University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Off To Wisconsin For Border Battle
4/18/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
| #5 Minnesota (11-1, 38-3) at Wisconsin (6-6, 27-8) | |
| Game 1 | Wednesday, April 19 | 1 p.m. |
| Game 2 | Wednesday, April 19 | 3:30 p.m. |
| Location | Goodman Diamond | Madison, Wis. |
| TV | BTN |
| Live Video | BTN2Go: Game 1 | Game 2 |
| Live Stats | | |
| Game Day Live | Game 1 | Game 2 |
| Social Media | @GopherSoftball | Facebook | Instagram |
Home Tickets
You can watch the No. 5/5 University of Minnesota Gophers on the Big Ten Network as they take on Wisconsin in a doubleheader Wednesday with first pitch set for 1 p.m.
The Gophers are coming off a weekend sweep against Northwestern and are in sole possession of first place in the Big Ten.
It has been an exciting few days for the #Gophers! They are first in the B1G and top-5 in the country! Highlights: https://t.co/VsUuvOwIbO
- Minnesota Softball (@GopherSoftball) April 18, 2017
Five Things To Know
1. The Gophers have now been ranked in the top-10 for seven straight weeks and just cracked the top-5 for the first time in program history this week. Prior to this season they had never been ranked in the top-10. They are No. 11 in the latest RPI.
2. Minnesota is currently on a nine game winning streak with a win at Illinois, weekend sweeps over Indiana and Northwestern and two victories over South Dakota. They started the year with a 19-game win streak which is the longest in program history. They are outscoring opponents 297-71 on the season.
3. Sara Groenewegen has been racking up the accolades as of late. She is 19-2 with a 0.63 ERA and has fired in 168 strikeouts.
She was recently named a top-25 finalist for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award and earned her third B1G Pitcher of the Week honor this season. She has won 14 B1G Pitcher of the Week awards and 19 total weekly conference plaudits in her career.
Groenewegen was also named a top-10 finalist for the Senior CLASS Award for her character and work on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. Don't forget to vote for her daily by clicking here.
4. Sophomore shortstop Allie Arneson has been on a tear in B1G play. She is hitting a team leading .478 in conference play with three doubles, a triple and a home run. She has a slugging percentage of .826 and has also drawn nine walks with an on base percentage of .625 in 12 conference games.
5. The Gophers are ranked No. 11 or higher in the NCAA in eight statistical categories:
1.88 doubles per game (2)
.927 winning percentage (3)
7.24 runs per game (4)
.436 on base percentage (5)
.344 batting average (6)
.545 slugging percentage (6)
1.37 team ERA (7)
1.07 home runs per game (11)
About Wisconsin
Wisconsin is 27-8 on the season and 6-6 in Big Ten play after winning a series against Purdue this past weekend. They have won three series also beating Iowa and Northwestern. They were swept by Nebraska. Kelsey Jenkins, a junior utility player/infielder, tallied three hits, three runs, two RBIs and one home run this past weekend against the Boilermakers. On the season she has 42 runs, 40 hits, 25 RBIs, six home runs and a .380 batting average.
In the circle freshman right-hander Kaitlyn Menz made appearances in all three games and pitched a total of 14 innings. She allowed just three earned runs and threw nine strikeouts. On the season she has compiled an 18-5 record and has recorded a 2.02 ERA and 94 strikeouts.
Get Your Tickets Today!
The Gophers still have two more home weekends and one more midweek doubleheader out at Jane Sage Cowles stadium this season. Don't miss out on your chance to catch a game!
Tickets available here.
Following the Gophers?
Don't forget to follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all season long to keep up with the latest news, features, videos and more!
