University of Minnesota Athletics
Opponent Outlook: Surprise Baseball Classic
12/5/2018 1:57:00 PM | Baseball
MINNEAPOLIS – The defending Big Ten Regular Season and Tournament Champion Gopher Baseball team returns next spring after an historic season in 2018, looking to build on the success of an NCAA Super Regional run.
The path will not be easy with the team's home slate at U.S. Bank Stadium eliminated for the season and six NCAA Tournament teams on the docket in non-conference along with the tough 24-game B1G schedule. Minnesota begins the season on Friday, February 15 and opens up its home season at Siebert Field on Friday, March 29. Today, we begin to take an offseason outlook at the team's 2019 foes with a season-opening tournament in Surprise, Arizona in February.
Scouting the Bulldogs Website | @GonzagaBaseball | Friday, Feb. 15, 6 pm; Monday, Feb. 18, 11 am
Gonzaga joined the Maroon & Gold at the NCAA Minneapolis Regional tournament last season, bowing out of the field with a 10-4 loss to UCLA … the Zags finished 33-24 overall and 16-11 in the West Coast Conference a year ago, winning the WCC Tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament … head coach Mark Machtolf returns for his 16th season at Gonzaga in 2019 … sophomore Ernie Yake claimed Freshman All-America honors last year, hitting .322/.378/.386 to pace the Bulldogs offense .. junior right-handers Daniel Bies and Casey Legumina both return after receiving First Team All-WCC honors a year ago. Bies started 16 games to the tune of a 2.49 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 112.0 innings. Legumina collected 13 saves in 26 outings, striking out 52 in 48.2 innings … Minnesota and Gonzaga are 2-2 in the all-time series and have not met since the 2011 season, when the Zags took 2-of-3 against the Gophers March 11-13 in Sacramento, California.
Scouting the Lobos Website | @UNMLoboBaseball | Saturday, Feb. 16, 6 pm
New Mexico missed the postseason following a 20-33-1 regular season and finished 11-19 in the Mountain West … head coach Ray Birmingham has spent 11 seasons leading the Lobos … first baseman Connor Mang returns after earning Freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball for batting .326/.421/.453 in 2018 … infielder Hayden Schilling led New Mexico with a .348/.453/.461 batting average in 49 games during his junior campaign of 2018 … Cody Dye led the starting staff with a 5-6 record and 5.63 ERA in 14 starts, striking out 71 in 86.1 innings … the pitching staff had a combined 6.58 ERA, but closer Christian Tripp led the way with a 2.33 ERA and eight saves in 21 appearances, striking out 29 in 27.0 last season … the Gophers are 2-0 all-time against New Mexico, including a 6-4 victory last time out in the NCAA Regionals on June 5, 2010 in Fullerton, California.
Scouting the Beavers Website | @BeaverBaseball | Sunday, Feb. 17, 2 pm; Friday, March 8, 5 pm
Oregon State claimed the NCAA College World Series Championship last season to cap off a 55-12-1 season, including a 20-9-1 record en route to a Pac-12 Championship … Pat Bailey serves as the interim head coach for the Beavers following the retirement of Pat Casey following last year's championship run … All-American catcher Adley Rutschman batted .408/.505/.628 to lead OSU offensively … the Beavers do not return three of their top four hitters … both Baseball America and D1Baseball.com named Kevin Abel the nation's best freshman after he went 8-1 with a 2.88 ERA in 23 appearances, including seven starts, striking out 108 batters in 81.1 innings … the Beavers own a 7-3 record all-time against Minnesota, including knocked the Gophers from the NCAA Tournament with a 6-1 win in Corvallis on June 9, 2018.
All game times listed are central.
Opponent Outlook 2019 Schedule
Surprise Baseball Classic: Gonzaga, New Mexico, Oregon State (Dec. 5)
Non-Conference Road Slate: Dallas Baptist, NC State, Long Beach State
Safeco Field Tournament & More: San Diego, Washington, Seattle, & Pepperdine
Beginning the Big Ten Road Schedule: Penn State & Michigan
Big Ten Back at Siebert Field: Nebraska & Illinois
Midweek in Minneapolis: NDSU, SDSU, Milwaukee, & Omaha
On Target: Oklahoma
More Big Ten Home Opponents: Ohio State & Maryland
Wrapping Up the Big Ten Slate: Indiana & Northwestern
The path will not be easy with the team's home slate at U.S. Bank Stadium eliminated for the season and six NCAA Tournament teams on the docket in non-conference along with the tough 24-game B1G schedule. Minnesota begins the season on Friday, February 15 and opens up its home season at Siebert Field on Friday, March 29. Today, we begin to take an offseason outlook at the team's 2019 foes with a season-opening tournament in Surprise, Arizona in February.
Scouting the Bulldogs Website | @GonzagaBaseball | Friday, Feb. 15, 6 pm; Monday, Feb. 18, 11 am
Gonzaga joined the Maroon & Gold at the NCAA Minneapolis Regional tournament last season, bowing out of the field with a 10-4 loss to UCLA … the Zags finished 33-24 overall and 16-11 in the West Coast Conference a year ago, winning the WCC Tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament … head coach Mark Machtolf returns for his 16th season at Gonzaga in 2019 … sophomore Ernie Yake claimed Freshman All-America honors last year, hitting .322/.378/.386 to pace the Bulldogs offense .. junior right-handers Daniel Bies and Casey Legumina both return after receiving First Team All-WCC honors a year ago. Bies started 16 games to the tune of a 2.49 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 112.0 innings. Legumina collected 13 saves in 26 outings, striking out 52 in 48.2 innings … Minnesota and Gonzaga are 2-2 in the all-time series and have not met since the 2011 season, when the Zags took 2-of-3 against the Gophers March 11-13 in Sacramento, California.
Scouting the Lobos Website | @UNMLoboBaseball | Saturday, Feb. 16, 6 pm
New Mexico missed the postseason following a 20-33-1 regular season and finished 11-19 in the Mountain West … head coach Ray Birmingham has spent 11 seasons leading the Lobos … first baseman Connor Mang returns after earning Freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball for batting .326/.421/.453 in 2018 … infielder Hayden Schilling led New Mexico with a .348/.453/.461 batting average in 49 games during his junior campaign of 2018 … Cody Dye led the starting staff with a 5-6 record and 5.63 ERA in 14 starts, striking out 71 in 86.1 innings … the pitching staff had a combined 6.58 ERA, but closer Christian Tripp led the way with a 2.33 ERA and eight saves in 21 appearances, striking out 29 in 27.0 last season … the Gophers are 2-0 all-time against New Mexico, including a 6-4 victory last time out in the NCAA Regionals on June 5, 2010 in Fullerton, California.
Scouting the Beavers Website | @BeaverBaseball | Sunday, Feb. 17, 2 pm; Friday, March 8, 5 pm
Oregon State claimed the NCAA College World Series Championship last season to cap off a 55-12-1 season, including a 20-9-1 record en route to a Pac-12 Championship … Pat Bailey serves as the interim head coach for the Beavers following the retirement of Pat Casey following last year's championship run … All-American catcher Adley Rutschman batted .408/.505/.628 to lead OSU offensively … the Beavers do not return three of their top four hitters … both Baseball America and D1Baseball.com named Kevin Abel the nation's best freshman after he went 8-1 with a 2.88 ERA in 23 appearances, including seven starts, striking out 108 batters in 81.1 innings … the Beavers own a 7-3 record all-time against Minnesota, including knocked the Gophers from the NCAA Tournament with a 6-1 win in Corvallis on June 9, 2018.
All game times listed are central.
Opponent Outlook 2019 Schedule
Surprise Baseball Classic: Gonzaga, New Mexico, Oregon State (Dec. 5)
Non-Conference Road Slate: Dallas Baptist, NC State, Long Beach State
Safeco Field Tournament & More: San Diego, Washington, Seattle, & Pepperdine
Beginning the Big Ten Road Schedule: Penn State & Michigan
Big Ten Back at Siebert Field: Nebraska & Illinois
Midweek in Minneapolis: NDSU, SDSU, Milwaukee, & Omaha
On Target: Oklahoma
More Big Ten Home Opponents: Ohio State & Maryland
Wrapping Up the Big Ten Slate: Indiana & Northwestern
Follow Minnesota Baseball
Support Minnesota Baseball
Support the University of Minnesota Baseball program. Your support helps our student-athletes succeed athletically, academically, and socially. It takes just seconds to make a monthly or one-time donation. Thank you for your support! Give Now
First Practice of Fall
Thursday, September 18
Weber Neels Highlights
Wednesday, May 28
Gophers (11) - Michigan State (5) Highlights
Friday, May 16
Gophers (4) - Michigan State (3) Highlights
Thursday, May 15