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University of Minnesota Athletics
Minnesota Set for Road Series at Purdue
5/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
| No. 25 Minnesota (30-15, 12-5) at Purdue (7-39, 2-19) | |
| Game 1 | Friday, May 13 | 6 p.m. |
| Game 2 | Saturday, May 14 | 1 p.m. |
| Game 3 | Sunday, May 15 | Noon |
| Location | Alexander Field | West Lafayette, Ind. |
| Live Video | BTN Plus: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| Live Stats | | | |
| Game Day Live | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| Social Media | @GopherBaseball | Facebook | Instagram |
No. 25 Minnesota makes its final road trip of the regular season when it travels to Purdue, May 13-15. The three-game series is set for this weekend with start times at 6 p.m., 1 p.m. and 12 p.m., respectively in West Lafayette, Ind.
Coverage
All three games can be streamed on BTN Plus from a Student U production. Live stats will be available on the baseball page of GopherSports.com.
Projected Starters
Friday - Matt Fiedler (7-2, 3.97 ERA) vs. Gavin Downs (1-5, 5.98 ERA)
Saturday - Dalton Sawyer (6-5, 3.34 ERA) vs. Matt Frawley (1-5, 3.39 ERA)
Sunday - Toby Anderson (6-1, 3.51 ERA) vs. Shane Bryant (0-4, 5.40 ERA)
Last Time Out
The Gophers took one of three from Indiana in a matchup of the top two teams in the Big Ten last weekend. Minnesota hit .314 as a team and belted a series-high six homers. Dan Motl paced the offense with a .429 average, including three doubles, a triple and one home run, while Micah Coffey added a .400 clip with a pair of roundtrippers.
Fied the Beast
On Tuesday, Matt Fiedler was selected as one of the 18 nominees remaining for the John Olerud Award, which is given to the top two-way player in the nation. Fiedler has been a mainstay as the No. 3 hitter in the lineup, leading the team in batting average (.404), hits (74), runs (40) and stolen bases (11). On the mound, Fiedler has been the Friday night starter and has amassed a 7-2 record with a 3.97 ERA. He also has accumulated 51 strikeouts.
Doing Work Against the Bullpen
As a team, Minnesota has made the most of its opportunities against relief pitchers this season. The Gophers have totaled 256 hits and tout a .336 batting average against opposing bullpens. The 256 hits is good for 47 percent of the team's total hits through 49 percent of the innings (191.2). The Maroon and Gold have raced across 154 runs and opposing pitchers are throwing an ERA of 6.57.
Starting Strong
Toby Anderson, Matt Fiedler and Dalton Sawyer have been on a tear since being established as the weekend rotation. All three hold ERA marks below 4.00 in a combined 32 starts. In 197.2 innings pitched, the trio has amassed 163 strikeouts compared to just 74 walks. Anderson, Fiedler and Sawyer hold a combined record of 19-8 in 2016.
On Pace for Greatness
Dalton Sawyer is having one of the best senior seasons in program history. With two more scheduled starts in the regular season, if he maintains his average of 7.0 strikeouts per start, he will finish in the top-five in program history for strikeouts in a season. So far, the southpaw has piled up 84 strikeouts, which sits just outside the top-10. With 14 more strikeouts, Sawyer will pass the likes of Seth Rosin, Jerry Thomas and Dave Winfield to reach the top-five. Glen Perkins holds the top two records with 117 in 2003 and 113 in 2004.
All-Time Series
Minnesota and Purdue have met 169 times in series history that dates back to 1901. The Gophers hold a 115-52-2 advantage all-time and have won six of the last seven meetings and will travel to West Lafayette, Ind. for the first time since 2010.
About the Boilermakers
Purdue rides into the weekend having fallen in its last 11 games, including eight in Big Ten contests. The Boilermakers are paced the plate by a pair of .300-plus hitters in Kyle Johnson (.306) and Brett Carlson (.304). Johnson ranks second on the team with 11 doubles, six home runs and 28 RBI. Kyle Wood provides the pop in the lineup with 11 home runs and 31 RBI. Matt Frawley leads the club with a 3.39 ERA and 61.0 inning pitched on the hill. Frawley (46) and Shane Bryant (39) rank as the top two strikeout throwers for Purdue. Out of the bullpen, Brian Ghiselli and Eddie De LaRiva hold ERA's of 3.76 and .398, respectively.
Mr. 1,200
Head coach John Anderson won his 1,200th and 1,201st games during the non-conference tilt with Kansas. Anderson became just the 24th coach ever to accomplish the feat and the ninth to do it all at one school. He has spent his entire 35-year career patrolling the dugout as the lead man for the Minnesota program.
Thinking Outside the Box
Alex Boxwell has emerged as a potent bat in the lineup in conference play. His .486 batting average currently paces the league in 15 games of action. Boxwell has slugged at a league-high .743 clip and held a conference-best .548 on-base percentage in Big Ten contests.
Good Things Come in Two
So far in 2016, there have been 150 instances where a Gopher has tallied a multi-hit game. Matt Fiedler leads the way with 25, while Dan Motl (19), Austin Athmann (17) and Connor Schaefbauer (16) are close behind. Athmann has the team-high with five hits in one game. Riley Smith and Terrin Vavra have each netted two four-hit performances, while Micah Coffey, Athmann and Fiedler have each tallied one in the 2016 campaign.
On a Roll
Dan Motl and Micah Coffey carry large hitting streaks into the weekend. Motl is currently riding a 14-game streak and Coffey has recorded at least one hit in his last 10 games. In that span, Motl has raised his batting average by 59 points by going 27-for-63, while Coffey has tallied 19 hits, including three doubles and four home runs, while riding his current streak.
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 Alex Boxwell (.370), Micah Coffey (.325), Connor Schaefbauer (.306) and Jordan Smith (.304) all tout averages above the .300 mark.
Program Upgrades
Minnesota received two upgrades this season. Its new state-of-the-art locker room has been ready for use for a few months and the new hitting facility that opened midway through the season, right next to Siebert Field.
