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University of Minnesota Athletics
Opponent Outlook: Beginning the Big Ten Road Schedule
1/2/2019 5:23:00 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. Today, we examine the beginning of the team's road Big Ten schedule as the Gophers take on Penn State and Michigan in key three-game conference series in March and April.
Scouting the Nittany Lions Website | @PennStateBASE | March 22-24, 3 pm/12 pm/11 am
Penn State finished 13th in the Big Ten standings at 3-21 in league play and 15-34 overall last season … head coach Rob Cooper returns for his fifth season leading the Nittany Lions in 2019 … Penn State ranked in the bottom 10 percent of the NCAA (289 of 297) with its team .233 batting average last season, but have a young team with 22 underclassmen in 2019 … sophomore infielder Parker Hendershot returns after a Freshman All-Big Ten selection last season, batting .283 in 35 games … sophomore southpaw Dante Biasi returns to the team's pitching staff after making 13 starts last season with a 5.20 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 62.1 innings … sophomore righty Mason Mellott also returns to the staff, having collected a team-leading four saves in 24 appearances with a 3.18 ERA and 28 punch-out's in 34.0 innings …Minnesota and Penn State collided in a three-game neutral-site series in West Lafayette, Indiana last year due to inclement weather, but the Gophers dominated with a three-game sweep April 7-8, out-scoring the Nittany Lions 32-10 to improve to 51-24 in the all-time series.
Scouting the Wolverines Website | @umichbaseball | April 5-7, 3 pm/1 pm/12 pm
No. 39 Michigan finished 33-21 last season, and third in the Big Ten at 15-8 in conference play … Erik Bakich returns for his seventh season at the helm of the Wolverines in 2019 … Michigan ranked in the top-25 nationally with a 3.46 ERA (no. 23) and 90 stolen bases (no. 24) … the Wolverines boasted seven Freshman All-America awards and six Big Ten honorees last season … junior outfielder Dominic Clementi returns after ranking no. 50 in the nation with his .368 batting average and no. 18 with a .485 on-base percentage … sophomore Jesse Franklin slugged a team-leading 10 home runs to go with 11 doubles with 47 RBIs and 31 runs scored … sophomore southpaw Ben Dragani ranked no. 97 in the nation and fifth in the Big Ten with his 2.75 ERA as a rookie, striking out 54 in 75.0 innings pitched … Minnesota and Michigan did not match up in the 2017 or 2018 seasons, leaving the all-time series at 104-93 in favor of the Gophers. Their last series saw a two-game doubleheader sweep for the Maroon & Gold on April 8, 2016.
All game times listed as central.
Gopher Baseball season tickets are available now! The Maroon & Gold return to campus on Friday, March 29 against Nebraska. This 21-game package includes Minnesota's game against Oklahoma at Target Field on Saturday, April 20. Click here to purchase yours today.
Offseason Outlook 2019 Schedule
Surprise Baseball Classic: Gonzaga, New Mexico, Oregon State (Dec. 5)
Non-Conference Road Slate: Dallas Baptist, NC State, Long Beach State (Dec. 12)
Seattle Baseball Showcase & More: San Diego, Washington, Seattle, & Pepperdine (Dec. 19)
Beginning the Big Ten Road Schedule: Penn State & Michigan (Jan. 2)
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. Today, we examine the beginning of the team's road Big Ten schedule as the Gophers take on Penn State and Michigan in key three-game conference series in March and April.
Scouting the Nittany Lions Website | @PennStateBASE | March 22-24, 3 pm/12 pm/11 am
Penn State finished 13th in the Big Ten standings at 3-21 in league play and 15-34 overall last season … head coach Rob Cooper returns for his fifth season leading the Nittany Lions in 2019 … Penn State ranked in the bottom 10 percent of the NCAA (289 of 297) with its team .233 batting average last season, but have a young team with 22 underclassmen in 2019 … sophomore infielder Parker Hendershot returns after a Freshman All-Big Ten selection last season, batting .283 in 35 games … sophomore southpaw Dante Biasi returns to the team's pitching staff after making 13 starts last season with a 5.20 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 62.1 innings … sophomore righty Mason Mellott also returns to the staff, having collected a team-leading four saves in 24 appearances with a 3.18 ERA and 28 punch-out's in 34.0 innings …Minnesota and Penn State collided in a three-game neutral-site series in West Lafayette, Indiana last year due to inclement weather, but the Gophers dominated with a three-game sweep April 7-8, out-scoring the Nittany Lions 32-10 to improve to 51-24 in the all-time series.
Scouting the Wolverines Website | @umichbaseball | April 5-7, 3 pm/1 pm/12 pm
No. 39 Michigan finished 33-21 last season, and third in the Big Ten at 15-8 in conference play … Erik Bakich returns for his seventh season at the helm of the Wolverines in 2019 … Michigan ranked in the top-25 nationally with a 3.46 ERA (no. 23) and 90 stolen bases (no. 24) … the Wolverines boasted seven Freshman All-America awards and six Big Ten honorees last season … junior outfielder Dominic Clementi returns after ranking no. 50 in the nation with his .368 batting average and no. 18 with a .485 on-base percentage … sophomore Jesse Franklin slugged a team-leading 10 home runs to go with 11 doubles with 47 RBIs and 31 runs scored … sophomore southpaw Ben Dragani ranked no. 97 in the nation and fifth in the Big Ten with his 2.75 ERA as a rookie, striking out 54 in 75.0 innings pitched … Minnesota and Michigan did not match up in the 2017 or 2018 seasons, leaving the all-time series at 104-93 in favor of the Gophers. Their last series saw a two-game doubleheader sweep for the Maroon & Gold on April 8, 2016.
All game times listed as central.
Gopher Baseball season tickets are available now! The Maroon & Gold return to campus on Friday, March 29 against Nebraska. This 21-game package includes Minnesota's game against Oklahoma at Target Field on Saturday, April 20. Click here to purchase yours today.
Offseason Outlook 2019 Schedule
Surprise Baseball Classic: Gonzaga, New Mexico, Oregon State (Dec. 5)
Non-Conference Road Slate: Dallas Baptist, NC State, Long Beach State (Dec. 12)
Seattle Baseball Showcase & More: San Diego, Washington, Seattle, & Pepperdine (Dec. 19)
Beginning the Big Ten Road Schedule: Penn State & Michigan (Jan. 2)
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
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