Ben Etzell (right) is making dad Mike (left) proud by ringing up hitters while pitching for his papa’s alma mater, Saint John’s. (Kristi Etzell photo)
Etzell brings the heat. (Photo by Libby Auger)
The weather was warm, but the pitching was hotter.
Sparked by Coupeville grad Ben Etzell, the Saint John’s University baseball squad successfully capped a four-day trip to Tucson, Arizona, and now head back to Minnesota boasting a red-hot 14-2 record.
The Johnnies went 6-1 on their Arizona trip, including a 16-7 win Tuesday over Buena Vista (Iowa).
Etzell, a senior, came on to pitch a 1-2-3 ninth inning to put a final, definitive stamp on Saint John’s warm weather jaunts.
As they wait for things to un-thaw back home, the Johnnies kicked off the season with a nine-game stand in Florida, then hit Arizona.
They’ll play for the first time in their home state Mar. 30, when the league season begins.
While SJU has been beatin’ the crud out of the ball, it has also been getting solid work from a deep pitching staff.
As he heads down the stretch run of his collegiate career, Etzell currently sits at 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA in four games this season.
That ties him for the team lead in appearances among pitchers.
He’s tossed 4.2 innings, surrendered just one hit and struck out six.
For his career, Etzell is 9-3 with seven saves over 41 appearances, which includes nine starts before the Johnnies made him their bullpen closer.
In 97.2 collegiate innings the former Cascade Conference MVP has struck out 82 hitters.
Coupeville Sports 