University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Gophers Host Penn State in Regular Season Finale
5/3/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
| #RV/21 Minnesota (34-14, 15-3 Big Ten) vs. Penn State (8-39, 4-16 Big Ten) | |
|  Date/Time | Friday, May 4 // 6 p.m. CT Saturday, May 5 // 1 p.m. CT Sunday, May 6 // 1 p.m. CT |
| Â Location | Jane Sage Cowles Stadium // Minneapolis, Minn. |
|  Follow Live | Friday :  // BTN2Go   // Game Day Live Saturday:  // BTN2Go //  Game Day Live Sunday:   // ESPNU/Watch ESPN // Game Day Live |
| Gameday Info | Parking Info |
| Game Notes | Minnesota | Penn State |
|  Social Media | @GopherSoftballl | Facebook | Instagram |
MINNEAPOLIS - Riding a 14-game winning streak, Minnesota softball returns to Jane Sage Cowles Stadium May 4-6 hosting Penn State in the regular-season series finale. Currently sitting second in the Big Ten standings, Minnesota looks to extend on their 30-game home winning streak in the three-game conference series. Sunday's regular-season finale is set to air on ESPNU with a first pitch time of 1:02 p.m.
FISER EARNS NATIONAL ATTENTION
A perfect 4-0 weekend by right-hander Amber Fiser has given the Van Horne, Iowa native the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Pitcher of the Week. This comes after her third-consecutive Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honor. Fiser tossed her first collegiate perfect game Friday against Purdue only needing 45 pitches to do so. This came one game after Fiser took a perfect game in the sixth against Wisconsin before departing. A dominate week in the circle, Fiser recorded 24 strikeouts in 20 innings of work. Fiser has now allowed just two earned runs in the last 52.1 innings pitched.
PARTAIN EARNS B1G WEEKLY HONOR
Infielder MaKenna Partain had a dominate week at the plate, leading the Gophers to five wins. The Banks, Ore. Native started out a hot week at the plate recording the first grand slam of the season in her second at-bat of the first inning in the opener against Wisconsin. Just starting her team-high 10 RBI week, Partain blasted a two-run bomb in game two against Purdue to put Minnesota on the board early. The long ball did not stop there as she gave the Gophers back-to-back jacks in the series finale against Purdue connecting with Lindaman in the opening frame. Reaching base in every game Partain currently rides a 12-game on-base streak. In total Partain went 8-for-17 with seven runs, a double, triple.
TWICE AS NICE
Junior infielder Allie Arneson has found her stride lately at the plate going. Last Friday at Purdue Arneson did not only record her first home run of the season, but she also recorded her second. In a 9-0 five inning victory, Arneson drove in six runs with a pair of three-run home runs in back-to-back plate appearances. Kendyl Lindaman is the only other Gopher this season to record a multi-home run game.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
775Â Senior Danielle Parlich has had quite a career at the plate. With 775 at-bats, she currently leads all active NCAA Division I hitters.
101Â The Minnesota offense has heated up during the 14-game winning streak. 18 home runs, 20 doubles, three triples and 88 singles later the Gophers are outscoring the opposition 101-9 during the stretch.
24 Going 3-for-6 against Purdue and 2-for-7 against NDSU, Kendyl Lindaman extends her on-base streak to a career-best 24 games.
2Â Right-hander Amber Fiser has allowed a marginal two earned runs in her last 59.1 innings of work. During that time she has gone 10-0 recording 57 strikeouts and only allowing six walks.
A SERIES WIN BY MINNESOTA WOULD...
A series win by Minnesota would guarantee the Gophers a top-three seed and opening round bye in the Big Ten Tournament. A sweep by the Gophers and they secure at least a top-two seed in the tournament. A sweep by the Gophers and a loss by Michigan to Ohio State puts the Gophers in a tie for first in the Big Ten resulting in co-regular season champions. Should Michigan lose twice to Ohio State this weekend and the Gophers collect three wins, the Gophers would reign as the sole regular season champions.
SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS
Penn State enters the weekend 8-39 overall and 4-16 in the Big Ten as the travel to Minneapolis for its final weekend of play. Hitting a team average of .218, they are led by Tori Dubois with a .293 batting average, .510 slugging percentage and a .366 on-base percentage. The junior also holds a team-best eight doubles, eight home runs and 26 RBI. In the circle the Nittany Lions hold a 5.89 ERA as a staff with Jessica Cummings leading the staff in appearances with 40 games.
INSIDE THE SERIES: PENN STATE
The Gophers are currently on a seven-game winning streak against Penn State and have won the last two series meetings. During the stretch Minnesota has outscored Penn State 65-5 including three shutouts. Minnesota holds the longest winning streak in the series at 10 games dating back from April 8, 1995 to April 18, 1998.
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