University of Minnesota Athletics
SOFTBALL TEAM HOSTS DRAKE, PENN STATE AND OHIO STATE
4/24/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Big Ten Update
With two weeks left in the Big Ten season, Michigan is the only team that has clinched a spot in the 2001 Big Ten Tournament. The Wolverines have a two-game lead over second-place Iowa, and those two teams play Saturday and Sunday at Alumni Field in Ann Arbor, Mich. Iowa, Ohio State and Illinois are in great shape to make the six-team conference tourney with their double-digit win totals. The other seven teams are mathematically alive for the final two spots in the post-season field. Entering the weekend, Minnesota is two games out of the sixth and final position for the 2001 Big Ten Tournament.
Minnesota Team Notes
Scoring first and scoring often continues to be a leading factor in the 2001 Minnesota softball season to this point. Minnesota has scored first in 24 of the 49 games it has played and has an 21-2-1 record when it does score first, including a 13-1 record when scoring in the first inning. The Gophers are 8-17 when the opposition scores first. Minnesota has rallied from a six-run deficit to beat UNC-Wilmington and a five-run hole to beat Indiana. Two runs has been the magic number for Minnesota offensively. The Gophers are 26-1 when they score two runs or more, with the only loss coming against Pacific in the final game of the Worth Invitational (Pacific 5, Minnesota 3). Minnesota is 3-18-1 when they score one run or fewer, including 11 shutouts.
Minnesota Individual Notes
First-year pitcher Piper Marten (Farmington, N.M./Farmington) has been the winning pitcher in 19 of Minnesota's 29 wins this season. She leads Minnesota in just about every pitching category, including appearances (42), innings pitched (190), strikeouts (219) and opponent batting average (.160). Marten needs nine strikeouts to become Minnesota's all- time single-season leader in strikeouts.
Minnesota Single-Season Strikeout Leaders 1.Angie Recknor 227 2000 2.Piper Marten 219 2001 3.Jennifer Johnson 186 1996 Sophomore pitcher Angie Recknor (Minnetonka, Minn./Hopkins) has been Minnesota's leading pitcher in Big Ten games. She has two of Minnesota four wins and has a 1.08 earned run average in 52 innings pitched. For her career, Recknor is 33-34 with a 1.68 ERA and 315 strikeouts in 452 innings.
Minnesota Career Strikeout Leaders 1.Jennifer Johnson 528 1993-97 2.Steph Klaviter 413 1996-99 3.Angie Recknor 315 2000-C About Penn State (27-19, 7-7 Big Ten)
The Nittany Lions enter the week in fifth place in the conference standings and in control of their own destiny to qualify for their third consecutive Big Ten Tournament. Penn State was swept by Michigan last Friday, but rebounded to sweep Michigan State to return to the .500 mark in Big Ten action.
The Series - Minnesota leads, 25-7. The teams split one-run games at Penn State last season, with the Lions winning 1-0 and the Gophers taking a 6-5 decision on April 23, 2000.
About Ohio State (36-13, 10-4 Big Ten)
The Buckeyes went 3-1 last weekend in Columbus, sweeping Michigan State and splitting with conference leader Michigan. The 3-2, 11-inning victory over the Wolverines was Michigan's first Big Ten loss of the season. Ohio State is the only team, other than first-year participant Illinois, to have never played in a Big Ten softball tournament.
The Series - Minnesota leads 51-19. The teams split games April 21, 2000, in Columbus. Minnesota won the opener, 8-2, and Ohio State took the nightcap, 9-1 in six innings.
Up Next
The Gophers conclude the 2001 regular season against two teams from the state of Wisconsin. Minnesota travels to Wisconsin-Green Bay for two games Tuesday, May 1, at 1 p.m., and hosts Big Ten foe Wisconsin for single games Saturday, May 5, at 6 p.m., and Sunday, May 6, at 1 p.m. at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium.