University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Set for Five at Citrus Classic
2/26/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
| No. 13/11 Minnesota at the Citrus Classic | |
| Tournament Central | Diamond 9 Citrus Classic Home Page |
| Location | ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex | Orlando, Fla. |
| Gophers' Schedule | Game 1: vs. Mississippi State (Fri., Feb. 27 • 12:15 p.m. CT) Game 2: vs. James Madison (Fri., Feb. 27 • 2:30 p.m. CT) Game 3: vs. Missouri (Sat., Feb. 28 • 12:15 p.m. CT) Game 4: vs. Omaha (Sat., Feb. 28 • 2:30 p.m. CT) Game 5: vs. Fordham (Sun., March 1 • 9:00 a.m. CT) |
| Live Blogs | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 | Game 5 Game 1 vs. Mississippi State: ESPN3 |
| Weekend Notes | Minnesota |
| Official Sites | Minnesota | Mississippi State | James Madison | Missouri | Omaha | Fordham |
| Social Media | @GopherSoftball | Facebook | Instagram |
Feb. 26, 2015
ORLANDO, Fla. - The No. 13/11 Minnesota softball team will play five games at the Citrus Classic at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. this weekend. The Gophers will take on Mississippi State Friday at 12:15 p.m. on ESPN3 before competing against James Madison at 2:30 p.m. CT. The next day, the Maroon and Gold will play 20th-ranked Missouri at 12:15 p.m. and Omaha at 2:30 p.m. The weekend comes to a conclusion Sunday at 9 a.m. when Minnesota plays Fordham.
LAST TIME OUT
The Minnesota softball team improved to 13-1 on the season last weekend after going 5-0 at the Diamond Devil Invitational in Tempe, Ariz. last weekend. The Gophers defeated New Mexico State, Boise State twice, host Arizona State and Colorado State.
MILESTONE WIN
The Gophers' victory over UMass Lowell two weeks ago was fifth-year head coach Jessica Allister's 150th win at Minnesota. Her current record with the Maroon and Gold is 155-78, good for a .665 winning percentage.
ANOTHER HOT START
At 13-1, the Gophers have matched their best start in program history. Minnesota was also 13-1 last year and won its 14th game before suffering its second loss.
AN IMPRESSIVE FIELD
The Gophers will be facing tough competition this weekend at the Citrus Classic. The five teams on Minnesota's slate had a combined record of 196-90 (.685 winning percentage) last season.
GOPHERS IN THE SUNSHINE STATE
All-time, the Gophers are 46-32 in the state of Florida since they made their first trip to there in 1999. That record includes an 14-5 mark under head coach Jessica Allister. Minnesota went 3-1 on its visit to DeLand and Clermont, Fla. two weeks ago.
GRANGER DANGER
After quietly leading the Gophers with a .415 conference batting average in 2014, senior Hannah Granger is picking up where she left off as a junior. The Wheaton, Ill. native has hit for a .525 batting average with a team-best .604 on-base percentage. She enters the weekend with a season-opening 14-game hitting streak.
GETTING ON BASE
Minnesota's offense has aided greatly in its 13-1 start. The Gophers have hit for a .379 average and have accrued a .468 on-base percentage. The team has averaged 7.93 runs per game.
RUN RULE WINS
The Gophers have piled up six run-rule wins in their first 14 games. Last year, 11 of the Gophers' 44 wins were by run-rule decision.
STRIKING THEM OUT
Sara Groenewegen, who led the nation with 11.6 strikeouts per seven innings last season, has kept fanning hitters in 2015. The reigning Big Ten Pitcher of the Year has 83 strikeouts in 49 innings (11.9 strikeouts per seven innings) so far.
DRIVING THEM IN
Through nine games, six Gophers have reached double digits in runs batted in: Kaitlyn Richardson, Tyler Walker, Hannah Granger, Sara Groenewegen, Sydney Fabian and Danielle Parlich.
IN THE RANKINGS
After starting the season with its highest preseason ranking in program history at No. 15 (in both polls), Minnesota now sits at No. 13/11 following a 5-0 visit to Arizona last weekend. The No. 11 rank in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll is a program-best.
