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Throughout the next four innings, Northwestern would add another four runs before Hamline would come to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. Down by five, Andrew Bennett brought in two runs thanks to a single to right field. Bennett would later score. Owen Waller scored again thanks to a Northwestern throwing error. Geoff Fuller hit a single that scored two more runs to tie the game for the Pipers when another opportunity to win the game would surely not present itself again. Piper pitcher Anders Kronberg kept the Northwestern bats at bay in the top of the tenth, despite allowing two hits. In the bottom of the tenth, Brian Kingery, Josh Roiger, and Bennett loaded the bases on three consecutive singles. This created a dream scenario for the Pipers with Waller coming to the plate. Waller delivered with another single to right field, winning the game for the Pipers. Kronberg got the win after five solid innings of pitching. The final was 9-8.

Hamline was a strong candidate for that fourth seed for much of the second half of the season but nothing was for certain until last Saturday. In a season where competition has been stiff in MIAC baseball, one thing is for certain; the playoffs will not be a cakewalk for anyone.

Everyone in the conference got off to a quick start right out of the gates this season. In the first couple weeks of the season every team had at least a victory. As the season played itself out, and the schedule became shorter and shorter, the pretenders were weeded out from the contenders. The Pipers now stand amongst the contenders. Concordia was nipping at the heels of the Pipers going into Saturday. The Cobbers were sitting in fifth place and were ready to make a run at the Pipers and fourth place. Going into the doubleheader both teams were keepers of their own destiny. A sweep by Hamline would secure the playoffs thus ending the Cobber’s season. A sweep by Concordia would leap frog the Cobbers right past the Pipers, knocking the Pipers out of playoff competition.

The doubleheader was played at Concordia’s home field in Moorhead. There was no shortage of scoring in the first game. Going into the top seventh, the Pipers had some catching up to do. Hamline trailed 12-8 and were poised to mount a comeback. The inning lead off with a single from Dan Kaczrowski (3 for 4 in the game). Sophomore Andrew Bennett, a pillar of the Pipers’ offense and defense all year, followed Kaczrowski by socking a two run homer, his second of the game. Bennett had seven RBI in the game. With one out, Josh Roiger walked to load the bases. Matt Held came off the bench for Hamline to pinch hit for Geoff Fuller. Held hit a sacrifice fly ball to center to score another run. The next batter, Brian Kingery, hit a pop-fly to end the game. Hamline lost the first game of the series 12-11. It was a strong comeback but not enough to secure playoffs.

With the playoffs on the line, the Pipers took the field again. The loss may have given the Pipers some cause for concern, but their starting pitcher in game two has been anything but a concern all season. Josh Roiger started the game for Hamline and dominated the Cobbers lineup. Batters walked off the field shaking their heads, confused. The sophomore pitcher did not allow any runs, pitching a complete game, seven inning shut out. He allowed Concordia 8 hits, 0 walks, and struck out five while improving his record to 7-1. The final was 2-0 in favor of the Pipers, with all their runs coming in the second inning.

The Pipers have been running on all cylinders the last few games, a good state to be in when you’re a team with playoff aspirations. Hamline’s Owen Waller leads the conference in hits this year, with twenty-five. He is also second in batting average with a .455 average. Andrew Bennett continued to add some impressive stats to the back of his baseball card this year too. Bennett leads the MIAC in runs scored (16) and his 37 total bases in third in the conference. Pitcher Kyle Foster didn’t pitch against Northwestern, but his 2.25 ERA is top ten, and he is only seven strikeouts behind the MIAC leader in Ks. He's exhibited great control on the mound this season; evident by Foster walking an astoundingly low six batters this year. He is a fusion of power and control, almost unheard of on most levels of baseball.

“[Waller and Foster] should be shoe-ins for All-MIAC honors,” said Hamline coach Jason Verdugo.

“Both are well deserving and both have worked extremely hard,” further elaborates Verdugo. Verdugo believes Roiger and first-year Evan Vail also have legitimate arguments to receive consideration.

As a team, Piper baseball has amassed more victories this year than any other in the team’s history.

“It’s a tribute to coach Verdugo, and his staff, and his players, and how hard they’ve worked,” said O'Brien. “It hasn’t been easy,” O'Brien said later.

This is a team whose players can be seen working out any day of the week before most roll out of bed. The Pipers are fourth in batting average (.302), third in team ERA (3.72), and fourth in fielding percentage (.959), all improvements from earlier in the season. St. Thomas ranks ahead of Hamline in all statistical categories, as does St. Olaf, with the exception of team batting average. St. Thomas (28) and St. Olaf (19) are also the only MIAC teams ranked in the NCAA D-III ABCA National Baseball Poll, as of May 2.

Baseball has carried into the spring some of the magic that Hamline athletics has been producing all year. It has been a year unlike any other at Hamline. The face of athletics at Hamline has been sporting a winning smile as of late. This playoff berth is the first in school history for the Pipers and should bring some well-deserved recognition to the coaching staff. In an athletic year where 30 percent of all coaches at Hamline have won MIAC Coach of the year, Verdugo, without a doubt and to no surprise, is a top candidate for MIAC coach of the year.

Playoffs for MIAC baseball are scheduled to begin the week of May 12. The Pipers open up competition against St. Thomas on the twelfth, at Dundas Memorial Park. Despite mixed results from conference games against the teams ahead of them, the Pipers look ready for the playoffs. During the season Hamline lost one game to the Tommies 2-6 and won another 3-2. In the playoffs, records go out the window and everyone starts with a clean slate. Without any playoff experience the Pipers are poised to make a run at the title and regardless of the outcome they have put a product on the field that is not only entertaining, but deserves the respect of every team in the MIAC as well as the praise of everyone at Hamline.