University of Minnesota Athletics
No. 21 Gophers Host SDSU, Travel to Ohio State
4/24/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 24, 2018
MINNEAPOLIS - The Gopher Baseball team concludes its homestand Wednesday as No. 21 Minnesota welcomes South Dakota State to Siebert Field before hitting the road for a three-game Big Ten conference series against Ohio State in Columbus.
Two Out of Three Ain't Bad
Minnesota settled for 2-of-3 and a series victory over Iowa last weekend, the team's sixth-straight series win. Patrick Fredrickson continued his impressive rookie season with 7.2 shutout innings as the Gophers went on to win game two 3-0, while closer Max Meyer earned his ninth and tenth saves of the season, striking out two in 2.1 innings himself. Ben Mezzenga finished 4-for-11 with a double and four runs scored on the weekend.
Career Milestone
Micah Coffey grounded a single through the right side of the Hawkeye infield on Saturday to collect his 200th career hit for the Gophers. Behind Coffey, Toby Hanson (181), Terrin Vavra (159), and Luke Pettersen (153) are the next highest totals among active Gophers. Robb Quinlan had a program-best 345 hits for Minnesota from 1996-99.
Gophers in the Polls
Minnesota raised its stake in the national spotlight with a sixth-straight series victory this past weekend. The Gophers rank no. 21 in the D1Baseball.com poll, no. 23 in the Baseball America Top 25, no. 26 according to College Baseball News, no. 27 according to the NCBWA, and among the teams receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
NCAA Superlatives
Minnesota continues to boast one of the hottest offenses in the nation, ranking 11th in batting average with a .307 team average. The Gophers have scored 7.1 runs per game, ranking 15th in the country. The pitching ranks 26th in WHIP, allowing just 1.26 baserunners per inning. Ben Mezzenga's .398 batting average ranks 20th nationally while Terrin Vavra is not far behind at no. 27 (.394). Patrick Fredrickson's 1.68 ERA ranks 27th in the country as well, and Max Meyer is in the top-10 in all of NCAA with his 10 saves.
Against the Competition
Minnesota played host to South Dakota State earlier this season at U.S. Bank Stadium. Joshua Culliver tossed five no-hit innings, while Luke Pettersen had all three of the Gophers' hits in a 1-0 victory. The Jackrabbits did not have a hit until the seventh inning, collecting just a pair of singles as a team. Minnesota swept a three-game set against Ohio State last season, outscoing the Buckeyes 26-10. Toby Hanson has hit .389 (7-for-18) in his career with a double, a home run, and six RBI against OSU. Cole McDevitt went 5-for-9 in the series last season with a home run and a double, scoring three runs. Jordan Kozicky drove in four runs on 5-of-12 with a double and a triple in the series.
Going Streaking
With a hit in each game against Iowa, Ben Mezzenga extended his hitting streak to nine games. Mezzenga owns the team's longest hitting streak this season having collected base knocks in 10-straight games from March 10 until March 25. Luke Petterssen has reached base in 11-straight games for the Gophers.
Can't Hold Them Down
Minnesota's pitching staff now has four shutouts this season after defeating Iowa 3-0 on April 21. The Gophers have not been shut out themselves since April 16, 2017, a span of 59 games.
Ins & Outs
Eli Wilson has now had 3-or-more RBI in three games this year, with a career-high four RBI against Penn State on April 7 ... Toby Hanson made his return to the line-up against Iowa after missing three weeks due to a wrist issue. He collected two singles and a walk, also dropping down a sacrifice in 10 plate appearances.
Gophers on the Air
Minnesota will have at least four games on Big Ten Network this season. The Gophers will host BTN on campus for games two and three of the series against Indiana on May 5-6 with the potential for more games to be added to the schedule later this season. The team won its 2018 Network debut, 2-0, against Nebraska on Sunday, March 25 but fell 5-3 against Iowa on Sunday, April 22 in its second national television appearance.
Returning All-Big Ten
Minnesota returns four of its six honorees from the All-Big Ten Teams following the 2017 season, all of whom figure into the team's every day line-up. Junior Cole McDevitt landed on the league's First Team after batting .314 in league play with four doubles, 11 RBIs, and 14 runs scored. Senior Micah Coffey returns after earning a Second Team selection last year. He batted .370 in league play, lifting a team-best eight doubles and adding 22 RBIs. Senior Toby Hanson returns after driving in a team-high 24 runs against conference competition to land on the Third Team. Sophomore Jordan Kozicky was an All-Freshman Team selection, batting .351 as a utility player.
Scouting the Jackrabbits
South Dakota State (10-22, 8-7 Summit League) has won 3-of-5 entering this week ... the Jackrabbits had suffered two seven-game losing streaks this season ... junior utility man Nick Smith leads the offense, hitting .356 with six doubles in 20 starts ... rookie Gus Steiger is batting .287 with 17 RBI on the year ... junior left-hander Korey Kuhlmann will get a second crack at the Gophers line-up after allowing one run on two hits in 3.0 innings, drawing the loss in their last meeting. Kuhlmann is 1-3 with a 7.65 ERA, striking out 12 in 20.0 innings.
Scouting the Buckeyes
Ohio State (27-11, 8-4 Big Ten) won its last two series, knocking off Indiana in 2-of-3 last week ... the Buckeyes have had quite a turnaround, finishing 11th in the Big Ten last season at 8-16 in the conference and 22-34 overall ... head coach Greg Beals is in his eighth season at Ohio State ... senior utility man Noah McGowan is hitting .404 with eight home runs and 17 doubles already this season. He has 47 RBIs and 37 runs scored ... senior outfielder Tyler Cowles is hitting .336 with nine doubles this season ... the Buckeyes send lefty Connor Curlis to the mound on Fridays. Curlis is 5-2 with a 3.09 ERA in 58.1 innings, striking out 57 on the year ... right-handers Ryan Feltner and Adam Neimeyer round out the weekend rotation. Feltner has a 4.39 ERA in 55.1 innings and 55 strikeouts. Neimeyer has a 5.79 ERA in 46.2 innings.
Single-game tickets, season tickets, and group ticket packages are available for all 2018 Gopher Baseball games. Stay up to date with all Gopher Baseball news by following the Gophers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram via the links provided, or get all Minnesota Golden Gopher athletics news and highlights, including exclusive behind-the-scenes content and special ticket offers and promotions delivered straight to your inbox by signing up today!
| Gopher Baseball (25-11, 9-2 Big Ten) Week 11: Games 37-40 | |
| Gophers vs. South Dakota State (10-22, 8-7 Summit League) | |
| Date/Time | Wednesday, April 25, 6 p.m. |
| Location | Siebert Field, Minneapolis, Minn. |
| Follow Live | BTN Student U on BTN2Go | Game Day Live |
| Weather | Plenty of sun, 61°/42°, 1% precipitation, NW 5 mph |
| Tickets | Buy Tickets |
| Gophers vs. Ohio State (27-11, 8-2 Big Ten) | |
| Date/Time | Friday-Sunday, April 27-29, 6:35 p.m. ET/3:05 p.m. ET/1:05 p.m. ET |
| Location | Bill Davis Stadium, Columbus, Ohio |
| Follow Live | Friday: Watch/Listen Online | Game Day Live Saturday: Watch/Listen Online | Game Day Live Sunday: Watch/Listen Online | Game Day Live |
| Weather | Friday: Mostly cloudy, 65°/40°, 20% precipitation, WSW 8 mph Saturday: Mostly sunny, 64°/40°, 4% precipitation, WNW 10 mph Sunday: Brilliant sunshine, 67°/45°, 1% precipitation, NNW 5 mph |
| Game Notes | Minnesota | South Dakota State | Ohio State |
| Social Media | @GopherBaseball | Facebook | Instagram |
MINNEAPOLIS - The Gopher Baseball team concludes its homestand Wednesday as No. 21 Minnesota welcomes South Dakota State to Siebert Field before hitting the road for a three-game Big Ten conference series against Ohio State in Columbus.
Two Out of Three Ain't Bad
Minnesota settled for 2-of-3 and a series victory over Iowa last weekend, the team's sixth-straight series win. Patrick Fredrickson continued his impressive rookie season with 7.2 shutout innings as the Gophers went on to win game two 3-0, while closer Max Meyer earned his ninth and tenth saves of the season, striking out two in 2.1 innings himself. Ben Mezzenga finished 4-for-11 with a double and four runs scored on the weekend.
Career Milestone
Micah Coffey grounded a single through the right side of the Hawkeye infield on Saturday to collect his 200th career hit for the Gophers. Behind Coffey, Toby Hanson (181), Terrin Vavra (159), and Luke Pettersen (153) are the next highest totals among active Gophers. Robb Quinlan had a program-best 345 hits for Minnesota from 1996-99.
Gophers in the Polls
Minnesota raised its stake in the national spotlight with a sixth-straight series victory this past weekend. The Gophers rank no. 21 in the D1Baseball.com poll, no. 23 in the Baseball America Top 25, no. 26 according to College Baseball News, no. 27 according to the NCBWA, and among the teams receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
NCAA Superlatives
Minnesota continues to boast one of the hottest offenses in the nation, ranking 11th in batting average with a .307 team average. The Gophers have scored 7.1 runs per game, ranking 15th in the country. The pitching ranks 26th in WHIP, allowing just 1.26 baserunners per inning. Ben Mezzenga's .398 batting average ranks 20th nationally while Terrin Vavra is not far behind at no. 27 (.394). Patrick Fredrickson's 1.68 ERA ranks 27th in the country as well, and Max Meyer is in the top-10 in all of NCAA with his 10 saves.
Against the Competition
Minnesota played host to South Dakota State earlier this season at U.S. Bank Stadium. Joshua Culliver tossed five no-hit innings, while Luke Pettersen had all three of the Gophers' hits in a 1-0 victory. The Jackrabbits did not have a hit until the seventh inning, collecting just a pair of singles as a team. Minnesota swept a three-game set against Ohio State last season, outscoing the Buckeyes 26-10. Toby Hanson has hit .389 (7-for-18) in his career with a double, a home run, and six RBI against OSU. Cole McDevitt went 5-for-9 in the series last season with a home run and a double, scoring three runs. Jordan Kozicky drove in four runs on 5-of-12 with a double and a triple in the series.
Going Streaking
With a hit in each game against Iowa, Ben Mezzenga extended his hitting streak to nine games. Mezzenga owns the team's longest hitting streak this season having collected base knocks in 10-straight games from March 10 until March 25. Luke Petterssen has reached base in 11-straight games for the Gophers.
Can't Hold Them Down
Minnesota's pitching staff now has four shutouts this season after defeating Iowa 3-0 on April 21. The Gophers have not been shut out themselves since April 16, 2017, a span of 59 games.
Ins & Outs
Eli Wilson has now had 3-or-more RBI in three games this year, with a career-high four RBI against Penn State on April 7 ... Toby Hanson made his return to the line-up against Iowa after missing three weeks due to a wrist issue. He collected two singles and a walk, also dropping down a sacrifice in 10 plate appearances.
Gophers on the Air
Minnesota will have at least four games on Big Ten Network this season. The Gophers will host BTN on campus for games two and three of the series against Indiana on May 5-6 with the potential for more games to be added to the schedule later this season. The team won its 2018 Network debut, 2-0, against Nebraska on Sunday, March 25 but fell 5-3 against Iowa on Sunday, April 22 in its second national television appearance.
Returning All-Big Ten
Minnesota returns four of its six honorees from the All-Big Ten Teams following the 2017 season, all of whom figure into the team's every day line-up. Junior Cole McDevitt landed on the league's First Team after batting .314 in league play with four doubles, 11 RBIs, and 14 runs scored. Senior Micah Coffey returns after earning a Second Team selection last year. He batted .370 in league play, lifting a team-best eight doubles and adding 22 RBIs. Senior Toby Hanson returns after driving in a team-high 24 runs against conference competition to land on the Third Team. Sophomore Jordan Kozicky was an All-Freshman Team selection, batting .351 as a utility player.
Scouting the Jackrabbits
South Dakota State (10-22, 8-7 Summit League) has won 3-of-5 entering this week ... the Jackrabbits had suffered two seven-game losing streaks this season ... junior utility man Nick Smith leads the offense, hitting .356 with six doubles in 20 starts ... rookie Gus Steiger is batting .287 with 17 RBI on the year ... junior left-hander Korey Kuhlmann will get a second crack at the Gophers line-up after allowing one run on two hits in 3.0 innings, drawing the loss in their last meeting. Kuhlmann is 1-3 with a 7.65 ERA, striking out 12 in 20.0 innings.
Scouting the Buckeyes
Ohio State (27-11, 8-4 Big Ten) won its last two series, knocking off Indiana in 2-of-3 last week ... the Buckeyes have had quite a turnaround, finishing 11th in the Big Ten last season at 8-16 in the conference and 22-34 overall ... head coach Greg Beals is in his eighth season at Ohio State ... senior utility man Noah McGowan is hitting .404 with eight home runs and 17 doubles already this season. He has 47 RBIs and 37 runs scored ... senior outfielder Tyler Cowles is hitting .336 with nine doubles this season ... the Buckeyes send lefty Connor Curlis to the mound on Fridays. Curlis is 5-2 with a 3.09 ERA in 58.1 innings, striking out 57 on the year ... right-handers Ryan Feltner and Adam Neimeyer round out the weekend rotation. Feltner has a 4.39 ERA in 55.1 innings and 55 strikeouts. Neimeyer has a 5.79 ERA in 46.2 innings.
Single-game tickets, season tickets, and group ticket packages are available for all 2018 Gopher Baseball games. Stay up to date with all Gopher Baseball news by following the Gophers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram via the links provided, or get all Minnesota Golden Gopher athletics news and highlights, including exclusive behind-the-scenes content and special ticket offers and promotions delivered straight to your inbox by signing up today!
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