University of Minnesota Athletics
Anderson to Receive 2027 ABCA/WIlson Lefty Gomez Award
7/8/2026 10:10:00 AM | Baseball
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – Former University of Minnesota head baseball coach John Anderson is set to receive the 2027 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) / Wilson Lefty Gomez Award.
Named after former Major League Baseball left handed pitcher Lefty Gomez, the annual award is presented to an individual who has contributed significantly to the game of baseball locally, nationally, and internationally.
Anderson was named the 13th head coach in Gopher baseball history in the fall of 1981 at just 26 years old, making him the youngest head baseball coach in Big Ten history.
Throughout his time with the Maroon and Gold, Anderson became the winningest coach in both University of Minnesota and Big Ten Conference history. Retiring following the 2024 season with a career record of 1390-1021-3, Anderson ranked 20th all-time among NCAA Division I coaches in career victories.
Under Anderson, the Gophers captured 11 Big Ten regular season championships and a conference-best 10 Big Ten Tournament titles. Minnesota also made 19 NCAA postseason appearances, including a historic 2018 season in which Minnesota hosted an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2000 and advanced to the program's first NCAA Super Regional.
Anderson was named Big Ten Coach of the Year eight times and earned ABCA Mideast Region Coach of the Year honors in 2004, 2010 and 2018. He was inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame in 2008 and became a member of the University of Minnesota "M" Club Hall of Fame in 2002.
The 2027 Lefty Gomez Award will be formally presented during the ABCA Hall of Fame Banquet presented on Friday, January 8, 2027, as part of the 83rd annual ABCA Convention in Chicago, Illinois.