University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P/UT
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
Preview: Home Opener Against Purdue
3/27/2019 3:03:00 PM | Softball
The No. 19/15 University of Minnesota Gophers host Purdue this weekend after seven weeks and 31 straight games away from home. The Gophers are 22-9 overall this season.Â
The Gophers started conference play at Maryland last weekend and are 3-0 after a sweep. Jane Sage Cowles has been one of the toughest environments across NCAA softball for traveling teams the past few seasons. The Gophers went 11-1 at home last season and 17-0 in 2017. The Maroon and Gold had a 32-game home winning streak at one point last season which is a program record. Every game this weekend will be available for stream on BTN Plus. First pitch on Friday is set for 3 p.m. with a 1 p.m. start time on Saturday and the weekend finale at 12 p.m. on Sunday.Â
MaKenna Partain and Maddie Houlihan were nearly perfect in the leadoff and second spot in the lineup last weekend. They both hit .667 at the plate. Partain broke a school record and tied a Big Ten record with five runs in a game as the Gophers tied a program record for most runs scored in a conference game in the Gophers 19-5 win over Maryland. Houlihan helped the Gophers comeback to top Maryland with a sixth inning, go-ahead grand slam on Friday night. Houlihan had six RBIs on the weekend and a 1.000 slugging percentage on her way to being named the Big Ten Player of the Week.Â
The Gophers returned their entire pitching staff from a season ago and that unit has been a strength this season. Amber Fiser has been named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week twice and earned national Pitcher of the Week honors once. She is 13-6 with a 1.50 ERA and 138 strikeouts. Senior Sydney Smith has been a steady presence in the circle. She is 7-3 with a 2.42 ERA and 59 strikeouts. Rachel Lowary, Hannah Bailey and Carlie Brandt have seen action in the circle as well.Â
Newcomers Natalie DenHartog and Hope Brandner have added a punch in the heart of the order for the Gophers. Freshman DenHartog leads the entire Big Ten with 10 home runs this season. She is doing so despite not cracking the lineup until the second week of the season. The Hopkins, Minn. native has five doubles, a triple and 10 home runs with 32 RBIs. She has a team leading .790 slugging percentage and was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week once. Brandner is a sophomore transfer out of Oregon State. She leads the team with 33 RBIs and has seven home runs and seven doubles. She earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors once.Â
Quick hitters: The Gophers have faced 10 ranked opponents this season and have wins over James Madison and Texas (twice). Head coach Jamie Trachsel earned her 300th career win over Texas this season. Fiser has a first degree black belt in Taekwondo. Utility Brandt has played seven positions in her collegiate career: all three outfield spots, second base, shortstop, DP and pitcher. Houlihan is fourth all-time in program history with 167 runs scored. She is 30 away from Tyler Walker's school record. Partain leads the team with a .380 batting average, 38 hits, nine doubles, three triples and 32 runs this season. Her 32 runs is nine more than the next closest Gopher.Â
ABOUT PURDUE
The Boilermakers are 22-10 after taking the series against Iowa 2-1 in the Big Ten conference opener. They will play Indiana State in doubleheader action on Wednesday evening before heading to Jane Sage Cowles to take on the Gophers. Purdue is fourth in the Big Ten with a .294 batting average. Kasey Wilhoit leads the team with a .391 batting average with 19 runs, 34 hits and 22 RBIs. Jenny Behan is batting .376 with 28 runs, 38 hits, 27 RBIs and seven home runs.Â
In the circle, most of the action has been split between Kaitlynn Moody and Sydney Bates. Moody has posted a 2.01 ERA in 16 appearances with 39 strikeouts. Bates has struck out 61 batters in 77.1 innings pitched. In 18 appearances, the redshirt sophomore has recorded a 2.35 ERA and has allowed 33 runs. The Purdue pitching staff has a combined ERA of 2.94 and holds their opponents to a .253 batting average.
Â
The Gophers started conference play at Maryland last weekend and are 3-0 after a sweep. Jane Sage Cowles has been one of the toughest environments across NCAA softball for traveling teams the past few seasons. The Gophers went 11-1 at home last season and 17-0 in 2017. The Maroon and Gold had a 32-game home winning streak at one point last season which is a program record. Every game this weekend will be available for stream on BTN Plus. First pitch on Friday is set for 3 p.m. with a 1 p.m. start time on Saturday and the weekend finale at 12 p.m. on Sunday.Â
MaKenna Partain and Maddie Houlihan were nearly perfect in the leadoff and second spot in the lineup last weekend. They both hit .667 at the plate. Partain broke a school record and tied a Big Ten record with five runs in a game as the Gophers tied a program record for most runs scored in a conference game in the Gophers 19-5 win over Maryland. Houlihan helped the Gophers comeback to top Maryland with a sixth inning, go-ahead grand slam on Friday night. Houlihan had six RBIs on the weekend and a 1.000 slugging percentage on her way to being named the Big Ten Player of the Week.Â
The Gophers returned their entire pitching staff from a season ago and that unit has been a strength this season. Amber Fiser has been named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week twice and earned national Pitcher of the Week honors once. She is 13-6 with a 1.50 ERA and 138 strikeouts. Senior Sydney Smith has been a steady presence in the circle. She is 7-3 with a 2.42 ERA and 59 strikeouts. Rachel Lowary, Hannah Bailey and Carlie Brandt have seen action in the circle as well.Â
Newcomers Natalie DenHartog and Hope Brandner have added a punch in the heart of the order for the Gophers. Freshman DenHartog leads the entire Big Ten with 10 home runs this season. She is doing so despite not cracking the lineup until the second week of the season. The Hopkins, Minn. native has five doubles, a triple and 10 home runs with 32 RBIs. She has a team leading .790 slugging percentage and was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week once. Brandner is a sophomore transfer out of Oregon State. She leads the team with 33 RBIs and has seven home runs and seven doubles. She earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors once.Â
Quick hitters: The Gophers have faced 10 ranked opponents this season and have wins over James Madison and Texas (twice). Head coach Jamie Trachsel earned her 300th career win over Texas this season. Fiser has a first degree black belt in Taekwondo. Utility Brandt has played seven positions in her collegiate career: all three outfield spots, second base, shortstop, DP and pitcher. Houlihan is fourth all-time in program history with 167 runs scored. She is 30 away from Tyler Walker's school record. Partain leads the team with a .380 batting average, 38 hits, nine doubles, three triples and 32 runs this season. Her 32 runs is nine more than the next closest Gopher.Â
ABOUT PURDUE
The Boilermakers are 22-10 after taking the series against Iowa 2-1 in the Big Ten conference opener. They will play Indiana State in doubleheader action on Wednesday evening before heading to Jane Sage Cowles to take on the Gophers. Purdue is fourth in the Big Ten with a .294 batting average. Kasey Wilhoit leads the team with a .391 batting average with 19 runs, 34 hits and 22 RBIs. Jenny Behan is batting .376 with 28 runs, 38 hits, 27 RBIs and seven home runs.Â
In the circle, most of the action has been split between Kaitlynn Moody and Sydney Bates. Moody has posted a 2.01 ERA in 16 appearances with 39 strikeouts. Bates has struck out 61 batters in 77.1 innings pitched. In 18 appearances, the redshirt sophomore has recorded a 2.35 ERA and has allowed 33 runs. The Purdue pitching staff has a combined ERA of 2.94 and holds their opponents to a .253 batting average.
Â
Highlights: Gophers 6, Central Michigan 1
Saturday, February 21
Highlights: Gophers 7, LIU 6
Saturday, February 21
Highlights: Gophers 11, NMSU 4
Saturday, February 14
Highlights: Gophers 8, UTEP 6
Friday, February 13