.png&width=42&height=42&type=webp)
University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Wins 12-3 on Senior Day
5/3/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The Minnesota baseball team (30-13, 13-4) completed a three-game sweep with a 12-3 victory over Iowa (14-30, 3-14) in the series finale on "Senior Day" at Siebert Field on Sunday, May 3.
With the series sweep, Minnesota moved into second place in the Big Ten at 13-4. Illinois still holds a half game lead at 14-4, while Ohio State dropped to 13-5 in conference play with a loss to Michigan on Sunday.
After starting out 6-4 in Big Ten play, the Golden Gophers have ripped off seven straight conference victories. The seven-game Big Ten winning streak is the longest by a Minnesota team since the Golden Gophers started the 2003 season 11-0 in conference play.
Minnesota also claimed its 30th victory of the season on the day. It is the 26th time in 28 season under John Anderson that the Golden Gophers have won 30 or more contests. It also was the seventh straight year that the Golden Gophers have won on "Senior Day".
The Golden Gophers offense pounded out 12 runs on 13 hits on the day against Iowa. Minnesota ended up outscoring the Hawkeyes 42 to 15 on the series.
Offensively, Minnesota was led by redshirt freshman Nick O'Shea (Blaine, Minn.) who went 3-for-5 with a home run and a career-high four RBI. Junior Kyle Knudson (Maple Grove, Minn.) reached base four times, and was 2-for-3 with a run and three RBI. Derek McCallum (Shoreview, Minn.) also reached base four times, and was 3-for-4 with two doubles, three runs and an RBI.
Michael Kvasnicka (Lakeville, Minn.) went 2-for-5 with two runs, a double and an RBI, while AJ Pettersen (Minnetonka, Minn.) was 1-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Eric Decker (Cold Spring, Minn.) was also 1-for-4 with a run and reached base twice for Minnesota.
Senior Matt Nohelty (Rothschild, Wis.) reached base twice, and went 1-for-4 with two runs, an RBI and a stolen base. That stolen base gave him 38 career stolen bases in conference play, which broke Charlie Nelson's 15-year old record.
Junior Seth Rosin (Shoreview, Minn.) had one of his best outings of the year, as he limited Iowa to three hits over 6.2 shutout innings to pick up a win. Rosin, who moved to 5-1 on the season with the victory, only walked two batters and struck out seven. He has now collected 15 strikeouts in his last two outings. Senior reliever Tyler Oakes (Jordan, Minn.) also came in to pitch the last inning of the game for Minnesota.
Iowa starter Jarred Hippen gave up eight hits, seven runs, walked two and struck out one in 3.2 innings to take the loss to drop to 2-4.
Minnesota started the scoring with a single run in the bottom of the second to go up 1-0. Knudson led off with walk, and moved to third on a double by O'Shea. After Decker walked to load the bases, Geason plated Knudson with a fielder's choice RBI ground out to make it 1-0.
The Golden Gophers moved ahead 4-0 with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. McCallum doubled, moved to third on a Kvasnicka single and scored the second run on an RBI ground out by Knudson. O'Shea followed by crushing a two-run homer to left field to put Minnesota ahead 4-0.
Minnesota pushed the lead to 7-0 with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Decker started off the inning with a bunt single, and moved up to second on a Kyle Geason (Eden Prairie, Minn.) sacrifice bunt. Nohelty tripled home Decker, and came home to score on an RBI infield-single by Pettersen to make it 6-0. Pettersen eventually moved up to third, and came home to score on an infield-single by Knudson to make it 7-0.
The Golden Gophers moved the lead to 9-0 in the sixth inning on an RBI double by McCallum and an RBI single by O'Shea. Minnesota also plated three more runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it 12-0, on an RBI double by Kvasnicka, an RBI single by Knudson and an RBI fielder's choice ground out by O'Shea to make it a 12-run lead.
Iowa got on the board in the top of the ninth on a two-run homer by Phil Keppler to make it 12-2. Kurt Muller also delivered an RBI single for the final tally of 12-3.
The Hawkeyes were led by Muller who reached base four times, was 2-for-3 with a run and collected a stolen base. Dallas Burke also went 2-for-5, while Keppler was 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.
Minnesota will be back in action on Tuesday, May 5 at 5:35 p.m. when it plays its final home game of the year against North Dakota State. The Golden Gophers will then head to Ann Arbor where they will play Michigan on Friday, May 8 at 5:35 p.m., Saturday, May 9 at 1:05 p.m. and Sunday, May 10 at 12:05 p.m. All three Minnesota-Michigan games can be heard on KLBB (1220 AM), and all four games next week can be hear on gophersports.com.
With the series sweep, Minnesota moved into second place in the Big Ten at 13-4. Illinois still holds a half game lead at 14-4, while Ohio State dropped to 13-5 in conference play with a loss to Michigan on Sunday.
After starting out 6-4 in Big Ten play, the Golden Gophers have ripped off seven straight conference victories. The seven-game Big Ten winning streak is the longest by a Minnesota team since the Golden Gophers started the 2003 season 11-0 in conference play.
Minnesota also claimed its 30th victory of the season on the day. It is the 26th time in 28 season under John Anderson that the Golden Gophers have won 30 or more contests. It also was the seventh straight year that the Golden Gophers have won on "Senior Day".
The Golden Gophers offense pounded out 12 runs on 13 hits on the day against Iowa. Minnesota ended up outscoring the Hawkeyes 42 to 15 on the series.
Offensively, Minnesota was led by redshirt freshman Nick O'Shea (Blaine, Minn.) who went 3-for-5 with a home run and a career-high four RBI. Junior Kyle Knudson (Maple Grove, Minn.) reached base four times, and was 2-for-3 with a run and three RBI. Derek McCallum (Shoreview, Minn.) also reached base four times, and was 3-for-4 with two doubles, three runs and an RBI.
Michael Kvasnicka (Lakeville, Minn.) went 2-for-5 with two runs, a double and an RBI, while AJ Pettersen (Minnetonka, Minn.) was 1-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Eric Decker (Cold Spring, Minn.) was also 1-for-4 with a run and reached base twice for Minnesota.
Senior Matt Nohelty (Rothschild, Wis.) reached base twice, and went 1-for-4 with two runs, an RBI and a stolen base. That stolen base gave him 38 career stolen bases in conference play, which broke Charlie Nelson's 15-year old record.
Junior Seth Rosin (Shoreview, Minn.) had one of his best outings of the year, as he limited Iowa to three hits over 6.2 shutout innings to pick up a win. Rosin, who moved to 5-1 on the season with the victory, only walked two batters and struck out seven. He has now collected 15 strikeouts in his last two outings. Senior reliever Tyler Oakes (Jordan, Minn.) also came in to pitch the last inning of the game for Minnesota.
Iowa starter Jarred Hippen gave up eight hits, seven runs, walked two and struck out one in 3.2 innings to take the loss to drop to 2-4.
Minnesota started the scoring with a single run in the bottom of the second to go up 1-0. Knudson led off with walk, and moved to third on a double by O'Shea. After Decker walked to load the bases, Geason plated Knudson with a fielder's choice RBI ground out to make it 1-0.
The Golden Gophers moved ahead 4-0 with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. McCallum doubled, moved to third on a Kvasnicka single and scored the second run on an RBI ground out by Knudson. O'Shea followed by crushing a two-run homer to left field to put Minnesota ahead 4-0.
Minnesota pushed the lead to 7-0 with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Decker started off the inning with a bunt single, and moved up to second on a Kyle Geason (Eden Prairie, Minn.) sacrifice bunt. Nohelty tripled home Decker, and came home to score on an RBI infield-single by Pettersen to make it 6-0. Pettersen eventually moved up to third, and came home to score on an infield-single by Knudson to make it 7-0.
The Golden Gophers moved the lead to 9-0 in the sixth inning on an RBI double by McCallum and an RBI single by O'Shea. Minnesota also plated three more runs in the bottom of the eighth to make it 12-0, on an RBI double by Kvasnicka, an RBI single by Knudson and an RBI fielder's choice ground out by O'Shea to make it a 12-run lead.
Iowa got on the board in the top of the ninth on a two-run homer by Phil Keppler to make it 12-2. Kurt Muller also delivered an RBI single for the final tally of 12-3.
The Hawkeyes were led by Muller who reached base four times, was 2-for-3 with a run and collected a stolen base. Dallas Burke also went 2-for-5, while Keppler was 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI.
Minnesota will be back in action on Tuesday, May 5 at 5:35 p.m. when it plays its final home game of the year against North Dakota State. The Golden Gophers will then head to Ann Arbor where they will play Michigan on Friday, May 8 at 5:35 p.m., Saturday, May 9 at 1:05 p.m. and Sunday, May 10 at 12:05 p.m. All three Minnesota-Michigan games can be heard on KLBB (1220 AM), and all four games next week can be hear on gophersports.com.
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ BaseballC
/ BaseballC/OF
/ BaseballSS/2B
/ BaseballOF
/ BaseballC/1B
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball2B
/ BaseballRHP
/ BaseballHighlights: Gophers 12, Kansas 5
Friday, February 27
Highlights: Gophers 7, Kansas 8
Wednesday, February 25
Cinematic Recap: Gophers Sweep Northeastern
Wednesday, February 25
Sights & Sounds: Spring Training
Sunday, February 22