Coupeville Sports

   Ben Etzell meets with up with some of his relatives while playing college ball. (Photo courtesy Kristi Etzell)

A loss? What’s that?

Coupeville High School grad Ben Etzell won for the third time as a college baseball pitcher Saturday, and has yet to taste the sting of defeat.

The former Cascade Conference MVP started and tossed five innings in Minneapolis as his Saint John’s University squad rolled Augsburg College 8-4 in the first game of a doubleheader.

Toss in a 9-8 win in the second game, and the Johnnies sit at 22-9 overall, 10-4 in league play.

Etzell improved to 2-0 on the mound as a sophomore, following strongly on the heels of a freshman season in which he went 1-0 with two saves.

Saturday, he scattered four hits, plunked a batter (just to keep them guessing) and struck out three.

That gives Etzell 31 K’s in 31.2 innings of work this season.

While he didn’t hit against Augsburg, Etzell has piled up some stats at the plate, as well, with six hits, seven runs, four RBI and a pair of doubles.

Saint John’s has three more doubleheaders scheduled this season, then opens the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference post-season tourney May 12.