Solid defense has been a key for the Gusties. Mike DesLauriers is shown here making a great play at shortstop.
Senior Robby Wiens leads the team in hitting with a .360 average.
The Gustavus baseball team will open MIAC Post-Season Tournament play on Friday at 3:30 against St. Thomas in Dundas at Memorial Park. If Gustavus would win they would play at 7 pm at Dundas, if the Gusties would lose they would play at 7 pm at Sechler Park in Northfield. You can listen to the Gusties 7 pm game through the Gustavus website or on KNUJ Radio (860 AM). The MIAC Post-Season Tournament is a double-elimination format with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Gustavus, which tied Hamline for third place in the regular season standings at 12-8, is the #4 seed due to losing the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Pipers. St. Thomas is the #1 seed after winning the MIAC regular season title with a mark of 18-2. The Tommies swept the Gusties in the regular season by the scores of 7-1 and 3-0 in St. Peter.
St. Olaf (the #2 seed) will face Hamline (the #3 seed) in the other first round game at 3:30 at Sechler Park in Northfield. The winners of the first two games will play at 7 pm in Dundas, while the losers will play at 7 pm at Sechlar Park. The loser of the second game is eliminated from the tournament.
On Saturday, games are scheduled for 1 pm and 5 pm. Should a seventh game be necessary it will be played on Sunday at 1 pm.
The MIAC instituted a playoff format for selecting the automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament in 2000. The Gusties have appeared in five of the nine MIAC Post-Season Tournaments including four of the last five. Gustavus advanced to the championship game in 2004, but was knocked out on the first day last year with a 9-3 loss to St. Thomas in the first round and a 4-3 loss in 10 innings to Saint John’s in the consolation bracket. The Gusties have compiled an all-time mark of 3-7 in MIAC Playoff games.
You can follow all of the tournament action through the MIAC Tournament Website