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University of Minnesota Athletics
No. 25 Gophers Hit the Road to Northwestern
4/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
| Minnesota (22-11, 6-2) vs. Northwestern (10-27, 2-10) | |
| Game 1 | Friday, April 22 | 3 p.m. |
| Game 2 | Saturday, April 23 | 2 p.m. |
| Game 3 | Sunday, April 24 | 1 p.m. |
| Location | Rocky and Berenice Miller Park | Evanston, Ill. |
| Live Video | Northwestern Video ($) |
| Live Audio | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| Live Stats | | | |
| Game Day Live | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| Social Media | @GopherBaseball | Facebook | Instagram |
Fresh off six home games, No. 25 Minnesota opens a seven-game road stint at Northwestern, April 22-24. The opening game in Evanston, Ill. on Friday is slated for a 3 p.m. start, while the Saturday and Sunday times are 2 p.m. and 1 p.m.
Coverage
The Big Ten series will feature live video on Studio N Live. Tom Witschen will have the radio call on GopherSports.com. Live stats can be found on the baseball schedule page.
Last Time Out
The Gophers took two of three from Maryland and routed North Dakota State 10-0 on Tuesday evening at Siebert Field. In the four games, the Gophers outscored their opposition 25-3 in the final three innings to eclipse their win total from a season ago. Luke Pettersen paced the offense with six hits, while Lucas Gilbreath picked up a pair of wins and Jordan Jess nailed down two saves.
Ranking Highly
On Monday, Minnesota was tabbed in the top 25 for the first time since 2009. The Gophers have fared well in contests against ranked opponents, having taken four of fix with both losses coming by one run. Minnesota currently holds an RPI mark of 20, which currently leads the Big Ten Conference.
Watch List Worthy
Junior Matt Fiedler was named to the 2016 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Watch List, it was announced by the National College Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday. Fiedler ranks 20th in the nation with a .409 batting average and leads the team with 54 hits. The junior has amassed 10 doubles, three home runs and 21 RBI to pace the No. 5 offense in the country this season. He has slugged .553 and holds an on-base clip of .438 through 33 games played. On the mound, Fiedler holds a 5-2 overall mark with a 3.38 ERA, which leads the starting staff. Through 53.1 innings pitched, he has held the opposition to hit just .261 while totaling 40 strikeouts.
Heating Up
Minnesota has been one of the hottest teams in the country as of late, winning 13 of its last 16 games. More recently, the Gophers hold an 8-2 record in their past 10 games. In that span, Minnesota has outscored its opponents 68-39 and holds a 90-point advantage in batting average with a .322 clip compared to just .232 for opposing teams.
Dynamic Duo
Head coach John Anderson and assistant head coach Rob Fornasiere have been in business together for over 30 years. Anderson has coached in 2,007 games in his tenure, while Fornasiere will reach 1,800 games this weekend in Evanston.
All-Time Series
Minnesota and Northwestern have dueled 241 times in series history. The Gophers hold a 163-78 advantage all-time and have taken seven of the last 10 matchups, dating back to 2011. The Wildcats took two of three last season at Siebert Field.
About the Wildcats
Northwestern heads into the conference series having dropped five of its last six Big Ten games. Matt Hopfner paces the team with a .391 batting average and 54 hits. Nine different Wildcats have 10-plus RBI with Will Bourbon (23) and Joe Hoscheit (20) headlining the offense. On the mound, Only two arms have their ERA under 4.00. Reliever Danny Katz (2.70) and Friday night starter Mason Reed (3.99) pace the club on the hill. Five separate pitchers have recorded a save with Tommy Bordignon leading the way with two on the season.
We Need Gills
Lucas Gilbreath has made a massive difference in the bullpen in his six appearances. The southpaw has yet to surrender a run in 10.1 innings, has struck out 15 batters and is holding clubs to a .189 batting average this season.
Start Hot, Stay Hot
Minnesota has made its living early on in contests by scoring in its first few at-bats. Through the first four innings this season, the Gophers have outscored their opponents 96-60. The Maroon and Gold have netted 27 runs in the first inning, compared to allowing just 14. Where the large disparity takes place is when Minnesota has gone through the lineup once and is facing the starter for the second time in the game. The Gophers have accumulated a 31-11 margin in the third inning of contests in 2016.
Keeping the Opposition on Ice
As a staff, Minnesota has limited the opposition to hit just .241 through 289.0 innings this year. Cody Campbell and Nick Lackney lead the team with opposing clips of and .067 and .086, respectively. Out of the bullpen, Lucas Gilbreath (.189), Tim Shannon (.215), Jeff Fasching (.217), Ty McDevitt (.220) and Jordan Jess (.224) fall next in line.
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 .390 average, while Connor Schaefbauer (.331), Toby Hanson (.321) and Luke Pettersen (.317) all tout hitting clips above .300 as lefties.
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.
