University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, April 19
Lincoln, NE
5:30 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Nebraska
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
Photo by: Christopher Mitchell
Preview: Nebraska
4/17/2019 12:43:00 PM | Softball
The Big Ten race is heating up as the Gophers gear up for a trip to Nebraska for a three game series this weekend. Minnesota is 29-10 overall and sit in third place in the Big Ten with a 10-1 conference record. Friday and Sunday will be on the Big Ten Network while Saturday can be streamed on BTN Plus.Â
The Gophers remain in the top-10 RPI at No. 9 this week after facing the toughest nonconference schedule in the entire country. In that span the Gophers faced 10 ranked opponents and came up with two victories over a top-10 (at the time) Texas squad.
Amber Fiser struck out the first batter she faced last weekend to hit 500 strikeouts in her career and was just getting started. She pitched a complete game to start the doubleheader and matched a career high with 13 strikeouts. She stepped into the circle with the Gophers trailing in the second game and proceeded to shut down the Spartans with seven strikeouts in just 3.1 innings of work.Â
The Van Horne, Iowa native only allowed one earned run in the two victories while striking out 20 batters. She was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week and is just the seventh Gopher to hit 500 career strikeouts or more. Fiser is second in the Big Ten with 199 strikeouts on the season. Her 18 victories and 1.40 ERA are both good for third in the conference.Â
Behind every good pitcher is a strong defense and the Gophers have one of the best in the entire country. They rank first in the Big Ten and fifth in the NCAA with a .979 fielding percentage. Â
MaKenna Partain has been one of the quietest stars in the entire country but made some noise to loud to go unnoticed last weekend. In two victories over Michigan State, Partain piled up three doubles, a triple and a home run. She recorded four RBIs going 6-7 with a 2.000 slugging percentage and added two stolen bases. Her home run in the second game put the Gophers up 3-2 in what would turn into a slug fest for the Gophers. She nearly hit the cycle that game with a single, double and home run.
Partain leads the Big Ten in runs per game with 1.10 this season. She has 43 runs on the season while the next closest Gopher has 29 on the year. Partain also has four triples which is leading the Big Ten. She leads the team with a .398 batting average with 13 doubles, four triples and three home runs.Â
The heart of the Gophers lineup has been led by a pair of fresh faces. Oregon State transfer Hope Brandner is hitting .360 with eight doubles and 12 home runs with 42 RBIs while freshman Natalie DenHartog is second on the team with a .373 batting average to go with nine doubles, a triple, 11 home runs and a team leading 43 RBIs.Â
Quick Hitters: Ace Amber Fiser has a first degree black belt in Taekwondo. Utility Carlie Brandt has played seven positions in her collegiate career: all three outfield spots, second base, shortstop, DP and pitcher. The Gophers are a perfect 11-0 on Sundays this season. Seven Gophers have hit their first collegiate home run his season. Maddie Houlihan is fourth all-time in program history with 173 runs scored and needs just two more to tie for third all-time. Tyler Walker holds the record at 197.
ABOUT NEBRASKA
The Cornhuskers come into the series 15-24 overall and 4-8 in the Big Ten. Nebraska took a series over Purdue this past weekend. They won both games (7-5, 9-4) in a doubleheader Sunday, but fell to the Boilermakers (9-4) on Friday.
Tristen Edwards, a junior infielder, leads the team with a .340 batting average with 32 runs, 36 hits, seven doubles, 35 RBIs and a conference leading 14 home runs. Senior Alyvia Simmon has produced a .295 batting average with 22 runs, 28 hits and 13 RBIs.Â
In the circle, right-hander Regan Mergele leads the pitching staff with a 3.73 ERA. The senior has 51 strikeouts in 19 appearances. Nebraska has a combined ERA of 4.99.
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The Gophers remain in the top-10 RPI at No. 9 this week after facing the toughest nonconference schedule in the entire country. In that span the Gophers faced 10 ranked opponents and came up with two victories over a top-10 (at the time) Texas squad.
Amber Fiser struck out the first batter she faced last weekend to hit 500 strikeouts in her career and was just getting started. She pitched a complete game to start the doubleheader and matched a career high with 13 strikeouts. She stepped into the circle with the Gophers trailing in the second game and proceeded to shut down the Spartans with seven strikeouts in just 3.1 innings of work.Â
The Van Horne, Iowa native only allowed one earned run in the two victories while striking out 20 batters. She was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week and is just the seventh Gopher to hit 500 career strikeouts or more. Fiser is second in the Big Ten with 199 strikeouts on the season. Her 18 victories and 1.40 ERA are both good for third in the conference.Â
Behind every good pitcher is a strong defense and the Gophers have one of the best in the entire country. They rank first in the Big Ten and fifth in the NCAA with a .979 fielding percentage. Â
MaKenna Partain has been one of the quietest stars in the entire country but made some noise to loud to go unnoticed last weekend. In two victories over Michigan State, Partain piled up three doubles, a triple and a home run. She recorded four RBIs going 6-7 with a 2.000 slugging percentage and added two stolen bases. Her home run in the second game put the Gophers up 3-2 in what would turn into a slug fest for the Gophers. She nearly hit the cycle that game with a single, double and home run.
Partain leads the Big Ten in runs per game with 1.10 this season. She has 43 runs on the season while the next closest Gopher has 29 on the year. Partain also has four triples which is leading the Big Ten. She leads the team with a .398 batting average with 13 doubles, four triples and three home runs.Â
The heart of the Gophers lineup has been led by a pair of fresh faces. Oregon State transfer Hope Brandner is hitting .360 with eight doubles and 12 home runs with 42 RBIs while freshman Natalie DenHartog is second on the team with a .373 batting average to go with nine doubles, a triple, 11 home runs and a team leading 43 RBIs.Â
Quick Hitters: Ace Amber Fiser has a first degree black belt in Taekwondo. Utility Carlie Brandt has played seven positions in her collegiate career: all three outfield spots, second base, shortstop, DP and pitcher. The Gophers are a perfect 11-0 on Sundays this season. Seven Gophers have hit their first collegiate home run his season. Maddie Houlihan is fourth all-time in program history with 173 runs scored and needs just two more to tie for third all-time. Tyler Walker holds the record at 197.
ABOUT NEBRASKA
The Cornhuskers come into the series 15-24 overall and 4-8 in the Big Ten. Nebraska took a series over Purdue this past weekend. They won both games (7-5, 9-4) in a doubleheader Sunday, but fell to the Boilermakers (9-4) on Friday.
Tristen Edwards, a junior infielder, leads the team with a .340 batting average with 32 runs, 36 hits, seven doubles, 35 RBIs and a conference leading 14 home runs. Senior Alyvia Simmon has produced a .295 batting average with 22 runs, 28 hits and 13 RBIs.Â
In the circle, right-hander Regan Mergele leads the pitching staff with a 3.73 ERA. The senior has 51 strikeouts in 19 appearances. Nebraska has a combined ERA of 4.99.
Â
Minnesota (4) - Michigan (0) Highlights
Friday, May 02
Sydney Schwartz Throws No-Hitter
Tuesday, April 29
Gophers (8) - North Dakota (0) Highlights
Sunday, April 27
Gophers (5) - North Dakota (3) Highlights
Saturday, April 26