ST. PAUL, Minn. – The 2026 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Baseball Playoff championship matchup is set, as No. 2 Macalester will take on No. 3 Saint John's at CHS Field on Saturday afternoon in St. Paul. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
In the first game Friday's elimination round, No. 3 Saint John's upset No. 1 Bethel, 4-3, to eliminate the Royals from the conference tournament. Macalester earned a spot in Saturday's title game with an 11-4 win over No. 4 Saint Mary's in the day's second contest, before the Johnnies claimed their second win of the afternoon with a 9-8, elimination-game victory over Saint Mary's in the nightcap.
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NO. 3 SAINT JOHN'S 4, NO. 1 BETHEL 3 | BOX SCORE |
Saint John's scored four runs in the first three innings and held off a late surge to defeat top-seeded Bethel, 4-3, in an elimination game at CHS Field on Friday. Reed Marquardt factored into scoring all four SJU runs. The SJU third baseman drove home two runs with a double in the game's opening frame and added another RBI with a triple in the third. Marquardt crossed home plate for the deciding run on Justin Brooks' single in the next at-bat. All four of Saint John's runs in the game came with two outs. Bethel got on the board in the bottom of the sixth on Chris Cannon's single to centerfield, and the Royals added two more runs in the eighth on a single and a fielder's choice. Bethel first baseman Sam Abbas led off the bottom of the ninth and put the Royals in position for a potential walk-off win with a double off relief pitcher Vinny Schleper's glove. Though Abbas was able to advance to third on a groundout, Schleper and the SJU defense retired the next three batters, snapping a streak of eight straight MIAC Baseball Playoff losses and advancing beyond the tournament's first elimination game for the first time since 2022. Regular season MIAC champion Bethel, which entered the conference tournament ranked No. 44 in the NCAA Power Index (NPI), will now wait to see if its season will continue as an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. NCAA Championship selections will be made on Sunday, May 10.
NO. 2 MACALESTER 11, NO. 4 SAINT MARY'S 4 | BOX SCORE |
Macalester registered a four-run first inning and never looked back, defeating Saint Mary's, 11-4, on Friday afternoon to punch a ticket back to the MIAC Baseball Playoff title game for the first time since winning it all in 2017. Leftfielder Tristan Lander gave the Scots three runs with one swing of his bat on a bases-clearing double in the opening frame. The Cardinals enjoyed a three-run inning of their own in the third, with all three scores coming with two outs. Saint Mary's third baseman Daniel Sherman was responsible for driving in the team's first score of the game, answering a full count with a run-scoring double. Sherman finished the game 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. The Macalester bullpen saw 13 batters over the final three innings, striking out four and allowing no runs with four hits and a walk on 45 pitches.
NO. 3 SAINT JOHN'S 9, NO. 4 SAINT MARY'S 8 | BOX SCORE |
A pair of four-run innings propelled Saint John's past Saint Mary's and into the MIAC Baseball Playoff Championship with a 9-8 win in an elimination game on Friday night at CHS Field. The Johnnies jumped out to another early lead, starting the game with a four-run first inning thanks to Reed Marquardt and Justin Brooks each driving in a pair of runs. The Cardinals steadily cut into that lead, though, crossing home plate in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to take a 6-5 advantage heading into the seventh inning stretch. The Johnnie bats woke back up in the bottom of the eighth, as SJU exploded for four runs, started by a pinch-hit, solo home run over the wall in left field by Zach Helfmann. Saint Mary's would not go away quietly, as Ryan Csida's two-out single to center in the top of the ninth brought home a pair of Cardinals to put SMU to the brink of a tie game. Johnnie reliever Vinny Schleper earned his second save of the day in the next at-bat, getting Josh Costello to fly out to centerfield to end the game.
PLAYOFF CHAMPIONSHIP SET FOR SATURDAY
-No. 2 Macalester will take on No. 3 Saint John's in the 2026 MIAC Baseball Playoff championship.
-As the highest remaining seed in the tournament, Macalester will be the home team.
-First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. Saturday at CHS Field in St. Paul.
-If Saint John's wins the 3:00 p.m. game, a second game will follow 25 minutes after the first to determine the double-elimination tournament winner.
-Sunday will serve as a rain date if needed. All playoff game dates and times are tentative and may be adjusted in the event of inclement weather.
-The MIAC Playoff champion will receive the postseason championship trophy and the conference's automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division III Baseball Tournament.
-This is the second MIAC Playoff championship appearance in program history for Macalester. The Scots won the playoff crown as a No. 4 seed in 2017.
-This is the Johnnies' seventh MIAC Playoff championship appearance since the turn of the century, and the program's first since 2019. The Johnnies are four-time MIAC Playoff champions, with title wins in 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2019.
-This will be the third time that Macalester and Saint John's will meet in the MIAC Baseball Playoffs, and the first time the programs will match up with the playoff title on the line. Macalester is 2-0 in postseason games against Saint John's since 2000. The Scots defeated the Johnnies in the 2011 elimination round, and most recently topped SJU, 5-4, in the 2026 opening round on Thursday.
PURCHASE GAME TICKETS
Tickets are required for each day of the MIAC Baseball Playoffs and are available for purchase now. Adult tickets are priced at $12.49, with student tickets at $9.20. MIAC pass holders and children ages five and under receive free entry. Tickets for Saturday's championship game(s) can be purchased here.
No outside food, beverage, cans, bottles, chairs, or coolers may be brought into the ballpark. Additionally, alcohol and tobacco are strictly prohibited inside CHS Field for the MIAC Playoffs. Service animals are allowed inside the stadium; however, other pets must stay at home. Fans should review the list of prohibited items at CHS Field before traveling to the stadium. A full ballpark guide to CHS Field can be found here. As a reminder, fans are not allowed onto the field at any time, including after the championship game.
PAY-PER-VIEW
The 2026 MIAC Baseball Playoffs will be streamed live on the MIAC Sports Network in a pay-per-view format. Fans who are unable to attend the tournament may purchase a $12 "championship pass" to stream the entire MIAC Baseball Playoffs live. On-demand access to playoff games will be available after the NCAA Tournament concludes.
The MIAC Sports Network Help Page provides guidance and links to help fans navigate the streaming platform. Hudl Customer Support is also available by email or 24/7 chat to assist with any issues.
CHAMPIONSHIP APPAREL
Official playoff and championship apparel is available for online purchase via the MIAC Shop powered by UNRestricted MKTG. The online MIAC Shop features officially licensed short-sleeve t-shirts, long-sleeves, and hooded sweatshirts to commemorate the 2026 playoff tournament. Team champion apparel will be added and available for purchase shortly after the championship game.
PLAYOFF HQ
The MIAC has a homepage dedicated to the 2026 MIAC Baseball Playoffs, containing schedules, links, and information on each of the four teams in the field. Throughout the tournament, the page will be updated with scores, stats, and updated schedules.
2026 MIAC BASEBALL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Game 1: No. 4 Saint Mary's 8, No. 1 Bethel 6 (11 inn.) | Box Score |
Game 2: No. 2 Macalester 5, No. 3 Saint John's 4 | Box Score |
Friday, May 8, 2026
Game 3: No. 3 Saint John's 4, No. 1 Bethel 3 | Box Score |
Game 4: No. 2 Macalester 11, No. 2 Macalester 4 | Box Score |
Game 5: No. 3 Saint John's 9, No. 4 Saint Mary's 8 | Box Score |
Saturday, May 9, 2026 | Tickets |
Game 6: 3:00 PM | No. 2 Macalester vs. No. 3 Saint John's | PPV Stream | Live Stats |
Game 7: If necessary, 25 minutes after Game 6 | PPV Stream | Live Stats |
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