University of St. Thomas Athletics

Friday, February 14
Las Cruces, NM / Presley Askew Field
7:00 p.m. Central

at

New Mexico State

Tanner Recchio
Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

Baseball opens 2025 season at New Mexico State

2/13/2025 10:02:00 AM | Baseball

Tommies set for four-game series against the Aggies

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The St. Thomas baseball team is set to open the 2025 season in Las Cruces, New Mexico against New Mexico State. The Tommies are scheduled to play four games from Feb. 14-17 at Presley Askew Field.
 
Be sure to follow along for live stats and radio through links found at tommiesports.com/sports/baseball/schedule – and on Twitter @TommieBase and Instagram at @TommieBaseball.

History between the two squads
This weekend is the second series between these two squads, as St. Thomas holds a 2-1 record against the Aggies.
 
The Tommies wrapped up their 2023 season on the road against New Mexico State, winning game one and three by scores of 12-9 and 17-9, falling in game two by one run at Presley Askew Field.

Summit League Preseason Poll
St. Thomas Baseball was selected to finish second as the 2025 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll was released Wednesday. 

The 2024 Summit League Tournament Champions Oral Roberts were selected to finish first with 22 points and three first-place votes while regular season champion St. Thomas was picked to finish second with 19 points and one first-place vote.

The senior duo of Brigs Richartz and Evan Esch were selected as the St. Thomas Players to Watch.

Richartz, an outfielder from Menomonie, Wis.  appeared and started in all in 46 games for the Tommies last season. Richartz was named to the All-Summit League first team in 2024 after leading the Tommies with 63 hits, 13 doubles and finished campaign with a .337 batting average. The senior posted 18 multiple-hit games and eight multiple-RBI games a season ago.

Esch, a left-handed pitcher from Woodbury, Minn. appeared in nine games with eight starts on the mound last season. Esch was named to the All-Summit League second team in 2024. The senior struck out 35 batters in 32.1 innings of work in Summit play, posting a 4-1 record in six starts. Esch owned a 5-2 record overall, tying for third among Summit hurlers in victories.
 
Look Back at 2024
Last season, St. Thomas won its first Summit League championship in the DI-era. The Tommies finished with a 22-24 overall, 16-10 Summit League), doubling their win total from the 2023 season.
 
St. Thomas Baseball earned eight honors on the 2024 All-Summit League Teams. Senior, Max Moris and junior, Brigs Richartz were selected to the first team. Senior, Jacob Mrosko, junior, Evan Esch, and freshmen Matthew Maulik and Tanner Recchio landed on the second team. Senior, Mikey Gottschalk and sophomore Joe Roder were named honorable mentions.
 
2025 Schedule
The Tommies' schedule is jammed pack with tough competition, both in nonconference and Summit League play in 2025. In total, St. Thomas will play 54 games throughout the spring. The Tommies are slated to play 18 games at Koch Diamond, beginning with a three-game series against Oral Roberts from March 28-30. The Tommies will play 24 non-conference games and a full 30-game Summit League schedule.

St. Thomas will begin its season at New Mexico State from Feb. 14-17. The Tommies then travel to Murray State to face the Racers in a three-game series from Feb. 21-23.
 
Throughout March, the Purple are scheduled to play 20 games, beginning at Tarleton State. The Tommies open conference play at Omaha against the Mavericks from March 14-16. St. Thomas will wrap up the month of March at home, hosting Oral Roberts.
 
The Purple open the month of April in St. Paul, welcoming Summit League opponent Northern Colorado. The Tommies are set to play seven games at home and eight on the road throughout April.
 
St. Thomas will play nine of its final 12 games at Koch Diamond. The nine-game home stretch includes opponents from three conferences: the Big Ten, Horizon League and Summit League. 
 
The Tommies will be on the road in Greeley, Colo. for the final series of the 2025 season, playing Northern Colorado.
 
2025 Roster
Tommie Baseball is returning 26 letterwinners from a season ago, including 11 seniors and graduate students.
 
Nine freshmen and one graduate transfer join the 2025 Tommie Baseball roster.

Leading the Pack
Chris Olean begins his 16th season with St. Thomas in 2025. He has totaled an overall record of 385-235-1 (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.
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