It was a whirlwind week for Saint Mary’s athletics, as unpredictable weather reshaped schedules across the board. Here’s a look at what’s ahead and what we hope will be a more settled slate of events.
MEN’S HOCKEY HONORS
While the season has concluded, several Cardinals continue to earn national recognition. Sophomore Joona Juntunen was named a finalist for the prestigious Sid Watson Award, given to the top player in NCAA Division III. Though he did not take home the honor, Juntunen earned First-Team All-American recognition—one of the highest accolades in collegiate hockey.
Joining him on the First-Team was junior Cole Mickel, who capped off his second season with the Cardinals with the same distinction.
Freshman Adam Prokop also garnered recognition, earning a spot on the USCHO.com Honorable Mention Rookie Team after appearing in 20 games. Prokop, the conference’s Rookie of the Year, posted an impressive .927 save percentage in his debut season.
TRACK AND FIELD FACES WEATHER CHALLENGES
The Cardinals’ trip to the Norse Invite at Luther College was cut short due to inclement weather, canceling the meet midway through competition.
Despite the interruption, Saint Mary’s turned in several strong early performances. Liam Smith clocked a 34:59.53 in the 10,000m, Ron White recorded a 12.59m throw in the shot put, and the women’s 4x100m relay team surged to No. 2 in program history with a first-place time of 48.42.
The team now prepares for a busy weekend, beginning with the UW-Platteville 5K Invite on Friday, April 10. Competition continues Saturday, April 11, with split squads heading to Bethel University for the Gene Glader Classic and to St. Olaf for the Manitou Classic.
BASEBALL EYES RETURN TO NORMALCY
After a week of constant adjustments, the Cardinal baseball team (14-7, 2-0 MIAC) is eager to return to a consistent rhythm. Saint Mary’s opened its home schedule on March 31 against UW-Eau Claire, splitting the series.
In game one, the Cardinals fell 5-3 despite an early lead sparked by a two-run home run from sophomore Drew Rothenberger.
They bounced back in game two, where Rothenberger delivered again—this time with a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning to secure a 7-6 victory.
The Cardinals now turn their attention to a busy week ahead, traveling to Bethel on Tuesday, April 7 before hosting Hamline on Wednesday, April 8 in a rescheduled conference matchup. Saint Mary’s will then welcome Augsburg on Saturday, April 11 for Alumni Day, featuring a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
SOFTBALL SET FOR PACKED WEEK
The No. 4 Saint Mary’s softball team (16-2, 2-0 MIAC) faces an even busier stretch, with four games on the schedule this week.
After numerous postponements, the Cardinals finally returned to action Friday in Rochester at the RCTC Dome, sweeping Augsburg in dominant fashion with back-to-back 12-0 wins in five innings.
A highlight of the series came from junior Megan McGinnis, who launched an electrifying inside-the-park grand slam in the first inning of game one. She earned MIAC Player of the Week honors and her teammate Kenzie Gatz earned Pitcher of the week for their efforts striking out seven Auggies in a shutout.
This week’s schedule has already seen changes, with Tuesday’s game postponed to Thursday at Carleton due to cold temperatures. Saint Mary’s will instead open the week Wednesday, April 8 at UW-La Crosse for its final nonconference doubleheader at 2:00 p.m.
The Cardinals’ long-awaited home opener is set for Saturday, April 11 against Gustavus Adolphus starting at 1:00 p.m., followed by a Sunday road doubleheader at Concordia College to close out the week.
TENNIS RETURNS HOME
After a brief hiatus, Saint Mary’s tennis is back in action this Sunday, April 12 at the Winona Tennis Center. The Cardinals will host Saint Benedict and Saint John’s at 1:30 p.m., looking to secure their first MIAC victories of the season.
Stay up to date with any schedule changes at Saintmaryssports.com. Go Cardinals!
