University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, May 16
Evanston, IL
3:30 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Northwestern
Players Mentioned
OF
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IF
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RHP
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LHP
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OF
/ Baseball
RHP
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LHP
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OF
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LHP
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IF
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LHP
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1B/C
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OF
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RHP
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IF/OF
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IF
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C
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Photo by: Kelly Hagenson
Preview: Gophers Wrap Regular Season at Northwestern
5/15/2019 8:45:00 AM | Baseball
EVANSTON, Ill. – The Gopher Baseball program will close out the 2019 Big Ten Conference regular season on the road with a three-game series against Northwestern.
Minnesota (24-24, 13-8 Big Ten) looks to continue to build momentum and secure higher seeding in next week's Big Ten Tournament while Northwestern (23-25, 10-11 Big Ten) dropped a midweek decision to Notre Dame before welcoming the Gophers to Miller Park.
Last Time Out
Minnesota took 2-of-3 from Maryland for its fourth Big Ten Conference series victory of the season. Joshua Culliver did not allow a hit until the fourth inning, and the Gopher pitching staff dominated the Terrapins for a 2-1 victory in the series finale and last game for the Maroon & Gold at Siebert Field this season.
Bullpenning
With Minnesota's Friday and Saturday starters sidelined last weekend after just a combined 0.2 innings, the Gophers got 20.2 innings from the bullpen and an emergency starter against Maryland. The Terrapins batted just .216 against Minnesota relievers, scoring eight earned runs on 16 hits while striking out 30 times. The relief corps has been a strength for the Maroon & Gold this season posting a 3.44 ERA, 12-7 record, and 11 saves in 222.2 innings, striking out 238 batters compared to 126 walks.
Against the Competition
Minnesota dropped an 11-7 decision against Northwestern at the 2017 Big Ten Tournament, but previous to that the Gophers swept a three-game series in Evanston during the 2016 campaign. Ben Mezzenga owns the lone hit among current Gophers against the Wildcats, a single in 2017. Cole McDevitt and Riley Smith are each 0-for-3 against NU, and Jordan Kozicky is 0-for-5.
Going Streaking
Rookie Zack Raabe has been swinging the hottest bat for the Gophers recently, now with a six-game hitting streak to his name, longest for Minnesota. Drew Hmielewski has at least a hit in five straight. Mezzenga and Eduardo Estrada, Jr. each have a team-best eight-game streak of reaching base safely. Eli Wilson owns the team's longest hitting streak (10 games) and reached-base streak (14) earlier this year.
Line Drives
Nick Lackney needed just 3.0 innings pitched on Friday night against Maryland to match his career single game high with seven strikeouts against the Terrapins ... Minnesota has now established a new team high for strikeouts thrown, now at 460 on the season ... Patrick Fredrickson returned to the rotation with his first start since March 31, collecting seven strikeouts in 4.2 innings ... Bubba Horton relieved Fredrickson in the fifth and earned his first career victory with 2.2 innings ... the Gophers reached an even .500 record (24-24) for the first time since February 16 with Sunday's 2-1 win over Maryland.
NCAA Superlatives
Minnesota's line-up currently ranks no. 57 nationally averaging 1.94 doubles per game, a total of 93 this season, but the pitching staff has been the strength for the Maroon & Gold this year. Gopher hurlers rank no. 26 nationally with 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings, no. 33 with 7.94 hits allowed per nine, and no. 58 with a 4.04 ERA. Cole McDevitt leads the offense with his 15 doubles, ranking no. 120 nationally. On the mound, Meyer ranks no. 54 with his 2.28 ERA, no. 70 with a 1.06 WHIP, and no. 104 with 80 strikeouts. Brett Schulze ranks no. 70 in appearances at 25.
Return to Form
After starting their 2019 campaign at 2-11, Minnesota has since gone 22-13 in its last 35 games. The Gophers batted just .228 as a team through their first 13 games, striking out 134 times compared to just 50 walks. Meanwhile, the pitching staff posted a 5.43 ERA and 68 walks compared to 98 strikeouts. Since then, the line-up has batted .267, drawing 144 walks for a .358 on-base percentage. The team is also slugging .403 compared to just .327. The pitchers have cut nearly two runs off their ERA at 3.57 with 362 strikeouts compared to 182 walks and allowing opponents to hit just .215 in their last 320.1 innings.
Weekend Forecast
Thursday (3:30 p.m.): Shower or thunderstorm ... High/Low: 74°/69° ... Winds: SSW 13 mph ... Precipitation: 61%
Friday (2 p.m.): Shower or thunderstorm ... High/Low: 49°/46° ... Winds: NE 9 mph ... Precipitation: 55%
Saturday (1 p.m.): Cloudy ... High/Low: 66°/61° ... Winds: NE 14 mph ... Precipitation: 25%
Double Vision
Minnesota has played five weather-necessitated doubleheaders this season and are 5-5 in twin bills. The Gopher bullpen has tossed 48.1 innings in those 10 games to the tune of a 2.42 ERA, striking out 53 while allowing 34 hits and 28 walks. Ryan Duffy has thrown 7.1 shutout innings in three appearances. Jordan Kozicky leads the Minnesota offense with four home runs, batting .405 with 12 RBI and 10 runs scored.
Climbing the All-Times Wins List
John Anderson moved into a tie for 24th place all-time among NCAA head coaches with Valdosta State's Pete Dunn when he earned his 1,312th career victory against Maryland on May 12. He sits just two back from Stetson's Joe Roberts (1,314) for 23rd all-time. Anderson ranks third among current NCAA I coaches and eighth among active coaches at all levels. Already the conference's all-time wins leader, "14" sits just 10 victories away from 600 in the Big Ten.
Golden Spikes Award
Max Meyer earned a spot on USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List. 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.
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 Favorites
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.
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 eight 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 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) will join the Chicago Dogs and Alex Boxwell ('18) the Gary South Shore Rail Cats while Jordan Jess ('16) and Dan Motl ('16) will compete with the St. Paul Saints.
Minnesota (24-24, 13-8 Big Ten) looks to continue to build momentum and secure higher seeding in next week's Big Ten Tournament while Northwestern (23-25, 10-11 Big Ten) dropped a midweek decision to Notre Dame before welcoming the Gophers to Miller Park.
Last Time Out
Minnesota took 2-of-3 from Maryland for its fourth Big Ten Conference series victory of the season. Joshua Culliver did not allow a hit until the fourth inning, and the Gopher pitching staff dominated the Terrapins for a 2-1 victory in the series finale and last game for the Maroon & Gold at Siebert Field this season.
Bullpenning
With Minnesota's Friday and Saturday starters sidelined last weekend after just a combined 0.2 innings, the Gophers got 20.2 innings from the bullpen and an emergency starter against Maryland. The Terrapins batted just .216 against Minnesota relievers, scoring eight earned runs on 16 hits while striking out 30 times. The relief corps has been a strength for the Maroon & Gold this season posting a 3.44 ERA, 12-7 record, and 11 saves in 222.2 innings, striking out 238 batters compared to 126 walks.
Against the Competition
Minnesota dropped an 11-7 decision against Northwestern at the 2017 Big Ten Tournament, but previous to that the Gophers swept a three-game series in Evanston during the 2016 campaign. Ben Mezzenga owns the lone hit among current Gophers against the Wildcats, a single in 2017. Cole McDevitt and Riley Smith are each 0-for-3 against NU, and Jordan Kozicky is 0-for-5.
Going Streaking
Rookie Zack Raabe has been swinging the hottest bat for the Gophers recently, now with a six-game hitting streak to his name, longest for Minnesota. Drew Hmielewski has at least a hit in five straight. Mezzenga and Eduardo Estrada, Jr. each have a team-best eight-game streak of reaching base safely. Eli Wilson owns the team's longest hitting streak (10 games) and reached-base streak (14) earlier this year.
Line Drives
Nick Lackney needed just 3.0 innings pitched on Friday night against Maryland to match his career single game high with seven strikeouts against the Terrapins ... Minnesota has now established a new team high for strikeouts thrown, now at 460 on the season ... Patrick Fredrickson returned to the rotation with his first start since March 31, collecting seven strikeouts in 4.2 innings ... Bubba Horton relieved Fredrickson in the fifth and earned his first career victory with 2.2 innings ... the Gophers reached an even .500 record (24-24) for the first time since February 16 with Sunday's 2-1 win over Maryland.
NCAA Superlatives
Minnesota's line-up currently ranks no. 57 nationally averaging 1.94 doubles per game, a total of 93 this season, but the pitching staff has been the strength for the Maroon & Gold this year. Gopher hurlers rank no. 26 nationally with 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings, no. 33 with 7.94 hits allowed per nine, and no. 58 with a 4.04 ERA. Cole McDevitt leads the offense with his 15 doubles, ranking no. 120 nationally. On the mound, Meyer ranks no. 54 with his 2.28 ERA, no. 70 with a 1.06 WHIP, and no. 104 with 80 strikeouts. Brett Schulze ranks no. 70 in appearances at 25.
Return to Form
After starting their 2019 campaign at 2-11, Minnesota has since gone 22-13 in its last 35 games. The Gophers batted just .228 as a team through their first 13 games, striking out 134 times compared to just 50 walks. Meanwhile, the pitching staff posted a 5.43 ERA and 68 walks compared to 98 strikeouts. Since then, the line-up has batted .267, drawing 144 walks for a .358 on-base percentage. The team is also slugging .403 compared to just .327. The pitchers have cut nearly two runs off their ERA at 3.57 with 362 strikeouts compared to 182 walks and allowing opponents to hit just .215 in their last 320.1 innings.
Weekend Forecast
Thursday (3:30 p.m.): Shower or thunderstorm ... High/Low: 74°/69° ... Winds: SSW 13 mph ... Precipitation: 61%
Friday (2 p.m.): Shower or thunderstorm ... High/Low: 49°/46° ... Winds: NE 9 mph ... Precipitation: 55%
Saturday (1 p.m.): Cloudy ... High/Low: 66°/61° ... Winds: NE 14 mph ... Precipitation: 25%
Double Vision
Minnesota has played five weather-necessitated doubleheaders this season and are 5-5 in twin bills. The Gopher bullpen has tossed 48.1 innings in those 10 games to the tune of a 2.42 ERA, striking out 53 while allowing 34 hits and 28 walks. Ryan Duffy has thrown 7.1 shutout innings in three appearances. Jordan Kozicky leads the Minnesota offense with four home runs, batting .405 with 12 RBI and 10 runs scored.
Climbing the All-Times Wins List
John Anderson moved into a tie for 24th place all-time among NCAA head coaches with Valdosta State's Pete Dunn when he earned his 1,312th career victory against Maryland on May 12. He sits just two back from Stetson's Joe Roberts (1,314) for 23rd all-time. Anderson ranks third among current NCAA I coaches and eighth among active coaches at all levels. Already the conference's all-time wins leader, "14" sits just 10 victories away from 600 in the Big Ten.
Golden Spikes Award
Max Meyer earned a spot on USA Baseball's Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List. 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.
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 Favorites
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.
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 eight 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 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) will join the Chicago Dogs and Alex Boxwell ('18) the Gary South Shore Rail Cats while Jordan Jess ('16) and Dan Motl ('16) will compete with the St. Paul Saints.
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