opp. Batting Average (K. Gartner - 5th/.232, E. Esch 7th/.248)
Individual - Hitting
Batting Average (C. Bartholomew/B. Richartz - 19th/.299, T. Marsh/M. Moris 27th/.289)
Hits (B. Richartz - t-26th/29)
On-Base % (T. Marsh - t-25th/.377, M. Moris - 28th/.366)
OPS (T. Marsh - 23rd/.866)
Slugging % (T. Marsh - 22nd/.489)
Stolen Bases (D. O'Connell - 25th/4)
Individual - Fielding
Putouts (C. Bartholomew - 10th/153)
Assists (M. Enck - 6th/60)
Fielding % (C. Bartholomew - 7th/.994, J. Roder - t-9th/.991)
Caught Stealing (C. Bartholomew - 5th/7, M. Moris - 7th/3)
The Lead Off Man
• Since Brigs Richartz led off the season with a single to center field on the very first pitch, he reached base in a team-best 12 straight games before being denied a 13th in the series finale at Oral Roberts.
• He leads the team hitting .310 and with 31 hits, 40 total bases, 14 runs, and one triple. Richartz has led off six games with a base hit and eight games by reaching base. He has hit third during nine of the last 10 games and 11 times overall.
• Richartz led off the season with a six-game hitting streak, including two multi-hit games. He's currently on a five-game hitting streak, one shy of tying his season long streak.
• Richartz recorded the program's first cycle since 1996 in game one at Northern Colorado. He singled in the first inning to drive in one RBI, homered with one runner on base in the third inning, tripled in the fifth inning and doubled in the sixth inning.
Mad Max March Extends to April
• Since the start of March, junior Max Moris has led the Tommies with 23 hits, including nine multi-hit games, while hitting .333 from the plate. He also leads St. Thomas with a .395 on-base percentage and five doubles during the 19-game stretch.
• Moris entered the UNC series on an eight-game on-base streak that was snapped during game two. With his double in game one, Moris extended his hit streak to seven games, the longest by a Tommie this season. He was held without a hit over the next two games (0-9) to snap the hitting streak and a nine-game on-base streak.
Hitting 21
• The Tommies scored a season-high 21 runs during the series opener April 7 at Northern Colorado, which is also the first time the program has topped 20 runs in a game since joining NCAA Division I. The Toms' 21 runs are the most for the team since totaling 21 against Macalaster in 2016 and 22 against Macalaster in 2015.
• St. Thomas tallied a season-high 19 hits and scored in every inning of the game. All but one starter recorded a hit and an RBI, and all but two totaled multiple hits.
Preseason Headlines
• Freshmen Dylan O'Connell (3B) and Nolan Kemp (RHP) were named the St. Thomas Player and Pitcher to Watch, as released in the 2023 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• St. Thomas was selected to finish fifth in the Summit Preseason Poll.
• Dylan O'Connell was named the 2023 Preseason Summit League Freshman of the Year by D1Baseball.com and Perfect Game.
• Ben Vujovich was named to the 2023 Preseason Summit League All-Conference Team by Perfect Game.
Leading the Pack
• Chris Olean begins his 14th season with St. Thomas in 2023. He has totaled an overall record of 359-197-1 (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
For more information on St. Thomas Baseball, follow along on Twitter and Instagram at @tommiebase
-- St. Thomas Athletics --
The Tommies and Jackrabbits will play a doubleheader Sunday beginning at 12 p.m. followed by the series finale Monday at 1 p.m. The series was originally scheduled to be played April 21-23 but was moved due to cold temperatures.
Live video will be available HERE with live stats available HERE.
The Last Time Out
• St. Thomas was scheduled to play at Minnesota on Wednesday, April 19 before the game was canceled due to rain and cold in the forecast. It's the second game in the season series that was canceled due to weather.
• The Purple opened home play at Koch Diamond April 14-15 welcoming the North Dakota State Bison for a three-game series. The Purple lost both games of the doubleheader on Friday before capping off the series with a walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth inning.
• The Tommies opened the series against the Bison with a 13-3 loss in eight innings as NDSU scored seven runs in the first two innings. A triple by Tanner Marsh set up the Tommies' second run in the bottom of the third inning. Charlie Bartholomew finished 3-of-3 with one RBI and Vujovich went 2-of-3 with one RBI, combining for five of the team's seven hits in the game.
• The Tommies faced an early deficit again in game two as the Bison scored three runs in the first inning, including a two-run home run. The Bison strung together six runs to start the second inning on six hits and three Tommies errors. Parker Mathieson, Max Moris, and Joe Vos all recorded multiple hits while Moris drove in two RBI. Brigs Richartz scored two runs after reaching base three times by three errors.
• Junior Sam Kulesa played hero on a rainy Saturday afternoon as his single in the bottom of the ninth inning gave St. Thomas Baseball a 2-1 walk-off win to cap the series against North Dakota State. Starting pitcher Evan Esch threw 6.0 innings of scoreless ball, finishing with five strikeouts, two hits, and two walks. After a leadoff walk set up an RBI single by NDSU to tie the game in the ninth inning, Roder led off the home half with his second single and finished as the only Tommie with multiple hits. A sacrifice bunt by Vujovich advanced Roder to second base before an intentional walk added a runner to first. Kulesa sent the walk-off single to right field to drive in Roder for the game-winning run.
Next Up for the Tommies
• St. Thomas travels to South Dakota State University as the Tommies and Jackrabbits meet for a three-game series. This marks the Tommies only series versus SDSU this season as the Tommies look to climb up the Summit League ranks.
• The Jackrabbits are led by Ryan McDonald who currently paces the team with a .410 batting average this season. Along with McDonald, the Jackrabbits have four other batters hitting over the .300 mark this season. McDonald leads the squad with team-highs of 43 hits, 37 runs, 15 home runs, 34 RBI's, 30 walks, and an astounding .933 slugging percentage. McDonald is currently tied for 11th in the nation in home runs this season at the 15 mark, with everyone ahead of him appearing in at least four more games than the senior catcher.
• The pitching staff are led by the bullpen duo of Ryan Bourassa and Eli Sundquist who have combined for 20 appearances on the season. Bourassa currently sits at a 3.38 ERA (2-2) and has tallied a team-high 42 strikeouts over 26.2 innings pitched. Sundquist has appeared in nine games for the Jackrabbits recording a 3.52 ERA (1-0), tallying 25 strikeouts, 6 earned runs, a .120 opponent batting average, and only six hits allowed through 15.1 innings of work.
• South Dakota State started off the season losing two of three games in a series against Little Rock before splitting a four-game series against Utah Tech. The Jackrabbits lost their next five games bringing their overall record to 3-9, before bouncing back with a 5-1 win over Saint Louis. Since Summit League play began, SDSU has gone 13-6, and is currently sitting on a seven-game winning streak sweeping conference opponents Omaha and Western Illinois to bring their overall record to 14-17 on the year.
Fresh Esch
• Sophomore Evan Esch was named the TicketSmarter Summit League Peak Pitcher of the Week for the first time in his career following his start Saturday, April 15 against North Dakota State.
• Esch went 6.0 innings during his longest outing of the season, not allowing any runs during his fourth start of the season. He finished with five strikeouts, tying a season-high, and allowed just two hits and two walks.
• The weekly award is the first of Esch's career, who has made eight appearances on the mound in 2023 and made 14 with eight starts as a freshman. It also marks the first weekly honor by a Tommie this season. St. Thomas earned four award winners last season, including two pitchers and two performers of the week.
• Esch leads all active Tommies with 74 career strikeouts during the Division I era. Walker Retz follows with 60 while Duke Coborn has 59 and Kolby Gartner has 57.
Summit League Ranks (As of 4/19/23)
Team
Earned Run Average (4th/7.18)
Fielding Percentage (5th/.957)
Opp. Batting Average (6th/.301)
Individual - Pitching
Earned Run Average (W. Retz - 5th/4.73, D. Coborn - 6th/4.74, E. Esch - 8th/5.02)
Opp. Batting Average (K. Gartner - 5th/.232, E. Esch 7th/.248)
Individual - Hitting
Batting Average (C. Bartholomew/B. Richartz - 19th/.299, T. Marsh/M. Moris 27th/.289)
Hits (B. Richartz - t-26th/29)
On-Base % (T. Marsh - t-25th/.377, M. Moris - 28th/.366)
OPS (T. Marsh - 23rd/.866)
Slugging % (T. Marsh - 22nd/.489)
Stolen Bases (D. O'Connell - 25th/4)
Individual - Fielding
Putouts (C. Bartholomew - 10th/153)
Assists (M. Enck - 6th/60)
Fielding % (C. Bartholomew - 7th/.994, J. Roder - t-9th/.991)
Caught Stealing (C. Bartholomew - 5th/7, M. Moris - 7th/3)
The Lead Off Man
• Since Brigs Richartz led off the season with a single to center field on the very first pitch, he reached base in a team-best 12 straight games before being denied a 13th in the series finale at Oral Roberts.
• He leads the team hitting .310 and with 31 hits, 40 total bases, 14 runs, and one triple. Richartz has led off six games with a base hit and eight games by reaching base. He has hit third during nine of the last 10 games and 11 times overall.
• Richartz led off the season with a six-game hitting streak, including two multi-hit games. He's currently on a five-game hitting streak, one shy of tying his season long streak.
• Richartz recorded the program's first cycle since 1996 in game one at Northern Colorado. He singled in the first inning to drive in one RBI, homered with one runner on base in the third inning, tripled in the fifth inning and doubled in the sixth inning.
Mad Max March Extends to April
• Since the start of March, junior Max Moris has led the Tommies with 23 hits, including nine multi-hit games, while hitting .333 from the plate. He also leads St. Thomas with a .395 on-base percentage and five doubles during the 19-game stretch.
• Moris entered the UNC series on an eight-game on-base streak that was snapped during game two. With his double in game one, Moris extended his hit streak to seven games, the longest by a Tommie this season. He was held without a hit over the next two games (0-9) to snap the hitting streak and a nine-game on-base streak.
Hitting 21
• The Tommies scored a season-high 21 runs during the series opener April 7 at Northern Colorado, which is also the first time the program has topped 20 runs in a game since joining NCAA Division I. The Toms' 21 runs are the most for the team since totaling 21 against Macalaster in 2016 and 22 against Macalaster in 2015.
• St. Thomas tallied a season-high 19 hits and scored in every inning of the game. All but one starter recorded a hit and an RBI, and all but two totaled multiple hits.
Preseason Headlines
• Freshmen Dylan O'Connell (3B) and Nolan Kemp (RHP) were named the St. Thomas Player and Pitcher to Watch, as released in the 2023 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• St. Thomas was selected to finish fifth in the Summit Preseason Poll.
• Dylan O'Connell was named the 2023 Preseason Summit League Freshman of the Year by D1Baseball.com and Perfect Game.
• Ben Vujovich was named to the 2023 Preseason Summit League All-Conference Team by Perfect Game.
Leading the Pack
• Chris Olean begins his 14th season with St. Thomas in 2023. He has totaled an overall record of 359-197-1 (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
For more information on St. Thomas Baseball, follow along on Twitter and Instagram at @tommiebase
-- St. Thomas Athletics --
Players Mentioned
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IF/OF
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