SAINT PETER, Minn. - MIAC regular season champion Gustavus baseball is set to face St. Olaf in game one of the conference playoffs Thursday at Saint John's. The 16th/18th-ranked Gusties enter the postseason with a 33-7 overall record and finished the MIAC season 17-3, while the Oles are 22-14 overall and went 13-7 in the league.
 
GUSTIES IN THE MIAC PLAYOFFS
 
Gustavus is making its 11th appearance in the MIAC playoffs since its inception in 2000 where it holds a 12-19 record. The Gusties have made it to the championship game three times in the past five seasons (2019, 2022, 2023) but finished runner up all three times and are seeking their first playoff title in program history, which would coincide with their first appearance in the NCAA tournament. 

SCHEDULE

Thursday, May 8, 2025
Game 1: 2:30 PM | No. 1 Gustavus vs. No. 4 St. Olaf 
Game 2: 7:00 PM | No. 2 Bethel vs. No. 3 Saint John's 

Friday, May 9, 2025
Game 3: 12:00 PM | Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 4: 3:00 PM | Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
Game 5: 6:00 PM | Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4

Saturday, May 10, 2025
Game 6: 3:00 PM | Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5
Game 7: If necessary, 25 minutes after Game 6

 
LAST TIME THEY MET - GUSTIES VS. OLES
 
Then-No. 18/21 Gustavus baseball punched its ticket to the MIAC playoffs with a doubleheader sweep over St. Olaf on April 29. The Gusties dominated in game one, winning 15-0, and secured the sweep with a 15-9 win in game two at the Gustie Baseball Field.
 
Adam Biewen once again continued his dominance on the mound, pitching six shutout innings while allowing just one hit in game one. The Gustie bats took care of the rest, scoring 15 runs on 12 hits. Drake Siens led at the dish, batting 4-for-4 with five RBI, a grand slam, and a stolen base.
 
Benny Mcdonald was perfect through 3.2 innings in game two before the Oles connected for their first hit with two outs in the fourth. The Oles then scored their first two runs in the fifth after two hits and two errors. McDonald went out for the sixth and tossed a three-up, three-down inning to end his day on the mound. He did not allow an earned run with three hits and five strikeouts, improving to a team-best 7-0 this season.
 
Danny Gavin (3-4, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2B, 2 BB), Brayden Kohls (3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, BB), Luke Siegle (3-4, R, 3 RBI, HR, 2 BB), and Brady Schmitz (3-6, R, RBI) led the hit parade as the Gusties posted 19 hits.
 
NATIONAL RANKS
 
After starting the season 10-0, the Gusties have been routinely ranked in the national polls since mid March. Currently, Gustavus is No. 16 in the NCAA NPI, No. 17 in the D3baseball.com/NCBWA Top 25, and No. 18 in the ABCA Coaches Poll.
 
Statistically, the Gusties are one of the best offense teams in Division III. The Gusties rank fifth in team batting average (.347), 12th in slugging percentage (.522), 16th in on base percentage (.442), and 18th in scoring (9.4). They also rank 10th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.73).
 
Brayden Kohls ranks seventh in the country with 71 hits, while Danny Gavin ranks 12th with 69 hits. Gavin and Kohls, who bat first and second in the lineup, respectively, have the most hits between two teammates in Division III with 140.
 
PITCHING PROSPECTS
 
The starting rotation for the Gusties has featured the quartet of Adam Biewen, Brevin Goetz, Benny Mcdonald, and Luke Siegle. Biewen (6-0) leads the group with a 2.70 ERA in 43.1 innings with a team-high 59 strikeouts. Goetz (4-0) is next with a 2.91 ERA in 46.1 innings. Mcdonald has the best record at 7-0 and owns a 3.84 ERA in a team-high 58.2 innings, while Siegle (5-2) has a 6.02 ERA in 46.1 innings. Jackson Thielen (3-1) and Michael Prosch (3-0) have seen the most time out of the bullpen with 25.2 and 22.2 innings, respectively. Both average a strikeout per inning. Mitch Casperson, the 2023 MIAC Pitcher of the Year, is also back in the mix after dealing with an injury for most of the season.
 
RECORD WATCH
 
Here are some season and career numbers to keep an eye on throughout the postseason.
 
Individual career strikeouts:
Mike Fritz - 177 (2000-03) *program record
Luke Siegle - 169
 
Individual career triples:
Tony Konicek - 12 (2004-07) *program record
Drake Siens - 11
 
Individual single season at bats:
Tony Konicek - 171 (2004) *program record
Brayden Kohls - 163 (2025)
 
Individual single season hits:
Jack Hanson - 82 (2022) *program record
Brayden Kohls - 71 (2025)
Danny Gavin - 69 (2025)
 
Individual single season RBIs:
Jack Hanson - 57 (2022) *program record
Brayden Kohls - 50 (2025)
 
Individual single season walks:
Steve Swansson - 36 (1980) *program record
Danny Gavin - 31 (2025)
 
Individual single season runs:
Jack Hanson - 59 (2022) *program record
Danny Gavin - 56 (2025)
 
Individual single season pitching starts:
Rod Swenson (1999) and Luke Siegle (2023) - 12 *program record
Luke Siegle - 11 (2025)
 
Team single season batting average:
.354 (2004) *program record
.349 (2025)
 
Team single season at bats:
1418 (2022) *program record
1344 (2025)
 
Team single season hits:
482 (2004) *program record
469 (2025)
 
Team single season doubles:
94 (2004) *program record
89 (2025)
 
Team single season RBIs:
345 (2025)
343 (2022) *previous record
 
Team single season runs:
381 (2022) *program record
376 (2025)
 
Team single season on base percentage:
.430 (2024) *program record
.443 (2025)
 
Team single season games played:
44 (2004) *program record
40 (2025)
 
Most wins in a season:
33 (2025)
29 (2004) *previous record
 
Highest win percentage:
.817 (1980) *program record
.825 (2025)