University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Set to Host Dairy Queen Classic This Weekend
2/29/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
| Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico State, West Virginia | |
| Tickets | Purchase Online |
| Date | Friday-Sunday, March 2-4, 2012 |
| Time | 12:15 (NU vs WV) 6:30 p.m. (NMS vs MN (Fri.); Noon (NMS vs NU), 6:30 p.m. (WV vs MN) (Sat.); 11 am (NMS vs WV), 3 p.m. (NU vs MN) (Sun.) |
| Location | H.H.H. Metrodome |
| Video | Gopher All-Access (Watch All Six Tournament Games) |
| Audio | GopherSports.com (Listen Online) |
Feb. 29, 2012
Buy Tickets | Tournament Central | Top 10 - Metrodome
The University of Minnesota hosts the 28th annual Dairy Queen Classic this weekend at the H.H.H. Metrodome. The Gophers welcome Nebraska, New Mexico State and West Virginia this season. The 2012 DQ Classic marks the fifth time the Nebraska Cornhuskers have competed in the event, the second for the West Virginia Mountaineers and the first-ever appearance for the NMSU Aggies. The 2012 tournament also marks a return to the Metrodome, which was moved to the Kino Complex in Tucson, Ariz., due to the Metrodome roof collapse last year.
In the 2010 classic, Oklahoma State and South Alabama each held a 2-1 record, while OSU won the tournament based on a head-to-head tiebreaker. The Gophers and Washington State each finished 1-2 in the Dairy Queen Classic to round out the competition. Minnesota won its tournament in 2009 when it went 3-0 and defeated UC Santa Barbara (13-6), Washington (6-5 in 10 innings) and Hawaii (5-4).
With their four previous appearances, the Cornhuskers have gone 7-5 in the DQ Classic. Making their first appearance in 1997, Nebraska went 0-3, won the tournament twice (2003 and their last appearance in 2006) and went 1-2 in 2004. West Virginia made its DQ Classic debut in 2004 when it went 0-3. In the last five years, Minnesota has gone 9-7 in its own tournament.
The Dairy Queen Classic is one of the longest running tournaments in the nation. Nine teams from the Dairy Queen Classic have gone on to compete in the College World Series. The teams in the tournament have produced over 150 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. 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.
Host Minnesota enters the classic with a 3-4 overall record. The Golden Gophers opened the 2012 campaign with a 7-3 win over Louisville at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge. The Gophers fell to St. John's, 6-1, and South Florida, 4-3 (seven innings). Minnesota then hosted UW-Milwaukee last weekend and went 2-2 against the Panthers. Minnesota is led by its pitching rotation, TJ Oakes (Friday-RHP), Tom Windle (Sat.-LHP) and Austin Lubinsky (Sun.-RHP). Oakes was recently named the Big Ten's Pitcher of the Week after he threw a two-hit win over Milwaukee in seven scoreless innings. Now at 2-0 this year, Oakes has yet to allow an earned run during his junior campaign. Oakes, Windle and Kyle Geason were named Big Ten Players to Watch earlier this year and are predicted to finished third in the preseason coaches' poll. Kurt Schlangen leads the Gopher hitters, batting .563 with nine hits and an on-base percentage of .611.
Nebraska enters the DQ Classic with a 4-3 overall record. After dropping three-straight to Gonzaga at the beginning of the season, the Cornhuskers rebounded and enter the Classic with four-straight wins. Nebraska's projected rotation this weekend is Friday starter Zach Hirsch (So. LHP), Saturday starter Jon Keller (So. RHP) and Sunday pitcher Tom Lemke (Jr. RHP). Chad Christensen leads the Huskers' offense, batting .414 with eight RBI, two home runs and two doubles in a team-high 29 at bats. In their first season with the Big Ten Conference, the Huskers are predicted to finish fourth in the Big Ten. In its last year with the Big 12, NU finished with a 30-25 overall record and a 9-17 mark in conference play.
New Mexico State enters the DQ Classic with a 7-3 overall record. The Aggies played four games against 2011 NCAA participant Sacred Heart last weekend and won by scores of 11-6, 21-3 (7 innings), 23-11 (7 innings) and 16-2 (7 innings). Projected to throw for NMSU is Casey Collins (Fri.-RHP), Ryan Beck (Sat.-LHP) and Tim Torsney (Sun-RHP). Predicted to finish fourth in the WAC Preseason Coaches' poll, the Aggies went 35-24 last year and 9-15 in conference action. NMSU is led by Zac Fisher as he enters the weekend with a .368 batting average and a team-high 14 RBI. He was named a NCBWA Preseason All-American and the WAC Preseason Player of the Year.
West Virginia holds a 3-4 overall record this year. Going 3-1 in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge, WV defeated Northwestern, Penn State and Iowa before it fell to Michigan. Last weekend, the Mountaineers dropped three to Virginia Tech (L, 7-4), North Carolina State (L, 16-0) and George Mason (L, 1-0). West Virginia has a projected pitching rotation of Marshall Thompson (LHP) Friday, Corey Walter on Saturday (RHP) and Eric Hinkle (LHP) Sunday. Predicted to finish 10th in the Big East Preseason Coaches' poll, the Mountaineers went 28-27 overall last year and 14-13 in conference action. Matt Frazer leads the team with a .378 batting average, one home run, three doubles and five RBI.
