Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Hamline baseball team is heading to this week on a heavy hitting note. The Pipers improved to 27-13 overall -- the second most wins in school history with a 9-4, 17-6 sweep of Wisconsin-Superior Sunday at CHS Field. The league's top hitting team scored in double digits for the 15th time this season in the second game. HU, picked for seventh in the coaches' preseason poll, finished tied for second with St. John's at 13-7 in MIAC play. 

The two teams will meet Thursday, May 12 in the opening round of the MIAC tournament. St. Mary's will face St. Thomas in Collegeville in the other first round game.

Jacob Picht had two hits in each game for the Pipers to finish the regular season with a gaudy .431 batting average, third best in the MIAC. Dan Moro hit the first two home runs of his college career in the finale and drove in five runs. Andy Sammon also had a big day with four hits (two in each game) and four RBI. Those were a few of the hitting heroes for the Pipers, who followed a season long formula with explosive innings. 

In the first game, it was in the third inning when the Pipers scored all their runs. Picht, Collin Olstand and Mitch Benson all had two RBI hits in the frame. Zach Smith pitched the first four innings to earn the win.

The Pipers opted for even less drama in Game 2. Moro and Sammon hit three run homers as part of an eight-run first inning outburst that put HU in charge early. Moro, who had not hit a homer in 125 previous college gams, then hit another in the third inning. The Pipers scored in five of the six innings they came to the plate, knocking out 17 hits. Brandon Rushmeyer was the beneficiary of this largesse, going four innings to gain the victory. 

HU now advances to the MIAC tournament for the first time since 2011. Ironically, that was the year they set the school standard for victories with 29, winning the conference tournament and taking one game in the NCAA D-III regional as well. They will start their trek against the team they opened MIAC play against on April 3. SJU won the first game in Collegeville that day, 5-2 but Hamline rallied for a 3-2 win in the nightcap.

The doubloe elimination tournament continues on Friday with the championship game set for Becker Park in Collegeville on Saturday, May 14 at noon. If necessary, a second game will follow.