University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, March 15
Long Beach, CA
8:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Long Beach State
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
OF
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IF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
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IF
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1B/C
/ Baseball
RHP
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OF
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IF
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RHP
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RHP
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IF/OF
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C
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IF
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IF/OF
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C
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Photo by: Jaylynn Nash
Preview: Gophers vs. Long Beach State
3/14/2019 9:05:00 AM | Baseball
LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Gopher Baseball team heads back to the West coast following a victory over Seattle last time out. Minnesota (3-11) battles a team facing questions in Long Beach State (2-13) in a three-game weekend series before sticking around the Golden State for a Tuesday meeting with Pepperdine (6-6).
Against the Competition
Long Beach State took 2-of-3 from Minnesota in a three-game series back in 2017 at Siebert Field. After a pitcher's duel in game one, the teams traded lopsided victories, 12-6 in favor of the home team on Saturday with the rubber match going to the Dirtbags 9-1. Eduardo Estrada, Jr. went 2-for-12 with a double in the series. Jordan Kozicky scored three runs while getting on base six times in 13 plate appearances. Cole McDevitt drove in three runs with a pair of hits against LBSU. Minnesota has not met Pepperdine since the 2008 Dairy Queen Classic at the Metrodome, knocking off the then-No. 29 Waves by a 5-2 final.
Dangerous Road
This season, Minnesota has faced five teams currently represented in major national polls and just two teams currently with losing records (6-8 Gonzaga and 4-11 Seattle). The Gophers' opponents so far in 2019 have a combined 85-36-1 record on the year including NC State, which lead the nation with its 17 wins and three more teams with at least 13 victories.
Going Streaking
Eli Wilson reached base in the first 13 games in 2019, extending a streak of 14 consecutive games on base, but that came to a close on Monday at Seattle. Wilson also owned the team's season-long nine game hitting streak to start the season. Currently, Cole McDevitt leads the Gophers with a nine-game streak of reaching base while Easton Bertrand has collected a hit in his last three games.
Line Drives
Brett Schulze picked up his second win of the season against Seattle on Monday afternoon. He has not suffered a defeat in his last 29 appearances dating back to 2017 (11-0 in that time frame) ... Max Meyer impressed in his first career start, allowing just one infield hit in the first 5.0 innings against Oregon State before surrendering a home run that gave the Beavers a lead last Friday night at Seattle's T-Mobile Park ... Eli Wilson also had a career first in the same game; competing in front of his hometown crowd, Wilson collected his first stolen base in his 88th career game ... rookie Chase Stanke made his first collegiate start at Seattle on Monday ... Minnesota will have played eight-straight games on the West Coast following Tuesday's contest.
NCAA Superlatives
Riley Smith has been hit by a pitch six times this season, ranking no. 45 in the nation and third in the Big Ten ... Max Meyer ranks no. 5 nationally with his 18-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He also stands seventh among eligible pitchers in the Big Ten with his 1.76 ERA and has allowed just 5.28 hits per nine innings, ranking ninth in the conference.
Weekend Forecast
Friday (6pm PT): Sunshine ... High/Low: 75°/50° ... Winds: WNW 7 mph ... Precipitation: 0%
Saturday (2pm PT): Mostly sunny ... High/Low: 78°/52° ... Winds: NW 7 mph ... Precipitation: 0%
Sunday (1pm PT): Mostly sunny ... High/Low: 80°/55° ... Winds: NE 5 mph ... Precipitation: 0%
Tuesday (3pm PT): Mostly cloudy ... High/Low: 72°/54° ... Winds: SSE 6 mph ... Precipitation: 9%
Road to 1,300 Wins
John Anderson entered the 2019 season needing just 12 victories to reach 1,300 in his career, moving him into a tie with Fresno State's Bob Bennett (1967, 1970-2002) for 26th all-time. Anderson is already the seventh-winningest active coach in NCAA baseball.
Preseason All-Americans
Sophomore pitchers Patrick Fredrickson and Meyer received Preseason All-America recognition from four organizations to begin 2019. Fredrickson landed Second Team selections from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, NCBWA, and Perfect Game, and a Third Team pick from D1Baseball. Meyer landed on D1Baseball's First Team, the Second Team from both NCBWA and Perfect Game, and Third Team from Collegiate Baseball.
USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award
Meyer became just the second Golden Gopher in the 42-year history of the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award to be named to its Preseason Watch List on Feb. 7. Pitcher Tom Windle was the last student athlete to represent Minnesota back in 2013. Meyer competed for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team this summer, leading the way with 15 strikeouts and seven saves in eight appearances spanning 8.0 innings.
B1G Time Favorite
Big Ten coaches selected the defending champion Gophers to repeat in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll announced Wednesday. Mezzenga and hurlers Fredrickson and Meyer were each chosen as Players to Watch in league play this season. Fredrickson, the reigning Big Ten Pitcher and Freshman of the Year, and Meyer each received First Team All-Big Ten honors last year, while Mezzenga was a Second Team selection.
Ahead of the Curve
Minnesota's nine-member rookie class ranked no. 37 according to Collegiate Baseball's NCAA Division I "2018 Recruiting Championship" rankings. The Gophers topped the Big Ten as the only team to crack the top-40 with nine conference opponents receiving recognition among other top classes outside the rankings. Chase Stanke and Gus Radel each received national rankings from both Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report, while Noah Berghammer, Otto Grimm, Zack Raabe, and Andrew Wilhite were each ranked as the top players at their position in their home state. Six members of the incoming class achieved All-America status during their prep careers.
A New Look Dugout
Following the retirement of Gophers assistant head coach Rob Fornasiere following the 2018 season, John Anderson has revamped his coaching staff. Pitching coach Ty McDevitt has been elevated to assistant coach in his third season, former Upper Iowa University head coach Brandon Hunt joins the Maroon & Gold as a volunteer assistant, Golden Gopher alum and long-time Atlantic League standout Dan Lyons returns as a student assistant, and former head student manager Ryan Goll officially joins the staff as an undergraduate assistant. Hitting coach and recruiting coordinator Patrick Casey expands his duties with the staff.
A Whole Year in Airports
Along with scheduling stiff competition in the non-conference slate, Minnesota will open its season with 21-straight games on the road in seven cities across four time zones. The Gophers are without their home-away-from-home in U.S. Bank Stadium this season due to the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four in Minneapolis.
America's Big Ten Team
Minnesota made its television debut on March 10 against Washington on Pac-12 Network. The Golden Gophers will be featured on national television seven more times this season: five games on Big Ten Network, one on Fox Sports 1, and another on ESPNU. The BTN schedule begins at Michigan on April 5 followed by nationally broadcast action on April 14 hosting Illinois, April 26 & 28 at Indiana, May 3-4 hosting Ohio State, and May 11 hosting Maryland.
Returning All-Big Ten Selections
Minnesota earned seven All-Big Ten selections last season in addition to John Anderson earning the 2018 Big Ten Coach of the Year award. The Gophers return the Big Ten Freshman and Pitcher of the Year in starting pitcher Patrick Fredrickson and fellow All-Big Ten First Team selection relief pitcher Max Meyer as well as Second Team outfielder Ben Mezzenga. Senior infielder/catcher Cole McDevitt also returns having earned an All-Big Ten First Team selection back in 2017.
Gophers in the Pros
Minnesota continues to produce talent at the next level with four players drafted in 2018 (Micah Coffey, Reggie Meyer, Jackson Rose, and Terrin Vavra) and a pair of former Gophers reaching the big leagues for the first time last season. Ben Meyer ('15) made his debut with the Miami Marlins on June 7 last year and received an invite to major league camp this spring. D.J. Snelten ('13) made his big league debut on April 29 with the San Francisco Giants. Now with the Baltimore Orioles, he'll look to earn a return trip to The Show this season. In total, 12 former Gophers are currently serving their time in MLB organizations.
Single-game tickets for all Siebert Field home games are now available. The Maroon & Gold return to campus on Friday, March 29 to begin a three-game series against Nebraska.
Against the Competition
Long Beach State took 2-of-3 from Minnesota in a three-game series back in 2017 at Siebert Field. After a pitcher's duel in game one, the teams traded lopsided victories, 12-6 in favor of the home team on Saturday with the rubber match going to the Dirtbags 9-1. Eduardo Estrada, Jr. went 2-for-12 with a double in the series. Jordan Kozicky scored three runs while getting on base six times in 13 plate appearances. Cole McDevitt drove in three runs with a pair of hits against LBSU. Minnesota has not met Pepperdine since the 2008 Dairy Queen Classic at the Metrodome, knocking off the then-No. 29 Waves by a 5-2 final.
Dangerous Road
This season, Minnesota has faced five teams currently represented in major national polls and just two teams currently with losing records (6-8 Gonzaga and 4-11 Seattle). The Gophers' opponents so far in 2019 have a combined 85-36-1 record on the year including NC State, which lead the nation with its 17 wins and three more teams with at least 13 victories.
Going Streaking
Eli Wilson reached base in the first 13 games in 2019, extending a streak of 14 consecutive games on base, but that came to a close on Monday at Seattle. Wilson also owned the team's season-long nine game hitting streak to start the season. Currently, Cole McDevitt leads the Gophers with a nine-game streak of reaching base while Easton Bertrand has collected a hit in his last three games.
Line Drives
Brett Schulze picked up his second win of the season against Seattle on Monday afternoon. He has not suffered a defeat in his last 29 appearances dating back to 2017 (11-0 in that time frame) ... Max Meyer impressed in his first career start, allowing just one infield hit in the first 5.0 innings against Oregon State before surrendering a home run that gave the Beavers a lead last Friday night at Seattle's T-Mobile Park ... Eli Wilson also had a career first in the same game; competing in front of his hometown crowd, Wilson collected his first stolen base in his 88th career game ... rookie Chase Stanke made his first collegiate start at Seattle on Monday ... Minnesota will have played eight-straight games on the West Coast following Tuesday's contest.
NCAA Superlatives
Riley Smith has been hit by a pitch six times this season, ranking no. 45 in the nation and third in the Big Ten ... Max Meyer ranks no. 5 nationally with his 18-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He also stands seventh among eligible pitchers in the Big Ten with his 1.76 ERA and has allowed just 5.28 hits per nine innings, ranking ninth in the conference.
Weekend Forecast
Friday (6pm PT): Sunshine ... High/Low: 75°/50° ... Winds: WNW 7 mph ... Precipitation: 0%
Saturday (2pm PT): Mostly sunny ... High/Low: 78°/52° ... Winds: NW 7 mph ... Precipitation: 0%
Sunday (1pm PT): Mostly sunny ... High/Low: 80°/55° ... Winds: NE 5 mph ... Precipitation: 0%
Tuesday (3pm PT): Mostly cloudy ... High/Low: 72°/54° ... Winds: SSE 6 mph ... Precipitation: 9%
Road to 1,300 Wins
John Anderson entered the 2019 season needing just 12 victories to reach 1,300 in his career, moving him into a tie with Fresno State's Bob Bennett (1967, 1970-2002) for 26th all-time. Anderson is already the seventh-winningest active coach in NCAA baseball.
Preseason All-Americans
Sophomore pitchers Patrick Fredrickson and Meyer received Preseason All-America recognition from four organizations to begin 2019. Fredrickson landed Second Team selections from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, NCBWA, and Perfect Game, and a Third Team pick from D1Baseball. Meyer landed on D1Baseball's First Team, the Second Team from both NCBWA and Perfect Game, and Third Team from Collegiate Baseball.
USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award
Meyer became just the second Golden Gopher in the 42-year history of the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award to be named to its Preseason Watch List on Feb. 7. Pitcher Tom Windle was the last student athlete to represent Minnesota back in 2013. Meyer competed for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team this summer, leading the way with 15 strikeouts and seven saves in eight appearances spanning 8.0 innings.
B1G Time Favorite
Big Ten coaches selected the defending champion Gophers to repeat in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll announced Wednesday. Mezzenga and hurlers Fredrickson and Meyer were each chosen as Players to Watch in league play this season. Fredrickson, the reigning Big Ten Pitcher and Freshman of the Year, and Meyer each received First Team All-Big Ten honors last year, while Mezzenga was a Second Team selection.
Ahead of the Curve
Minnesota's nine-member rookie class ranked no. 37 according to Collegiate Baseball's NCAA Division I "2018 Recruiting Championship" rankings. The Gophers topped the Big Ten as the only team to crack the top-40 with nine conference opponents receiving recognition among other top classes outside the rankings. Chase Stanke and Gus Radel each received national rankings from both Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report, while Noah Berghammer, Otto Grimm, Zack Raabe, and Andrew Wilhite were each ranked as the top players at their position in their home state. Six members of the incoming class achieved All-America status during their prep careers.
A New Look Dugout
Following the retirement of Gophers assistant head coach Rob Fornasiere following the 2018 season, John Anderson has revamped his coaching staff. Pitching coach Ty McDevitt has been elevated to assistant coach in his third season, former Upper Iowa University head coach Brandon Hunt joins the Maroon & Gold as a volunteer assistant, Golden Gopher alum and long-time Atlantic League standout Dan Lyons returns as a student assistant, and former head student manager Ryan Goll officially joins the staff as an undergraduate assistant. Hitting coach and recruiting coordinator Patrick Casey expands his duties with the staff.
A Whole Year in Airports
Along with scheduling stiff competition in the non-conference slate, Minnesota will open its season with 21-straight games on the road in seven cities across four time zones. The Gophers are without their home-away-from-home in U.S. Bank Stadium this season due to the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four in Minneapolis.
America's Big Ten Team
Minnesota made its television debut on March 10 against Washington on Pac-12 Network. The Golden Gophers will be featured on national television seven more times this season: five games on Big Ten Network, one on Fox Sports 1, and another on ESPNU. The BTN schedule begins at Michigan on April 5 followed by nationally broadcast action on April 14 hosting Illinois, April 26 & 28 at Indiana, May 3-4 hosting Ohio State, and May 11 hosting Maryland.
Returning All-Big Ten Selections
Minnesota earned seven All-Big Ten selections last season in addition to John Anderson earning the 2018 Big Ten Coach of the Year award. The Gophers return the Big Ten Freshman and Pitcher of the Year in starting pitcher Patrick Fredrickson and fellow All-Big Ten First Team selection relief pitcher Max Meyer as well as Second Team outfielder Ben Mezzenga. Senior infielder/catcher Cole McDevitt also returns having earned an All-Big Ten First Team selection back in 2017.
Gophers in the Pros
Minnesota continues to produce talent at the next level with four players drafted in 2018 (Micah Coffey, Reggie Meyer, Jackson Rose, and Terrin Vavra) and a pair of former Gophers reaching the big leagues for the first time last season. Ben Meyer ('15) made his debut with the Miami Marlins on June 7 last year and received an invite to major league camp this spring. D.J. Snelten ('13) made his big league debut on April 29 with the San Francisco Giants. Now with the Baltimore Orioles, he'll look to earn a return trip to The Show this season. In total, 12 former Gophers are currently serving their time in MLB organizations.
Single-game tickets for all Siebert Field home games are now available. The Maroon & Gold return to campus on Friday, March 29 to begin a three-game series against Nebraska.
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