University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, April 5
Urbana-Champaign, IL
5:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Illinois
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
Preview: Illinois Weekend
4/3/2019 3:51:00 PM | Softball
The No. 19/12 University of Minnesota Gophers are headed back on the road for a three game Big Ten series at Illinois this weekend.Â
The Gophers are 6-0 in conference play after sweeps over Maryland and Purdue. After facing the No. 1 ranked toughest nonconference schedule in the entire country, Minnesota is a program record No. 8 in the RPI this week. Previously, the highest the Gophers ever reached in the RPI was 11 when they did so in 2017. All three games this weekend will be available for stream on BTN Plus.Â
The Gophers have been led by one of the top pitching duos in the country in Amber Fiser and Sydney Smith. Fiser is 15-6 with a 1.50 ERA and 159 strikeouts. She has been named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week twice and earned one NFCA National Pitcher of the Week this season. Smith is 7-3 with a 2.26 ERA and has 66 strikeouts. The senior out of Maple Grove, Minn. has been especially strong in Big Ten play with a team low 1.58 ERA and 2-0 record. Fiser has tossed a career high 13 strikeouts in a game twice this season while Smith has two games with 11 strikeouts this year.Â
Behind every good pitching staff is a strong defense and the Gophers have one of the best in the entire country. Minnesota is ranked No. 4 in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten with a .979 fielding percentage. Katelyn Kemmetmueller and Allie Arneson have been especially strong in the infield. Kemmetmueller has 73 assists with just three errors over at third base while Arneson has tallied 69 assists and 21 putouts with just five errors at shortstop.Â
The heart of the order has provided big power numbers for the Gophers this season. Sophomore transfer out of Oregon State Hope Brandner has launched nine home runs and eight doubles with 36 RBIs this season. This past weekend she hit .833 with a 2.000 slugging percentage and a .900 on base percentage. Freshman Natalie DenHartog went from starting the season in the dugout to batting cleanup and leads the entire Big Ten with 11 home runs and 39 RBIs. She has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice this year while Brandner has notched one Big Ten Player of the Week and one FastPitchNews National Player of the Week honor.Â
Maddie Houlihan is chasing history. She has scored 169 runs which ranks fourth all-time in Gophers history. She is closing in on Rachel Nelson who sits third with 175 runs scored. Sam Macken is second with 182 and Tyler Walker has the school record at 197 runs. MaKenna Partain set a school record this year and tied a Big Ten record with five runs scored in a single game at Maryland. Partain has scored 10 more runs than the next highest Gopher this season touching home plate 35 times.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. Taylor Chell has been a welcomed presence since returning from injury. In 11 games she has three RBIs and an on base percentage of .435. The Gophers are a perfect 9-0 on Sundays this season.Â
ABOUT ILLINOIS
The Fighting Illino are 22-9 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten. They opened conference play with a 2-1 series win over No. 23 at the time Wisconsin. This past weekend, Illinois faced Nebraska and fell 2-1 in the series. Illinois will host Illinois State on Wednesday before taking on the Gophers.
The Illini rank first in the conference with a .328 batting average. Annie Fleming leads the way and is third in the Big Ten with an average of .410, and is fifth in hits with 43. Bella Loya has recorded a .406 batting average and is fourth in the Big Ten in hits (43), second in RBIs (38), second in total bases (87) and is tied with Gopher freshman Natalie DenHartog with 11 home runs to lead the conference.Â
Freshman pitcher Sydney Sickels has gone 95.1 innings and is 14-4 in the circle. Sickels has 75 strikeouts on the season and has allowed 40 earned runs. The freshman leads the team with a 2.94 ERAÂ
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The Gophers are 6-0 in conference play after sweeps over Maryland and Purdue. After facing the No. 1 ranked toughest nonconference schedule in the entire country, Minnesota is a program record No. 8 in the RPI this week. Previously, the highest the Gophers ever reached in the RPI was 11 when they did so in 2017. All three games this weekend will be available for stream on BTN Plus.Â
The Gophers have been led by one of the top pitching duos in the country in Amber Fiser and Sydney Smith. Fiser is 15-6 with a 1.50 ERA and 159 strikeouts. She has been named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week twice and earned one NFCA National Pitcher of the Week this season. Smith is 7-3 with a 2.26 ERA and has 66 strikeouts. The senior out of Maple Grove, Minn. has been especially strong in Big Ten play with a team low 1.58 ERA and 2-0 record. Fiser has tossed a career high 13 strikeouts in a game twice this season while Smith has two games with 11 strikeouts this year.Â
Behind every good pitching staff is a strong defense and the Gophers have one of the best in the entire country. Minnesota is ranked No. 4 in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten with a .979 fielding percentage. Katelyn Kemmetmueller and Allie Arneson have been especially strong in the infield. Kemmetmueller has 73 assists with just three errors over at third base while Arneson has tallied 69 assists and 21 putouts with just five errors at shortstop.Â
The heart of the order has provided big power numbers for the Gophers this season. Sophomore transfer out of Oregon State Hope Brandner has launched nine home runs and eight doubles with 36 RBIs this season. This past weekend she hit .833 with a 2.000 slugging percentage and a .900 on base percentage. Freshman Natalie DenHartog went from starting the season in the dugout to batting cleanup and leads the entire Big Ten with 11 home runs and 39 RBIs. She has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice this year while Brandner has notched one Big Ten Player of the Week and one FastPitchNews National Player of the Week honor.Â
Maddie Houlihan is chasing history. She has scored 169 runs which ranks fourth all-time in Gophers history. She is closing in on Rachel Nelson who sits third with 175 runs scored. Sam Macken is second with 182 and Tyler Walker has the school record at 197 runs. MaKenna Partain set a school record this year and tied a Big Ten record with five runs scored in a single game at Maryland. Partain has scored 10 more runs than the next highest Gopher this season touching home plate 35 times.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. Taylor Chell has been a welcomed presence since returning from injury. In 11 games she has three RBIs and an on base percentage of .435. The Gophers are a perfect 9-0 on Sundays this season.Â
ABOUT ILLINOIS
The Fighting Illino are 22-9 overall and 3-3 in the Big Ten. They opened conference play with a 2-1 series win over No. 23 at the time Wisconsin. This past weekend, Illinois faced Nebraska and fell 2-1 in the series. Illinois will host Illinois State on Wednesday before taking on the Gophers.
The Illini rank first in the conference with a .328 batting average. Annie Fleming leads the way and is third in the Big Ten with an average of .410, and is fifth in hits with 43. Bella Loya has recorded a .406 batting average and is fourth in the Big Ten in hits (43), second in RBIs (38), second in total bases (87) and is tied with Gopher freshman Natalie DenHartog with 11 home runs to lead the conference.Â
Freshman pitcher Sydney Sickels has gone 95.1 innings and is 14-4 in the circle. Sickels has 75 strikeouts on the season and has allowed 40 earned runs. The freshman leads the team with a 2.94 ERAÂ
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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