University of Minnesota Athletics
Tuesday, April 26
3:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
South Dakota State
Players Mentioned
OF
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OF
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INF
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RHP
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RHP
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C/OF
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LHP
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RHP
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RHP
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C
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INF
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Gophers Host Jacks, Tommies for Mid-Week Games
4/25/2022 3:14:00 PM | Baseball
Tuesday's game is at 3 p.m., Wednesday is at 6 p.m.
Tuesday, April 26
South Dakota State at Minnesota
First Pitch: 3 p.m. CT
Location: Siebert Field
Minnesota Starter: LHP Jack Liffrig (6.94 ERA, 1-2, 23.1 IP, 15 SO)
South Dakota St. Starter: RHP Brady Hawkins (2.45 ERA, 1-0, 3.2 IP, 5 SO)
Stream: B1G+
Tuesday, April 26
St. Thomas at Minnesota
First Pitch: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Siebert Field
Minnesota Starter: RHP Richie Holetz (7.78 ERA, 0-2, 19.2 IP, 16 SO)
St. Thomas Starter: TBD
Stream: B1G+
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-26, 2-10 Big Ten) host the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (15-17, 7-5 Summit) and St. Thomas Tommies (10-22, 4-8 Summit) for their mid-week games at Siebert Field. The Gophers fell 7-5 to SDSU on March 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in their first matchup of the season. They lead the season series, 2-1, over St. Thomas. Both games will be available for streaming on B1G+.
SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
-Led by sixth-year head coach Rob Bishop, the Jackrabbits are in the midst of their best stretch of the season, winning seven of their past nine games. After sweeping St. Thomas in conference play, they took two of three from Western Illinois and Northern Colorado.
-Ryan McDonald leads the Jacks with a .310 average, seven home runs and 28 RBI.
-The Jackrabbits completed the 2021 season with a 15-32 overall record, including a 9-19 mark in The Summit League. SDSU claimed the fourth and final spot in the 2021 Summit League Baseball Championship and went on to record one tournament win over host Omaha.
-South Dakota State has been picked to finish fourth in the 2022 Summit League baseball race, behind defending champion Oral Roberts, North Dakota State and Nebraska-Omaha. Infielder Luke Ira was named as a Summit League Player to Watch and redshirt sophomore right-hander Nic McCay was tabbed as a Summit League Pitcher to Watch.
SCOUTING ST. THOMAS
-In fall 2021 St. Thomas became the first institution to make a direct move in all sports from NCAA D-III into D-I athletics. The Tommies are in year one of a five-year provisional period. They're led by Chris Olean, who enters his 13th year as the head coach of St. Thomas Baseball in 2021-22 and his 26th season as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
-UST's 2021 season saw it post a 37-10 final record and No. 2 ranking in the final national poll. They went 11-5 in the postseason and made it all the way to the Division III World Series.
-In 2022, UST is led by left-hander Graham Laubscher, who was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week after tossing 8.1 shutout innings, striking out 15 and allowing just two hits in a 6-0 win over NDSU last Friday.
-The Tommies 22 losses include 14 one- or two-run defeats. That includes a 1-9 record in games decided by one run.
-Offensively, Charlie Barholomew leads UST with a .301 average with 15 RBI.
SERIES HISTORY
-The Gophers lead the series history vs. South Dakota State, 37-14. They are looking to break a two-game slide vs. the Jackrabbits.
-Minnesota leads the series against St. Thomas, 2-1, with all three matchups coming in 2022. Minnesota won the first two, 12-0 and 2-1, before falling 6-0 last Tuesday.
LAST TIME OUT
-Minnesota fell in two of three games to Penn State this past weekend at Siebert. On Friday, Sam Ireland went 7.0 innings and the Gophers took down PSU 7-3 to earn John Anderson's 600th conference win (Big Ten record) as the head coach at Minnesota.
-Tied 1-1 in the eighth on Saturday, PSU scored four runs in the top of the frame to break the game open and take a 5-1 win.
-On Sunday, Aidan Maldonado went 7.0 strong and left with a 5-3 lead. A three-run, pinch-hit home run by the Nittany Lions in the top of the eighth gave them a 6-5 lead, which would end up being the final score.
GOPHERS HITTING THE LONG BALL
-Minnesota ranks eighth in the Big Ten with 34 home runs in 37 games this season. Chase Stanke ranks sixth in the conference with 10 while Jack Kelly has hit six. Easton Bertrand and Ronald Sweeny are up next with four apiece.
STARTING PITCHING STARS VS. PENN STATE
-Minnesota got three excellent outings from its starters this past weekend against Penn State.
-Sam Ireland: 7.0 IP, 9 K's, 4 H, 2 ER; J.P. Massey: 6.0 IP, 3 K's, 4 H, 1 ER; Aidan Maldonado: 7.0 IP, 6 K's, 4 H, 2 ER.
COUNSELL CRUSHING IN CONFERENCE PLAY
-In Minnesota's 12 conference games, freshman Brady Counsell started in 11 of them, tallying 16 assists (3rd on team), 11 hits (2nd), two triples (first) and four RBI (fourth).
-In his two starts against UMD, he went 3-for-8 with two triples and runs. He scored the game-winning run on a passed ball on Sunday to pull the upset.
-In 2022, he leads all true freshmen in appearances (27), batting average (.247), hits (18) and RBI (7).
SKORO SHOVING OUT OF BULLPEN
-Redshirt senior left-hander Tom Skoro has been the Gophers 'Mr. Dependable' out of the bullpen this season.
-He leads the team with 20 appearances. In 20.0 innings, he's allowed just six earned runs and has struck out 26 hitters, with only 17 hits allowed.
MINNESOTA OPENS UP ITS HOME SLATE AT SIEBERT
-The Gophers are through nine of 18 home games at Siebert Field this season.
-Despite going 2-8 at Siebert Field in 2021, Minnesota is 55-38 there in the last six seasons.
-The 'U' went 13-7 in 2019, 12-2 in 2018, 10-9 2017, 16-7 in 2016 at Siebert Field.
-Minnesota is 3-6 at Siebert this season, compared to 1-13 in true road games. The 'U' went 6-6 at U.S. Bank Stadium in March.
BATEMAN SETS THE TONE
-Sophomore center fielder Brett Bateman leads the team in hits (48), at bats (154) and stolen bases (14), which ranks fifth in the league.
-He has hit safely in a team-best 11 straight games, including five multi-hit games.
-Bateman is the only Gopher to start in all 37 games.
KELLY CRUSHING OPPOSING PITCHING
-Senior utility player Jack Kelly has been on a tear in his final collegiate season.
-He is second on the team in average (.320) and RBI (33) while also totaling 11 multi-hit games.
-B1G Ranks: SLG%: .600 (9th), triples: 3 (2nd)
PROMOTIONS
-It is 2-4-1 Tuesday, which means tickets at the gate are buy one, get one free.
-It's also country music night at Siebert Field.
UP NEXT
Minnesota travels to East Lansing, Mich., to play the Michigan State Spartans in three games this weekend.
South Dakota State at Minnesota
First Pitch: 3 p.m. CT
Location: Siebert Field
Minnesota Starter: LHP Jack Liffrig (6.94 ERA, 1-2, 23.1 IP, 15 SO)
South Dakota St. Starter: RHP Brady Hawkins (2.45 ERA, 1-0, 3.2 IP, 5 SO)
Stream: B1G+
Tuesday, April 26
St. Thomas at Minnesota
First Pitch: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Siebert Field
Minnesota Starter: RHP Richie Holetz (7.78 ERA, 0-2, 19.2 IP, 16 SO)
St. Thomas Starter: TBD
Stream: B1G+
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-26, 2-10 Big Ten) host the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (15-17, 7-5 Summit) and St. Thomas Tommies (10-22, 4-8 Summit) for their mid-week games at Siebert Field. The Gophers fell 7-5 to SDSU on March 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in their first matchup of the season. They lead the season series, 2-1, over St. Thomas. Both games will be available for streaming on B1G+.
SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
-Led by sixth-year head coach Rob Bishop, the Jackrabbits are in the midst of their best stretch of the season, winning seven of their past nine games. After sweeping St. Thomas in conference play, they took two of three from Western Illinois and Northern Colorado.
-Ryan McDonald leads the Jacks with a .310 average, seven home runs and 28 RBI.
-The Jackrabbits completed the 2021 season with a 15-32 overall record, including a 9-19 mark in The Summit League. SDSU claimed the fourth and final spot in the 2021 Summit League Baseball Championship and went on to record one tournament win over host Omaha.
-South Dakota State has been picked to finish fourth in the 2022 Summit League baseball race, behind defending champion Oral Roberts, North Dakota State and Nebraska-Omaha. Infielder Luke Ira was named as a Summit League Player to Watch and redshirt sophomore right-hander Nic McCay was tabbed as a Summit League Pitcher to Watch.
SCOUTING ST. THOMAS
-In fall 2021 St. Thomas became the first institution to make a direct move in all sports from NCAA D-III into D-I athletics. The Tommies are in year one of a five-year provisional period. They're led by Chris Olean, who enters his 13th year as the head coach of St. Thomas Baseball in 2021-22 and his 26th season as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
-UST's 2021 season saw it post a 37-10 final record and No. 2 ranking in the final national poll. They went 11-5 in the postseason and made it all the way to the Division III World Series.
-In 2022, UST is led by left-hander Graham Laubscher, who was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week after tossing 8.1 shutout innings, striking out 15 and allowing just two hits in a 6-0 win over NDSU last Friday.
-The Tommies 22 losses include 14 one- or two-run defeats. That includes a 1-9 record in games decided by one run.
-Offensively, Charlie Barholomew leads UST with a .301 average with 15 RBI.
SERIES HISTORY
-The Gophers lead the series history vs. South Dakota State, 37-14. They are looking to break a two-game slide vs. the Jackrabbits.
-Minnesota leads the series against St. Thomas, 2-1, with all three matchups coming in 2022. Minnesota won the first two, 12-0 and 2-1, before falling 6-0 last Tuesday.
LAST TIME OUT
-Minnesota fell in two of three games to Penn State this past weekend at Siebert. On Friday, Sam Ireland went 7.0 innings and the Gophers took down PSU 7-3 to earn John Anderson's 600th conference win (Big Ten record) as the head coach at Minnesota.
-Tied 1-1 in the eighth on Saturday, PSU scored four runs in the top of the frame to break the game open and take a 5-1 win.
-On Sunday, Aidan Maldonado went 7.0 strong and left with a 5-3 lead. A three-run, pinch-hit home run by the Nittany Lions in the top of the eighth gave them a 6-5 lead, which would end up being the final score.
GOPHERS HITTING THE LONG BALL
-Minnesota ranks eighth in the Big Ten with 34 home runs in 37 games this season. Chase Stanke ranks sixth in the conference with 10 while Jack Kelly has hit six. Easton Bertrand and Ronald Sweeny are up next with four apiece.
STARTING PITCHING STARS VS. PENN STATE
-Minnesota got three excellent outings from its starters this past weekend against Penn State.
-Sam Ireland: 7.0 IP, 9 K's, 4 H, 2 ER; J.P. Massey: 6.0 IP, 3 K's, 4 H, 1 ER; Aidan Maldonado: 7.0 IP, 6 K's, 4 H, 2 ER.
COUNSELL CRUSHING IN CONFERENCE PLAY
-In Minnesota's 12 conference games, freshman Brady Counsell started in 11 of them, tallying 16 assists (3rd on team), 11 hits (2nd), two triples (first) and four RBI (fourth).
-In his two starts against UMD, he went 3-for-8 with two triples and runs. He scored the game-winning run on a passed ball on Sunday to pull the upset.
-In 2022, he leads all true freshmen in appearances (27), batting average (.247), hits (18) and RBI (7).
SKORO SHOVING OUT OF BULLPEN
-Redshirt senior left-hander Tom Skoro has been the Gophers 'Mr. Dependable' out of the bullpen this season.
-He leads the team with 20 appearances. In 20.0 innings, he's allowed just six earned runs and has struck out 26 hitters, with only 17 hits allowed.
MINNESOTA OPENS UP ITS HOME SLATE AT SIEBERT
-The Gophers are through nine of 18 home games at Siebert Field this season.
-Despite going 2-8 at Siebert Field in 2021, Minnesota is 55-38 there in the last six seasons.
-The 'U' went 13-7 in 2019, 12-2 in 2018, 10-9 2017, 16-7 in 2016 at Siebert Field.
-Minnesota is 3-6 at Siebert this season, compared to 1-13 in true road games. The 'U' went 6-6 at U.S. Bank Stadium in March.
BATEMAN SETS THE TONE
-Sophomore center fielder Brett Bateman leads the team in hits (48), at bats (154) and stolen bases (14), which ranks fifth in the league.
-He has hit safely in a team-best 11 straight games, including five multi-hit games.
-Bateman is the only Gopher to start in all 37 games.
KELLY CRUSHING OPPOSING PITCHING
-Senior utility player Jack Kelly has been on a tear in his final collegiate season.
-He is second on the team in average (.320) and RBI (33) while also totaling 11 multi-hit games.
-B1G Ranks: SLG%: .600 (9th), triples: 3 (2nd)
PROMOTIONS
-It is 2-4-1 Tuesday, which means tickets at the gate are buy one, get one free.
-It's also country music night at Siebert Field.
UP NEXT
Minnesota travels to East Lansing, Mich., to play the Michigan State Spartans in three games this weekend.
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