University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Hit the Road for Wisconsin
4/18/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota softball program heads back out onto the road for the first time in two weeks with a doubleheader against Wisconsin on Wednesday in Madison.
Minnesota (25-18 overall, 3-5 Big Ten) is coming off a six-game home stand and has won six of its last eight contests. Meanwhile, Wisconsin (22-17, 2-6) has won five of its last eight games, but the Badgers are coming off a pair of conference losses last weekend at Indiana.
Wednesday's doubleheader has been pushed up an hour and will now begin at 3 p.m. local time. The series finale will take place immediately following the opener with both games being played at Goodman Diamond in Madison.
Follow Golden Gopher Softball Online
Want exclusive content and up-to-the-minute access to Golden Gopher Softball? Become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/GoldenGopherSoftball) and follow the team on Twitter (@GopherSoftball).
Follow The Action
Both of the Gophers' games over the weekend can be followed using the Minnesota softball blog on GopherSports.com. Recaps and box scores will also be posted on the site at the conclusion of the day.
Getting the Win
With 43 games already in the book and 12 remaining on the schedule, the Gophers' 25 wins so far in 2011 are already nine more than the team recorded in the 2010 season. The team's three conference wins are also one more than the program had in 2010.
Barnes Steps Up To The Plate
Malisa Barnes is showing her experience in her final season of play. The senior ranks fourth in the conference with a .432 batting average and is fifth in the Big Ten with 54 hits. The senior also ranks fourth in the conference with 10 doubles and third in the conference and 15th in the nation with a .556 on-base percentage. She's also one of the league's most disciplined batters, ranking third with 35 walks this season.
Moulton Among Big Ten Leaders
Freshman Sara Moulton ranks among the top pitchers in the conference in just her first year of collegiate play. Moulton is tied for first in the conference with 22 wins this season while the freshman also ranks second in the Big Ten in strikeouts with 264.
Tough on Defense
As a team, Minnesota ranks second in the Big Ten with a .968 team fielding percentage this season behind only Michigan. Even more impressive is that the team leads the league with 1,269 chances and 859 putouts.
Allister Era Begins
The 2011 season will mark the first season of the Jessica Allister era at Minnesota. The former All-American from Stanford was hired as the sixth coach in Gopher history after serving as an assistant at her alma mater, Georgia and most recently Oregon. As an assistant, Allister has helped three different programs to Super Regional appearances in the past four years.
