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University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Prepares for Dairy Queen Classic
3/4/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Minnesota hosts the 27th annual Dairy Queen Classic on Mar. 4-6 in Tucson, Ariz. at the Kino Complex.
The Gophers will welcome Oklahoma State, South Alabama and Washington State to the neutral-site tournament. Minnesota will face South Alabama on Friday, Mar. 4 at 2:05 p.m. (CT) to begin the Dairy Queen Classic. Oklahoma State and Washington State will play the second game of the day at approximately 5:05 p.m. (CT). Minnesota will face Washington State on Saturday, Mar. 5 at 2:05 p.m. (CT) in the first game of the second day of the tournament. Oklahoma State will face South Alabama in the second game at approximately 5:05 p.m. (CT). South Alabama and Washington State will face each other in the first game on Sunday, Mar. 6 at 10:30 a.m. (CT). Minnesota and Oklahoma State will face off on the the last tournament at approximately 1:30 p.m. (CT).
All of Minnesota's games can be heard live in the Gold Zone.
The Gophers enter the tournament with a 3-3 overall record, after going 2-1 at the Wake Forest Tournament last week. Junior first baseman Nick O’Shea is batting .478 with a home run and seven RBI in the first six games for the Gophers. O’Shea has five multi-hit games for Minnesota this season, collecting two hits in all of those contests. O’Shea had a home run and all seven RBI last week in three games at the Wake Forest Tournament. Junior shortstop AJ Pettersen is also batting .417 and is tied with a team-high five runs, while Justin Gominsky is coming off a week that saw him reach base 10 times, go 6-for-9, steal three bases and score five runs.
Minnesota’s three starters have combined for a 2.22 ERA in the six starts they have made this year. Sophomore righthander TJ Oakes, who is starting on Friday, is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA with seven strikeouts in seven innings of work. Phil Isaksson, who starts for the Gophers on Saturday, has a 0.87 ERA with no decisions and has pitched 10.1 innings. Austin Lubinsky, who will be Minnesota's starting pitcher on Sunday is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA and has a team-high eight strikeouts in a team-best 11.0 innings. Lubinsky pitched a career-high 6.2 innings in a win over Delaware State on Feb. 27.
South Alabama enters the tournament with a 5-3 overall record. The Jaguars lost to Nicholls State (11-2) on Mar. 1, and also lost to Central Florida (9-4) and SE Louisiana (6-4) last week at their own home tournament. South Alabama did defeat Alabama last week 10-9 in the tournament. The Jaguars are led by Jake Overstreet who leads the team in home runs (2), runs (8) and RBI (11). Logan Kirkland is batting .429 with six runs, while Nolan Earley is batting .367 with six runs and four doubles. The Gophers are set to face senior righthander Garrett Harris who is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA and nine strikeouts in 12.0 innings. Minnesota is 1-3 all-time against South Alabama, with the Jaguars winning the last meeting 12-5 Feb. 17, 2001.
Washington State enters the tournament with a 4-1 record after defeating UC Santa Barbara 5-1 and 7-3 in a seven-inning game. Matt Argyropoulos enters the tournament batting .533 with five runs, two home runs and six RBI. Jason Monda is also batting .471 with two runs and four RBI, while Taylor Aar leads the team with six runs. Minnesota will face senior righthander James Wise who is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 11.1 innings. The Gophers are 0-2 against Washington State, which includes a 6-5 loss on Mar. 5, 1999 in the Dairy Queen Classic.
Oklahoma State enters the tournament with a 6-2 record after losing 3-2 to Missouri State on Mar. 1. Last week, the Cowboys swept Cal Poly by scores of 8-2, 1-0, 8-7. Oklahoma State is led by Dane Phillips who is batting .438 with eight RBI, four doubles, three triples and seven runs. Zach Johnson has a team-high nine runs, a home run, seven RBI and is batting .360. Luis Uribe also has a team-high eight RBI on the season. Minnesota will face freshman righthander Jason Hursh who is 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA in 10.2 innings of work. Oklahoma State leads the all-time series against Minnesota 7-4, including a 16-9 win over the Gophers in last year’s Dairy Queen Classic on Mar. 6, 2010.
The Dairy Queen Classic is one of the longest running tournaments in the nation. This will be the first year that the tournament will not be played in the Metrodome. Oklahoma State will make its second consecutive appearance in the tournament. The Cowboys are the first program to appear in back-to-back seasons since Nebraska did so in 2003-04. Oklahoma State also went 3-1 in the 1989 Dairy Queen Classic. Washington State is making its third appearance in the Dairy Queen Classic. The Cougars were 2-2 in the 1988 tournament and also went 1-2 in the 1999 Dairy Queen Classic.
Nine teams from the Dairy Queen Classic have gone on to compete in the College World Series. The teams in the tournament have produced 145 Major League players. In 1987, the Dairy Queen Classic featured one of the few appearances by a Cuban team in the United States. The 1989 Dairy Queen Classic also featured one of the first televised regular-season college baseball games on ESPN, which featured Oklahoma State and Minnesota. Nine of the top 20 coaches in all-time wins have coached in the Dairy Queen Classic. Between the collection of coaches who have been in the tournament they have won 20 College World Series titles.
The Gophers will welcome Oklahoma State, South Alabama and Washington State to the neutral-site tournament. Minnesota will face South Alabama on Friday, Mar. 4 at 2:05 p.m. (CT) to begin the Dairy Queen Classic. Oklahoma State and Washington State will play the second game of the day at approximately 5:05 p.m. (CT). Minnesota will face Washington State on Saturday, Mar. 5 at 2:05 p.m. (CT) in the first game of the second day of the tournament. Oklahoma State will face South Alabama in the second game at approximately 5:05 p.m. (CT). South Alabama and Washington State will face each other in the first game on Sunday, Mar. 6 at 10:30 a.m. (CT). Minnesota and Oklahoma State will face off on the the last tournament at approximately 1:30 p.m. (CT).
All of Minnesota's games can be heard live in the Gold Zone.
The Gophers enter the tournament with a 3-3 overall record, after going 2-1 at the Wake Forest Tournament last week. Junior first baseman Nick O’Shea is batting .478 with a home run and seven RBI in the first six games for the Gophers. O’Shea has five multi-hit games for Minnesota this season, collecting two hits in all of those contests. O’Shea had a home run and all seven RBI last week in three games at the Wake Forest Tournament. Junior shortstop AJ Pettersen is also batting .417 and is tied with a team-high five runs, while Justin Gominsky is coming off a week that saw him reach base 10 times, go 6-for-9, steal three bases and score five runs.
Minnesota’s three starters have combined for a 2.22 ERA in the six starts they have made this year. Sophomore righthander TJ Oakes, who is starting on Friday, is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA with seven strikeouts in seven innings of work. Phil Isaksson, who starts for the Gophers on Saturday, has a 0.87 ERA with no decisions and has pitched 10.1 innings. Austin Lubinsky, who will be Minnesota's starting pitcher on Sunday is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA and has a team-high eight strikeouts in a team-best 11.0 innings. Lubinsky pitched a career-high 6.2 innings in a win over Delaware State on Feb. 27.
South Alabama enters the tournament with a 5-3 overall record. The Jaguars lost to Nicholls State (11-2) on Mar. 1, and also lost to Central Florida (9-4) and SE Louisiana (6-4) last week at their own home tournament. South Alabama did defeat Alabama last week 10-9 in the tournament. The Jaguars are led by Jake Overstreet who leads the team in home runs (2), runs (8) and RBI (11). Logan Kirkland is batting .429 with six runs, while Nolan Earley is batting .367 with six runs and four doubles. The Gophers are set to face senior righthander Garrett Harris who is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA and nine strikeouts in 12.0 innings. Minnesota is 1-3 all-time against South Alabama, with the Jaguars winning the last meeting 12-5 Feb. 17, 2001.
Washington State enters the tournament with a 4-1 record after defeating UC Santa Barbara 5-1 and 7-3 in a seven-inning game. Matt Argyropoulos enters the tournament batting .533 with five runs, two home runs and six RBI. Jason Monda is also batting .471 with two runs and four RBI, while Taylor Aar leads the team with six runs. Minnesota will face senior righthander James Wise who is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 11.1 innings. The Gophers are 0-2 against Washington State, which includes a 6-5 loss on Mar. 5, 1999 in the Dairy Queen Classic.
Oklahoma State enters the tournament with a 6-2 record after losing 3-2 to Missouri State on Mar. 1. Last week, the Cowboys swept Cal Poly by scores of 8-2, 1-0, 8-7. Oklahoma State is led by Dane Phillips who is batting .438 with eight RBI, four doubles, three triples and seven runs. Zach Johnson has a team-high nine runs, a home run, seven RBI and is batting .360. Luis Uribe also has a team-high eight RBI on the season. Minnesota will face freshman righthander Jason Hursh who is 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA in 10.2 innings of work. Oklahoma State leads the all-time series against Minnesota 7-4, including a 16-9 win over the Gophers in last year’s Dairy Queen Classic on Mar. 6, 2010.
The Dairy Queen Classic is one of the longest running tournaments in the nation. This will be the first year that the tournament will not be played in the Metrodome. Oklahoma State will make its second consecutive appearance in the tournament. The Cowboys are the first program to appear in back-to-back seasons since Nebraska did so in 2003-04. Oklahoma State also went 3-1 in the 1989 Dairy Queen Classic. Washington State is making its third appearance in the Dairy Queen Classic. The Cougars were 2-2 in the 1988 tournament and also went 1-2 in the 1999 Dairy Queen Classic.
Nine teams from the Dairy Queen Classic have gone on to compete in the College World Series. The teams in the tournament have produced 145 Major League players. In 1987, the Dairy Queen Classic featured one of the few appearances by a Cuban team in the United States. The 1989 Dairy Queen Classic also featured one of the first televised regular-season college baseball games on ESPN, which featured Oklahoma State and Minnesota. Nine of the top 20 coaches in all-time wins have coached in the Dairy Queen Classic. Between the collection of coaches who have been in the tournament they have won 20 College World Series titles.
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