University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, April 26
Bloomington, IN
5:05 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Indiana
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
1B/C
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
Photo by: Harrison Barden
Preview: Gophers Travel to No. 23 Indiana; Televised on ESPNU Sunday
4/25/2019 9:00:00 AM | Baseball
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Gopher Baseball team hits the road for the first time in eight games as the Maroon & Gold returns to Big Ten Conference play against No. 23 Indiana.
Minnesota (17-20, 7-5 Big Ten) takes on a ranked team for just the third time this season and first since March 8 against Oregon State. No. 23 Indiana (28-13, 9-3 Big Ten) enters the weekend atop the conference standings.
Last Time Out
Minnesota won three straight last week but stumbled last time out, dropping 2-of-3 against Oklahoma in its final non-conference series of 2019. Eli Wilson hits .455 (5-for-11) to lead the Gophers Sam Thoresen had his best career outing on the mound against the Sooners, throwing 5.0 shutout innings with six strikeouts.
Against the Competition
Minnesota swept a three-game series against a ranked Indiana team last season at Siebert Field, winning 4-1, 9-1, and walking of 7-6 in 10 innings on May 4-6, 2018. The Gophers lead the all-time series, 111-47. Jordan Kozicky has hit .387 (12-for-31) in eight games against the Hoosiers in his career, slugging three home runs and four doubles. Cole McDevitt has a pair of home runs, hitting .308 (8-for-26) in eight game. Max Meyer struck out four in 3.0 innings, going 1-0 with a save against Indiana last year.
Going Streaking
Eli Wilson extended his eight-game hitting streak, collecting a hit in every game of Minnesota's home stand the past two weeks. The catcher now has two of Minnesota's three longest hitting streaks this season, with a nine-game streak to start the year. Zack Raabe has reached base in nine-straight games for the current team lead. Wilson and Jack Wassel each enjoyed a 13-game on-base streak earlier this year.
Slow Start ... but Ready to Finish
Minnesota started the season 1-4 but has since played .500 baseball (16-16). The Gophers batted .198 with a team 6.49 ERA in the early stretch, improving to .269 with a 4.15 ERA during the majority of the season. Splitting the season in half, the Maroon & Gold are 12-7 since opening Big Ten play at Penn State on April 23, batting .263 as a team with 17 home runs while the pitching staff has settled in with a 3.86 ERA. Minnesota started the season 5-13, batting .256 but posting a combined 5.12 ERA.
Line Drives
Thoresen has allowed just three earned runs in his last 18.1 innings, a string of six appearances including four starts, and has struck out 30 batters in that span ... when Kozicky reins, he pours: 25 of his team-leading 36 RBIs have come in eight multi-RBI games. He had a season-high six RBIs at Long Beach State on March 17 ... Easton Bertrand pulled within one of Kozicky for the team home run lead with his sixth of the season at Target Field last Saturday ... falling 2-1 against the Sooners in downtown Minneapolis, the Gophers fell to 10-10 all-time at the home of the Minnesota Twins.
NCAA Superlatives
Minnesota ranks no. 56 nationally, averaging 1.97 doubles per game as a team, totaling 73 so far on the year ... the Gopher pitching staff ranks no. 67 averaging 9.0 strikeouts per nine and no. 84 allowing just 8.55 hits per nine innings ... Cole McDevitt's 14 doubles this year rank no. 53 nationally and third in the Big Ten ... Max Meyer ranks no. 47 nationally with his 1.93 ERA and no. 83 with a 1.04 WHIP ... Brett Schulze's five saves rank no. 96 nationally while his 20 appearances rank no. 65.
Weather Forecast
Friday (6 pm ET): Clear ... High/Low: 59°/46° ... Winds: NW 6 mph ... Precipitation: 4%
Saturday (2 pm ET): Shower or Thunderstorm ... High/Low: 59°/56° ... Winds: SSW 8 mph ... Precipitation: 55%
Sunday (12 pm ET): Clouds and sun ... High/Low: 60°/55° ... Winds: S 8 mph ... Precipitation: 9%
Schedule Note
Friday's game has been moved to a 6:05 p.m. ET first pitch, originally scheduled for 5:35 p.m. The game will now be streamed on BTN Plus.
For the Win
Reliever Brett Schulze earned his fifth save of the season to match his five wins on the year as Minnesota defeated Illinois 5-4 last Monday. He extended his undefeated appearance streak to 44 appearances. The right-hander is 14-0 in that stretch. Schulze last registered a defeat on May 19, 2017, throwing 4.2 innings against Purdue back in his freshman season. The previous record was held by Dan Morgan, winning 12-straight decisions in 1976-77.
Golden Spikes Award
Max Meyer earned a spot on USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List last week. Meyer is just the third Gopher to land among the Midseason honorees and first since Tom Windle (2013). He currently leads the Gophers in ERA and ranks among the team leaders in batting average. Meyer was one of 19 players to remain on the Midseason List after also being selected in the Preseason.
Climbing the All-Time Wins List
With 1,305 victories to his name, John Anderson continues to rise up the rankings of all-time victories for NCAA head coaches. In his 38th season, Minnesota's skipper currently ranks 26th all-time with 25th (Fresno State's Bob Bennett, 1,308) and 24th (Valdosta State's Pete Dunn, 1,312), and 23rd (Stetson's Joe Roberts, 1,314) all within striking distance. Anderson ranks third among current Division I coaches and eighth among current coaches at all levels of NCAA baseball. Already the Big Ten's winningest coach, the man they call "14" sits 16 victories away from 600 in conference play.
Preseason All-Americans
Sophomore pitchers Patrick Fredrickson and Meyer received Preseason All-America recognition from four organizations to begin 2019. Fredrickson landed Second Team selections from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, NCBWA, and Perfect Game, and a Third Team pick from D1Baseball. Meyer landed on D1Baseball's First Team, the Second Team from both NCBWA and Perfect Game, and Third Team from Collegiate Baseball.
B1G Time Favorite
Big Ten coaches selected the defending champion Gophers to repeat in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll. Mezzenga and hurlers Fredrickson and Meyer were each chosen as Players to Watch in league play this season. Fredrickson, the reigning Big Ten Pitcher and Freshman of the Year, and Meyer each received First Team All-Big Ten honors last year, while Mezzenga was a Second Team selection.
A New Look Dugout
Following the retirement of Gophers assistant head coach Rob Fornasiere following the 2018 season, John Anderson has revamped his coaching staff. Pitching coach Ty McDevitt has been elevated to assistant coach in his third season, former Upper Iowa University head coach Brandon Hunt joins the Maroon & Gold as a volunteer assistant, Golden Gopher alum and long-time Atlantic League standout Dan Lyons returns as a student assistant, and former head student manager Ryan Goll officially joins the staff as an undergraduate assistant. Hitting coach and recruiting coordinator Pat Casey expands his duties with the staff.
America's Big Ten Team
Minnesota made its television debut on March 10 against Washington on Pac-12 Network. The Golden Gophers will be featured on national television seven more times this season: four games on Big Ten Network, one on Fox Sports 1, and another on ESPNU. The TV schedule continues at Michigan on April 5 followed by nationally broadcast action on April 14 hosting Illinois, April 28 at Indiana, May 3-4 hosting Ohio State, and May 11 hosting Maryland.
Returning All-Big Ten Selections
Minnesota earned seven All-Big Ten selections last season in addition to John Anderson earning the 2018 Big Ten Coach of the Year award. The Gophers return the Big Ten Freshman and Pitcher of the Year in starting pitcher Patrick Fredrickson and fellow All-Big Ten First Team selection relief pitcher Max Meyer as well as Second Team outfielder Ben Mezzenga. Senior infielder/catcher Cole McDevitt also returns having earned an All-Big Ten First Team selection back in 2017.
Gophers in the Pros
Minnesota currently has nine alumni serving time in MLB organizations, with three more signed on to play major professional baseball with the American Association, including a pair in St. Paul. They are Austin Athmann ('16), Micah Coffey ('18), Lucas Gilbreath ('17), Ben Meyer ('15), Jackson Rose ('18), Dalton Sawyer ('16), Terrin Vavra ('18), and Tom Windle ('13). D.J. Snelten ('13) signed on with the Chicago Dogs this past week while Jordan Jess ('16) and Dan Motl ('16) will compete with the St. Paul Saints.
Single-game tickets remain available for all Gophers home games. Minnesota returns to Siebert Field on Tuesday, April 30 to renew its border rivalry with North Dakota State. The Maroon & Gold walked off 4-3 winners over the Bison earlier this season on April 9. First pitch is set for 6 p.m
Minnesota (17-20, 7-5 Big Ten) takes on a ranked team for just the third time this season and first since March 8 against Oregon State. No. 23 Indiana (28-13, 9-3 Big Ten) enters the weekend atop the conference standings.
Last Time Out
Minnesota won three straight last week but stumbled last time out, dropping 2-of-3 against Oklahoma in its final non-conference series of 2019. Eli Wilson hits .455 (5-for-11) to lead the Gophers Sam Thoresen had his best career outing on the mound against the Sooners, throwing 5.0 shutout innings with six strikeouts.
Against the Competition
Minnesota swept a three-game series against a ranked Indiana team last season at Siebert Field, winning 4-1, 9-1, and walking of 7-6 in 10 innings on May 4-6, 2018. The Gophers lead the all-time series, 111-47. Jordan Kozicky has hit .387 (12-for-31) in eight games against the Hoosiers in his career, slugging three home runs and four doubles. Cole McDevitt has a pair of home runs, hitting .308 (8-for-26) in eight game. Max Meyer struck out four in 3.0 innings, going 1-0 with a save against Indiana last year.
Going Streaking
Eli Wilson extended his eight-game hitting streak, collecting a hit in every game of Minnesota's home stand the past two weeks. The catcher now has two of Minnesota's three longest hitting streaks this season, with a nine-game streak to start the year. Zack Raabe has reached base in nine-straight games for the current team lead. Wilson and Jack Wassel each enjoyed a 13-game on-base streak earlier this year.
Slow Start ... but Ready to Finish
Minnesota started the season 1-4 but has since played .500 baseball (16-16). The Gophers batted .198 with a team 6.49 ERA in the early stretch, improving to .269 with a 4.15 ERA during the majority of the season. Splitting the season in half, the Maroon & Gold are 12-7 since opening Big Ten play at Penn State on April 23, batting .263 as a team with 17 home runs while the pitching staff has settled in with a 3.86 ERA. Minnesota started the season 5-13, batting .256 but posting a combined 5.12 ERA.
Line Drives
Thoresen has allowed just three earned runs in his last 18.1 innings, a string of six appearances including four starts, and has struck out 30 batters in that span ... when Kozicky reins, he pours: 25 of his team-leading 36 RBIs have come in eight multi-RBI games. He had a season-high six RBIs at Long Beach State on March 17 ... Easton Bertrand pulled within one of Kozicky for the team home run lead with his sixth of the season at Target Field last Saturday ... falling 2-1 against the Sooners in downtown Minneapolis, the Gophers fell to 10-10 all-time at the home of the Minnesota Twins.
NCAA Superlatives
Minnesota ranks no. 56 nationally, averaging 1.97 doubles per game as a team, totaling 73 so far on the year ... the Gopher pitching staff ranks no. 67 averaging 9.0 strikeouts per nine and no. 84 allowing just 8.55 hits per nine innings ... Cole McDevitt's 14 doubles this year rank no. 53 nationally and third in the Big Ten ... Max Meyer ranks no. 47 nationally with his 1.93 ERA and no. 83 with a 1.04 WHIP ... Brett Schulze's five saves rank no. 96 nationally while his 20 appearances rank no. 65.
Weather Forecast
Friday (6 pm ET): Clear ... High/Low: 59°/46° ... Winds: NW 6 mph ... Precipitation: 4%
Saturday (2 pm ET): Shower or Thunderstorm ... High/Low: 59°/56° ... Winds: SSW 8 mph ... Precipitation: 55%
Sunday (12 pm ET): Clouds and sun ... High/Low: 60°/55° ... Winds: S 8 mph ... Precipitation: 9%
Schedule Note
Friday's game has been moved to a 6:05 p.m. ET first pitch, originally scheduled for 5:35 p.m. The game will now be streamed on BTN Plus.
For the Win
Reliever Brett Schulze earned his fifth save of the season to match his five wins on the year as Minnesota defeated Illinois 5-4 last Monday. He extended his undefeated appearance streak to 44 appearances. The right-hander is 14-0 in that stretch. Schulze last registered a defeat on May 19, 2017, throwing 4.2 innings against Purdue back in his freshman season. The previous record was held by Dan Morgan, winning 12-straight decisions in 1976-77.
Golden Spikes Award
Max Meyer earned a spot on USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List last week. Meyer is just the third Gopher to land among the Midseason honorees and first since Tom Windle (2013). He currently leads the Gophers in ERA and ranks among the team leaders in batting average. Meyer was one of 19 players to remain on the Midseason List after also being selected in the Preseason.
Climbing the All-Time Wins List
With 1,305 victories to his name, John Anderson continues to rise up the rankings of all-time victories for NCAA head coaches. In his 38th season, Minnesota's skipper currently ranks 26th all-time with 25th (Fresno State's Bob Bennett, 1,308) and 24th (Valdosta State's Pete Dunn, 1,312), and 23rd (Stetson's Joe Roberts, 1,314) all within striking distance. Anderson ranks third among current Division I coaches and eighth among current coaches at all levels of NCAA baseball. Already the Big Ten's winningest coach, the man they call "14" sits 16 victories away from 600 in conference play.
Preseason All-Americans
Sophomore pitchers Patrick Fredrickson and Meyer received Preseason All-America recognition from four organizations to begin 2019. Fredrickson landed Second Team selections from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, NCBWA, and Perfect Game, and a Third Team pick from D1Baseball. Meyer landed on D1Baseball's First Team, the Second Team from both NCBWA and Perfect Game, and Third Team from Collegiate Baseball.
B1G Time Favorite
Big Ten coaches selected the defending champion Gophers to repeat in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll. Mezzenga and hurlers Fredrickson and Meyer were each chosen as Players to Watch in league play this season. Fredrickson, the reigning Big Ten Pitcher and Freshman of the Year, and Meyer each received First Team All-Big Ten honors last year, while Mezzenga was a Second Team selection.
A New Look Dugout
Following the retirement of Gophers assistant head coach Rob Fornasiere following the 2018 season, John Anderson has revamped his coaching staff. Pitching coach Ty McDevitt has been elevated to assistant coach in his third season, former Upper Iowa University head coach Brandon Hunt joins the Maroon & Gold as a volunteer assistant, Golden Gopher alum and long-time Atlantic League standout Dan Lyons returns as a student assistant, and former head student manager Ryan Goll officially joins the staff as an undergraduate assistant. Hitting coach and recruiting coordinator Pat Casey expands his duties with the staff.
America's Big Ten Team
Minnesota made its television debut on March 10 against Washington on Pac-12 Network. The Golden Gophers will be featured on national television seven more times this season: four games on Big Ten Network, one on Fox Sports 1, and another on ESPNU. The TV schedule continues at Michigan on April 5 followed by nationally broadcast action on April 14 hosting Illinois, April 28 at Indiana, May 3-4 hosting Ohio State, and May 11 hosting Maryland.
Returning All-Big Ten Selections
Minnesota earned seven All-Big Ten selections last season in addition to John Anderson earning the 2018 Big Ten Coach of the Year award. The Gophers return the Big Ten Freshman and Pitcher of the Year in starting pitcher Patrick Fredrickson and fellow All-Big Ten First Team selection relief pitcher Max Meyer as well as Second Team outfielder Ben Mezzenga. Senior infielder/catcher Cole McDevitt also returns having earned an All-Big Ten First Team selection back in 2017.
Gophers in the Pros
Minnesota currently has nine alumni serving time in MLB organizations, with three more signed on to play major professional baseball with the American Association, including a pair in St. Paul. They are Austin Athmann ('16), Micah Coffey ('18), Lucas Gilbreath ('17), Ben Meyer ('15), Jackson Rose ('18), Dalton Sawyer ('16), Terrin Vavra ('18), and Tom Windle ('13). D.J. Snelten ('13) signed on with the Chicago Dogs this past week while Jordan Jess ('16) and Dan Motl ('16) will compete with the St. Paul Saints.
Single-game tickets remain available for all Gophers home games. Minnesota returns to Siebert Field on Tuesday, April 30 to renew its border rivalry with North Dakota State. The Maroon & Gold walked off 4-3 winners over the Bison earlier this season on April 9. First pitch is set for 6 p.m
Follow Minnesota Baseball
Support Minnesota Baseball
Support the University of Minnesota Baseball program. Your support helps our student-athletes succeed athletically, academically, and socially. It takes just seconds to make a monthly or one-time donation. Thank you for your support! Give Now
2025 Gopher Baseball Highlights
Tuesday, December 30
First Practice of Fall
Thursday, September 18
Weber Neels Highlights
Wednesday, May 28
Gophers (11) - Michigan State (5) Highlights
Friday, May 16