Minnesota Heads Back to Texas to Compete in Karbach Round Rock Classic

Note: The game on Friday, Feb. 21 will now be played at 12 p.m. CT.

Friday, Feb. 21
Minnesota vs. Oklahoma
First Pitch: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Dell Diamond, Round Rock Texas
Gopher starter: TBD
Sooner starter: TBD
Watch: D1Baseball.com

Saturday, Feb. 22
Minnesota vs. Virginia
First Pitch: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Dell Diamond, Round Rock Texas
Gopher starter: TBD
Cavaliers starter: TBD
Watch: D1Baseball.com

Sunday, Feb. 23
Minnesota vs. Oregon State
First Pitch: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Dell Diamond, Round Rock Texas
Gopher starter: TBD
Beavers' starter: TBD
Watch: D1Baseball.com

MINNEAPOLIS- The University of Minnesota baseball team heads down to Texas for the second weekend in a row to compete in the Karbach Round Rock Classic. The Gophers are set to play Oklahoma, No.2 Virginia, and No.7 Oregon State from Friday, Feb. 21 through Sunday, Feb. 23.

Entering the McDevitt Era
- Head coach Ty McDevitt is entering his first season as the Gopher baseball skipper. McDevitt previously served as the 'U' pitching coach from 2019-2024 and volunteer assistant from 2017-2018.
- McDevitt takes over after the retirement of longtime coach John Anderson's 43 years at the helm of the program.
- Coach McDevitt picked up his first career victory on opening night in convincing fashion with a 14-3 victory over Houston on Feb.14.

Opponent History
- The Gophers and Sooners squared off for the first time in 1926, and most recently in 2019 in Minnesota. The Sooners took the 2023 series 2-1 and currently lead the series 11-12.
- This will be the first time in program history that the Gophers face the Virginia Cavaliers.
- The Gophers and Beavers first squared off back in 1990 and most recently in 2023 in Surprise, AZ. The Beavers won that game 8-7 and currently lead 3-11 all time.

Scouting the Sooners
- The Sooners sit 3-0 on the season thus far after earning the sweep over Lehigh.
- Red shirt sophomore transfer Sam Christiansen leads the team with a .600 BA.
- Malachi Witherspoon leads the Sooner pitching staff with a 1.80 ERA and 5.0 innings pitched.
- Oklahoma head coach Skip Johnson is in his eighth season at the helm of the program.

Scouting the Cavaliers
- The Cavaliers are currently ranked No.2 by D1Baseball and have a 2-1 record.
- They played in the Puerto Rico Challenge on opening weekend, losing the opener to Michigan in 11 innings before picking up victories over Villanova and Rice.
- Sophomore Eric Becker leads the team with .500 BA.
- Tomas Valincius leads the pitching staff with 6.0 innings and a win.
- Head coach Brian O'Connor is in his 22nd season at the helm.

Scouting the Beavers
- No. 7 Oregon State is 4-0 on the season after picking up wins over UNLV, Indiana and two wins over Xaiver at the College Baseball Classic.
- Junior Aiva Arquette leads the team with a .538 BA.
- Mitch Canham is entering his sixth season as the Beavers head coach.

Weekend Recap
- The Gophers went 1-2 on opening weekend vs. Houston.
- On Friday night the Gophers picked up a convincing victory 14-3 before falling 4-2 on Saturday and 8-7 on Sunday.
- During opening weekend Drew Berkland led the team with a .395 batting average along with two home runs, a double and seven RBIs.
- On the mound Cole Selvig picked up the victory on Friday after throwing 6.0 innings and collecting six strikeouts.

D1Baseball Honors
- Senior Jake Perry and junior Weber Neels were named D1Baseball 2025 Preseason Player Rankings: Top 50 Lists. Redshirt senior Josh Fitzgerald was named to the Top 100 Outfielders Preseason Player Rankings.
- Perry was ranked as the No. 23 third baseman and Neels the No. 40 catcher.
- Perry held a .305 batting average in 2024, smacking a team-high 20 doubles, which led the Big Ten.
- Neels hit .317 in 2024 and scored 33 runs which was a team high. Perry and Neels tied with a team-high 43 RBIs each.

On the Road Again
- Following the Round Rock Classic, the Gophers will head to Tempe, AZ for a three-game series with Arizona State Feb.28- March 2.

For more information on the Gopher baseball program, fans can continue to use GopherSports.com, as well as follow the team on X, Instagram, and Facebook.

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Players Mentioned

Drew Berkland

Josh Fitzgerald

Weber Neels

Jake Perry

Cole Selvig