University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Close Out Road Schedule At No. 2 Michigan
5/7/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota softball team hits the road for the final time in the 2011 regular season this weekend with a two-game series against second-ranked Michigan. Saturday's series opener is scheduled for a 5 p.m. CT first pitch while Sunday's road finale will kick off at 1 p.m. Both games will be played at Alumni Field in Ann Arbor.
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Catch the Action Live - BTN Coverage
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. Recaps and box scores will be posted online at the conclusion of each day. Additionally, Michigan will provide
The Records
The Gophers enter the weekend with a 30-21 overall record (8-8 Big Ten) and are 25-16 on the road this season. With a pair of conference wins earlier this week, Minnesota has now jumped to fifth in the conference standings while the Wolverines sit tied for first. Michigan is 47-4 on the year and 14-2 in the Big Ten.
The Series
Michigan leads the all-time series with Minnesota by a 24-72 margin. The Wolverines have taken the last seven meetings between the two teams dating back to the 2007 season. Minnesota's last win over Michigan came on April 27, 2007 in a 2-0 upset over the then ninth-ranked Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
30 Wins And Counting...
Last Wednesday's sweep over Northwestern brought Minnesota's season record to 30-21, giving the Gophers their highest win total since 2004 when the program tallied 33 wins. Minnesota has already improved last year's record by 14 wins while the team has also quadrupled 2010's conference wins, heading into the weekend with eight Big Ten wins this season.
Starting on the Right Foot
The Minnesota softball team has been dominant in series openers in 2011 with an 9-1 record in series opening contests including eight-straight series with an opening-game win. The lone series opening loss came to Ohio State on April 2.
Up Next for the Gophers
Minnesota closes out the 2011 regular season next weekend with its home finale -- a two-game series against Illinois. Friday's series opener is set for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live by the Big Ten Network while Saturday's season finale starts at 1 p.m. when the Gophers celebrate senior day.
Getting the Sweep
A pair of wins over Northwestern last Wednesday marked Minnesota's first conference sweep since March 21-21, 2009 when the Gophers topped Indiana on the road.
Barnes Among Nation's Best Hitters
Malisa Barnes is showing her experience in her final season of play. Entering the week,the senior was tied for 19th in the country and fourth in the Big Ten with a .441 batting average. Barnes also ranked tenth in the nation and third in the Big Ten with a .568 on base percentage, sixth in the conference with 64 hits, and second in the league with 13 doubles.
Moulton Dominant in the Circle
Freshman Sara Moulton ranks among the top pitchers in the nation in just her first year of collegiate play. Moulton's 27 wins -- tied for Minnesota's single season record -- are tied for the fourth in the NCAA and second in the Big Ten. Meanwhile, she leads the Big Ten and is tied for first in the nation with 14 shutouts -- the freshman is now tied with Brianna Hassett (2009) and Vicki Swanson (1978) for Minnesota's single season record. Moulton's 302 strikeouts rank sixth in the nation and second in the Big Ten. The freshman needs nine strikeouts to tie Piper Marten(2003) for second on Minnesota's season record list.
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 is tied for first in the league with 16 HBPs including a pair of HBPs that scored two runs in Minnesota's 3-0 win over Northwestern last Wednesday.
Picking Them Off Behind the Plate
Catcher Kari Dorle has had a remarkable sophomore season for the Gophers. The second-year player is batting .308 this season in the three hole -- up over .150 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.
