Gopher Softball Team Opens 2007 Season in Jacksonville This Weekend

The University of Minnesota softball team opens the 2007 regular season this weekend by participating in the JU Tournament in Jacksonville, Fla. The Golden Gophers will play UNC Greensboro in their season opener on Friday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. (CST) and immediately turn around to play host Jacksonville University at 4 p.m. Minnesota will play the same two teams on Saturday at 9 a.m., and 11 a.m., and conclude the tournament on Sunday at 9 a.m., against Southern Illinois.

JU Tournament Schedule
Date...........................Opponent.....................Time
Friday, Feb. 9............UNC Greensboro..........2 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 9............Jacksonville...................4 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 10......UNC Greensboro..........9 a.m.
Saturday, Feb. 10......Jacksonville.................11 a.m.
Sunday, Feb. 11........Southern Illinois..............9 a.m.

All games played at JU Softball Complex in Jacksonville, Fla.
All times listed as Central Standard Time

Follow the Gophers Live
Live stats of Minnesota's games against Jacksonville University will be available on Gametracker through Jacksonville's website at JUDolphins.com.

Looking Forward
After experiencing a disappointing 2006 season, the Golden Gophers are solely focused on the task at hand this season. Minnesota will rely on a solid nucleus of five seniors and a core of talented young players who have the ability to lead the Gophers to increased success.

The Gophers return their top four hitters from a season ago, including senior Megan Higginbotham, who has led the team in batting in each of her three seasons in a Minnesota uniform. Junior college transfer Lisa Parks came on strong at the end of the 2006 season and led the team in home runs and RBI. Katie Meyer is also expected to be one of the team’s key contributors at the plate.

Minnesota will have a different look defensively, with Higginbotham moving to shortstop to make room for talented sophomore catcher Shannon Stemper. Colleen Conway will move from short to second, and a pair of seniors – Parks and Mandy Valadez – will secure the corners. The Gophers will employ an outfield comprised of three juniors – Chrissy Sward, Casey Wheeler and Colleen Powers. The versatile Amber Nelsen will also see significant time with her ability to play anywhere on the field.

In the circle, sophomores Katie Dalen and Briana Hassett look to utilize the experience they gained last season and will join senior Rene Konderik in the rotation with their sights set on leading the Gophers to more wins in 2007.

A number of other players will also be utilized in specialty situations. Heidi Carls and Lauren Pockl will primarily be used to pinch hit, while the Gophers will rely on the speed of Bethany Wolvington and Sila Fernandez in pinch-running situations.

Gopher Softball Notebook

500 and Counting
Minnesota co-head coach Lisa Bernstein recorded her 500th career win at Wisconsin on April 9, 2006, and now has 505 for her career. She was hired in 1992 and currently has a career record of 505-373-3 in 15 years. Bernstein has led Minnesota to five NCAA appearances.

Out of this League
The Golden Gophers will look to continue a recent trend of success over non-conference opponents. Minnesota has had a .500 record or better against non-conference opponents in 11 straight seasons, including a 16-16 record in 2006. The last time the Golden Gophers were under .500 against non-conference opponents was in 1995. Since then, Minnesota is 288-142-2 (.669) against teams from outside the Big Ten.

Assault on the Record Books
Senior Megan Higginbotham has established herself as one of the best hitters ever to play for the Golden Gophers. She batted .358 as a true freshman and .411 as a sophomore, an average that ranked fifth in school history. Overall, Higginbotham is now batting .366 for her career, the fourth-highest batting average in school history.

Minnesota All-Time Batting Leaders:
1. .399 - Amber Hegland (1995-98)
2. .393 - Shelly Madernach (1976-79)
3. .386 - Rachel Nelson (1994-97)
4. .366 - Megan Higginbotham (2004-pres.)

On the Road Again
The inevitable result of winter in Minnesota, the Golden Gophers are forced to play the first two months of their schedule on the road. Minnesota will play its first 31 games on the road this season, with destinations including the warm states of Florida, Oklahoma and California. Minnesota’s first home game will be on Friday, Apr. 6 against Iowa.

The Golden Gophers also had quite a journey in 2006. Minnesota opened the season on February 10, but did not play its first home game until April 21. In between, the Gophers played their first 37 games on the road. The Gophers traveled a total of over 9,200 miles before their home opener.

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