University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Hosts Illinois in Big Ten Series at Siebert Field
4/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
 Minnesota will play its first games at Siebert Field in 2008, as it hosts Illinois on Apr. 18-20. The Golden Gophers will face the Illini on Friday, Apr. 18 at 3:05, in a doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 19 at 1:05 p.m. and will finish up the series on Sunday, Apr. 20 at 1:05 p.m. All four games can be heard on KLBB (1220 AM) or on gophersports.com. The final three games can also be seen on live video in the Gold Zone. Minnesota enters the series with a 15-18 overall record and is tied with Northwestern for fifth place in the Big Ten at 5-7. Illinois has an 18-13 overall record, and is fourth place in the Big Ten at 6-6.
Minnesota and Illinois have met 15 times over the course of the last three years. Last year, the Golden Gophers won three of four at Champaign, and claimed a 10-3 win in the Big Ten Tournament at Ann Arbor on May 24, 2007. In 2006, Illinois handed Minnesota what is still its last home Big Ten series loss as the Illini defeated the Golden Gophers three out of four times at the Metrodome. Minnesota turned the tables on Illinois with an 8-1 win in the Big Ten Tournament on May 24, 2006 at Ann Arbor. The Golden Gophers won three out of four against the Illini, who won the Big Ten regular-season championship, at Siebert Field in 2005. Minnesota, who was the sixth-seed in the Big Ten Tournament that year, upended top-seeded Illinois in Champaign 11-8 on May 26, 2005.
 After Minnesota’s matchup with Illinois this week, the Golden Gophers will have faced the four of the top five hitting teams in the Big Ten in their first four weeks of the conference season. Minnesota faced Indiana in the first week of Big Ten play, Ohio State in the second week and Northwestern in the third week. The Hoosiers are first in the Big Ten in batting average at .329, the Buckeyes are third at .323 and the Wildcats are fifth at .305. Illinois is second in the Big Ten in batting average at .324 heading into the series.
 Junior Matt Nohelty has collected 19 multi-hit games in the Golden Gophers’ 33 contests this year. Nohelty has three or more hits in 12 games this year. He currently leads the Big Ten in hits with 60, and is fourth in batting average at .420. Nohelty is currently on pace to become only the second Golden Gopher to collect 100 hits in a season. Robb Quinlan holds the school’s single-season record with 107 in 1999.
 Senior catcher Jeff DeSmidt went 3-for-5 with a home run, a run and three RBI against Northern Iowa to raise his average to .402 on the season. DeSmidt is tied for the most home runs in the Big Ten by a catcher with Indiana’s Josh Phegley. He is also second in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage among Big Ten catchers. DeSmidt is batting .436 with 12 RBI in April.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Minnesota Illinois
RHP Tom Buske RHP Kevin Manson
(4-3, 3.83 ERA) (3-1, 5.65 ERA)
LHP Kyle Carr RHP Scott Shaw
(2-4, 4.71 ERA) (3-2, 7.82 ERA)
RHP Seth Rosin LHP Phil Haig
(1-0, 3.69 ERA) (0-1, 4.50 ERA)
RHP Dustin Brabender RHP Aaron Martin
(3-3, 5.49 ERA) (4-3, 4.89 ERA)
Minnesota and Illinois have met 15 times over the course of the last three years. Last year, the Golden Gophers won three of four at Champaign, and claimed a 10-3 win in the Big Ten Tournament at Ann Arbor on May 24, 2007. In 2006, Illinois handed Minnesota what is still its last home Big Ten series loss as the Illini defeated the Golden Gophers three out of four times at the Metrodome. Minnesota turned the tables on Illinois with an 8-1 win in the Big Ten Tournament on May 24, 2006 at Ann Arbor. The Golden Gophers won three out of four against the Illini, who won the Big Ten regular-season championship, at Siebert Field in 2005. Minnesota, who was the sixth-seed in the Big Ten Tournament that year, upended top-seeded Illinois in Champaign 11-8 on May 26, 2005.
 After Minnesota’s matchup with Illinois this week, the Golden Gophers will have faced the four of the top five hitting teams in the Big Ten in their first four weeks of the conference season. Minnesota faced Indiana in the first week of Big Ten play, Ohio State in the second week and Northwestern in the third week. The Hoosiers are first in the Big Ten in batting average at .329, the Buckeyes are third at .323 and the Wildcats are fifth at .305. Illinois is second in the Big Ten in batting average at .324 heading into the series.
 Junior Matt Nohelty has collected 19 multi-hit games in the Golden Gophers’ 33 contests this year. Nohelty has three or more hits in 12 games this year. He currently leads the Big Ten in hits with 60, and is fourth in batting average at .420. Nohelty is currently on pace to become only the second Golden Gopher to collect 100 hits in a season. Robb Quinlan holds the school’s single-season record with 107 in 1999.
 Senior catcher Jeff DeSmidt went 3-for-5 with a home run, a run and three RBI against Northern Iowa to raise his average to .402 on the season. DeSmidt is tied for the most home runs in the Big Ten by a catcher with Indiana’s Josh Phegley. He is also second in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage among Big Ten catchers. DeSmidt is batting .436 with 12 RBI in April.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Minnesota Illinois
RHP Tom Buske RHP Kevin Manson
(4-3, 3.83 ERA) (3-1, 5.65 ERA)
LHP Kyle Carr RHP Scott Shaw
(2-4, 4.71 ERA) (3-2, 7.82 ERA)
RHP Seth Rosin LHP Phil Haig
(1-0, 3.69 ERA) (0-1, 4.50 ERA)
RHP Dustin Brabender RHP Aaron Martin
(3-3, 5.49 ERA) (4-3, 4.89 ERA)
Players Mentioned
RHP
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