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Ole Baseball Opens Season

Lars Finanger
March 27, 2001

The St.Olaf Baseball team traveled south to Kansas, Missouri, and Texas after completing a sweep against UM-Duluth in the HHH Metrodome at the beginning of the month. The Oles found themselves playing outside for the first time, matched up against tough competition. The Oles went 3-5 on the trip and are 5-5 overall.

The first two games were played in Joplin, Missouri at Southern Missouri State University. The Oles faced NAIA teams McKendree (Ill.) and Midland Lutheran (Neb.) in two nine inning games. After losing 6-1 to McKendree in the first game, the Oles carried the lead for most of the second game until defensive errors helped propel Midland Lutheran to a 6-5 victory.

From Missouri the Oles moved further south to Georgetown, Texas where they clashed with nationally ranked Southwestern. The Pirates proved to be too much for the Oles as they were tattooed with a 12-0 loss. Bouncing back from the Southwestern loss, the Oles moved down to Kerrville to play Schreiner College. Behind a gutsy pitching performance from first-year Jeff Jasperson (Duluth, Minn.), the Oles controlled the tempo of the game early on. Schreiner battled back however, and handed the Oles a 7-6 loss in eleven innings.

Having dropped four straight games, the Ole offense came alive and attacked Mary Hardin Baylor (TX) early and often. The Ole batters combined for fifteen hits and scored twelve runs enroute to a 12-10 victory. Strong pitching performances from first-year players Jim Eckstein (Sleepy Eye, Minn.) and Charlie Ruud (Cannon Falls, Minn.), and junior Scott Stadsklev (Minnetonka, Minn.), helped keep the Crusaders off-balance for the majority of the game.

For the second game in as many days, the Ole offense blasted out double-digit hits to compliment solid pitching performances from Aaron Koppen (Jr., Pine City, Minn.) and Joe Blankush (FY, Duluth, Minn.), as the Oles pulled out a 9-8 victory against nationally ranked Trinity University. While the offense didn't heat up until the third inning, Koppen showed remarkable poise as he kept the Tiger bats off- balance and silent. In the top of the third inning, outfielder Joe Pavelko (FY, Richfield, Minn.) sparked the rally with a two out single. Pavelko moved to second on an infield single off the bat of shortstop Brian Sprout (Jr., Lake City, Minn.) ,which set the stage for catcher Dan LaManna's (Jr., South St. Paul, Minn.) double to the right center gap, scoring both runners.

After Trinity answered with a run in the bottom of the inning, the Oles erupted for five runs in the fourth. The scoring started when third baseman Kevin Quame (Jr., Benson, Minn.) led off the inning with a single, but was forced out at second when designated hitter Brad Baglien (FY, Mounds View, Minn.) grounded into a fielders' choice. Following Nick Beissel?s (Sr., Lakeville, Minn.) fly ball for the second out, second baseman Joe Hammond (Jr., Neillsville, Wis.) connected for a single and outfielder Steve Ryan (Jr., South St. Paul, Minn.) drew a walk to load the bases. Pavelko took advantage of the situation and poked a single over second base to bring home Baglien. Sprout then showed his ever-present leadership by stroking a line drive over the right field fence for his first grand slam of the season. This would prove to be the decisive moment in the game as Trinity mounted an attack in the later innings.

Following consecutive victories to finish up their play in Texas on a positive note, the Oles stopped in Pittsburgh, Kansas for two seven inning games against Sioux Falls University (SD) and Pittsburgh State (KS). While the Oles needed nine innings to claim their 8-2 victory against Sioux Falls, they fell to Pittsburgh State 6-1 to end their winning streak and close out their 2001 spring trip campaign.

The Oles will be in action this upcoming weekend when they travel to Pella, Iowa for four nine inning games against Central (IA) and conference rival St.John's University. The Oles will play their first home game at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4 against the University of St.Thomas, who finished second in the nation last year and are currently ranked number one in Division III.

Contact Pat Buresh at 507-786-3315 or buresh@stolaf.edu.