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University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Heads to Big East/Big Ten Challenge
2/17/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Minnesota opens up the 2011 season at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge on Feb. 18-20.
The Gophers will face No. 23 St. John’s in the season opener on Friday, Feb. 18 at 12 p.m. (CT) at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, Fla. Minnesota will then face No. 9 Connecticut on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. (CT) at Jack Russell Stadium. The Gophers will wrap up the Big Ten/Big East Challenge when it faces No. 20 Louisville on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 10 a.m. (CT). Last year, Minnesota went 0-3 in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge losing to the same three teams the Gophers play this year.
Minnesota lost 5-4 to St. John’s and Louisville, and dropped a 6-2 decision to Connecticut. All three teams the Gophers play in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge were in the NCAA Tournament last year. In 2010, Louisville hosted a regional and went 2-2, while Connecticut was 1-2 as a regional host. St. John’s finished 3-2 in the Charlottesville Regional. Louisville won the Big East regular-season title with a 21-6 conference mark, while Connecticut finished second at 20-6. St. John’s tied for fourth place at 16-11. The Cardinals were 50-14 overall, while Huskies and Red Storm were 48-16 and 43-20 respectively.
Minnesota was the Big Ten’s only representative in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. The Big Ten won the inaugural Big Ten/Big East Challenge 15-9, while the Big East claimed it last year 17-13. Minnesota went 2-1 in the first Big Ten/Big East Challenge with wins against West Virginia and Michigan State, and a loss against Seton Hall.
The Gophers will send sophomore TJ Oakes to the mound in the season opener against St. John's on Feb. 18. Oakes is the first underclassman to make an Opening Day start since Glen Perkins did so in 2004. In 2010, Oakes was named Third-Team All-Big Ten and went 4-3 with a 3.62 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 87.0 innings pitched. Oakes is tentatively set to face sophomore lefthander Sean Hagan. Hagan was 5-1 with a 4.85 ERA and struck out 53 batters in 55.2 innings.
Phil Isaksson will make the start for the Gophers against Connecticut on Saturday, Feb. 20. Isaksson was named Second-Team All-Big Ten and made the Big Ten Tournament All-Tourney team. He went 6-2 with a 3.72 ERA and struck out 57 batters in 84.2 innings last season. Louisville will counter with sophomore righthander Mike Nastold. Nastold missed the 2010 season, and had his 2009 season cut short due to injury. In 2009, he went 2-0 with one save, a 3.52 ERA and struck out 28 batters in 38.1 innings.
Minnesota will send junior Austin Lubinsky to the hill against Louisville on Sunday, Feb. 20. Lubinsky went 3-1 with a 1.91 ERA in 42.1 innings in the Cape Cod League this summer. He finished the 2010 season 1-3 with a 5.28 ERA and struck out 20 batters in 30.2 innings in 10 appearances. Lubinsky is tentatively set to face Matt Barnes who was 8-3 with a 3.92 ERA and struck out 75 batters in 83.0 innings for the Huskies in 2010.
All three of the Gophers games can be heard in the Gold Zone. Sunday's game against Louisville will have live video on CollegeBaseball360.com.
