University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Heads to Big East/Big Ten Challenge
2/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
 The Minnesota baseball team will play in the first annual Big East/Big Ten Challenge this week to open the 2009 season. Minnesota will open the season against Seton Hall on Friday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. (CT) at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, Fla. The Golden Gophers will face West Virginia on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 9 a.m. (CT) at Jack Russell Stadium. Minnesota will finish the weekend against the only Big Ten opponent it does not face in 2009, Michigan State. The Golden Gophers face the Spartans on Sunday, Feb. 22 at 9 a.m. (CT) at the Naimoli Complex in St. Petersburg. The Friday and Sunday games can be heard on KLBB (1220 AM) and all three games can be heard live on gohpersports.com. All 10 Big Ten teams are participating in the challenge, while Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Notre Dame, St. John’s, Seton Hall, South Florida and West Virginia are participating out of the Big East. The event is being held in Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Bradenton and Dunedin.
Minnesota will face Seton Hall for the first time in school history on Feb. 20. The Golden Gophers are 1-0 all-time against West Virginia. Minnesota beat the Mountainers in the 2004 Dairy Queen Classic on the way to winning the tournament title.
 Minnesota returns 12 pitchers from last year’s roster. Eight of those pitchers were freshmen last year, and nine were newcomers. Of Minnesota’s 172 appearances by pitchers in 2008, 111 were by newcomers or redshirt freshman. All eight of the Golden Gophers saves came from freshmen or newcomers on the roster, and 10 of the wins came from that group. Two of the three pitchers on that list are slated to start this week. Senior Chauncy Handran (transferred from Miles CC last year) takes the mound for Minnesota on Friday and Seth Rosin goes on Sunday. Senior Tom Buske will start for the Golden Gophers on Sunday. Tyler Oakes joins Buske and Handran as the other senior pitcher on the staff. Junior Allen Bechstein is the other returning pitcher on the staff. Minnesota also brings in freshman Austin Lubinsky to the mix as well.
 Minnesota will start the season with an infield that consists of three redshirt freshmen and a junior. Junior second baseman Derek McCallum is coming off a season in which he batted .291 with 28 runs and 32 RBI. McCallum was second in the Northwoods League MVP voting this past summer, and moves back to second base where he batted .340 as a freshman. Redshirt freshmen Nick O’Shea batted .279 with six home runs and 38 RBI in the Northwoods League, while redshirt freshmen AJ Pettersen also had a standout season in the Northwoods League as well. Redshirt freshmen Kyle Geason also played in the New England Collegiate League this past summer. O’Shea will replace Tom Steidl at first base, while Geason replaces Nate Hanson at third. McCallum moves over to second base to take Jeremy Chlan’s place, while Pettersen will move over to shortstop to fill the vacated spot by McCallum.
Minnesota will face Seton Hall for the first time in school history on Feb. 20. The Golden Gophers are 1-0 all-time against West Virginia. Minnesota beat the Mountainers in the 2004 Dairy Queen Classic on the way to winning the tournament title.
 Minnesota returns 12 pitchers from last year’s roster. Eight of those pitchers were freshmen last year, and nine were newcomers. Of Minnesota’s 172 appearances by pitchers in 2008, 111 were by newcomers or redshirt freshman. All eight of the Golden Gophers saves came from freshmen or newcomers on the roster, and 10 of the wins came from that group. Two of the three pitchers on that list are slated to start this week. Senior Chauncy Handran (transferred from Miles CC last year) takes the mound for Minnesota on Friday and Seth Rosin goes on Sunday. Senior Tom Buske will start for the Golden Gophers on Sunday. Tyler Oakes joins Buske and Handran as the other senior pitcher on the staff. Junior Allen Bechstein is the other returning pitcher on the staff. Minnesota also brings in freshman Austin Lubinsky to the mix as well.
 Minnesota will start the season with an infield that consists of three redshirt freshmen and a junior. Junior second baseman Derek McCallum is coming off a season in which he batted .291 with 28 runs and 32 RBI. McCallum was second in the Northwoods League MVP voting this past summer, and moves back to second base where he batted .340 as a freshman. Redshirt freshmen Nick O’Shea batted .279 with six home runs and 38 RBI in the Northwoods League, while redshirt freshmen AJ Pettersen also had a standout season in the Northwoods League as well. Redshirt freshmen Kyle Geason also played in the New England Collegiate League this past summer. O’Shea will replace Tom Steidl at first base, while Geason replaces Nate Hanson at third. McCallum moves over to second base to take Jeremy Chlan’s place, while Pettersen will move over to shortstop to fill the vacated spot by McCallum.
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