University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, April 7
Minneapolis, MN
3:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Purdue
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
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RHP
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C/INF
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LHP
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IF/OF
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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Minnesota Hosts Purdue for Big Ten Home Opener
4/5/2023 4:04:00 PM | Baseball
The two teams last met in 2021
Friday, April 7
Minnesota vs. Purdue
First Pitch: 3Â p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn. (Siebert Field)
Minnesota Starter: LHP Tucker Novotny (0-3, 5.35 ERA, 35.1 IP, 33K)
Purdue Starter:Â RHP Khal Stephen (3-1, 5.40 ERA, 33.1 IP, 28K)
TV: B1G+
Saturday, April 8
Minnesota vs. Purdue
First Pitch: 2Â p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn. (Siebert Field)
Minnesota Starter:Â RHP George Klassen (1-4, 4.70 ERA, 30.2 IP, 29K)
Purdue Starter:Â LHP Jonathan Blackwell (2-2, 4.10 ERA, 37.1 IP, 34K)
TV: B1G+
Sunday, April 9
Minnesota vs. Purdue
First Pitch: 1Â p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn. (Siebert Field)
Minnesota Starter:Â RHP Richie Holetz (1-2, 2.50 ERA, 36.0 IP, 31K)
Purdue Starter:Â RHP Kyle Iwinski (1-2, 2.48 ERA, 32.2 IP, 24K)
TV: B1G+
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-20, 2-1 Big Ten) are getting set to host Purdue (12-15, 3-3 Big Ten) in a three game series to open their Big Ten home slate. Live stats will be available at GopherSports.com while B1G+ is set to provide streaming.
MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS
-Friday's game is the Big Ten home opener for the Gophers.
-Saturday is Master's Day. For $20, fans can get a specially branded Minnesota Master's hat and a ticket.
-Sunday will feature a pregame egg hunt for kids.
LAST TIME OUT
-Minnesota took two of three at Ohio State to open Big Ten play last weekend. The Gophers rallied with three runs in the ninth inning to win 3-2 on Friday. After falling 6-2 Saturday, the Gophers turned around and won 6-2 on Sunday for their first series win of the season.
-Minnesota had struggled to drive runners in scoring position home early on, especially with two outs. The Gophers, who had just 27 two-out RBI this season, (57 for opponents), scored seven of their 11 runs against Ohio State with two down.
HISTORICAL NOTES
-The 'U' is in its 135th year in program history.
-John Anderson is in his 42nd year at the helm of Gopher Baseball, holding a 1,354-984-3 (.581) record. This includes a 606-401 (.603) 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 in April vs. Penn State. He's the only B1G coach to reach that mark.
-Anderson coached his 1,000th career B1G game in May against Indiana. He's the only coach in conference history to hit that mark.
SCOUTING PURDUE
-Purdue (12-15, 3-3 Big Ten) is led by fourth-year head coach Greg Goff. After going 29-21 (9-12 Big Ten) in 2022, Goff is trying to lead Purdue to its first NCAA Tournament in his time at the helm.
-Fifth-year shortstop Evan Albrecht leads the Boilers with a .357 average in 2023. He was an ABCA All-Region Second Team selection in 2022.
-Infielder Paul Toetz is providing the power for the team, hitting eight home runs with 37 RBI, which both rank in the top five in the Big Ten.
-Purdue dropped two of three to start conference play two weeks back at Michigan State before winning two of three at home last weekend vs. Northwestern. They'll host Penn State in West Lafayette next week.
-PU fell 12-10 in its mid-week game vs. Evansville.
SERIES HISTORYÂ
-Minnesota is 123-58-2 all-time against Purdue. In 2021, the Boilers took three of the four games at Siebert Field before the teams split two games in West Lafayette. Prior to that meeting, Minnesota went 2-0 in 2018 at Purdue. The Boilers took two of three at Siebert in 2017.
GEORGE KLASSEN NAMED BIG TEN PITCHER OF THE WEEK
-Redshirt sophomore right-hander George Klassen was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on March 20 after a career performance against Houston. He went 7.2 innings (career-best), striking out eight while allowing no earned runs and just one hit. It's the first conference weekly honor of his career.
BATEMAN PACING GOPHERS ONCE AGAIN
-Junior center fielder Brett Bateman is back for year three for Minnesota. He's Minnesota's returning leader in average (.312), hits (67), starts (52) and total bases (78).
-The Arden Hills, Minn., native had a team-best 22 multi-hit games as a sophomore in 2022, including 17 two-hit games and five three-hit games.
-In 2023, he ranks first on the team with 32 hits and a .330 average (2nd), with 11 multi-hit games. He went 6-for-11 with two RBI in the OSU series, tallying three-hit games on Saturday and Sunday.
-Bateman has been amazing in the field, posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with four outfield assists. His leaping catch at the wall March 17 vs. Houston was SportsCenter's No. 4 play on their top-10 plays of the night.
'U' WINS FIRST B1G ROAD SERIES SINCE 2019
-Minnesota took two of three from OSU to win its first conference road series since May 16-18, 2019.
-Trailing 2-0 in the ninth on Friday, Brady Counsell and Weber Neels hit home runs to tie the game before Jake Perry hit a game-winning RBI double.
-On Sunday, the Gophers got 6.0 innings of two-run ball from Richie Holetz. The offense scored five of its six runs in the second inning to take control.
-Including the OSU game, Minnesota is 25-16 under John Anderson in Big Ten openers (none in 2020).
GOPHERS AT SIEBERT FIELD
-Minnesota is 59-43 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.
FIELDING BECOMING A TEAM STRENGTH
-Minnesota ranks second in the Big Ten with a .976 fielding percentage thus far. The Gophers lead the conference in putouts (737) and assists (288) while making just 25 errors. The 'U' has made just five errors in the past 12 games.
PITCHING SHOWS IMPROVEMENT IN MARCH
-Minnesota's pitching staff got off to a slow start, posting an 0-7 record with a 7.92 ERA in February.Â
In March, however, the staff improved to a 4.31 ERA. Opponent batting average is down to 2.55 from the .289 it was in the first seven games.
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.
GOPHERS STEALING BASES AT A HIGH RATE
-Base stealing is a key element of Minnesota's game. They finished in the top-5 of the Big Ten last year and are on pace again in 2022.
-The Gophers are 28-40 in stolen bases, a number that's good for ninth in the league. Brett Bateman leads the team (5th in B1G) with 11 (11-13) on the year.
UP NEXT
Minnesota hosts NDSU on Wednesday before the Iowa Hawkeyes come to town for a three game set next weekend.
Minnesota vs. Purdue
First Pitch: 3Â p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn. (Siebert Field)
Minnesota Starter: LHP Tucker Novotny (0-3, 5.35 ERA, 35.1 IP, 33K)
Purdue Starter:Â RHP Khal Stephen (3-1, 5.40 ERA, 33.1 IP, 28K)
TV: B1G+
Saturday, April 8
Minnesota vs. Purdue
First Pitch: 2Â p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn. (Siebert Field)
Minnesota Starter:Â RHP George Klassen (1-4, 4.70 ERA, 30.2 IP, 29K)
Purdue Starter:Â LHP Jonathan Blackwell (2-2, 4.10 ERA, 37.1 IP, 34K)
TV: B1G+
Sunday, April 9
Minnesota vs. Purdue
First Pitch: 1Â p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn. (Siebert Field)
Minnesota Starter:Â RHP Richie Holetz (1-2, 2.50 ERA, 36.0 IP, 31K)
Purdue Starter:Â RHP Kyle Iwinski (1-2, 2.48 ERA, 32.2 IP, 24K)
TV: B1G+
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-20, 2-1 Big Ten) are getting set to host Purdue (12-15, 3-3 Big Ten) in a three game series to open their Big Ten home slate. Live stats will be available at GopherSports.com while B1G+ is set to provide streaming.
MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS
-Friday's game is the Big Ten home opener for the Gophers.
-Saturday is Master's Day. For $20, fans can get a specially branded Minnesota Master's hat and a ticket.
-Sunday will feature a pregame egg hunt for kids.
LAST TIME OUT
-Minnesota took two of three at Ohio State to open Big Ten play last weekend. The Gophers rallied with three runs in the ninth inning to win 3-2 on Friday. After falling 6-2 Saturday, the Gophers turned around and won 6-2 on Sunday for their first series win of the season.
-Minnesota had struggled to drive runners in scoring position home early on, especially with two outs. The Gophers, who had just 27 two-out RBI this season, (57 for opponents), scored seven of their 11 runs against Ohio State with two down.
HISTORICAL NOTES
-The 'U' is in its 135th year in program history.
-John Anderson is in his 42nd year at the helm of Gopher Baseball, holding a 1,354-984-3 (.581) record. This includes a 606-401 (.603) 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 in April vs. Penn State. He's the only B1G coach to reach that mark.
-Anderson coached his 1,000th career B1G game in May against Indiana. He's the only coach in conference history to hit that mark.
SCOUTING PURDUE
-Purdue (12-15, 3-3 Big Ten) is led by fourth-year head coach Greg Goff. After going 29-21 (9-12 Big Ten) in 2022, Goff is trying to lead Purdue to its first NCAA Tournament in his time at the helm.
-Fifth-year shortstop Evan Albrecht leads the Boilers with a .357 average in 2023. He was an ABCA All-Region Second Team selection in 2022.
-Infielder Paul Toetz is providing the power for the team, hitting eight home runs with 37 RBI, which both rank in the top five in the Big Ten.
-Purdue dropped two of three to start conference play two weeks back at Michigan State before winning two of three at home last weekend vs. Northwestern. They'll host Penn State in West Lafayette next week.
-PU fell 12-10 in its mid-week game vs. Evansville.
SERIES HISTORYÂ
-Minnesota is 123-58-2 all-time against Purdue. In 2021, the Boilers took three of the four games at Siebert Field before the teams split two games in West Lafayette. Prior to that meeting, Minnesota went 2-0 in 2018 at Purdue. The Boilers took two of three at Siebert in 2017.
GEORGE KLASSEN NAMED BIG TEN PITCHER OF THE WEEK
-Redshirt sophomore right-hander George Klassen was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on March 20 after a career performance against Houston. He went 7.2 innings (career-best), striking out eight while allowing no earned runs and just one hit. It's the first conference weekly honor of his career.
BATEMAN PACING GOPHERS ONCE AGAIN
-Junior center fielder Brett Bateman is back for year three for Minnesota. He's Minnesota's returning leader in average (.312), hits (67), starts (52) and total bases (78).
-The Arden Hills, Minn., native had a team-best 22 multi-hit games as a sophomore in 2022, including 17 two-hit games and five three-hit games.
-In 2023, he ranks first on the team with 32 hits and a .330 average (2nd), with 11 multi-hit games. He went 6-for-11 with two RBI in the OSU series, tallying three-hit games on Saturday and Sunday.
-Bateman has been amazing in the field, posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with four outfield assists. His leaping catch at the wall March 17 vs. Houston was SportsCenter's No. 4 play on their top-10 plays of the night.
'U' WINS FIRST B1G ROAD SERIES SINCE 2019
-Minnesota took two of three from OSU to win its first conference road series since May 16-18, 2019.
-Trailing 2-0 in the ninth on Friday, Brady Counsell and Weber Neels hit home runs to tie the game before Jake Perry hit a game-winning RBI double.
-On Sunday, the Gophers got 6.0 innings of two-run ball from Richie Holetz. The offense scored five of its six runs in the second inning to take control.
-Including the OSU game, Minnesota is 25-16 under John Anderson in Big Ten openers (none in 2020).
GOPHERS AT SIEBERT FIELD
-Minnesota is 59-43 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.
FIELDING BECOMING A TEAM STRENGTH
-Minnesota ranks second in the Big Ten with a .976 fielding percentage thus far. The Gophers lead the conference in putouts (737) and assists (288) while making just 25 errors. The 'U' has made just five errors in the past 12 games.
PITCHING SHOWS IMPROVEMENT IN MARCH
-Minnesota's pitching staff got off to a slow start, posting an 0-7 record with a 7.92 ERA in February.Â
In March, however, the staff improved to a 4.31 ERA. Opponent batting average is down to 2.55 from the .289 it was in the first seven games.
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.
GOPHERS STEALING BASES AT A HIGH RATE
-Base stealing is a key element of Minnesota's game. They finished in the top-5 of the Big Ten last year and are on pace again in 2022.
-The Gophers are 28-40 in stolen bases, a number that's good for ninth in the league. Brett Bateman leads the team (5th in B1G) with 11 (11-13) on the year.
UP NEXT
Minnesota hosts NDSU on Wednesday before the Iowa Hawkeyes come to town for a three game set next weekend.
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