Johnnie Baseball Monthly | July 2025

From the Dugout

Dear Johnnie Baseball Family and Friends,

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July holiday! While summer on campus brings a different kind of energy—with music groups, youth camps, seminars, and more—we definitely miss having the baseball team around each day.

At the end of June, CSB/SJU hosted its annual Reunion Weekend for classes ending in 0's and 5's. It was great to see some Johnnie Baseball alums back on campus, reconnecting and sharing stories from their playing days.

Also, a quick note: if you received two blog emails for June, my apologies! There was a small glitch in the system and it should be resolved now.

More updates coming soon as we gear up for fall.  

Go Johnnies!
Scott Lieser 
Head Baseball Coach, Saint John's University

Slieser@csbsju.edu

⚾ Around the Horn: Inside the Program

Here’s what’s happening lately in Johnnie Baseball:

You may have seen the news—Saint John’s has a new Interim Athletic Director, Dan O’Brien. There’s a lot of excitement around his hiring, and rightly so. Dan has already been extremely helpful to me personally, and I know he’ll be a great asset to SJU Athletics… even if he is a Tommie grad! All jokes aside, we’re thrilled to have him leading the department.

Move-in day is fast approaching! First-year students arrive on campus Thursday, August 21st. We’re looking forward to welcoming a new group of Johnnies into the fold.

It’s been a blast following along with our current players and alumni who are playing amateur baseball across the state. We’re lucky to have such a strong amateur baseball tradition in Minnesota—it gives so many Johnnies the opportunity to keep playing and competing all summer.

A special shoutout to a few guys making headlines this summer:

  • Reed Marquardt ’26 is suiting up in the Northwoods League with the Bismarck Larks.

  • Kody Dalen ’24 signed a professional contract with the Sioux Falls Canaries.

  • Just after our last blog went out, Will Fazio ’25 signed with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. That brings us to two Johnnies currently playing pro baseball!

But baseball isn’t the only place where Johnnies are making moves—Tommy Auger, who played both football and baseball for SJU from 2015–2019, is a professional football player. He’s currently a tight end for the Osos de Monterrey in Mexico’s Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional.

It’s great that the J-Club is recognizing Jerry Haugen’s accomplishments as a Johnnie student-athlete and his nearly half-century as head baseball coach and football assistant. Jerry, alongside coach-athletic director Bob Alpers and eight other Johnnie standouts will be inducted into the SJU Hall of Honor at Homecoming on September 27th.

 

🎤 Senior Spotlight

  • *During the school year we will highlight a senior or two each month*

 

🧢 Where Are They Now?

Alumni Q&A

Interview with Aaron Pfaff ’15

 

What years did you play at St. John’s, and what position(s) did you play?

2012-2015 LF/CF

 

What’s your favorite memory from your time with the team? Any fun stories?

I have a lot of great memories from baseball and with the teams at SJU. Honestly too many to go into much detail, but here are some Cliff Notes of some that come to mind: Spring trips, SAAC formals, beating the Tommies to win MIAC Playoff Championships, clearing tons of snow off the new turf field to be able to play opening weekend of the MIAC schedule in 2013. There was also sitting on the bus to every away game with Brett Becker and watching episodes of Boy Meets World on DVD, spending hours after practices and games with Scott Bierscheid and Holly Remmenga in the trainer’s room, post-game meals to restaurants, playing at the Metrodome and CHS Field, and hundreds of meals at Sexton, the “Reef” and Gorecki with teammates.

 

What path did you take after graduation? Career(s)? Life after college?

After graduating from SJU I went to get my Doctorate of Chiropractic at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington and now work as an Associate Chiropractor in Savage, MN. I am married to my high school sweetheart and live in Shakopee, MN. We have three kids: Harper 5, Nora 3 and Owen 4 months (I finally got my boy! But I’ve got both girls hitting off a tee already!)

 

Are there any ways baseball still plays a role in your life today (coaching, rec leagues, kids playing, etc.)?

I have played amateur baseball (town ball) since graduating from SJU. I started playing in my hometown of New Ulm in high school and then after graduating from chiropractic school I played four seasons with Chanhassen and was fortunate to be a part of teams that won multiple state titles. Now I am playing with Burnsville with three other Johnnie alums and a couple of incoming freshmen. 

 

What does being a Johnnie Baseball alum mean to you?

I am very honored to be a Johnnie baseball alum. We had some really good teams when I was there, including two trips to an NCAA regional. However, it means even more that SJU has continued their success since I have been there. It is awesome to be able to look at each team and to see that they continue to be near the top of the MIAC every year. Another thing that makes me proud to be Johnnie baseball alum is the quality of the character of people that they recruit. The upperclassmen were respectful and accepting when I arrived on campus. No matter your role on the team, they wanted to win and recognized that everyone played a part in that effort or had potential to make an impact, and you were treated as such. Along those lines, it led me to some lifelong friendships. Many teammates were at my wedding and continue to keep in touch almost 10 years later. SJU baseball was a special time in my life and one I won’t be soon forgetting. 

 

📸 Johnnies in Action

Follow us on social media

Instagram - @sjubaseball

X (Twitter) - @SJU_Baseball

📬 Spread the Word

Feel free to forward this blog to anyone who might want to join the Johnnie Baseball family!

Coach's Final Word

There’s a lot of excitement surrounding Johnnie Baseball right now—and I hope that momentum continues to build as we head into the fall. From our players competing across the country this summer to the support we continue to receive from alumni and friends of the program, it’s a great time to be part of SJU Baseball.

As always, a quick recruiting note: if you know of any high school players who would make a great fit for Johnnie Baseball—young men who love the game, are strong students, and want to be part of something bigger than themselves—please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love to have a conversation.

Thanks for following along and supporting the program. Enjoy the rest of your summer—and Go Johnnies!

Johnnie Baseball Monthly | June 2025

Johnnie Baseball Monthly | June 2025

From the Dugout

Dear Johnnie Baseball Family and Friends,

I’m incredibly honored and excited to write to you as the new head coach of Saint John’s University Baseball. As someone who’s passionate about the game and deeply committed to building strong, character-driven teams, I can’t wait to begin this journey with our players, alumni, and supporters. Whether you wore the Johnnie jersey yourself or cheered from the stands as a proud parent/friend your legacy is part of what makes this program so special.

As someone who was already part of the coaching staff, I am no stranger to the program and/or institution. I also worked in the Institutional Advancement office which really helped me understand Saint John’s on a deeper level. It was wonderful sitting down with Johnnies from all walks of life and hearing about their stories from this great institution.

I want this blog to build a bridge — between past and present, between dugout and alumni community — and to keep you connected to everything happening with Johnnie Baseball. We’ll use this space to highlight our players, reconnect with alumni, share updates, and celebrate what it means to be a Johnnie on and off the field.

Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy the first edition of Johnnie Baseball Monthly. Your feedback is welcomed! Please email me at slieser@csbsju.edu

Go Johnnies!
Scott Lieser
Head Baseball Coach, Saint John's University

⚾ Around the Horn: Inside the Program

Here’s what’s happening lately in Johnnie Baseball:

  • Our team finished the spring semester with a cumulative GPA of 3.43, a testament to the hard work our student-athletes are putting in the classroom. We take pride in developing well-rounded men who are committed to excellence beyond the diamond.

  • The Johnnies wrapped up the 2025 season with a 25–16 overall record and a 14–6 mark in the MIAC, earning our 15th consecutive MIAC Tournament appearance. Saint John’s finished near the top of the conference in nearly every major statistical category — second in slugging percentage (.463), third in batting average (.307), and fourth in ERA (4.59).

  • Individually, Joe Becker was named MIAC Max Molock Co-Player of the Year, and was joined on the All-MIAC Team by Will Fazio, Connor Hartley, Ryan Janzen, and Alex Matchey. Zach Helfmann and Brendan Hemr earned spots on the MIAC All-Playoff Team.

  • Becker also made history by becoming the first Johnnie ever to be selected as the Region 9 Player of the Year. He added ABCA All-Region honors and was named an All-American by D3baseball.com. Might as well call him Joe “Records.”

  • Junior Collin Kray was recognized with the MIAC Elite 22 Award, given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA among all MIAC Tournament participants — a remarkable achievement for the chemistry major with a 4.0 GPA.

  • Coach Haugen retired after being the head coach for 48 years. His impact on the program will continue to live on. Johnnie baseball will always mean a lot to him and his family!

  • As for the coaching staff, we’re diving into the off-season with high energy. Recruiting is at the top of our mind right now. We are out watching a lot of high school games. It’s playoff time for high school teams and it’s always a fun atmosphere at those games. Special shoutout to Jason Spohn, our full-time assistant for going out to countless games. If there is a ballpark with a game being played, he is probably in the stands.

  • Kody Dalen ’24 signed a professional contract with the Sioux Falls Canaries. They are part of the American Association League. Kody has pitched very well for the Canaries out of the pen so far this summer! Congratulations, Kody!

🎤 Senior Spotlight

  • On Saturday, May 17th, we celebrated the graduation in Collegeville of seven outstanding seniors:
    Owen Best, Alex Broholm, Will Fazio, Connor Hartley, Ryan Janzen, Blake Mellgren, and Kade Bowar.
    These young men have left a lasting mark on our program, and we thank them for their leadership, commitment, and class.

  • *During the school year we will highlight a senior or two each month*

🧢 Where Are They Now?

Alumni Q&A

I’m very excited about this piece!

Each month the hope is to catch up with an alum or two. Find out what they are up to now and what was some of their greatest memories during their time here at Saint John’s!

Have an alum we should highlight next? Shoot me an email at slieser@csbsju.edu — I’d love to hear from you. Who wants to be first!?

📅 Upcoming Dates

I want to use this space for upcoming dates that you should mark on your calendars. Again, this is your program and having you involved will make this program grow to new heights!

📸 Johnnies in Action

Follow us on social media

Instagram - @sjubaseball

X (Twitter) - @SJU_Baseball

📬 Spread the Word

Feel free to forward this blog to anyone who might want to join the Johnnie Baseball family!

Coach's Final Word

As I mentioned, I am extremely excited about leading the baseball program here at Saint John's because I believe in what this program stands for — not just developing great baseball players but forming great men. I’m all in, and I hope you’ll come along for the ride!

The Race Is On

On the day of my last blog post we were preparing for the home opener against the University of Minnesota Morris.  It was great to see the sun that day and our bats came alive early in the bottom of the first.  While it was a decisive win for us we knew that the challenging conference schedule was looming.  And, as we have learned over the years, both the weather and the competition can be humbling this time of year.  Heading into tomorrow’s home double header versus Gustavus we sit at 4-3 in the MIAC and 16-8 overall.  The second game of our double header at Carleton was suspended in the 11th inning due to darkness with the score tied 3-3.  Thanks to our beautiful ballpark lights that will never happen at SJU. 

So far our play in the MIAC has been as unpredictable as the weather.  When you play in conditions that register a wind chill sometimes the bats go cold, as was the case for us over a stretch of about four games.  In our last three wins, however, our offensive production returned and it was certainly great to get the sweep against Macalester on Tuesday.  This gives us some much needed momentum heading into tomorrow where we hope to have a big crowd enjoying the return of spring temperatures…about a 40 degree swing from Tuesday in St. Paul.       

I suspect that our parents will be happy with the forecast as they are hosting the annual Diamond Dash 5K Run.  Registration and check in begins at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow on the new plaza and the race begins at 11:00.  I hope you will join us and then enjoy some great baseball beginning at 1:00 p.m.  In many ways the grind of the MIAC conference schedule is kind of like running a 5K.  With seven games down and thirteen to go, you might say we just passed the 1.2 mile marker.  

Looking ahead to next week we will be returning to Northfield on Sunday afternoon to complete the suspended game against Carleton.  On Wednesday we host St. Olaf for a double header beginning at 2:30 p.m. followed by a trip to Augsburg for another double header on Saturday the 23rd.  As I have shared with the team, we have a lot of baseball yet to play so stay focused and play hard.

One last reminder, we will be dedicating our new ballpark and plaza on Saturday, May 7th immediately following the first doubleheader game versus Concordia.  The day-long celebration will begin at 11:30 a.m. with music and a barbeque on the plaza and the ceremony at approximately 2:30 p.m.  If your schedule allows please makes plans to join us for that day as well.  Thanks again for your interest in Johnnie Baseball!     

The Home Opener

There is nothing more anticipated in baseball than the home opener.  It is a special day for ball players, coaches, parents and fans.  But in Minnesota there are no guarantees as we are all at the mercy of Mother Nature in late March.  Today I have great news for Johnnie fans.  As I put the finishing touches on this blog I can safely say it is a beautiful day for baseball in Collegeville.  At 2:30 p.m. this afternoon we host the University of Minnesota Morris and the boys are anxious to take the field in our home ballpark.  We hope to have a great crowd and the players are excited about the new 2016 SJU baseball video that just went live last night. (Video can be found below.)  It has already received hundreds of views by our CSB and SJU students and I hope you will check it out as well right here on the blog.

While it is great to be back home I have to admit that last week in Florida was exceptional.  The weather in Fort Myers was outstanding and we played some terrific baseball.  We went 8-2 on our annual spring trip giving our guys confidence and momentum heading into the month of April and the heart of conference play.  We continued our impressive offensive production scoring 80 runs over the ten game stretch.  Even in the two games we lost we scored four runs and five runs, respectively.  I liked our aggressiveness at the plate but we also exercised good patience.  As well as we hit the ball, I was most pleased with the job we did on the mound.  I threw seven different starters out there and they all went deep into the games, logging all but nine of the total innings pitched.  We gave up a total 27 runs in ten games and not all of those we earned, of course.  If we can keep our fielding errors in check the rest of the way we have an opportunity to do something really special this season.         

Before we leave Florida in the rearview mirror I want to once again thank the parents, alumni and fans who came out to support the team throughout the week.  Bill Boom, who recently retired from SJU, was at the ball park every day.  Bob Ryan ’52, Lou Gottwalt ’54 and Ed Lehmann ’70 were among the alumni who joined us for Thursday’s double header and the barbeque social that followed.  It means a lot to the players to get such great support from around the country.  And we experienced the same thing in Arizona!    

We take our overall record of 11-5 into today’s game.  This weekend we open conference play on Saturday here at SJU with a 1:00 p.m. double-header against Hamline.  I hope to have more good news to share next week.  Thanks again for your interest in Johnnie Baseball!    

Welcome To The SJU Johnnies Baseball Blog

As I begin my 39th year as coach at Saint John’s I could not be more pleased about of the state of our program.  I am very fortunate to coach so many fine young men in a sport that I am passionate about.  As many of you may have read in the recent issue of the Saint John’s Magazine, the cover story featured several of our ballplayers and how they have excelled both on the field and in the classroom.  I am very proud of all of our players, past and present.  Our 2016 squad is talented and excited for the opportunity to make a repeat run at the MIAC Title.  We have great leadership and they are focused on winning championships, working hard on their academics and, above all, being great teammates to one another.  

Our program is also blessed with one of the top baseball park facilities in NCAA Division III.  Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of so many of our baseball alumni, parents and friends we have a beautiful new complex that we will dedicate later this spring.  The fact that we have been selected as the host site for the MIAC Baseball Playoffs – which will take place May 12-14, 2016 – speaks volumes about our venue.  We are bidding to host the NCAA Regionals in the coming years as well.     

The point of this blog is to keep you informed as alumni, parents and fans of our program throughout the year.   The blog will give you a glimpse into our season, our players, as well our challenges and our opportunities.  Each week during the season I will post a blog entry.  As you know, we play a lot of games over a short period of time so I will not be providing game recaps.  Ryan Klinkner does a fantastic job of writing those stories on gojohnnies.com which is directly linked to this blog.  Here are a few things to look for on the blog:    

1.     Player profiles are shared at the bottom of the blog.  The profiles summarize where the players come from, their academic focus at SJU and their future professional goals.  This will help the student athletes connect to the SJU alumni and to bridge the gap with those who may be able to help them accomplish their goals.

2.     Information about events like the Diamond Dash (Saturday, April 16, 2016), the Baseball Park Dedication or the Dunstan Tucker Classic Golf Outing (Monday, July 18, 2016).

3.     The Johnnie alumnus spotlight.  Once a month we will feature an update on a Johnnie Baseball alumnus.  We will use this to showcase the success of Johnnies after baseball.  Our goal is to share these profiles in the recruiting process to demonstrate that SJU not only provides a great education and baseball experience, but also serves as an exceptional foundation that leads to professional success.

I look forward to sharing this season’s journey with all of you.  This past weekend in Tucson, Arizona we split the six game schedule and take our season record of 3-3 to Fort Myers, Florida.  Obviously I would have liked to have come away with another win or two, but it is very early in the season.  We saw some good things out of our guys and we will play another ten games next week.  I know that the players are looking forward to getting back to the sunshine and enjoying a welcome spring break from the books.  Thanks for your interest in Johnnie Baseball!