University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota to Host Dairy Queen Classic Mar. 2-4
3/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
• The Minnesota baseball program will host the 23rd annual Dairy Queen Classic Mar. 2-4. Mississippi, who is ranked No. 16, and No. 5 Arkansas will kick off the tournament when they play in a non-conference matchup on Friday, Mar. 2 at 12:15 p.m. Minnesota will play the second game of the tournament when it faces The Citadel for the second time in three games at 6:35 p.m. in the Golden Gophers first game of the tournament. Arkansas and The Citadel will face each other on Saturday, Mar. 3 at 12 p.m., followed by Minnesota facing Mississippi at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday. The Citadel will finish the tournament when it faces Mississippi on Sunday, Mar. 4 at 11 a.m. Minnesota will face Arkansas in the final game of the tournament on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. Arkansas enters the tournament with a 9-3 overall record. The Razorbacks will be making their third appearance in the Dairy Queen Classic. Arkansas went 1-2 in 1993 and in 2001 in the tournament. Mississippi is making its first appearance in the Dairy Queen Classic. The Rebels are the eighth SEC team to play in the tournament, joining Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina and Tennessee. The Citadel will also be making its first appearance in the tournament, and the first by a Southern Conference team.
• Minnesota is off to a 3-0 start for the first time since the 1998 season when the Golden Gophers jumped out to a 7-0 start. In 1998, Minnesota swept Nebraska at the Metrodome, defeated Washington in Yuma, Ariz. and then won the first three games (two vs. San Diego State and one vs. San Diego) at the San Diego Classic. Minnesota’s 3-0 start this year is the first away from home since the 1980 season. That year, the Golden Gophers defeated Texas Lutheran in the first two games of the season, and then won at Texas in the third game of the season.
• Minnesota used eight different pitchers to combined for a 2.33 ERA in the first three games of the season. The Golden Gophers gave up just 19 hits and 11 walks in 27.0 innings of work in the first weekend of action. Minnesota also had 19 strikeouts and had a .198 batting average by its opposition as well. Two of Minnesota’s three wins came from its starting pitchers as Junior Dustin Brabender and Sophomore Tyler Oakes each picked up one apiece. Senior reliever Bill Johnson had the other win, while senior Josh Oslin picked up two saves and senior Marcus McKenzie picked up the other.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Minnesota Opponent
RHP Gary Perinar RHP Wes Wrenn, The Citadel
(5-2, 3.86 ERA in 2006) (1-0, 3.71 ERA, 3 GS)
RHP Dustin Brabender RHP Lance Lynn, Mississippi
(6-5, 3.96 ERA in 2006) (1-2, 1.69 ERA, 3 GS )
RHP Tyler Oakes LHP Nick Schmidt
(1-3, 7.01 ERA in 2006) (2-0, 1.71 ERA, 4 GS)
• Minnesota is off to a 3-0 start for the first time since the 1998 season when the Golden Gophers jumped out to a 7-0 start. In 1998, Minnesota swept Nebraska at the Metrodome, defeated Washington in Yuma, Ariz. and then won the first three games (two vs. San Diego State and one vs. San Diego) at the San Diego Classic. Minnesota’s 3-0 start this year is the first away from home since the 1980 season. That year, the Golden Gophers defeated Texas Lutheran in the first two games of the season, and then won at Texas in the third game of the season.
• Minnesota used eight different pitchers to combined for a 2.33 ERA in the first three games of the season. The Golden Gophers gave up just 19 hits and 11 walks in 27.0 innings of work in the first weekend of action. Minnesota also had 19 strikeouts and had a .198 batting average by its opposition as well. Two of Minnesota’s three wins came from its starting pitchers as Junior Dustin Brabender and Sophomore Tyler Oakes each picked up one apiece. Senior reliever Bill Johnson had the other win, while senior Josh Oslin picked up two saves and senior Marcus McKenzie picked up the other.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Minnesota Opponent
RHP Gary Perinar RHP Wes Wrenn, The Citadel
(5-2, 3.86 ERA in 2006) (1-0, 3.71 ERA, 3 GS)
RHP Dustin Brabender RHP Lance Lynn, Mississippi
(6-5, 3.96 ERA in 2006) (1-2, 1.69 ERA, 3 GS )
RHP Tyler Oakes LHP Nick Schmidt
(1-3, 7.01 ERA in 2006) (2-0, 1.71 ERA, 4 GS)
Players Mentioned
RHP
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