WIN AND IN
• That was the motto of the Blue Jays and a few of their Centennial Conference foes as there was still so much to be decided heading into Saturday's final doubleheaders of the regular season. With four teams in the mix for the final two spots, the Blue Jays traveled to Haverford knowing they needed a sweep to avoid missing the Centennial Tournament for the first time ever. The Jays got the job done, winning game one by a score of 10-7. The Jays led it 7-2 after 7.5 innings, but the Fords pushed five runs across the board in the eighth to tie it. Dillon Souvignier drove in two runs with a double to put the Blue Jays back on top. In game two, the Jays led 7-3 before a three-run fifth inning from Haverford made it 7-6. The Jays scored four more in the seventh and eighth to help seal the deal and clinch a spot in the tournament.
DEFEND THE CROWN
• The Jays enter as the #4 seed, but will also come in as the defending champs, winning the last two league titles. The Jays won the 2021 regular season and the 2019 conference tournament. There was no champion awarded during the 2020 season after it was cut short by COVID-19. The Jays have been named Centennial Champions 15 times, winning 11 conference tournaments since the format was adopted in 2002. Thursday's matchup will bring the two most recent holders of the trophy together.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
• Swarthmore went 14-4 to win the Centennial Conference regular season via tiebreaker with Franklin & Marshall. Overall, the Garnet went 21-17 in 2022, holding a record of 10-7 at Clothier Field. Luke Mutz, Paul Cooke and Austin Burgess led a Garnet offense that was very aggressive on the basepaths in 2022. Mutz hit .432 and swiped 26 bases. Cooke hit .377 and swiped 22 bases. Burgess hit .338 with 42 RBI and 19 steals.
• F&M was in the driver's seat more than halfway through the regular season, but a sweep at the hands of Johns Hopkins put Swarthmore back in the mix for conference supremacy. The Dips dropped the final game of the regular season to SWAT, allowing them to take the #1 seed. Bobby Falese (.365 9 HR 51 RBI) led the Diplomat offense while Greg Nieskens led the staff, pitching to a 3.70 ERA in 48.2 innings.
• Washington College is the #3 seed thanks to a sweep of the Blue Jays last week. The Shoremen hold an overall record of 25-15. Danny Sheeler (.381, 6 HR, 42 RBI) led the offense while Joe Morrissey led the staff.
Centennial Conference Tourney
W-L Streak
#1 Swarthmore 14-4 W1
#2 Franklin & Marshall 14-4 L1
#3 Washington College 10-8 W1
#4 Johns Hopkins 10-8 W2
Thursday, May 5
#4 Johns Hopkins at #1 Swarthmore __3 pm
#3 Washington Coll. at #2 F&M_______3 pm
Saturday, May 7
Loser of G1 vs. Loser of G2___________9 am
Winner of G1 vs. Winner of G2____1230 pm
Winner of G3 vs. Loser of G4_________4 pm
Sunday, May 8
Winner of G4 vs. Winner of G5______12 pm
Game Two If Necessary___________330 pm
Centennial Conference Tournament - Swarthmore, PA @JHUBASEBALL
SERIES VS. SWAT
• Thursday's meeting will be the 130th all-time tilt between the Blue Jays and the Garnet in a series that
dates back to 1914. Swarthmore won the first ever contest by a final score of 7-3. In more recent history,
Swarthmore has won five of the last eight meetings after splitting the two regular season games in 2022.
The Blue Jays are 13-5 against Swarthmore in the last 10 years. As noted, the Garnet and Blue Jays split
the regular season matchup with each team winning on the other team's field. Hopkins took game one
by a 9-3 score, getting a second inning grand slam from Matthew Cooper to break the game open early.
Dylan Whitney added two hits and two RBI while Matt Savedoff threw 7.2 innings, allowing two runs on
six hits. The Garnet took the return trip by a score of 8-3, getting homers from Matthew Silvestre, Nate
Jbara and Paul Cooke. Shawn Steuerer and Tripp Myers homered for the Blue Jays.
FANTASTIC FRESHMAN
• Blue Jay third baseman Shawn Steuerer is putting together one of the best inaugural campaigns in
recent memory. Over the last 15 seasons, Steuerer's numbers compare with any freshman Blue Jay. In 37
games this season, Steuerer has made 34 starts, appearing in every game. The Floridian leads the team
in avg (.387), runs scored (37), hits (55), triples (3) and total bases (97). Steuerer ranks second on the
team in OPS (1.120) and SLG % (.683) while ranking third in doubles (9), homers (9), and OBP (.437).
POWER SURGE
• Johns Hopkins ranks near the tops of Division III in power output stats, ranking sixth in total
home runs and 22nd in slugging percentage. As a team, Hopkins has clubbed 56 homers and
slugged .512. The Jays have four players with seven or more homers and six major contributors
slugging better than .500. Cooper leads the team with 12 homers and a .761 slugging percentage.
Jack Pausic has 10 homers and a slugging percentage of .664 while Steuerer has nine homers with
a .683 slugging percentage. Myers has left the yard seven times and is slugging .536. AJ King
(.531) and Sam Frank (.527) are also slugging above .500 for the Jays.
COOOOOOP
• As noted above, Cooper's power has been substantial in the Hopkins offense in 2022. A transfer from
Delaware, Cooper solidified his spot in the lineup relatively early on this season. After getting a few at-bats
and a start or two in the first two weeks of the season, Cooper broke out and has been in the lineup
ever since. The junior has started 29 games, compiling a batting line of .339/.444/.761 while leading the
Jays with 12 homers and 42 RBI. Cooper's 30 runs scored are good for second on the squad and he has
added eight doubles as well. Cooper has destroyed left-handed pitching in 2022, hitting .458 (11-24).
Despite hitting in the leadoff spot 17 times this season, Cooper has been nails with runners on base,
hitting .397. Cooper ranks 21st nationally in homers, 7th in homers per game and 23rd in RBI per game.
CONSISTENCY IS KING
• The most experienced member of the Johns Hopkins baseball team, King, has been nothing but
consistently excellent in his four seasons. The senior captain recently played in his 100th career game
as a Blue Jay, starting 96 of those. Throughout his career, he's never held a batting average lower than
.331. King is hitting .378 this season, tallying 54 hits, 13 doubles and three homers while driving in 25
runs. For his career, King is a .366 hitter, ranking in the top-25 in program history. King stands out as an
excellent defensive catcher with a strong arm. King has gunned down 15 would-be base stealers in 2022.
SAVED-ON
• After a two-start stretch where freshman righty Matt Savedoff allowed 11 of his 22 earned runs, he
bounced back in a big way, throwing 11 innings against Washington College this past week, allowing
just three earned runs and striking out eight over that stretch. Savedoff finished off his first complete
game in Friday's 4-3 loss to WAC, allowing three earned runs and striking out six in nine innings. Earlier
in the week, Savedoff threw 2.0 scoreless innings in the first meeting.
DILLY DILLY
• Senior right-hander Matthew Dillard has saved his best for last in 2022. In his last 23 innings pitched, Dillard has allowed just three earned runs. The outstanding stretch started in the fourth inning of the Blue Jays 8-6 comeback win over Franklin & Marshall as Dillard retired 20 of the final 21 batters.
The veteran followed that up with a 7.0 inning, one-run start vs. McDaniel, matching his season-high with nine K's. Dillard started the midweek game vs.
Washington College, giving the Jays 3.0 scoreless innings before helping close out the regular season in a big way, pitching 7.0 innings, allowing two runs and striking out eight in game one vs. Haverford. In his last 26 innings, Dillard has struck out 28 batters.
DOWN BUT NOT OUT (OF THE INNING)
• In 2022, Johns Hopkins has totaled 93 2-out RBI, 18 more than their opponents this season. The Jays have four players with at least 10 RBI with two outs, led by Myers' 18 two-out RBI. Cooper and Pausic follow closely behind with 14 two-out RBI and King has driven in 10 runs with two away. On the flip side of that, Jays pitching has held opponents to a .254 avg with two outs. Dillard has held opposing hitters to a .218 average with two away, Savedoff has allowed an average of .236 with two outs while Jack McRae has held the opposition to an average of .162 (6-37) with two away in 2022.
SCORE 6 OR MORE RUNS!!
• There is a very clear line of demarcation for Hopkins when it comes to earning victories in 2022. When scoring six runs or more, the Blue Jays hold a record of 20-4. The Jays are 0-13 when scoring five runs or less. The Jays are 13-4 when allowing five runs or less and 7-13 when allowing six runs or more.
