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University of Minnesota Athletics
2016 Season Preview: Outfielders and Catchers
2/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 14, 2016 
Replacing production in the outfield will not be a problem for head coach John Anderson and the Minnesota baseball team. Over 95 percent of the team's starts last season came from players who return for the 2016 campaign.
Leading the group and patrolling centerfield this season is senior Dan Motl. The Burnsville, Minn. native has seen the field in 98 career games, starting 79 of them. Last season was a banner year for Motl as he set new career marks in the leadoff spot with a .291 batting average, .418 slugging percentage, 41 hits, 30 runs, 19 RBI, 13 stolen bases, nine doubles and three homers.
Juniors Matt Fiedler, Jordan Smith, Matt Stemper and Troy Traxler round out the group of upperclassmen in the grass. Fiedler was named to the John Olerud Watch List last season as one of the top two-way players in the nation. Since arriving from St. Paul Academy three years ago, Fiedler has hit .309 and slugged .407 to go along with 76 hits, including eight doubles, four home runs and two triples. The third-year player has also added 33 RBI and has swiped 18 bags.
Smith, an Eden Prairie, Minn. native, made 45 starts for the Gophers last season which tied for third on the team. The southpaw collected 31 hits, including seven doubles and four homers, and added 23 RBI. More notably, Smith held a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 92 putouts and two outfield assists in 2015. In his career, Smith has started 85 games.
Showing off his versatility, Stemper played in 56 games through two seasons as an outfielder, catcher and designated hitter. The local product from Burnsville, Minn. has a .290 career batting average and boasted personal bests last season with 27 hits, 15 RBI, seven doubles and three home runs. In the summer, Stemper became the first player in Northwoods League history to play all nine positions in a single game for the Waterloo Bucks.
Traxler, a redshirt junior, returns to the Gophers for his fourth season. In his two seasons on the field, he has tallied appeared in 55 games and tallied 23 hits to go along with 17 RBI. Traxler is also 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts donning the Maroon and Gold. The La Crescent, Minn. resident has maintained an excellent fielding mark, committing only one error in his tenure.
Alex Boxwell is the lone sophomore in the position group and figures to be a key contributor in 2016. The Coon Rapids, Minn. native appeared in 25 games last season, starting 19 of them. Boxwell recorded 19 hits, including one double, a triple and two home runs. His debut came at Houston last campaign where he went 2-for-4 and scored two runs.
Entering his first season with Minnesota is freshman Ben Mezzenga. The recent graduate of Totino-Grace High School finished out his prep career holding batting averages of .539 and .508, respectively. Mezzenga was named All-Northwest Suburban and was the district MVP. He also was a standout football player for the Eagles.
The Gophers two primary catchers on the roster in Austin Athmann and Cole McDevitt. Athmann has made 66 appearances and has maintained a .282 career batting average. He has also slugged exactly .337 in the past two seasons for Minnesota. Last year, the Cold Spring, Minn. native notched 28 hits and totaled nine RBI.
McDevitt, the younger brother of senior relief pitcher Ty, heads into his first collegiate baseball action as a freshman. He graduated from Apply Valley High School last year and was an All-South Suburban Conference and All-Section 3AAA selection behind the plate for the Lightning. McDevitt was a talented three-sport athlete as he also quarterbacked the football team and played hockey.
Leading the group and patrolling centerfield this season is senior Dan Motl. The Burnsville, Minn. native has seen the field in 98 career games, starting 79 of them. Last season was a banner year for Motl as he set new career marks in the leadoff spot with a .291 batting average, .418 slugging percentage, 41 hits, 30 runs, 19 RBI, 13 stolen bases, nine doubles and three homers.
Juniors Matt Fiedler, Jordan Smith, Matt Stemper and Troy Traxler round out the group of upperclassmen in the grass. Fiedler was named to the John Olerud Watch List last season as one of the top two-way players in the nation. Since arriving from St. Paul Academy three years ago, Fiedler has hit .309 and slugged .407 to go along with 76 hits, including eight doubles, four home runs and two triples. The third-year player has also added 33 RBI and has swiped 18 bags.
Smith, an Eden Prairie, Minn. native, made 45 starts for the Gophers last season which tied for third on the team. The southpaw collected 31 hits, including seven doubles and four homers, and added 23 RBI. More notably, Smith held a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 92 putouts and two outfield assists in 2015. In his career, Smith has started 85 games.
Showing off his versatility, Stemper played in 56 games through two seasons as an outfielder, catcher and designated hitter. The local product from Burnsville, Minn. has a .290 career batting average and boasted personal bests last season with 27 hits, 15 RBI, seven doubles and three home runs. In the summer, Stemper became the first player in Northwoods League history to play all nine positions in a single game for the Waterloo Bucks.
Traxler, a redshirt junior, returns to the Gophers for his fourth season. In his two seasons on the field, he has tallied appeared in 55 games and tallied 23 hits to go along with 17 RBI. Traxler is also 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts donning the Maroon and Gold. The La Crescent, Minn. resident has maintained an excellent fielding mark, committing only one error in his tenure.
Alex Boxwell is the lone sophomore in the position group and figures to be a key contributor in 2016. The Coon Rapids, Minn. native appeared in 25 games last season, starting 19 of them. Boxwell recorded 19 hits, including one double, a triple and two home runs. His debut came at Houston last campaign where he went 2-for-4 and scored two runs.
Entering his first season with Minnesota is freshman Ben Mezzenga. The recent graduate of Totino-Grace High School finished out his prep career holding batting averages of .539 and .508, respectively. Mezzenga was named All-Northwest Suburban and was the district MVP. He also was a standout football player for the Eagles.
The Gophers two primary catchers on the roster in Austin Athmann and Cole McDevitt. Athmann has made 66 appearances and has maintained a .282 career batting average. He has also slugged exactly .337 in the past two seasons for Minnesota. Last year, the Cold Spring, Minn. native notched 28 hits and totaled nine RBI.
McDevitt, the younger brother of senior relief pitcher Ty, heads into his first collegiate baseball action as a freshman. He graduated from Apply Valley High School last year and was an All-South Suburban Conference and All-Section 3AAA selection behind the plate for the Lightning. McDevitt was a talented three-sport athlete as he also quarterbacked the football team and played hockey.
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