University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Welcomes Northwestern to Metrodome
4/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Minnesota baseball team (17-10, 3-2) will host Northwestern (7-20, 1-4) at the Metrodome in a three-game series on Apr. 10-12. The Golden Gophers will host the Wildcats on Friday, Apr. 10 at 6:35 p.m., Saturday, Apr. 11 at 2:05 p.m. and Sunday, Apr. 12 at 1:05 p.m.
All three games can be heard on gophersports.com, and the final two games can be heard on KLBB (1220 AM).
Minnesota enters the week in a three-way tied for second place in the Big Ten at 3-2. Illinois leads the conference at 4-2, while Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State are tied for fifth at 3-3. Iowa is nine at 2-4, and Northwestern is in 10th at 1-4. The Golden Gophers enter the series with a 17-10 overall record, while the Wildcats are 7-20.
This week, the Golden Gophers split a pair of games with Missouri in the middle of the week as they won the first game 7-3 and lost the second game 20-5. Northwestern defeated Elmhurst 16-0 and Northern Illinois 6-5 in a pair of midweek games.
Minnesota is led by sophomore Michael Kvasnicka who is batting .378 with three homers, 29 RBI and 24 runs, while redshirt freshman AJ Pettersen leads the team with a .384 batting average, with 29 runs and 22 RBI. Junior Derek McCallum is also batting .364 with 19 runs, a team-high four home runs and a team-best 32 RBI, while Matt Nohelty is batting .357 with 28 runs, 15 RBI and 11 stolen bases. Nohelty currently has a 16-game hitting streak and has reached base in 43 straight games dating back to 2008.
Northwesten is led by Chad Noble who is batting .292 with 18 runs and 16 RBI. Jake Goebbert leads the team with 21 RBI, has three home runs, a team-best 22 runs and a .274 batting average. Tony Vercelli leads the team with four home runs, has 15 RBI, 16 runs and a .286 batting average.
Friday's opening game will feature a matchup between Minnesota senior Chauncy Handran and Northwestern sophomore Eric Jokisch. Handran has won five straight decisions, and is 5-1 with a 2.80 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 45.0 innings of work. Handran is the first Golden Gopher pitcher with five straight wins since 2007. Jokisch, who was the 2008 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, is 2-3 with a 3.25 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 52.2 innings.
Saturday's matchup will feature Golden Gopher senior Tom Buske against Wildcat freshman Zach Morton. Buske is 4-2 with 2.34 ERA and has struck out 37 batters in 42.1 innings. He also leads the Big Ten in opposing batting average at .198. Morton has made six starts and is 0-3 with a 4.97 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 29.0 innings of work
Sunday's pitching matchip will be sophomore Seth Rosin against Northwestern junior Joe Muraski. Rosin is 2-1 with a 4.41 ERA and has struck out 23 batters in 32.2 innings, while Muraski is 2-4 with a 5.53 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 42. 1 innings.
Last year, the two teams split a four-game series in Evanston. The Golden Gophers had trouble getting to Evanston, and the Saturday game was postponed due to weather. That set up a situation that saw the teams squeeze in all four games on Sunday and Monday.
All three games can be heard on gophersports.com, and the final two games can be heard on KLBB (1220 AM).
Minnesota enters the week in a three-way tied for second place in the Big Ten at 3-2. Illinois leads the conference at 4-2, while Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State and Michigan State are tied for fifth at 3-3. Iowa is nine at 2-4, and Northwestern is in 10th at 1-4. The Golden Gophers enter the series with a 17-10 overall record, while the Wildcats are 7-20.
This week, the Golden Gophers split a pair of games with Missouri in the middle of the week as they won the first game 7-3 and lost the second game 20-5. Northwestern defeated Elmhurst 16-0 and Northern Illinois 6-5 in a pair of midweek games.
Minnesota is led by sophomore Michael Kvasnicka who is batting .378 with three homers, 29 RBI and 24 runs, while redshirt freshman AJ Pettersen leads the team with a .384 batting average, with 29 runs and 22 RBI. Junior Derek McCallum is also batting .364 with 19 runs, a team-high four home runs and a team-best 32 RBI, while Matt Nohelty is batting .357 with 28 runs, 15 RBI and 11 stolen bases. Nohelty currently has a 16-game hitting streak and has reached base in 43 straight games dating back to 2008.
Northwesten is led by Chad Noble who is batting .292 with 18 runs and 16 RBI. Jake Goebbert leads the team with 21 RBI, has three home runs, a team-best 22 runs and a .274 batting average. Tony Vercelli leads the team with four home runs, has 15 RBI, 16 runs and a .286 batting average.
Friday's opening game will feature a matchup between Minnesota senior Chauncy Handran and Northwestern sophomore Eric Jokisch. Handran has won five straight decisions, and is 5-1 with a 2.80 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 45.0 innings of work. Handran is the first Golden Gopher pitcher with five straight wins since 2007. Jokisch, who was the 2008 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, is 2-3 with a 3.25 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 52.2 innings.
Saturday's matchup will feature Golden Gopher senior Tom Buske against Wildcat freshman Zach Morton. Buske is 4-2 with 2.34 ERA and has struck out 37 batters in 42.1 innings. He also leads the Big Ten in opposing batting average at .198. Morton has made six starts and is 0-3 with a 4.97 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 29.0 innings of work
Sunday's pitching matchip will be sophomore Seth Rosin against Northwestern junior Joe Muraski. Rosin is 2-1 with a 4.41 ERA and has struck out 23 batters in 32.2 innings, while Muraski is 2-4 with a 5.53 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 42. 1 innings.
Last year, the two teams split a four-game series in Evanston. The Golden Gophers had trouble getting to Evanston, and the Saturday game was postponed due to weather. That set up a situation that saw the teams squeeze in all four games on Sunday and Monday.
Players Mentioned
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