University of Minnesota Athletics
Sunday, April 14
Minneapolis, MN
12:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Illinois
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
1B/C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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IF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Preview: Minnesota Continues Home Stand with Illinois, SDSU
4/11/2019 9:01:00 AM | Baseball
Schedule Update: Friday's series opener has postponed. Stay tuned to GopherSports.com for an updated schedule when available.
MINNEAPOLIS – The Gopher Baseball team welcomes Big Ten rival Illinois for a three-game conference series beginning Friday at Siebert Field. First pitch remains scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday night on campus, weather permitting.
Minnesota (14-16, 6-3 Big Ten) began an eight-game home stand on Tuesday night with a victory and will try to keep that momentum moving against the Illini. Illinois (20-11, 1-5 Big Ten) has stumbled out of the gates in conference play but ranks among the teams receiving votes in this week's USA Today Coaches Poll. BTN will broadcast Sunday's game with first pitch set for 1:30 p.m. South Dakota State (14-13, 7-5 Summit) faces North Dakota State this weekend before heading to Minneapolis.
Last Time Out
Max Meyer slugged a walk-off two-run home run to lift Minnesota over North Dakota State, 4-3 on Tuesday evening. As a pinch hitter earlier in the game, Meyer sent a single up the middle to bring home the Gophers' second run of the day. The Maroon & Gold pitching staff struck out 14 Bison on the day, but NDSU scraped three runs together on one hit and five walks in the fourth inning to take a lead to the late innings.
Golden Spikes Award
Meyer continued his exciting week, receiving news that he earned a spot on USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List on Wednesday. Meyer is just the third Gopher to land among the Midseason honorees and first since Tom Windle (2013). He currently leads the Gophers in both ERA and batting average. Meyer was one of 19 players to remain on the Midseason List after also being selected in the Preseason.
For the Win
Reliever Brett Schulze picked up his fifth victory of the season for Minnesota in Tuesday's 4-3 win over NDSU, extending a program-record winning streak to 14-0 over his last 41 appearances. Schulze last registed a defeat on May 19, 2017, throwing 4.2 innings against Purdue back in his freshman season. The previous record was held by Dan Morgan, winning 12-straight decisions in 1976-77.
Against the Competition
Reggie Meyer ('18) tossed a complete game shutout against Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament last season, Minnesota's lone meeting with the Illini in 2018. Illinois took 2-of-3 from the Gophers in their last series back in 2017. Jordan Kozicky went 6-for-14 (.429) with two doubles in the series. Cole McDevitt has hit .462 in four games against Illinois. Brett Schulze tossed 6.0 innings, striking out 6 Illini in a start back in 2017. The Maroon & Gold defeated South Dakota State twice in 2018. Joshua Culliver pitched 5.0 hitless innings against the Jackrabbits for a victory in his rookie season. Jeff Fasching has appeared in five games, allowing just a pair of runs in 9.0 innings while striking out 10.
Going Streaking
Jack Wassel's five-game hitting streak came to a close on Tuesday against North Dakota State. Drew Hmielewski now owns the team's current longest streak with a hit in four straight. Max Meyer has reached base in seven consecutive games for Minnesota. Eli Wilson and Easton Bertrand own the team's season-long hitting streak of nine games, while Wilson and Wassel each reached base in 13-straight games earlier this season.
Line Drives
Minnesota now has two walk-off home runs this season after not hitting a game-winning shot in five years prior to 2019 ... Jake Stevenson started for the first time since week one on Saturday vs. Michigan. His 4.1 innings were a season-long and his six strikeouts matched his career high ... Wassel knocked three hits, matching his career high, in the same game against the Wolverines ... Meyer has thrown at least 6.0 innings in each of his five starts this season.
NCAA Superlatives
Minnesota ranks no. 36 nationally with 62 doubles this season, an average of 2.07 per game ... the Gophers pitching staff ranks no. 5 averaging 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings ... Max Meyer ranks no. 24 with a 0.86 WHIP, no. 36 nationally with his 1.64 ERA, and no. 53 with 5.56 strikeouts per nine innings ... Brett Schulze leads the Big Ten and ranks no. 36 nationally with his 17 pitching appearances. His five wins rank him no. 34 in the NCAA ... Jordan Kozicky's 31 RBIs rank no. 83 at an average of 1.07 per game ... Cike McDevitt has slugged 10 doubles this season, fourth-most in the Big Ten and no. 124 nationally.
Climbing the All-Time Wins List
With 1,302 victories to his name, John Anderson continues to rise up the rankings of all-time victories for NCAA head coaches. In his 38th season, Minnesota's skipper currently ranks 26th all-time with 25th (Fresno State's Bob Bennett, 1,308) and 24th (Valdosta State's Pete Dunn, 1,312), and 23rd (Stetson's Joe Roberts, 1,314) all within striking distance. Anderson ranks third among current Division I coaches and eighth among current coaches at all levels of NCAA baseball. Already the Big Ten's winningest coach, the man they call "14" sits 17 victories away from 600 in conference play.
A Whole Year in Airports
Along with scheduling stiff competition in the non-conference slate, Minnesota opened its season with 21-straight games on the road in seven cities across four time zones. The Gophers came away at 8-13, winning 4-of-5 to close out the stretch. The team was without its home-away-from-home in U.S. Bank Stadium this season due to the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four preparation.
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.
B1G Time Favorite
Big Ten coaches selected the defending champion Gophers to repeat in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll. 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.
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.
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 Teams
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.
Single-game tickets remain available for all Siebert Field home games. Tickets for the Saturday, April 20 home game against Oklahoma at Target Field will be available for purchase at the box office on day of game. Gopher season ticket holders and students will receive free admission for the Big Ten-Big 12 showdown.
MINNEAPOLIS – The Gopher Baseball team welcomes Big Ten rival Illinois for a three-game conference series beginning Friday at Siebert Field. First pitch remains scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Friday night on campus, weather permitting.
Minnesota (14-16, 6-3 Big Ten) began an eight-game home stand on Tuesday night with a victory and will try to keep that momentum moving against the Illini. Illinois (20-11, 1-5 Big Ten) has stumbled out of the gates in conference play but ranks among the teams receiving votes in this week's USA Today Coaches Poll. BTN will broadcast Sunday's game with first pitch set for 1:30 p.m. South Dakota State (14-13, 7-5 Summit) faces North Dakota State this weekend before heading to Minneapolis.
Last Time Out
Max Meyer slugged a walk-off two-run home run to lift Minnesota over North Dakota State, 4-3 on Tuesday evening. As a pinch hitter earlier in the game, Meyer sent a single up the middle to bring home the Gophers' second run of the day. The Maroon & Gold pitching staff struck out 14 Bison on the day, but NDSU scraped three runs together on one hit and five walks in the fourth inning to take a lead to the late innings.
Golden Spikes Award
Meyer continued his exciting week, receiving news that he earned a spot on USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List on Wednesday. Meyer is just the third Gopher to land among the Midseason honorees and first since Tom Windle (2013). He currently leads the Gophers in both ERA and batting average. Meyer was one of 19 players to remain on the Midseason List after also being selected in the Preseason.
For the Win
Reliever Brett Schulze picked up his fifth victory of the season for Minnesota in Tuesday's 4-3 win over NDSU, extending a program-record winning streak to 14-0 over his last 41 appearances. Schulze last registed a defeat on May 19, 2017, throwing 4.2 innings against Purdue back in his freshman season. The previous record was held by Dan Morgan, winning 12-straight decisions in 1976-77.
Against the Competition
Reggie Meyer ('18) tossed a complete game shutout against Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament last season, Minnesota's lone meeting with the Illini in 2018. Illinois took 2-of-3 from the Gophers in their last series back in 2017. Jordan Kozicky went 6-for-14 (.429) with two doubles in the series. Cole McDevitt has hit .462 in four games against Illinois. Brett Schulze tossed 6.0 innings, striking out 6 Illini in a start back in 2017. The Maroon & Gold defeated South Dakota State twice in 2018. Joshua Culliver pitched 5.0 hitless innings against the Jackrabbits for a victory in his rookie season. Jeff Fasching has appeared in five games, allowing just a pair of runs in 9.0 innings while striking out 10.
Going Streaking
Jack Wassel's five-game hitting streak came to a close on Tuesday against North Dakota State. Drew Hmielewski now owns the team's current longest streak with a hit in four straight. Max Meyer has reached base in seven consecutive games for Minnesota. Eli Wilson and Easton Bertrand own the team's season-long hitting streak of nine games, while Wilson and Wassel each reached base in 13-straight games earlier this season.
Line Drives
Minnesota now has two walk-off home runs this season after not hitting a game-winning shot in five years prior to 2019 ... Jake Stevenson started for the first time since week one on Saturday vs. Michigan. His 4.1 innings were a season-long and his six strikeouts matched his career high ... Wassel knocked three hits, matching his career high, in the same game against the Wolverines ... Meyer has thrown at least 6.0 innings in each of his five starts this season.
NCAA Superlatives
Minnesota ranks no. 36 nationally with 62 doubles this season, an average of 2.07 per game ... the Gophers pitching staff ranks no. 5 averaging 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings ... Max Meyer ranks no. 24 with a 0.86 WHIP, no. 36 nationally with his 1.64 ERA, and no. 53 with 5.56 strikeouts per nine innings ... Brett Schulze leads the Big Ten and ranks no. 36 nationally with his 17 pitching appearances. His five wins rank him no. 34 in the NCAA ... Jordan Kozicky's 31 RBIs rank no. 83 at an average of 1.07 per game ... Cike McDevitt has slugged 10 doubles this season, fourth-most in the Big Ten and no. 124 nationally.
Climbing the All-Time Wins List
With 1,302 victories to his name, John Anderson continues to rise up the rankings of all-time victories for NCAA head coaches. In his 38th season, Minnesota's skipper currently ranks 26th all-time with 25th (Fresno State's Bob Bennett, 1,308) and 24th (Valdosta State's Pete Dunn, 1,312), and 23rd (Stetson's Joe Roberts, 1,314) all within striking distance. Anderson ranks third among current Division I coaches and eighth among current coaches at all levels of NCAA baseball. Already the Big Ten's winningest coach, the man they call "14" sits 17 victories away from 600 in conference play.
A Whole Year in Airports
Along with scheduling stiff competition in the non-conference slate, Minnesota opened its season with 21-straight games on the road in seven cities across four time zones. The Gophers came away at 8-13, winning 4-of-5 to close out the stretch. The team was without its home-away-from-home in U.S. Bank Stadium this season due to the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four preparation.
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.
B1G Time Favorite
Big Ten coaches selected the defending champion Gophers to repeat in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll. 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.
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.
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 Teams
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.
Single-game tickets remain available for all Siebert Field home games. Tickets for the Saturday, April 20 home game against Oklahoma at Target Field will be available for purchase at the box office on day of game. Gopher season ticket holders and students will receive free admission for the Big Ten-Big 12 showdown.
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