University of St. Thomas Athletics
Friday, February 23
Cape Girardeau, Mo.
3:00 p.m. Central
at
Southeast Missouri State
Baseball travels to Missouri to play four-game series against the Redhawks
2/22/2024 11:38:00 AM | Baseball
St. Thomas is back on the road, facing SEMO for the first time
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The St. Thomas baseball team travels to Cape Girardeau, Mo. to play the Redhawks in a four-game weekend series. Game times are set for 3:00 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23rd, noon and 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24th, and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25th.
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
Season Preview
The Tommies' schedule is jammed pack with tough competition, both in nonconference and Summit League play. In total, St. Thomas will play 50 games throughout the spring. The Tommies are slated to play 16 games at Koch Diamond, beginning with a three-game series against South Dakota State on March 22-24.
Throughout March, the Purple will play Southern Indiana, Iowa, UIC and finish their road trip against conference opponent, Northern Colorado on March 15-17.
The Tommies will play six of 17 games at home throughout the month of April. St. Thomas will host conference opponents Omaha (April 5-7) and Northern Colorado (April 26-28) during the month, traveling for a 10-game stretch between these opponents.
The Tommies will begin the month of May with six games on the road, before returning home to wrap up the season, hosting Oral Roberts in their final series of the 2024 season.
St. Thomas is returning 20 letterwinners from a season ago, including captains, Evan Esch, Kolby Gartner, Max Moris, Jacob Mrosko and Brigs Richartz
There are 18 newcomers joining the Tommie Baseball program this season – 13 freshmen and five transfers.
Scouting the Redhawks
• St. Thomas travels to Cape Girardeau, Mo. to play the Redhawks in a four-game series
• This is the first match up between the Tommies and SEMO.
• SEMO is led by Head Andy Sawyers, who is in his seventh season. Last season, the Redhawks finished 26-30 overall and 14-10 in the OVC.
•SEMO has opened the 2024 season 1-3, winning its contest on Wednesday evening against Murray State, 8-7
•Junior, Michael Muggan has played and started in all four games for the Redhawks to begin the season. Muggan has recorded nine hits, three home runs and seven RBIs so far this season.
•Senior RHP, Tommy Windt earned SEMO's lone win of the season. Windt has thrown 5.0 innings and totaled five strikeouts.
Tommie Offense
•The St. Thomas offense exploded over the weekend, totaling 49 runs in four games played. In 2023, the Tommies recorded 34 runs in 15 games played in the months of February and March.
•Matthew Maulik (3), Joe Roder (2), Joe Vos (1), Max Nyrop (1), Brigs Richartz (1) and Ben Vujovich (1) combined for 10 home runs to start the season. The Tommies totaled 14 home runs a season ago.
Snowbird Classic Recap
The Tommies opened the 2024 campaign at the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Fla. St. Thomas played four games in Florida, two against both Illinois State and Saint Louis.
Over the weekend, the Tommies compiled 49 runs and wrapped up the Snowbird Classic with a 1-3 record.
Six freshmen made their collegiate debut over the weekend. Matthew Maulik, Tanner Recchio, Zan Von Schlegell, Owen Bond, Marcus Kruzan and Nolan Phillips saw action in the Tommies' opening games.
Maulik leads the Tommies in batting after weekend one. Maulik has recorded a .636 batting avg., 2.237 OPS, seven hits, six RBIs, and three home runs.
Recchio played and started in all four games at second base, starting the season with three hits and four RBIs.
Summit League Preseason Player to Watch, Ben Vujovich posted team-high 10 hits, two doubles, and one triple last weekend.
RHP Devon Schewe picked up the Tommies lone win of the weekend, posting a 5.40 ERA and five strikeouts in 5.0 innings played.
Summit League Ranks (As of 2/20/24)
Team
Batting Avg (1st/.376)
Home Runs (1st/10)
RBIs (1st/44)
Strikeouts (1st/32)
Individual - Pitching
Earned Run Average (D. Schewe – t-6th/5.40)
Strikeouts (J. Mrosko – t-3rd/5)
Individual - Hitting
Batting Average (M. Maulik – 2nd/.636)
Doubles (B. Vujovich – 1st/3)
Hits (B. Vujovich – 1st/10)
Home Runs (M. Maulik – t-1st/3)
Walks (J.Roder – 1st/7)
Individual - Fielding
Putouts (J.Roder – 1st/31)
Assists (T. Recchio – t-2nd/12)
Milestones
•Three Tommies are nearing 100 collegiate games played – Brigs Richartz (92), Max Moris (91) and Bun Vujovich (87).
•Brigs Richartz recorded his 100th career hit against Saint Louis on Feb. 17th.
Tommie Baseball DI Record Holders
•Brigs Richartz – RBI (52), At Bats (361), Hits (100), Games played (92)
• Ben Vujovich – RBI (52), Runs (59), Batting Avg. (0.314)
•Evan Esch – Innings pitched (96.2)
• Kolby Gartner – Games started pitching (18)
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 365-214-1 (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 Reion 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.
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
Season Preview
The Tommies' schedule is jammed pack with tough competition, both in nonconference and Summit League play. In total, St. Thomas will play 50 games throughout the spring. The Tommies are slated to play 16 games at Koch Diamond, beginning with a three-game series against South Dakota State on March 22-24.
Throughout March, the Purple will play Southern Indiana, Iowa, UIC and finish their road trip against conference opponent, Northern Colorado on March 15-17.
The Tommies will play six of 17 games at home throughout the month of April. St. Thomas will host conference opponents Omaha (April 5-7) and Northern Colorado (April 26-28) during the month, traveling for a 10-game stretch between these opponents.
The Tommies will begin the month of May with six games on the road, before returning home to wrap up the season, hosting Oral Roberts in their final series of the 2024 season.
St. Thomas is returning 20 letterwinners from a season ago, including captains, Evan Esch, Kolby Gartner, Max Moris, Jacob Mrosko and Brigs Richartz
There are 18 newcomers joining the Tommie Baseball program this season – 13 freshmen and five transfers.
Scouting the Redhawks
• St. Thomas travels to Cape Girardeau, Mo. to play the Redhawks in a four-game series
• This is the first match up between the Tommies and SEMO.
• SEMO is led by Head Andy Sawyers, who is in his seventh season. Last season, the Redhawks finished 26-30 overall and 14-10 in the OVC.
•SEMO has opened the 2024 season 1-3, winning its contest on Wednesday evening against Murray State, 8-7
•Junior, Michael Muggan has played and started in all four games for the Redhawks to begin the season. Muggan has recorded nine hits, three home runs and seven RBIs so far this season.
•Senior RHP, Tommy Windt earned SEMO's lone win of the season. Windt has thrown 5.0 innings and totaled five strikeouts.
Tommie Offense
•The St. Thomas offense exploded over the weekend, totaling 49 runs in four games played. In 2023, the Tommies recorded 34 runs in 15 games played in the months of February and March.
•Matthew Maulik (3), Joe Roder (2), Joe Vos (1), Max Nyrop (1), Brigs Richartz (1) and Ben Vujovich (1) combined for 10 home runs to start the season. The Tommies totaled 14 home runs a season ago.
Snowbird Classic Recap
The Tommies opened the 2024 campaign at the Snowbird Classic in Port Charlotte, Fla. St. Thomas played four games in Florida, two against both Illinois State and Saint Louis.
Over the weekend, the Tommies compiled 49 runs and wrapped up the Snowbird Classic with a 1-3 record.
Six freshmen made their collegiate debut over the weekend. Matthew Maulik, Tanner Recchio, Zan Von Schlegell, Owen Bond, Marcus Kruzan and Nolan Phillips saw action in the Tommies' opening games.
Maulik leads the Tommies in batting after weekend one. Maulik has recorded a .636 batting avg., 2.237 OPS, seven hits, six RBIs, and three home runs.
Recchio played and started in all four games at second base, starting the season with three hits and four RBIs.
Summit League Preseason Player to Watch, Ben Vujovich posted team-high 10 hits, two doubles, and one triple last weekend.
RHP Devon Schewe picked up the Tommies lone win of the weekend, posting a 5.40 ERA and five strikeouts in 5.0 innings played.
Summit League Ranks (As of 2/20/24)
Team
Batting Avg (1st/.376)
Home Runs (1st/10)
RBIs (1st/44)
Strikeouts (1st/32)
Individual - Pitching
Earned Run Average (D. Schewe – t-6th/5.40)
Strikeouts (J. Mrosko – t-3rd/5)
Individual - Hitting
Batting Average (M. Maulik – 2nd/.636)
Doubles (B. Vujovich – 1st/3)
Hits (B. Vujovich – 1st/10)
Home Runs (M. Maulik – t-1st/3)
Walks (J.Roder – 1st/7)
Individual - Fielding
Putouts (J.Roder – 1st/31)
Assists (T. Recchio – t-2nd/12)
Milestones
•Three Tommies are nearing 100 collegiate games played – Brigs Richartz (92), Max Moris (91) and Bun Vujovich (87).
•Brigs Richartz recorded his 100th career hit against Saint Louis on Feb. 17th.
Tommie Baseball DI Record Holders
•Brigs Richartz – RBI (52), At Bats (361), Hits (100), Games played (92)
• Ben Vujovich – RBI (52), Runs (59), Batting Avg. (0.314)
•Evan Esch – Innings pitched (96.2)
• Kolby Gartner – Games started pitching (18)
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 365-214-1 (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 Reion 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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