University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Hit the Road For Northwestern Doubleheader
5/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
The Minnesota softball team kicks off its final road stand this week with a pair of Big Ten series on the road against Northwestern and Michigan.
The Gophers (28-21 overall, 6-8 Big Ten) open the week with a Wednesday doubleheader in Evanston that starts at 2 p.m. CT. From there, Minnesota closes out its road schedule against the second-ranked Wolverines on Saturday and Sunday. The Michigan opener is slated for a first pitch at 5 p.m. CT with Sunday's finale starting at 1 p.m.
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Catch the Action Live - BTN Coverage
Three of this weekend's games can be watched live on Big Ten Network coverage. The Northwestern doubleheader will be streamed on BigTenNetwork.com (subscription required) while Sunday's road finale in Ann Arbor will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network. Leah Secondo and Tammy Williams will have the call. All four of this week's games may also be followed using the Minnesota softball blog on GopherSports.com.
The Records
The Gophers enter the weekend with a 28-21 overall record (6-8 Big Ten) and are 23-16 on the road this season. Minnesota currently sits in seventh place in the Big Ten standings. Northwestern, meanwhile, is 22-15 overall and ranks ninth in the conference with a 4-8 record.
The Series
Minnesota is 40-48 all-time against the Wildcats with Northwestern coming on strong in the series as of late. The Wildcats have won 11 of the last 13 meetings including a sweep in Evanston last season. Minnesota split with Northwestern in 2009 while the last Gopher sweep over the Wildcats came in 2003.
28 Wins And Counting...
Last Saturday's 6-3 win over Michigan State in the series opener locked up a winning record for the program in 2011. With 28 wins so far, the Gophers are already 12 games ahead of last year's win total (the team has also improved last year's conference mark by three wins). One more win this season will tie 2008's mark of 29 wins -- the most wins in a season at Minnesota since the team won 33 in 2004.
Starting on the Right Foot
The Minnesota softball team has been dominant in series openers in 2011 with an 8-1 record in series opening contests including seven-straight series with an opening game win. The lone series opening loss came to Ohio State on April 2.
Up Next for the Gophers
Following the Northwestern doubleheader, Minnesota closes out its road schedule this weekend at Michigan. The following weekend, the Gophers close out the regular season with a home finale against Illinois.
Barnes Among Nation's Best Hitters
Malisa Barnes is showing her experience in her final season of play. The senior is tied for 19th in the country and fourth in the Big Ten with a .441 batting average. Barnes also ranks tenth in the nation and third in the Big Ten with a .560 on base percentage, fourth in the conference with 63 hits, and second in the league with 13 doubles.
Moulton Dominant in the Circle
Freshman Sara Moulton ranks among the top pitchers in the conference in just her first year of collegiate play. Moulton's 25 wins are tied for the ninth most in the NCAA and are second in the Big Ten. Meanwhile, she leads the Big Ten and is tied for third in the nation with 13 shutouts -- needing just one more to tie Brianna Hassett (2009) and Vicki Swanson (1978) for Minnesota's single season record. Last weekend, the freshman's streak of six straight games without an earned run against came to an end but the freshman improved her strikeout total to 287 -- a figure that ranks second in the Big Ten and 10th in the nation.
Skrove Sacrificing for the Team
A position change at the start of her junior season hasn't stopped second baseman Dannie Skrove from giving her best for the team. The junior is tied for first in the Big Ten and eighth in the nation with 14 sacrifice bunts this season while she also ranks second in the league with 14 HBPs in 2011.
Picking Them Off Behind the Plate
Catcher Kari Dorle has had a remarkable sophomore season for the Gophers. The second-year player is batting .305 this season in the three hole -- up .152 points from her first season with the Gophers. Furthermore, Dorle leads the Big Ten with six pickoffs and is tied for seventh after catching nine runners stealing in 2011.
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.
Tough on Defense
As a team, Minnesota boasts one of the top defenses in the conference with a .964 fielding percentage. The Gophers rank second in the league with 1,441 chances, second in putouts with 973 and third in assists with 416.
