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University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Set to Face FGCU
2/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
| Minnesota at Florida Gulf Coast | |
| Date/Time | Fri., Feb. 27 - 5:30 p.m. CST Sat., Feb. 28 - 1:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. CST Sun., March 1 - 1:00 p.m. CST |
| Friday Probable Pitchers | RHP Ben Meyer (0-2) vs. RHP Mike Murray (1-1) |
| Saturday Probable Pitchers | LHP Dalton Sawyer (0-2) vs. LHP Josh Dye (0-1) |
| Sunday Probable Pitchers | RHP Tim Shannon (0-1) vs. LHP Devin Smeltzer (0-0) |
| Location | Fort Myers, Fla. | Swanson Stadium |
| Game Day Live | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Social Media | @GopherBaseball | Facebook |
| Game Notes | Minnesota |
| Clips | Catchers back behind the plate |
Feb. 26, 2015
The Golden Gopher baseball team (0-7) will play a three-game series at Florida Gulf Coast (5-4-1) Feb. 27-March 1. The Gophers will face the Minnesota Twins in an exhibition game in Fort Myers, Fla., on March 4.
LAST WEEKEND
• The Gophers dropped four games at No. 10 Texas, the team's second consecutive top-10 opponent to start the season.
• Minnesota's best chance at a win in Austin came in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, when starter Tim Shannon lasted 5.0 innings and helped the Gophers stay within two runs until the eighth.
GOPHERS NOTABLES
• Freshmen Toby Hanson (.368) and Alex Boxwell (.333) are currently the Gophers' batting leaders.
• Jordan Jess has an ERA of 0.00 in three relief appearances, having let none of his own baserunners score. Two-way players Matt Fiedler (2.70) and Tyler Hanson (3.38) have the team's next-best ERAs.
• The Gophers are in their 127th season overall and 34th under head coach John Anderson.
• Like in 2014, the Gophers begin 2015 with six consecutive weekends (plus a few midweek contests) on the road. They will play in nine states during the season, including four during the non-conference schedule. The home opener is scheduled for March 24 vs. Augsburg.
SERIES NOTABLES
• This series marks the first meeting between the Gophers and Eagles.
• Minnesota baseball began in 1876 while FCGU fielded its first team in 2003. (The university was founded in 1993.)
ABOUT THE EAGLES
• Florida Gulf Coast's projected rotation: Preseason All-American RHP Mike Murray (1-1, 1.42 ERA in two starts), LHP Josh Dye (0-1, 9.00 ERA in one start), LHP Devin Smeltzer (0-0, 2.61 in two starts).
• The Eagles beat Fordham twice (2-0 and 15-8), tied Illinois once (4-4) and lost to Illinois once (13-2) last weekend. They beat USF 6-2 on Tuesday and Siena 9-5 on Wednesday.
• 1B Tyler Selesky is hitting .324 in 10 starts to lead FGCU. CF Adam Eggnatz (.313) and 2B Jake Noll (.300), Collegiate Baseball's National Freshman Player of the Year, are also hitting above .300.
• FGCU has won four regular season Atlantic Sun championships, including one last year.
• Head coach Dave Tollet has been the Eagles' head coach since their program began. He has a career record of 438-242-3.
FRESHMAN IMPACT
The Gophers' early batting average leaders are freshmen. Toby Hanson has started four games at first and two at designated hitter and is batting .368. Alex Boxwell has made four starts in right field and has a .333 average. Freshman pitchers Jeff Fasching and Lucas Gilbreath have both pitched out of the bullpen. Sophomore transfer Tim Shannon also made his collegiate debut this season.
BACKSTOPS BACK
Redshirt senior Matt Halloran and sophomore Austin Athamnn both returned from injuries and have been trading catching duties. The Gophers used five different catchers in 2014 but have been able to stick with just two so far this season.
TOUGH SCHEDULE
TOUGH SCHEDULE
The Gophers will face a challenging lineup of teams during the 2015 season. Below is a look at where some of Minnesota's past and future opponents currently rank in national polls.
| D1Baseball | Baseball America | NCBWA | USA Today | Collegiate Baseball | Perfect Game | |
| Houston | 6 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 7 |
| Texas | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 8 |
| Maryland | 12 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | --- |
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