University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Travel to Madison for Regular Season Finale
5/2/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
GOPHERS TRAVEL TO MADISON FOR BIG TEN FINALE
This weekend will mark the end of the regular season for the Minnesota softball team (26-15, 7-7 Big Ten) when they travel to Madison for a two-game set with the last-place Wisconsin Badgers (15-38, 3-15 Big Ten). Saturday’s game will begin at noon at Goodman Softball Complex. Sunday’s series finale will also begin at noon.
Video and live stats will be available via Wisconsin’s website at uwbadgers.com.
POCKL POWERS PAST PHOENIX
The Golden Gopher softball team picked up the 1,000th win in program history en route to a doubleheader sweep of the Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix Wednesday evening at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. Minnesota’s Briana Hassett tossed a one-hit shutout in the game one 4-0 win, and Green Bay native Lauren Pockl connected on a grand slam in the 8-0 game two victory.
Hassett was outstanding in the circle in game one, going the distance for her 10th shutout of the season, striking out 11. She carried a no-hitter into the top of the seventh inning, with the lone hit for the Phoenix coming on an infield single Leah Korger. The big blow offensively for the Gophers was a three-run homer by Malisa Barnes in the first inning.
In game two, Katie Dalen went the distance while striking out seven in the 8-0, 6-inning victory. Game two’s big blow came off the bat of Pockl, a 2004 graduate of Green Bay Preble High School. With the bases loaded and one out against Amanda Margelofsky, Pockl crushed a 2-1 pitch high over the right center field wall for her first collegiate grand slam and Minnesota’s first of the season.
HOMETOWN GIRL
Junior Lauren Pockl has two home runs in her three-year Gopher career, and both of have held special meaning for the Green Bay Preble High School graduate. Last season, Pockl connected on a two-run blast against her hometown school, the Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix, in an 8-1 Gopher victory. Wednesday Pockl provided an encore to that performance, blasting a grand slam over the right center field wall at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium in game two against UW-GB.
In 47 career at-bats, Pockl has two home runs and seven RBIs.
THE SERIES VS. WISCONSIN
Wisconsin holds a narrow 13-11 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools, which dates back to 1996. The longest winning streak in the series is just four games, with the two teams splitting four of the last five meetings and five of the last seven.
LAST YEAR VS. WISCONSIN
Needing a sweep and some help elsewhere to make postseason play, the Gophers split their two meetings with the Badgers last season (May 5) at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. The Gophers saw their Big Ten Tournament hopes dashed in a 6-4 game one loss before bouncing back in game two, winning 5-4.
GOPHERS GET A GRAND
Minnesota’s 4-0 game one win over Wisconsin-Green Bay Wednesday marked the 1,000th win in the history of Golden Gopher softball. Minnesota now owns a 1,001-741-4 (.574) all-time record in the softball program’s 34 seasons, dating back to 1974. Minnesota is just the third Big Ten school to eclipse the 1,000-win barrier, trailing only Michigan (1,210 wins) and Iowa (1,073).
TOURNEY-BOUND
By splitting their final conference home doubleheader with Ohio State April 27, the Gopher softball team clinched its first Big Ten Tournament berth since 2004. The Gophers are currently positioned as the conference’s No. 4 seed.
PLAYOFF POSSIBILITIES
The Gophers (7-7) currently sit in fourth place in the Big Ten standings, and would play fifth-place Illinois in the first round on the Big Ten Tournament if the postseason began today. But with two conference games remaining, the playoff picture is far from clear. Minnesota can finish no higher than fourth, but could be as low as eighth if they lose two games against conference rival Wisconsin this weekend. The most likely playoff scenarios would have the Gophers finishing in fourth, fifth or sixth place.
Below is a listing of the remaining schedules of the Gophers’ possible first-round opponents. Minnesota is 1-1 this season against Illinois, 2-0 against Michigan State, and did not play Purdue or Penn State due to cancellations.
#4 Minnesota (24-15, 7-7 Big Ten) .500
Remaining games vs. Wisconsin
Losses: Northwestern (2), Michigan (2), Iowa (1), Illinois (1), Ohio State (1)
With a sweep: 9-7 (.563)
With a split: 8-8 (.500)
With 2 losses: 7-9 (.438)
#5 Illinois (29-28, 8-10 Big Ten) .444
Remaining games vs. Iowa
Losses: Northwestern (2), Michigan (2), Iowa (2), Michigan State (1), Purdue (1), Penn State (1), Ohio State (1)
With a sweep: 10-10 (.500)
With a split 9-11 (.450)
With 2 losses 8-12 (.400)
#6 Michigan State (25-24, 7-9 Big Ten) .438
Remaining games vs. Northwestern
Losses: Northwestern (2), Michigan (2), Iowa (2), Illinois (1), Purdue (1), Indiana (1)
With a sweep: 9-9 (.500)
With a split: 8-10 (.444)
With 2 losses: 7-11 (.389)
#7 Purdue (32-20, 7-9 Big Ten) .438
Remaining games vs. Indiana
Losses: Northwestern (2), Michigan (2), Iowa (2), Illinois (1), Michigan State (1), Ohio State (1)
With a sweep: 9-9 (.500)
With a split: 8-10 (.444)
With 2 losses: 7-11 (.389)
#8 Penn State (33-20, 6-10 Big Ten) .375
Remaining games vs. Michigan
Losses: Northwestern (2), Michigan (2), Iowa (2), Michigan State (1), Purdue (2), Ohio State (1)
With a sweep: 8-10 (.444)
With a split: 7-11 (.389)
With 2 losses: 6-12 (.333)
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
The 2008 season is not yet over, but Gopher hurler Briana Hassett has already made her mark in the Minnesota record books. With 239 strikeouts 10 shutouts in 29 games pitched, Hassett is currently fifth and fourth in those categories, respectively. Below are the up-to-date Gopher single-season records in those categories:
Strikeouts
Shutouts
BORDER BATTLE HANGS IN THE BALANCE
The winner of the fourth annual “Border Battle” between Minnesota and Wisconsin will most likely be determined by this weekend’s softball games. The competition, which began in 2004-05, features 40 points at stake in each sport in which the two schools compete against each other. If the teams meet four times annually (i.e. hockey), 10 points is at stake per competition; in sports with only a conference championship (men's and women's cross country, golf, indoor track and outdoor track, swimming and diving and women's rowing), 40 points are awarded to the team that places higher. Twenty points are at stake in each of this weekend’s softball games.
Currently, Minnesota sits 45 points behind the Badgers (380-335) with four sports yet to be determined softball, women’s rowing and outdoor track and field. The Gophers are projected to top the Badgers in rowing and split the men’s and women’s track competitions. If this scenario plays out, it means a softball sweep would give the Gophers a 455-420 win in 2007-08. Minnesota’s only other victory in the three-year history of the competition came in 2005-06 (530-350).
This weekend will mark the end of the regular season for the Minnesota softball team (26-15, 7-7 Big Ten) when they travel to Madison for a two-game set with the last-place Wisconsin Badgers (15-38, 3-15 Big Ten). Saturday’s game will begin at noon at Goodman Softball Complex. Sunday’s series finale will also begin at noon.
Video and live stats will be available via Wisconsin’s website at uwbadgers.com.
POCKL POWERS PAST PHOENIX
The Golden Gopher softball team picked up the 1,000th win in program history en route to a doubleheader sweep of the Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix Wednesday evening at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. Minnesota’s Briana Hassett tossed a one-hit shutout in the game one 4-0 win, and Green Bay native Lauren Pockl connected on a grand slam in the 8-0 game two victory.
Hassett was outstanding in the circle in game one, going the distance for her 10th shutout of the season, striking out 11. She carried a no-hitter into the top of the seventh inning, with the lone hit for the Phoenix coming on an infield single Leah Korger. The big blow offensively for the Gophers was a three-run homer by Malisa Barnes in the first inning.
In game two, Katie Dalen went the distance while striking out seven in the 8-0, 6-inning victory. Game two’s big blow came off the bat of Pockl, a 2004 graduate of Green Bay Preble High School. With the bases loaded and one out against Amanda Margelofsky, Pockl crushed a 2-1 pitch high over the right center field wall for her first collegiate grand slam and Minnesota’s first of the season.
HOMETOWN GIRL
Junior Lauren Pockl has two home runs in her three-year Gopher career, and both of have held special meaning for the Green Bay Preble High School graduate. Last season, Pockl connected on a two-run blast against her hometown school, the Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix, in an 8-1 Gopher victory. Wednesday Pockl provided an encore to that performance, blasting a grand slam over the right center field wall at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium in game two against UW-GB.
In 47 career at-bats, Pockl has two home runs and seven RBIs.
THE SERIES VS. WISCONSIN
Wisconsin holds a narrow 13-11 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools, which dates back to 1996. The longest winning streak in the series is just four games, with the two teams splitting four of the last five meetings and five of the last seven.
LAST YEAR VS. WISCONSIN
Needing a sweep and some help elsewhere to make postseason play, the Gophers split their two meetings with the Badgers last season (May 5) at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. The Gophers saw their Big Ten Tournament hopes dashed in a 6-4 game one loss before bouncing back in game two, winning 5-4.
GOPHERS GET A GRAND
Minnesota’s 4-0 game one win over Wisconsin-Green Bay Wednesday marked the 1,000th win in the history of Golden Gopher softball. Minnesota now owns a 1,001-741-4 (.574) all-time record in the softball program’s 34 seasons, dating back to 1974. Minnesota is just the third Big Ten school to eclipse the 1,000-win barrier, trailing only Michigan (1,210 wins) and Iowa (1,073).
TOURNEY-BOUND
By splitting their final conference home doubleheader with Ohio State April 27, the Gopher softball team clinched its first Big Ten Tournament berth since 2004. The Gophers are currently positioned as the conference’s No. 4 seed.
PLAYOFF POSSIBILITIES
The Gophers (7-7) currently sit in fourth place in the Big Ten standings, and would play fifth-place Illinois in the first round on the Big Ten Tournament if the postseason began today. But with two conference games remaining, the playoff picture is far from clear. Minnesota can finish no higher than fourth, but could be as low as eighth if they lose two games against conference rival Wisconsin this weekend. The most likely playoff scenarios would have the Gophers finishing in fourth, fifth or sixth place.
Below is a listing of the remaining schedules of the Gophers’ possible first-round opponents. Minnesota is 1-1 this season against Illinois, 2-0 against Michigan State, and did not play Purdue or Penn State due to cancellations.
#4 Minnesota (24-15, 7-7 Big Ten) .500
Remaining games vs. Wisconsin
Losses: Northwestern (2), Michigan (2), Iowa (1), Illinois (1), Ohio State (1)
With a sweep: 9-7 (.563)
With a split: 8-8 (.500)
With 2 losses: 7-9 (.438)
#5 Illinois (29-28, 8-10 Big Ten) .444
Remaining games vs. Iowa
Losses: Northwestern (2), Michigan (2), Iowa (2), Michigan State (1), Purdue (1), Penn State (1), Ohio State (1)
With a sweep: 10-10 (.500)
With a split 9-11 (.450)
With 2 losses 8-12 (.400)
#6 Michigan State (25-24, 7-9 Big Ten) .438
Remaining games vs. Northwestern
Losses: Northwestern (2), Michigan (2), Iowa (2), Illinois (1), Purdue (1), Indiana (1)
With a sweep: 9-9 (.500)
With a split: 8-10 (.444)
With 2 losses: 7-11 (.389)
#7 Purdue (32-20, 7-9 Big Ten) .438
Remaining games vs. Indiana
Losses: Northwestern (2), Michigan (2), Iowa (2), Illinois (1), Michigan State (1), Ohio State (1)
With a sweep: 9-9 (.500)
With a split: 8-10 (.444)
With 2 losses: 7-11 (.389)
#8 Penn State (33-20, 6-10 Big Ten) .375
Remaining games vs. Michigan
Losses: Northwestern (2), Michigan (2), Iowa (2), Michigan State (1), Purdue (2), Ohio State (1)
With a sweep: 8-10 (.444)
With a split: 7-11 (.389)
With 2 losses: 6-12 (.333)
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
The 2008 season is not yet over, but Gopher hurler Briana Hassett has already made her mark in the Minnesota record books. With 239 strikeouts 10 shutouts in 29 games pitched, Hassett is currently fifth and fourth in those categories, respectively. Below are the up-to-date Gopher single-season records in those categories:
Strikeouts
| 1. | 311 | Piper Marten | 2003 |
| 2. | 301 | Piper Marten | 2002 |
| 3. | 261 | Piper Marten | 2004 |
| 4. | 249 | Piper Marten | 2001 |
| 5. | 239 | Briana Hassett | 2008 |
| 6. | 227 | Angie Recknor | 2000 |
Shutouts
| 1. | 14 | Vicki Swanson | 1978 |
| 2. | 11 | Piper Marten | 2003 |
| 11 | Steph Klaviter | 1999 | |
| 4. | 10 | Angie Recknor | 2000 |
| 10 | Briana Hassett | 2008 | |
| 6. | 9 | Sarah Maschka | 1993 |
| 9 | Brenda Bixby | 1988 |
BORDER BATTLE HANGS IN THE BALANCE
The winner of the fourth annual “Border Battle” between Minnesota and Wisconsin will most likely be determined by this weekend’s softball games. The competition, which began in 2004-05, features 40 points at stake in each sport in which the two schools compete against each other. If the teams meet four times annually (i.e. hockey), 10 points is at stake per competition; in sports with only a conference championship (men's and women's cross country, golf, indoor track and outdoor track, swimming and diving and women's rowing), 40 points are awarded to the team that places higher. Twenty points are at stake in each of this weekend’s softball games.
Currently, Minnesota sits 45 points behind the Badgers (380-335) with four sports yet to be determined softball, women’s rowing and outdoor track and field. The Gophers are projected to top the Badgers in rowing and split the men’s and women’s track competitions. If this scenario plays out, it means a softball sweep would give the Gophers a 455-420 win in 2007-08. Minnesota’s only other victory in the three-year history of the competition came in 2005-06 (530-350).
Players Mentioned
IF
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/ SoftballHighlights: Gophers 5, SIUE 0
Tuesday, March 10
Highlights: Gophers 4, Indiana 6
Sunday, March 08
Highlights: Gophers 2, Indiana 0
Friday, March 06
Highlights: Gophers 6, Central Michigan 1
Saturday, February 21