University of Minnesota Athletics
Tuesday, April 25
Minneapolis, MN
6:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
North Dakota State
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
C/INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gophers Go For Two in Mid-Week Games vs. NDSU, UST
4/24/2023 9:32:00 PM | Baseball
The 'U' hasn't played consecutive mid-weeks since March 14-15
Tuesday, April 25
Minnesota vs. North Dakota St.
First Pitch: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn. (Siebert Field)
Minnesota Starter: RHP Sam Malec (0-2, 6.75 ERA, 14.2 IP, 10K)
North Dakota St. Starter: TBA
TV: B1G+
Talent: Dom Dandrea (Play-By-Play), Rob Fornasiere (Analyst)
Wednesday, April 26
Minnesota vs. St. Thomas
First Pitch: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn. (Siebert Field)
Minnesota Starter: RHP Ben Shepard (1-2, 5.02 ERA, 37.2 IP, 30K)
St. Thomas Starter: TBA
TV: B1G+
Talent: Dom Dandrea (Play-By-Play), Rob Fornasiere (Analyst)
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-27, 4-8 Big Ten) are getting ready to play consecutive mid-week home games starting Tuesday night with North Dakota St. (11-26, 7-5 Summit) and finishing Wednesday night against St. Thomas (5-23, 3-9 Summit). Live stats will be available at GopherSports.com while B1G+ is set to provide streaming.
MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS
-$2 hot dog and $2 soda night at Siebert Field on Tuesday.
-Winning Wednesday. If the Gophers win Wednesday, GA rates lower to discounted group rate for next home game.
-$4 pretzel and cheese on Wednesday.
LAST TIME OUT
-Minnesota took Sunday's game against Purdue (9-3) after falling 3-0 on Friday and 15-3 on Saturday. Richie Holetz (2-2, 2.76 ERA) picked up his second straight Big Ten win, going 6.1 innings with seven strikeouts.
HISTORICAL NOTES
-The 'U' is in its 135th year in program history in 2023.
-John Anderson is in his 42nd year at the helm of Gopher Baseball, holding a 1,357-991-3 (.581) record. This includes a 608-408 (.602) B1G mark. Under his watch, the Gophers have won 11 B1G titles and hold 19 NCAA Tournament appearances.
-The winningest coach in Big Ten history, Anderson won his 600th conference game last April vs. Penn State. He's the only B1G coach to reach that mark.
-Anderson coached his 1,000th career B1G game in May 2022 against Indiana. He's the only coach in conference history to hit that mark.
SCOUTING NORTH DAKOTA ST.
-North Dakota State (11-26, 7-5 Summit) is led by second-year head coach Tyler Oakes. In his first year, Oakes led the Bison to its first Summit League title in program history, going 30-17 (17-5 Summit).
-After having eight All-Summit League selections in 2022, the Bison returned 14 letterwinners, including six seniors and five pitchers with 20+ k's last year.
-NDSU is off to a slower start in 2023, playing another challenging schedule, including its first 34 games on the road or at neutral sites.
-The Bison won their best game of the season last Friday, an 8-1 win at No. 23 Texas Tech.
-Peter Brookshaw leads NDSU at the plate with a .315 average, including nine home runs and 23 RBI.
SERIES HISTORY
-Minnesota is 36-11 all-time against North Dakota State. The Gophers took down the Bison 12-9 on April 12, twice coming from three-run deficits to take the lead and win the game.
SCOUTING ST. THOMAS
-St. Thomas is led by 14th year head coach Chris Olean. UST played its first year in Division I in 2022.
-Despite losing 16 games by one or two runs, the Tommies finished 16-29 and claimed a fifth-place conference finish in the Summit League.
-So far in 2023, the Tommies are 5-23 (3-9 Summit). They hold two conference wins against Northern Colorado and one over North Dakota St.
-St. Thomas was selected to finish fifth in the 2023 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll.
-The freshman duo of Dylan O'Connell and Nolan Kemp were selected as the UST Players to Watch.
-Bridgs Richartz leads UST with a .288 average, one home run and seven RBI this season.
SERIES HISTORY
-Minnesota is 3-1 all-time against St. Thomas. UST transitioned to Division I last year and the teams played four times, three of which came at Siebert Field. This is the only time these two teams will play this season, as the two previously scheduled games were rained out.
NEELS HITTING NUKES AS A FRESHMAN
-Freshman catcher Weber Neels has made a big impact as a true freshman this season. He leads the team and all Big Ten freshmen with five home runs, including two in one game March 18 vs. Houston. Neels hit the game-tying home run in the ninth at OSU on March 31 in the team's 3-2 win.
-He's hitting .260 with 25 hits, four doubles and 16 RBI, all of which are the best among 'U' rookies.
BATEMAN PACING GOPHERS ONCE AGAIN
-Junior center fielder Brett Bateman had a team-best 22 multi-hit games as a sophomore in 2022, including 17 two-hit and five three-hit games.
-In 2023, he ranks first on the team with 37 hits and a .331 average with 15 multi-hit games. So far in Big Ten play, Bateman is hitting .383 with 18 hits, four doubles, five RBI and six stolen bases.
-Bateman has been amazing in the field, posting a perfect fielding percentage with four assists. His catch at the wall Mar. 17 vs. Houston was SportsCenter's No. 4 play of the night.
GOPHERS LOSE HEARTBREAKER SUNDAY AT ILLINOIS
-Minnesota led 5-3 with two outs Sunday at Illinois. The game was thought to be over when center fielder Brett Bateman made a jumping catch at the wall. Unfortunately, the ball popped out of his glove and over the fence for a solo home run. After an infield single by the next hitter, the Illini walked it off with a two-run home run to win, 6-5.
GOPHERS AT SIEBERT FIELD
-Minnesota is 62-47 when playing at Siebert Field in the last seven seasons.
-The 'U' went 2-8 in 2021, 13-7 in 2019, 12-2 in 2018, 10-9 2017, 16-7 in 2016 at Siebert Field.
-Minnesota went 7-11 at Siebert Field last season and is 3-4 at its home confines in 2023.
FIELDING BECOMING A TEAM STRENGTH
-Minnesota ranks fifth in the Big Ten with a .973 fielding percentage thus far. The Gophers lead the conference in assists with 394.
REACHED BASE STREAKS
-Junior designated hitter Boston Merila currently leads Minnesota with a 17-game reached base streak. He hasn't not reached base in a game since March 17 against Houston.
BATS TAKING TIME TO COME TO LIFE
-Minnesota's youth has shown at the plate at times this season. The Gophers rank last in the Big Ten in batting average (.247), runs (163), home runs (21), RBI (153), slugging (.359) and OBP (.344).
-The Gophers rank 12th in the B1G in hits (388).
YOUTH MOVEMENT IN MINNEAPOLIS
-With an average age of just 19.9 years old, the Golden Gophers have the youngest roster in the Big Ten conference. Of the every day starters at the 'U', two are freshmen, three are sophomores, three are juniors and there's just one senior.
BIG TEN STANDINGS UPDATE
-Minnesota (4-8) is in 11th place in the conference standings with four series to play. They're 2.5 games back of Purdue for the eighth spot. The top eight teams will make the B1G tournament in Omaha from May 23-28.
UP NEXT
Minnesota travels to Nebraska for a three-game series against the Cornhuskers from Friday through Sunday.
Minnesota vs. North Dakota St.
First Pitch: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn. (Siebert Field)
Minnesota Starter: RHP Sam Malec (0-2, 6.75 ERA, 14.2 IP, 10K)
North Dakota St. Starter: TBA
TV: B1G+
Talent: Dom Dandrea (Play-By-Play), Rob Fornasiere (Analyst)
Wednesday, April 26
Minnesota vs. St. Thomas
First Pitch: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn. (Siebert Field)
Minnesota Starter: RHP Ben Shepard (1-2, 5.02 ERA, 37.2 IP, 30K)
St. Thomas Starter: TBA
TV: B1G+
Talent: Dom Dandrea (Play-By-Play), Rob Fornasiere (Analyst)
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-27, 4-8 Big Ten) are getting ready to play consecutive mid-week home games starting Tuesday night with North Dakota St. (11-26, 7-5 Summit) and finishing Wednesday night against St. Thomas (5-23, 3-9 Summit). Live stats will be available at GopherSports.com while B1G+ is set to provide streaming.
MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS
-$2 hot dog and $2 soda night at Siebert Field on Tuesday.
-Winning Wednesday. If the Gophers win Wednesday, GA rates lower to discounted group rate for next home game.
-$4 pretzel and cheese on Wednesday.
LAST TIME OUT
-Minnesota took Sunday's game against Purdue (9-3) after falling 3-0 on Friday and 15-3 on Saturday. Richie Holetz (2-2, 2.76 ERA) picked up his second straight Big Ten win, going 6.1 innings with seven strikeouts.
HISTORICAL NOTES
-The 'U' is in its 135th year in program history in 2023.
-John Anderson is in his 42nd year at the helm of Gopher Baseball, holding a 1,357-991-3 (.581) record. This includes a 608-408 (.602) B1G mark. Under his watch, the Gophers have won 11 B1G titles and hold 19 NCAA Tournament appearances.
-The winningest coach in Big Ten history, Anderson won his 600th conference game last April vs. Penn State. He's the only B1G coach to reach that mark.
-Anderson coached his 1,000th career B1G game in May 2022 against Indiana. He's the only coach in conference history to hit that mark.
SCOUTING NORTH DAKOTA ST.
-North Dakota State (11-26, 7-5 Summit) is led by second-year head coach Tyler Oakes. In his first year, Oakes led the Bison to its first Summit League title in program history, going 30-17 (17-5 Summit).
-After having eight All-Summit League selections in 2022, the Bison returned 14 letterwinners, including six seniors and five pitchers with 20+ k's last year.
-NDSU is off to a slower start in 2023, playing another challenging schedule, including its first 34 games on the road or at neutral sites.
-The Bison won their best game of the season last Friday, an 8-1 win at No. 23 Texas Tech.
-Peter Brookshaw leads NDSU at the plate with a .315 average, including nine home runs and 23 RBI.
SERIES HISTORY
-Minnesota is 36-11 all-time against North Dakota State. The Gophers took down the Bison 12-9 on April 12, twice coming from three-run deficits to take the lead and win the game.
SCOUTING ST. THOMAS
-St. Thomas is led by 14th year head coach Chris Olean. UST played its first year in Division I in 2022.
-Despite losing 16 games by one or two runs, the Tommies finished 16-29 and claimed a fifth-place conference finish in the Summit League.
-So far in 2023, the Tommies are 5-23 (3-9 Summit). They hold two conference wins against Northern Colorado and one over North Dakota St.
-St. Thomas was selected to finish fifth in the 2023 Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll.
-The freshman duo of Dylan O'Connell and Nolan Kemp were selected as the UST Players to Watch.
-Bridgs Richartz leads UST with a .288 average, one home run and seven RBI this season.
SERIES HISTORY
-Minnesota is 3-1 all-time against St. Thomas. UST transitioned to Division I last year and the teams played four times, three of which came at Siebert Field. This is the only time these two teams will play this season, as the two previously scheduled games were rained out.
NEELS HITTING NUKES AS A FRESHMAN
-Freshman catcher Weber Neels has made a big impact as a true freshman this season. He leads the team and all Big Ten freshmen with five home runs, including two in one game March 18 vs. Houston. Neels hit the game-tying home run in the ninth at OSU on March 31 in the team's 3-2 win.
-He's hitting .260 with 25 hits, four doubles and 16 RBI, all of which are the best among 'U' rookies.
BATEMAN PACING GOPHERS ONCE AGAIN
-Junior center fielder Brett Bateman had a team-best 22 multi-hit games as a sophomore in 2022, including 17 two-hit and five three-hit games.
-In 2023, he ranks first on the team with 37 hits and a .331 average with 15 multi-hit games. So far in Big Ten play, Bateman is hitting .383 with 18 hits, four doubles, five RBI and six stolen bases.
-Bateman has been amazing in the field, posting a perfect fielding percentage with four assists. His catch at the wall Mar. 17 vs. Houston was SportsCenter's No. 4 play of the night.
GOPHERS LOSE HEARTBREAKER SUNDAY AT ILLINOIS
-Minnesota led 5-3 with two outs Sunday at Illinois. The game was thought to be over when center fielder Brett Bateman made a jumping catch at the wall. Unfortunately, the ball popped out of his glove and over the fence for a solo home run. After an infield single by the next hitter, the Illini walked it off with a two-run home run to win, 6-5.
GOPHERS AT SIEBERT FIELD
-Minnesota is 62-47 when playing at Siebert Field in the last seven seasons.
-The 'U' went 2-8 in 2021, 13-7 in 2019, 12-2 in 2018, 10-9 2017, 16-7 in 2016 at Siebert Field.
-Minnesota went 7-11 at Siebert Field last season and is 3-4 at its home confines in 2023.
FIELDING BECOMING A TEAM STRENGTH
-Minnesota ranks fifth in the Big Ten with a .973 fielding percentage thus far. The Gophers lead the conference in assists with 394.
REACHED BASE STREAKS
-Junior designated hitter Boston Merila currently leads Minnesota with a 17-game reached base streak. He hasn't not reached base in a game since March 17 against Houston.
BATS TAKING TIME TO COME TO LIFE
-Minnesota's youth has shown at the plate at times this season. The Gophers rank last in the Big Ten in batting average (.247), runs (163), home runs (21), RBI (153), slugging (.359) and OBP (.344).
-The Gophers rank 12th in the B1G in hits (388).
YOUTH MOVEMENT IN MINNEAPOLIS
-With an average age of just 19.9 years old, the Golden Gophers have the youngest roster in the Big Ten conference. Of the every day starters at the 'U', two are freshmen, three are sophomores, three are juniors and there's just one senior.
BIG TEN STANDINGS UPDATE
-Minnesota (4-8) is in 11th place in the conference standings with four series to play. They're 2.5 games back of Purdue for the eighth spot. The top eight teams will make the B1G tournament in Omaha from May 23-28.
UP NEXT
Minnesota travels to Nebraska for a three-game series against the Cornhuskers from Friday through Sunday.
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