University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, March 23
State College, PA
12:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Penn State
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
1B/C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF/OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
IF/OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
Photo by: Jaylynn Nash
PREVIEW: Gophers Open B1G Play at Penn State
3/21/2019 8:04:00 AM | Baseball
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The Gopher Baseball team concludes its 21-game stretch of road games to start the season while beginning the Big Ten season with a road series against Penn State this weekend. Minnesota (5-13, 0-0 B1G) picked up its first series victory of the season last weekend at Long Beach State, has scored 31 runs in its last two games, and owns an impressive winning streak against the Nittany Lions. Penn State (13-3, 0-0 B1G) is off to a hot start, but the Gophers will look to keep their good fortune going against their conference rival.
Against the Competition
Minnesota has won 12-straight games against Penn State, the longest-such streak against any Big Ten opponent. The Gophers outscored the Nittany Lions 32-10 in a three-game sweep last season played at Purdue's Alexander Field in West Lafayette, Indiana due to weather in Minneapolis ... Patrick Fredrickson allowed just one hit and one unearned run in 7.1 innings against Penn State, striking out seven Nittany Lions in 2018 ... Ben Mezzenga owns a career .429 average (9-for-21) against PSU with a double, triple, and 10 runs scored in six games ... Eli Wilson hit .308 (4-for-13) with a double, seven RBIs, three runs scored, and three walks in last year's series with the Nittany Lions.
B1G Weekly Honors
Max Meyer earned the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award for the first time in his career after tossing 7.2 innings of one-hit ball against Long Beach State, striking out nine compared to just two walks. He batted for himself in the game, going 3-for-3 with a double, three RBIs, one run scored, and reached base a fourth time on a hit-by-pitch.
Going Streaking
Easton Bertrand extended his team-leading 7-game hitting streak through the California swing earlier this week, while Jack Wassel reached base in his ninth-straight game, also tops among Gophers. Eli Wilson's 9-game hitting streak and 13-game reached-base streak to begin the year remain the longest for Minnesota in 2019.
Line Drives
Minnesota's 11 doubles in Sunday's 19-6 win are the most for the team since clubbing 13 on March 18, 1991 against Rutgers. The NCAA record for doubles is 15, set by Florida State back in 2009 ... Gabe Knowles, who saw limited action in his freshman season, collected his first collegiate hit, RBI, and run scored on Sunday against Long Beach State ... rookie Chase Stanke also registered his first career hit in the game ... Eduardo Estrada, Jr. clubbed a pair of home runs against Pepperdine on Tuesday, the first two-homer performance for a Gopher since Terrin Vavra against St. John's on May 15, 2018 ... Minnesota used 15 different line-ups during their first 15 games before using the same line-up in three consecutive games for the LBSU series.
NCAA Superlatives
Max Meyer currently ranks no. 3 nationally with a 0.57 WHIP, no. 13 with 3.91 hits allowed per nine innings, and no. 26 with his 27-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio ... Riley Smith has been hit by a pitch six times this season, ranking no. 76 in NCAA ... Brett Schulze's nine pitching appearances rank third in the Big Ten ... Minnesota's 37 team doubles in 2019 rank no. 28 nationally at an average of 2.18 per game.
Weekend Forecast
Friday (4pm ET): Cloudy with snow chance ... High/Low: 39°/27° ... Winds: NW 19 mph ... Precipitation: 59%
Saturday (1pm ET): Mostly sunny ... High/Low: 44°/28° ... Winds: NW 17 mph ... Precipitation: 0%
Sunday (12 pm ET): Partly sunny ... High/Low: 53°/36° ... Winds: W 6 mph ... Precipitation: 3%
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 Pat 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 next Friday, March 29 to begin a three-game series against Nebraska.
Against the Competition
Minnesota has won 12-straight games against Penn State, the longest-such streak against any Big Ten opponent. The Gophers outscored the Nittany Lions 32-10 in a three-game sweep last season played at Purdue's Alexander Field in West Lafayette, Indiana due to weather in Minneapolis ... Patrick Fredrickson allowed just one hit and one unearned run in 7.1 innings against Penn State, striking out seven Nittany Lions in 2018 ... Ben Mezzenga owns a career .429 average (9-for-21) against PSU with a double, triple, and 10 runs scored in six games ... Eli Wilson hit .308 (4-for-13) with a double, seven RBIs, three runs scored, and three walks in last year's series with the Nittany Lions.
B1G Weekly Honors
Max Meyer earned the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award for the first time in his career after tossing 7.2 innings of one-hit ball against Long Beach State, striking out nine compared to just two walks. He batted for himself in the game, going 3-for-3 with a double, three RBIs, one run scored, and reached base a fourth time on a hit-by-pitch.
Going Streaking
Easton Bertrand extended his team-leading 7-game hitting streak through the California swing earlier this week, while Jack Wassel reached base in his ninth-straight game, also tops among Gophers. Eli Wilson's 9-game hitting streak and 13-game reached-base streak to begin the year remain the longest for Minnesota in 2019.
Line Drives
Minnesota's 11 doubles in Sunday's 19-6 win are the most for the team since clubbing 13 on March 18, 1991 against Rutgers. The NCAA record for doubles is 15, set by Florida State back in 2009 ... Gabe Knowles, who saw limited action in his freshman season, collected his first collegiate hit, RBI, and run scored on Sunday against Long Beach State ... rookie Chase Stanke also registered his first career hit in the game ... Eduardo Estrada, Jr. clubbed a pair of home runs against Pepperdine on Tuesday, the first two-homer performance for a Gopher since Terrin Vavra against St. John's on May 15, 2018 ... Minnesota used 15 different line-ups during their first 15 games before using the same line-up in three consecutive games for the LBSU series.
NCAA Superlatives
Max Meyer currently ranks no. 3 nationally with a 0.57 WHIP, no. 13 with 3.91 hits allowed per nine innings, and no. 26 with his 27-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio ... Riley Smith has been hit by a pitch six times this season, ranking no. 76 in NCAA ... Brett Schulze's nine pitching appearances rank third in the Big Ten ... Minnesota's 37 team doubles in 2019 rank no. 28 nationally at an average of 2.18 per game.
Weekend Forecast
Friday (4pm ET): Cloudy with snow chance ... High/Low: 39°/27° ... Winds: NW 19 mph ... Precipitation: 59%
Saturday (1pm ET): Mostly sunny ... High/Low: 44°/28° ... Winds: NW 17 mph ... Precipitation: 0%
Sunday (12 pm ET): Partly sunny ... High/Low: 53°/36° ... Winds: W 6 mph ... Precipitation: 3%
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 Pat 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 next Friday, March 29 to begin a three-game series against Nebraska.
Follow Minnesota Baseball
Support Minnesota Baseball
Support the University of Minnesota Baseball program. Your support helps our student-athletes succeed athletically, academically, and socially. It takes just seconds to make a monthly or one-time donation. Thank you for your support! Give Now
Weber Neels Highlights
Wednesday, May 28
Gophers (11) - Michigan State (5) Highlights
Friday, May 16
Gophers (4) - Michigan State (3) Highlights
Thursday, May 15
Gopher Baseball Senior Salute
Monday, May 12