University of Minnesota Athletics
Maroon and Gold Head to Seattle for Four
3/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
| Minnesota (7-3) at Seattle (8-4) | |
| Game 1 | Friday, March 11 | 7 p.m. |
| Game 2 | Saturday, March 12 | 4 p.m. |
| Game 3 | Sunday, March 13 | 3 p.m. |
| Game 4 | Wednesday, March 16 | 6 p.m. |
| Location | Bannerwood Park | Seattle, Wash. |
| Live Video | Click Here |
| Live Stats | | | | |
| Game Day Live | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4 |
| Social Media | @GopherBaseball | Facebook | Instagram |
Fresh off their second-straight series win last weekeend, the Gophers are back on the road this week with a trip to Seattle. The teams are slated to play four games across six days in the Emerald City, March 11-16.
Coverage
All four games will feature a live video feed put on by Seattle U. Live stats are available on the baseball page of GopherSports.com.
Looking Back
The Gophers took two of three from Georgia State to match their best start to a season (7-3) since 2009. Minnesota got a complete-game shutout from Matt Fiedler to win the opening game, while four in the lineup notched home runs to pace the offensive onslaught of the Panthers.
Putting Up Numbers
Minnesota has tallied 10-plus hits in nine of its 10 games this season. The Maroon and Gold rank ninth nationally in batting average (.343) and 23rd in doubles (24). The Gophers lead the Big Ten Conference in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage, while ranking second in runs, hits and sacrifice bunts. Minnesota also sits in the top-5 in the league in doubles, triples, home runs and sacrifice flies.
Off to a Good Start
Matt Fiedler and Dan Motl have been the model of consistency in the lineup for the Gophers this campaign. Motl is currently riding a nine-game hitting streak to open the year, while Fiedler has reached base safely in all 10 games in 2016. Austin Athmann and Micah Coffey have each been hot as of late and carry four-game hitting streaks into the weekend series.
Causing Havoc
Jordan Smith paces the club with three games hitting multiple RBI, including two with just one swing. First-year players Eddie Estrada and Terrin Vavra are just behind Smith with two multi-RBI games and each have contributed a three-RBI performance to date.
Lefties Galore
Minnesota boasts 16 left-handed hitters on its roster this season. That number is the highest among Power-5 schools, with Texas (15), Ohio State (14) and Virginia (14) the next closest. Terrin Vavra leads all left-handed hitters in Minnesota's lineup with a .500 average, while Toby Hanson (.458), Luke Pettersen (.333) and Jordan Smith (.280) all tout hitting clips above .275 from the left side of the plate.
All-Time Series
Minnesota and Seattle U will meet for the first time in series history. The Gophers have fared well against members of the Western Athletic Conference in the past and tout a 27-7 record.
About the Redhawks
Seattle comes into the duel as one of the nation's hottest teams, having won seven of its last eight games. The Redhawks tout the country's sixth-best ERA at 1.60 and have tossed four shutouts in their 12 games in 2016. Southpaws Tarik Skulbal and Nick Merservey lead the way with ERA's of 0.00 and 0.56, respectively. At the plate, Sean Sutton holds a batting average of .455 with four doubles, one triple, a home run and 11 RBI.
Program Upgrades
Minnesota is receiving two upgrades this season. Its new state-of-the-art locker room has been ready for use for a few weeks and the new hitting facility will open midway through the season, right next to Siebert Field.
