University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Open B1G Play at Northwestern
3/22/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
| Minnesota (17-11, 0-0 B1G) at Northwestern (17-8, 0-0 B1G) | |
| Game 1 | Friday, March 23 | 3 p.m. |
| Game 2 | Saturday, March 24 | 1 p.m. |
| Game 3 | Sunday, March 25 | Noon |
| Location | Sharon J. Drysdale Field | Evanston, Ill. |
| Live Video | BTN Plus: Game 1 | Game 2 | BTN: Game 3 |
| Live Stats | | | |
| Game Day Live | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 |
| Game Notes | Minnesota | Northwestern |
| Social Media | @GopherSoftball | Facebook | Instagram |
MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota softball closes out its 31 game road trip this weekend opening up Big Ten play against Northwestern. The Gophers and Wildcats are set to open the three-game series Friday, March 23 in Evanston, Ill at 3 p.m. The series finale on Sunday, March 25 airs on Big Ten Network at noon following Saturday's mid-series game at 1 p.m.
CAN'T TOUCH THIS
Sophomore Amber Fiser continues to control the opposition in the circle. Fiser's 116 strikeouts the season ranks in the top-20 in the nation and second in the Big Ten. This past weekend against Arizona and NM State, she record 24 strikeouts going 2-1 to close out the Gophers spring break trip. At the beginning of the 10 day spring break trip, Fiser recorded a career-high 11 strikeouts in a 4-0 loss.
TOUCH `EM ALL
Kendyl Lindaman's team-best nine home runs currently ranks 24th in the NCAA and second in the Big Ten. The sophomore returning All-American blasted a pair of home runs against New Mexico State in the series finale doubleheader Saturday, March 17. Lindaman's first of the weekend came in the second game of the series before sending a shot over the left field wall in the series finale to spark a three-home run seventh inning.
Minnesota returns to Minneapolis following its trip to Evanston as the Gophers open the home portion of their schedule against Illinois. Fans can purchase single-game tickets by clicking here.
SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST
Known for late rallies this season, the Gophers have plated 64 of their 126 runs, or 51% of their runs, in the final three innings of play. Minnesota's offensive especially comes alive in the seventh inning where the Maroon and Gold have plated a season-inning best 31 runs.
UPSET CITY
For the third time in the last three seasons, the Gophers have upset the number nine team in the nation. On Wednesday, March 14 Minnesota collectedits third program win over No. 9 Arizona 1-0 in extras. In 2015, Minnesota defeated the No. 9 team in the nation twice having beat Oklahoma 1-0 in the second game of the season before beating Georgia just less than a month later.
MAN THAT'S TOUGH
On Monday, March 20 the NCAA released the season's first RPI ranking, where the Gophers found themselves 31st on the list. Having played at least one top-25 team five out of the six first weekends of the season, the Gophers have now played the 12th toughest non-conference schedule in the nation.
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Riding an eight-game winning streak, Northwestern opens not only Big Ten play against the Gophers but also the home portion of their schedule. Northwestern enters the series with a 17-8 overall record and post a top-40 RPI in the first official NCAA rankings. Sabrina Rabin currently leads the team with a .366 average and 18 stolen bases. As a team, the Wildcats rank second in the league in runs per game and is first in on-base percentage and steals.
INSIDE THE SERIES: NORTHWESTERN
Minnesota is currently on a five-game winning streak in the series, including a pair of Big Ten tournament wins. The Gophers have won the last three regular season series against the Wildcats, two of which came via the sweep. Minnesota last faced Northwestern in a 2017 Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal game where the Gophers came out on top 5-1.
