University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Set for Senior Weekend
4/28/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 28, 2016
The No. 24/23 University of Minnesota Gophers are hosting the Maryland University Terrapins for their final home series this weekend.
The Gophers have had their last three schedule games cancelled due to weather but come in on a five game win streak after B1G sweeps over Rutgers and Nebraska.
The Maroon and Gold are 32-12 overall on the season and sit in second in the conference with a 13-3 B1G record.
The first two games can be viewed on BTN Plus with Sunday's game being shown on the Big Ten Network Sunday.
Fan Advisory
Fans planning to attend the games should be aware that the main parking option for the general public will be the 4th St. ramp. Lot 37 will not be an option with spring jam activities taking place on campus. Spectators should to use the switchback ramp off of 5th St. and then take the ramp down to the softball field. Nobody should walk through the construction zone.
Thank you Seniors
This Sunday will be senior day with the six Gopher seniors, Nikki Anderson, Sydney Fabian, Taylor LeMay, Brandi McGregor, Paige Palkovich and Kayla Wenner, being honored before the game.
The 2016 class will be truly missed by their teammates. As a whole they have been described as
selfless and consistent. They are praised for bringing their positive but intense energy to the field every day, staying focused but having fun.
As a class, the seniors will be leaving as the winningest class in Minnesota softball history with a .749 winning percentage. They helped bring the first Big Ten conference title back to Minnesota since 1999 and were a part of the first team in Gopher history to earn a trip to NCAA Super
Regional play. They have made the NCAA Tournament in every season of their career becoming part of the first ever Gopher team to take three straight trips, and will be looking for a fourth in the coming weeks.
They have etched themselves into Gophers history as part of last year's team that broke records for batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, most runs scored, home runs and strikeouts in a season. The team's 49-11 record gave the Gophers their highest percentage (.817) in program history.
Touch em' All
The Gophers have hit plenty of home runs this season as the entire lineup has proven they can launch the ball out of the park. Twelve different players have hit at least one home run and as a team they have hit 55 of them.
Sam Macken leads the team with ten and Sara Groenewegen is not far behind with nine. Maddie Houlihan has seven and Sydney Dwyer has launched six out. Taylor LeMay, Paige Palkovich and Sydney Fabian all have five. Kayla Wenner has recorded four while Danielle Parlich, Erika Rozell, Taylor Chell and Brandi McGregor all have hit one.
Smackin' Macken
Macken not only leads the team in home runs but in nearly every hitting category. She is hitting .383 with 20 doubles and 39 RBI with a .721 slugging percentage and a .432 on base percentage. She leads the whole country in extra base hits with 31 this season. She also leads the team in assists with 52 starting every game at third base.
Stepping Up
Houlihan as just a freshman at first base has made huge contributions to the Gophers lineup while sophomores Dwyer and Dani Wagner have stepped at shortstop.
Houlihan has started every game at first base. She has hit seven doubles, seven home runs and had scored 34 runs which issecond on the team. She has a slugging percentage of .528 and has stolen seven bases. In the field she has 235 putouts with nine assists.
Dwyer has six home runs with six doubles, a triple and six home runs for a slugging percentage of .508. She has started every game at either shortstop or designated player with fellow sophomore Wagner getting starts at shortstop the past eight games. In conference play Wagner has a perfect fielding percentage.
Seniors in the Outfield
Palkovich, Wenner and Fabian have combined for 320 career starts in the outfield over their careers and have provided strong leadership but none more so than this season.
The three have all grown with each other putting themselves in the position they are now. They were recently featured in the Minnesota Daily. Read that story here.
Among the NCAA's Best
Groenewegen has been tabbed a Top-25 finalist for the 2016 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. She has won four B1G Pitcher of the Week honors, two B1G Player of the Week awards, an espnW Player of the week and a Louisville Slugger / NFCA Pitcher of the Week plaudit this season.
She showed off her talents in the sweep over Nebraska pitching a one-hit shutout in the 6-0 victory on game one. She followed it up with a five RBI performance the next day with a grand slam and a walk-off RBI single leading the Maroon and Gold to an 11-10 victory.
About Maryland
On the season, the Terps are hitting .279 with a .358 on base percentage and a .383 slugging percentage. Maryland has cracked 328 hits, scored 166 runs, knocked 53 doubles, and totaled 450 bases. Skylynne Ellazar has been a force from the plate all season.
Through 46 games, the Hawaii native is batting a team leading .381 by way of 53 hits and 28 runs. Ellazar ranks fifth in the Big Ten in hits and ninth in batting average. Kristina Dillard and Sarah Calta have also produced in the lineup. The captain duo rank second on the team in batting average, both hitting .331. Dillard shares the doubles lead (9) with Ellazar, while Calta leads the team and ranks third in the Big ten in triples (4).
Following the Gophers?
Don't forget to follow the team on social media @GopherSoftball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news, features, pictures, videos and more!
| Minnesota (32-12, 13-3) vs. Maryland (11-35, 3-14) | |
| Game 1 | Friday, April 29 | 6 p.m. |
| Game 2 | Saturday, April 30 | 1 p.m. |
| Game 3 | Sunday, May 1 | Noon |
| Location | Jane Sage Cowles Stadium | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| Tickets | MyGopherSports.com |
| Live Video | BTN Plus: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| Live Stats | | | |
| Game Day Live | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| Social Media | @GopherSoftball | Facebook | Instagram |
The No. 24/23 University of Minnesota Gophers are hosting the Maryland University Terrapins for their final home series this weekend.
The Gophers have had their last three schedule games cancelled due to weather but come in on a five game win streak after B1G sweeps over Rutgers and Nebraska.
The Maroon and Gold are 32-12 overall on the season and sit in second in the conference with a 13-3 B1G record.
The first two games can be viewed on BTN Plus with Sunday's game being shown on the Big Ten Network Sunday.
Fan Advisory
Fans planning to attend the games should be aware that the main parking option for the general public will be the 4th St. ramp. Lot 37 will not be an option with spring jam activities taking place on campus. Spectators should to use the switchback ramp off of 5th St. and then take the ramp down to the softball field. Nobody should walk through the construction zone.
Thank you Seniors
This Sunday will be senior day with the six Gopher seniors, Nikki Anderson, Sydney Fabian, Taylor LeMay, Brandi McGregor, Paige Palkovich and Kayla Wenner, being honored before the game.
The 2016 class will be truly missed by their teammates. As a whole they have been described as
selfless and consistent. They are praised for bringing their positive but intense energy to the field every day, staying focused but having fun.
As a class, the seniors will be leaving as the winningest class in Minnesota softball history with a .749 winning percentage. They helped bring the first Big Ten conference title back to Minnesota since 1999 and were a part of the first team in Gopher history to earn a trip to NCAA Super
Regional play. They have made the NCAA Tournament in every season of their career becoming part of the first ever Gopher team to take three straight trips, and will be looking for a fourth in the coming weeks.
They have etched themselves into Gophers history as part of last year's team that broke records for batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, most runs scored, home runs and strikeouts in a season. The team's 49-11 record gave the Gophers their highest percentage (.817) in program history.
Touch em' All
The Gophers have hit plenty of home runs this season as the entire lineup has proven they can launch the ball out of the park. Twelve different players have hit at least one home run and as a team they have hit 55 of them.
Sam Macken leads the team with ten and Sara Groenewegen is not far behind with nine. Maddie Houlihan has seven and Sydney Dwyer has launched six out. Taylor LeMay, Paige Palkovich and Sydney Fabian all have five. Kayla Wenner has recorded four while Danielle Parlich, Erika Rozell, Taylor Chell and Brandi McGregor all have hit one.
Smackin' Macken
Macken not only leads the team in home runs but in nearly every hitting category. She is hitting .383 with 20 doubles and 39 RBI with a .721 slugging percentage and a .432 on base percentage. She leads the whole country in extra base hits with 31 this season. She also leads the team in assists with 52 starting every game at third base.
Stepping Up
Houlihan as just a freshman at first base has made huge contributions to the Gophers lineup while sophomores Dwyer and Dani Wagner have stepped at shortstop.
Houlihan has started every game at first base. She has hit seven doubles, seven home runs and had scored 34 runs which issecond on the team. She has a slugging percentage of .528 and has stolen seven bases. In the field she has 235 putouts with nine assists.
Dwyer has six home runs with six doubles, a triple and six home runs for a slugging percentage of .508. She has started every game at either shortstop or designated player with fellow sophomore Wagner getting starts at shortstop the past eight games. In conference play Wagner has a perfect fielding percentage.
Seniors in the Outfield
Palkovich, Wenner and Fabian have combined for 320 career starts in the outfield over their careers and have provided strong leadership but none more so than this season.
The three have all grown with each other putting themselves in the position they are now. They were recently featured in the Minnesota Daily. Read that story here.
Among the NCAA's Best
Groenewegen has been tabbed a Top-25 finalist for the 2016 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. She has won four B1G Pitcher of the Week honors, two B1G Player of the Week awards, an espnW Player of the week and a Louisville Slugger / NFCA Pitcher of the Week plaudit this season.
She showed off her talents in the sweep over Nebraska pitching a one-hit shutout in the 6-0 victory on game one. She followed it up with a five RBI performance the next day with a grand slam and a walk-off RBI single leading the Maroon and Gold to an 11-10 victory.
About Maryland
On the season, the Terps are hitting .279 with a .358 on base percentage and a .383 slugging percentage. Maryland has cracked 328 hits, scored 166 runs, knocked 53 doubles, and totaled 450 bases. Skylynne Ellazar has been a force from the plate all season.
Through 46 games, the Hawaii native is batting a team leading .381 by way of 53 hits and 28 runs. Ellazar ranks fifth in the Big Ten in hits and ninth in batting average. Kristina Dillard and Sarah Calta have also produced in the lineup. The captain duo rank second on the team in batting average, both hitting .331. Dillard shares the doubles lead (9) with Ellazar, while Calta leads the team and ranks third in the Big ten in triples (4).
Following the Gophers?
Don't forget to follow the team on social media @GopherSoftball on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news, features, pictures, videos and more!
Players Mentioned
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Utility
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Pitcher
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UT
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Catcher
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Infielder
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Catcher
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INF
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C/UT
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INF
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Outfielder
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