University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, April 19
Minneapolis, MN
6:30 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Oklahoma
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
1B/C
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
IF/OF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Preview: Gophers Host Oklahoma at Target Field Saturday
4/18/2019 11:00:00 AM | Baseball
Minnesota NotesTickets (Siebert Field Games)Tickets (Target Field)BTN Plus (Friday)BTN Plus (Saturday)BTN Plus (Sunday)Follow @GopherBaseball
Series in Minneapolis marks first meeting between teams in 46 years.
MINNEAPOLIS – The Gopher Baseball team welcomes Oklahoma to the Twin Cities for the first meeting between the two programs in nearly 50 seasons.
Minnesota (16-18) will welcome the Sooners to Siebert Field on Friday and Sunday while the two teams head to downtown Minneapolis on Saturday for a match-up at Target Field. Tickets for Saturday's game will be available exclusively at the box office on the day of the game. Season ticket holders and students will receive free admission to the game.
Oklahoma (25-13) has dropped three straight while the Gophers have won their last two outings.
Last Time Out
J.P. Massey gave Minnesota 4+ solid innings in his first collegiate start, Jeff Fasching struck out four in 3.0 innings out of the Gophers bullpen, and the offense scraped five runs across highlighted by Jordan Kozicky's seventh home run of the season to earn Minnesota's second victory in as many days and fifth-straight against South Dakota State.
Against the Competition
Minnesota has not met Oklahoma since the 1973 season. Dave Winfield threw a six-hit shutout, striking out 14 Sooners in the 1-0 Gopher victory. The teams' last series came in 1957 with Minnesota finishing 1-0-1 in Norman. The two teams are locked at 10-10-1 in the all-time series.
On Target
The Gophers picked up a pair of victories against Iowa last season at Target Field during a rain-relocated series, moving to 10-9 all-time at the home of the Minnesota Twins in downtown Minneapolis. Before that, the Maroon & Gold last competed there in the 2013 Big Ten Tournament.
Going Streaking
Three Gophers - Eli Wilson, Cole McDevitt, and Andrew Wilhite - have each collected a hit in their last five games, the current longest streak for the Maroon & Gold. Wilson's nine-game hitting streak to begin 2019 remains the team's season-long. Kozicky has reached base safely in his last 10 games, inching up on Jack Wassel and Wilson for the longest of the year (13).
Line Drives
After Sunday against Illinois, Minnesota has now played four doubleheaders with games rescheduled due to weather this season. The Gophers are 3-5 in those contests ... Massey's 4.0 innings and five strikeouts were a season-high for the rookie ... Fasching is now 4-0 in his career after picking up the victory on Tuesday against SDSU.
For the Win
Reliever Brett Schulze earned his fifth save of the season to match his five wins on the year as Minnesota defeated Illinois 5-4 on Monday afternoon. He extended his undefeated appearance streak to 43 appearances. The right-hander is 14-0 in that stretch. Schulze last registered 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.
NCAA Superlatives
Minnesota currents ranks no. 45 nationally and second in the conference averaging 2.00 doubles per game, a total of 68 combined two-baggers this season ... the Maroon & Gold pitching staff also ranks no. 51 in the NCAA and third in the Big Ten with its 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings ... McDevitt ranks no. 33 with his 14 doubles this season ... Kozicky ranks no. 98 averaging 1.03 RBIs per game ... Meyer ranks no. 57 nationally with his 1.97 ERA, no. 66 with his 0.99 WHIP, and no. 76 with his 4.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio ... Schulze ranks no. 37 with his 18 pitching appearances, no. 58 with his five victories, and no. 81 with his five saves.
Weather Forecast
Friday (6:30 pm): Clear ... High/Low: 56°/46° ... Winds: S 6 mph ... Precipitation: 0%
Saturday (2 pm): Sunshine ... High/Low: 72°/68° ... Winds: S 10 mph ... Precipitation: 5%
Sunday (11 am): Partly sunny ... High/Low: 60°/50° ... Winds: NNW 9 mph ... Precipitation: 9%
Golden Spikes Award
Max Meyer earned a spot on USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List last week. Meyer is just the third Gopher to land among the Midseason honorees and first since Tom Windle (2013). He currently leads the Gophers in ERA and ranks among the team leaders in batting average. Meyer was one of 19 players to remain on the Midseason List after also being selected in the Preseason.
Climbing the All-Time Wins List
With 1,304 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 16 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 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 currently has nine alumni serving time in MLB organizations, with three more signed on to play major professional baseball with the American Association, including a pair in St. Paul. They are Austin Athmann ('16), Micah Coffey ('18), Lucas Gilbreath ('17), Ben Meyer ('15), Jackson Rose ('18), Dalton Sawyer ('16), Terrin Vavra ('18), and Tom Windle ('13). D.J. Snelten ('13) signed on with the Chicago Dogs this past week while Jordan Jess ('16) and Dan Motl ('16) will compete with the St. Paul Saints.
Single-game tickets remain available for all Siebert Field home games. Tickets for Minnesota's 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.
Minnesota (16-18) will welcome the Sooners to Siebert Field on Friday and Sunday while the two teams head to downtown Minneapolis on Saturday for a match-up at Target Field. Tickets for Saturday's game will be available exclusively at the box office on the day of the game. Season ticket holders and students will receive free admission to the game.
Oklahoma (25-13) has dropped three straight while the Gophers have won their last two outings.
Last Time Out
J.P. Massey gave Minnesota 4+ solid innings in his first collegiate start, Jeff Fasching struck out four in 3.0 innings out of the Gophers bullpen, and the offense scraped five runs across highlighted by Jordan Kozicky's seventh home run of the season to earn Minnesota's second victory in as many days and fifth-straight against South Dakota State.
Against the Competition
Minnesota has not met Oklahoma since the 1973 season. Dave Winfield threw a six-hit shutout, striking out 14 Sooners in the 1-0 Gopher victory. The teams' last series came in 1957 with Minnesota finishing 1-0-1 in Norman. The two teams are locked at 10-10-1 in the all-time series.
On Target
The Gophers picked up a pair of victories against Iowa last season at Target Field during a rain-relocated series, moving to 10-9 all-time at the home of the Minnesota Twins in downtown Minneapolis. Before that, the Maroon & Gold last competed there in the 2013 Big Ten Tournament.
Going Streaking
Three Gophers - Eli Wilson, Cole McDevitt, and Andrew Wilhite - have each collected a hit in their last five games, the current longest streak for the Maroon & Gold. Wilson's nine-game hitting streak to begin 2019 remains the team's season-long. Kozicky has reached base safely in his last 10 games, inching up on Jack Wassel and Wilson for the longest of the year (13).
Line Drives
After Sunday against Illinois, Minnesota has now played four doubleheaders with games rescheduled due to weather this season. The Gophers are 3-5 in those contests ... Massey's 4.0 innings and five strikeouts were a season-high for the rookie ... Fasching is now 4-0 in his career after picking up the victory on Tuesday against SDSU.
For the Win
Reliever Brett Schulze earned his fifth save of the season to match his five wins on the year as Minnesota defeated Illinois 5-4 on Monday afternoon. He extended his undefeated appearance streak to 43 appearances. The right-hander is 14-0 in that stretch. Schulze last registered 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.
NCAA Superlatives
Minnesota currents ranks no. 45 nationally and second in the conference averaging 2.00 doubles per game, a total of 68 combined two-baggers this season ... the Maroon & Gold pitching staff also ranks no. 51 in the NCAA and third in the Big Ten with its 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings ... McDevitt ranks no. 33 with his 14 doubles this season ... Kozicky ranks no. 98 averaging 1.03 RBIs per game ... Meyer ranks no. 57 nationally with his 1.97 ERA, no. 66 with his 0.99 WHIP, and no. 76 with his 4.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio ... Schulze ranks no. 37 with his 18 pitching appearances, no. 58 with his five victories, and no. 81 with his five saves.
Weather Forecast
Friday (6:30 pm): Clear ... High/Low: 56°/46° ... Winds: S 6 mph ... Precipitation: 0%
Saturday (2 pm): Sunshine ... High/Low: 72°/68° ... Winds: S 10 mph ... Precipitation: 5%
Sunday (11 am): Partly sunny ... High/Low: 60°/50° ... Winds: NNW 9 mph ... Precipitation: 9%
Golden Spikes Award
Max Meyer earned a spot on USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List last week. Meyer is just the third Gopher to land among the Midseason honorees and first since Tom Windle (2013). He currently leads the Gophers in ERA and ranks among the team leaders in batting average. Meyer was one of 19 players to remain on the Midseason List after also being selected in the Preseason.
Climbing the All-Time Wins List
With 1,304 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 16 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 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 currently has nine alumni serving time in MLB organizations, with three more signed on to play major professional baseball with the American Association, including a pair in St. Paul. They are Austin Athmann ('16), Micah Coffey ('18), Lucas Gilbreath ('17), Ben Meyer ('15), Jackson Rose ('18), Dalton Sawyer ('16), Terrin Vavra ('18), and Tom Windle ('13). D.J. Snelten ('13) signed on with the Chicago Dogs this past week while Jordan Jess ('16) and Dan Motl ('16) will compete with the St. Paul Saints.
Single-game tickets remain available for all Siebert Field home games. Tickets for Minnesota's 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.
First Practice of Fall
Thursday, September 18
Weber Neels Highlights
Wednesday, May 28
Gophers (11) - Michigan State (5) Highlights
Friday, May 16
Gophers (4) - Michigan State (3) Highlights
Thursday, May 15