Year: Junior
Height: 5-7
Weight: 165
Position: Pitcher/Outfield
B/T: L/L
Hometown: Faribault, Minn.
High School: Bethlehem Academy
Personal:
Ben Etzell #4
Year: Sophomore
Height: 6-0
Weight: 205
Position: Pitcher/First Base
B/T: R/R
Hometown: Greenbank, Wash.
High School: Coupeville
Personal: Born 8/16/95...son of Mike '88 and Kristi Etzell of Greenbank, Wash...a 2014 graduate of Coupeville High School (Wash.)...played for head coach Willie Smith...an Elementary Education major.
Thomas Meland #5
Year: Freshman
Height: 5-11
Weight: 180
Position: Second Base
B/T: L/R
Hometown: Northfield, Minn.
High School: Northfield
Personal: My name is Thomas Meland and I am a freshman at St. Johns. My hometown is Northfield, Minnesota. My parents are Jeff and Alicia, and Jackson is my older brother. As of right now I am undecided for my major, but I am definitely leaning towards Biology. I hope to expand my knowledge in a variety of subjects here at St. Johns, and I think this is a college that fits perfectly for that goal. I have many goals for my athletic career at SJU as well. I hope to help the baseball program reach its potential and win MIAC and Regional Championships in my 4 years. I know this team is capable of doing great things and I am very excited for our future. When I graduate, I am interested in a career in health but I am definitely keeping my options open.
Cole Weaver #6
Year: Freshman
Height: 5-10
Weight: 170
Position: Infield
B/T: L/R
Hometown: Carlsbad, Calif.
High School: Santa Fe Christian
Personal: Born 9/2/97...son of Rob and Kristi Weaver of Carlsbad, Calif...a 2015 graduate of Santa Fe Christian High School (Calif.)...played for head coach Don Mitchell...an Enviornmental Science major.
Gabe MacDonald #7
Year: Senior
Height: 6-2
Weight: 190
Position: Catcher
B/T: R/R
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minn.
High School: Benilde-St. Margaret's
Personal: Born 1/12/94…son of Peter and Leslie MacDonald of Minneapolis…a 2012 graduate of Benilde-St. Margaret’s High School…played for head coach Greg Hoemke…a Natural Science major.
Derek Schiebel #8
Year: Junior
Height: 6-3
Weight: 205
Position: Third Base
B/T: R/R
Hometown: Apple Valley, Minn.
High School: Eastview
Personal: My name is Derek Schiebel, and I am currently a junior here at Saint John’s. I grew up in Apple Valley, MN and graduated from Eastview High School in 2013. I am currently working towards getting my degree with a Major in Mathematics with a Minor in Secondary Education, hoping to become a middle/high school math teacher once I graduate in the spring of 2017. I would love to teach in an inner-city school, and look forward to the many challenges students try to throw my way. Hopefully, I will be able to find a coaching job somewhere as well, as I would love to be able to share my insight on baseball with my students. As a third baseman on the team this year, I am looking forward to competing for another MIAC Championship and playing ball with a whole bunch of good guys.
Max Jackson #9
Year: Freshman
Height: 5-10
Weight: 185
Position: Outfield
B/T: L/R
Hometown: St. Paul, Minn.
High School: Cretin-Derham Hall
Personal: Born 8/30/96...son of Frank and Beth Jackson...a 2015 graduate of Cretin-Derham Hall High School...played for head coach Paul Weinberg...Biology major (pre-engineering emphasis)...is also a member of the SJU football team.
Marcus Barone #10
Year: Senior
Height: 6-0
Weight: 185
Position: Pitcher
B/T: R/R
Hometown: Eden Prairie, Minn.
High School: Benilde-St. Margaret's
Personal: I graduated from Benilde-St. Margaret’s and grew up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. My major field of study is Political Science with a minor in Communication. Last summer I interned in Washington, D.C. for a lobbying firm owned by a St. John’s graduate. Currently, I am interning at the Minnesota State Senate for State Senator Tom Saxhaug during this short, albeit busy, legislative session. I hope to continue working in the political field after graduation and aim to use my prior experience, from both on and off of the field, as a springboard for other possible and exciting job opportunities.
As my four years at St. John’s begins to close, I have greatly enjoyed my time spent with the many friends I have taken the field with every day. I sincerely believe that our team will succeed because of the depth and pure talent we have this season. However, our true strength lies in the strong leadership and camaraderie, from freshmen to seniors, that together we have worked hard to develop during the offseason and in practice every single day. It is hard to comprehend that after losing so many great players from a year ago that our team is even better, but because of the supportive workplace we have built, players have stepped up and have taken on the roles necessary for success. Winning a MIAC regular season championship and the MIAC playoff championship, which would result in an NCAA playoff berth, has been the goal of the entire team since day one of fall baseball. Helping attain such goals is not only my personal ambition, but it is also the intent of our entire team. There is truly nothing better than winning, except for winning with your best friends. Go Johnnies!
Sam Ferguson #11
Year: Junior
Height: 6-2
Weight: 185
Position: Pitcher
B/T: R/R
Hometown: Arcadia, Wis.
High School: Arcadia
Personal: My name is Sam Ferguson. I am Junior Global Business major at Saint John’s University. I am from Arcadia, WI. I have two brothers named Max and Abe. I also have a sister named Kenzie. I am the son of Louie and Jody. I am a pitcher and hope to do what I can this season to help us succeed. I also hope to take on a little more of a leadership role being an upper classman with high hopes for our team. Winning the MIAC conference this season is always a goal, but lengthening our season as long as we can into the regional and even World Series can be in our reach with confidence. After graduation, I plan to do something in the business field, whether that is sales, marketing, analysis, international, management, pricing, or operations. I studied abroad in China this past fall and can see myself working anywhere in the nation with plans to eventually do some business with China during parts of the year.
Logan Hershey #12
Year: Senior
Height: 5-10
Weight: 190
Position: Shortstop
B/T: R/R
Hometown: Maple Grove, Minn.
High School: Maple Grove
Personal: My name is Logan Hershey and I am from Maple Grove, MN. I am majoring in accounting and will begin working full-time at Deloitte in their audit practice after graduation. As a senior on the baseball team, I hope to repeat as MIAC Champions and make a run in regionals. The past few seasons have been successful, but I believe St. John’s has the ability to consistently compete in the regional tournament. More importantly, I wish to continue the tradition of creating a welcoming environment for incoming players. Joining the team as a freshman can be an intimidating experience, but I hope that by reaching out to underclassmen, I can ease the transition. Being a member of the baseball team is much more than sharing a common interest in a game. It is a family where we look out for one another. Ultimately, the success of the team depends on so many individuals coming together to work towards a common goal. When I graduate, I hope individuals don’t judge me based on my statistics, but rather the quality of teammate I was. Baseball has taught me so many life lessons. At the end of the day, the wins and losses are irrelevant. The lasting relationships I have forged on the diamond are what makes it worth while. My time at St. John’s has been short, but I wouldn’t trade my experience here for anything.
Rhyan Bett #13
Year: Junior
Height: 5-11
Weight: 190
Position: Pitcher
B/T: R/R
Hometown: West Covina, Calif.
High School: Bishop Amat
Personal: Hello, my name is Rhyan Bett and I am from West Covina, California. I am a junior at St. John’s and I am a majoring in Nutrition with a Minor in Exercise Science. I hope to get into the field of kinesiology and have a successful career doing something I love. I am very excited for the season, and looking forward to defending our MIAC championship again. Go Johnnies!
Jack Wingerd #14
Year: Freshman
Height: 5-10
Weight: 165
Position: Infield
B/T: R/R
Hometown: St. Paul, Minn.
High School: Cretin-Derham Hall
Personal: Born 6/11/97...son of Mark and Heidi Wingerd of St. Paul...a 2015 graduate of Cretin-Derham Hall High School...played for head coach Paul Weinberg...an Accounting (Finance) major.
Nate Lutmer #15
Year: Freshman
Height: 6-0
Weight: 185
Position: Catcher/Pitcher
B/T: L/R
Hometown: New Hope, Minn.
High School: Robbinsdale Cooper
Personal: My name is Nate Lutmer, and I am a freshman here at Saint John’s. I live in New Hope, Minnesota with my parents, Doug and Cheryl Lutmer. I graduated from Robbinsdale Cooper High School as a member of the International Baccalaureate diploma program. While in high school, I played both baseball and basketball while being a two year captain for each sport. I am currently undecided for my major, however I am leaning towards either sociology or psychology. If I end up in one of these academic areas, I plan to use the degree for a job in relation to either marketing or athletics. My academic goals in my time here at Saint John’s include graduating with honors, being on the dean’s list all four years, and studying abroad for a semester, preferably in Spanish-speaking country. With regards to athletics, my goals are for my teammates to become family and simply to win. I have endured a great amount of losing throughout my life and all I want to do is win. I want to win another MIAC championship, win the regional and make some noise in the World Series to make sure everyone in the baseball community knows who Saint John’s is and what this school and this baseball program are all about.
Ethan Madsen #16
Year: Sophomore
Height: 6-0
Weight: 160
Position: Outfield/Pitcher
B/T: L/R
Hometown: Arden Hills, Minn.
High School: Mounds View
Personal: My name is Ethan Madsen and I am a Sophomore outfielder and pitcher for Saint John's University. I am an Accounting/Finance major with an expected minor in communications. I am from Arden Hills, MN and attended Mounds View High School. In my free time I enjoy spending time with friends, watching thought provoking movies, and reading. After graduation, I may spend time traveling the world for a year and then pursue a career in Financial Analysis or Marketing and Sales.
Alex Kendall #17
Year: Junior
Height: 6-2
Weight: 180
Position: Pitcher/Shortstop
B/T: R/R
Hometown: St. Cloud, Minn.
High School: Saint John's Prep
Personal: Born 10/22/94...son of John and Janelle Kendall of St. Cloud...a 2013 graduate of Saint John's Prep...a 2013 Play Ball MN! All-Star...played for head coach Tom Grandy...a Psychology major.
Dominick Schleper #18
Year: Sophomore
Height: 6-0
Weight: 180
Position: Catcher
B/T: R/R
Hometown: Shakopee, Minn.
High School: Shakopee
Personal: My name is Dominick Schleper and I am from Shakopee, MN. I am a communication major with goals as not only an athlete but also as a student. As an athlete my first goal is to win the MIAC championship and hopefully advance far into playoffs to win the national championship. The second goal I have is to play as much as I can but more importantly become the best teammate. We will not have a chance to win the national championship if players have a different mindset. The third and final goal I have is to not leave anything behind as in giving 110 percent all the time. I understand that time goes fast and I do not want to have any regrets. I also have academic goals to go along with my athletic goals. The first goal I have goes along with my last athletic goal. I want to work as hard as I can in the classroom and leave no regrets behind. The second goal I have is to study abroad because it is a great opportunity and it will give me an experience I will never forget along with learning about another culture. The last goal I have is to build relationships with other students as well as professors. Building life-long relationships is essential when attending college and it only helps my communication skills. After college I would pretty much do anything that works with a communication major and working with other people preferably for a sports team or sports company. I am a flexible guy with lots of different interests.
R.J. Alpers #19
Year: Junior
Height: 6-1
Weight: 175
Position: Pitcher/Third Base
B/T: R/R
Hometown: Avon, Minn.
High School: Saint John's Prep
Personal: Born 5/19/95...son of Bob '82 and Elli (CSB '90) Alpers of Avon...a 2013 graduate of Saint John's Prep...played for head coach Tom Grandy...a Political Science and Spanish double-major...studied abroad in Chile during Fall 2015.
Dan Keller #20
Year: Senior
Height: 6-3
Weight: 185
Position: Outfield
B/T: L/L
Hometown: Vadnais Heights, Minn.
High School: White Bear Lake
Personal: Born 1/3/94…son of John and Debbie Keller of Vadnais Heights…brother, David, played soccer at Luther (Iowa) and sister, Annie, ran track at St. Thomas...a 2012 graduate of White Bear Lake High School…played for head coach Jeff Wagner…an Accounting (Finance) major.
Cameron Jurek #22
Year: Freshman
Height: 6-0
Weight: 190
Position: Pitcher/Infield
B/T: R/R
Hometown: Foley, Minn.
High School: Foley
Personal: Born 6/26/96...son of Russ and Lucy Jurek of Foley...a 2015 graduate of Foley High School...played for head coach Mike Beier...a 2015 Play Ball MN! All-Star...an Accounting (Finance) major.
Mike Stegora #23
Year: Senior
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
Position: Outfield
B/T: L/R
Hometown: Red Wing, Minn.
High School: Red Wing
Personal: My name is Mike Stegora and I hail from Red Wing Minnesota. I am a senior outfielder for the Johnnies this year and I am majoring in Global Business Leadership. I also work on campus as a firefighter/EMT and work in the Saint John’s Abbey wood shop. As a student at Saint John’s, my goal has been to not only maintain a good academic standing, but to also be a role model for other Johnnies by leading by example. I also set a goal for myself to become a well-rounded individual not only in the classroom but in the community as well. This is why I became a firefighter/EMT on campus and work in the Abbey’s wood shop as well as volunteer when the opportunity presents itself. As an athlete, I have strived to work on my leadership skills as well as develop lasting relationships with my teammates in order to work as a team toward winning a championship, which last year (2015) we were able to accomplish by beating the Tommies twice in order to take home the MIAC championship title. Next year I plan to head back out to Mountain Sky Guest Ranch located outside of Livingston Montana where I spent the previous summer working as a wilderness EMT and Guest Service worker in the middle of the woods in Paradise Valley. In the future, I hope to find a profession either in the business world or pursue a career in rescue medicine.
