Coach Scott Leiser Leads Johnnies To MIAC Tournament

St. John's baseball is winding down their first season under head coach Scott Leiser.  The former St. John's assistant has led the Johnnies to a 23-13 record which places them 3rd in the MIAC standings.  The Johnnies have 3 regular season games remaining which includes a doubleheader with Bethel Saturday at 1pm.

Rough Start

Leiser says they started their conference not the way they wanted to at 0-4 but the team has rallied to earn a berth in next week's MIAC tournament.  The top 4 teams in the conference participate in the conference tournament.  Leiser expects to use his top pitchers this weekend but will watch their usage closely as to not wear them out for next week's playoffs.

Honoring Seniors

St. John's will be honoring their 9 seniors prior to the first pitch at around 12:45pm Saturday.  He says the ceremony will also honor the parents of the 9 seniors.   After the game St. John's will continue the tradition of the coaches and the seniors enjoying a steak dinner.  Leiser says the steak tastes better after a couple wins.  The Johnnies host Bethel at 1pm Saturday for a doubleheader.  Leiser credits the seniors for assisting him in his first year as head coach.

What He Learned

Leiser feels he's really learned the importance of the administrative part of the job.  He credits his assistant coaches for helping him make educated decisions for the betterment of the program.  Leiser says weather and graduation are two things a head baseball coach is tasked with working around in the spring.

What's Next

St. John's will close the regular season Monday with a non-conference home game against Minnesota-Morris at 4pm.  The Johnnies start the playoffs Thursday May 7 at CHS Field in St. Paul.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Scott Leiser, click below.