University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, March 6
6:30 PM
University of Minnesota
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Utah
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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Preview: Minnesota Welcomes Utah to U.S. Bank Stadium
3/5/2020 12:22:00 PM | Baseball
Friday, March 6
Utah vs. Minnesota
First Pitch: 6:30 p.m. CT
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium
Minnesota Starter: RHP Max Meyer (2-1, 2.75 ERA)
Utah Starter: RHP Justin Kelly (0-1, 2.55 ERA)
Saturday, March 7
Utah vs. Minnesota
First Pitch: 6:00 p.m. CT
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium
Minnesota Starter: RHP J.P. Massey (1-0, 4.70 ERA)
Utah Starter: TBD
Sunday, March 8
Utah vs. Minnesota
First Pitch: 1:00 p.m. CT
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium
Minnesota Starter: RHP Drake Davis (1-0, 8.18 ERA)
Utah State Starter: TBD
Heading into the weekend with a 5-8 record through the first three weeks of the season, the Gopher Baseball team will look to return to their winning ways against the Utes of Utah in a three-game series. Last weekend, Minnesota turned in an impressive weekend of play on the diamond, taking down North Carolina before dropping close match-ups to No. 14 Duke and No. 13 NC State.
Although the Gophers did not secure a victory against either of the aforementioned ranked opponents, they were either tied or held the lead in both games in as late as the eighth inning. Having played an intensely competitive schedule to this point in the season, Minnesota aims to return to playing .500 baseball via a successful series versus Utah.
Last Time Out
Minnesota enters the CambriaCollegeClassic after dropping a pair of midweek contests against North Dakota State and South Dakota State. After falling to the Bison, 7-4, to begin the week, the Gophers came up short against the Jackrabbits, 10-8, on Wednesday.
CambriaCollegeClassic in Review
Last weekend, the Maroon & Gold wrapped up a 1-2 showing at the 2020 CambriaCollegeClassic. Minnesota opened the tournament with a 4-1 win over North Carolina, before dropping games to No. 14 Duke and No. 13 NC State. Although the Gophers came up short in the latter two contests, they were either tied or held the lead in as late as the eighth inning in both games.
Season Snapshot
Heading into the weekend, Minnesota possesses a 5-8 overall record in 2020. The Gophers have yet to play a true road contest, but are 2-2 on neutral turf and 3-6 at home thus far. Minnesota currently has victories against Oregon, Arizona, South Dakota State, No. 22 TCU and North Carolina this season. As of Feb. March 3, Minnesota sits at No. 84 in the nation in terms of RPI.
History Against the Utes
The Gophers own an all-time record of 3-0 against Utah, having last taken two-of-two games from the Utes in 2016 in Surprise, Ariz. In the more recent of the two victories, Minnesota claimed a 9-3 win as Toby Anderson threw five no-hit innings, while Riley Smith and Terrin Vavra combined to go seven-for-10 at the plate. Utah enters this weekend's series with a 4-6 record so far in 2020.
Meyer Named B1G Pitcher of the Week, CCC MVP
After turning in a dominant, complete game performance against North Carolina last Friday night, Max Meyer was named the Big Ten Conference Pitcher of the Week on March 2. While earning the victory against the Tar Heels, Meyer tossed nine innings of one-run ball, surrendering just five hits and one walk to go with a career-high 14 strikeouts. As a result, Meyer was also named the Tournament MVP of the 2020 CambriaCollegeClassic.
Meyer Among Nation's best
Meyer not only took home Tournament MVP honors at the CCC, he was also named to the All-Tournament Team as a starting pitcher. Heading into the fourth weekend of the season, Meyer's 31 strikeouts rank 11th overall in the NCAA and his 14.2 K/9 rank 47th. Already on the Golden Spikes Watch List, Meyer is creating even more buzz with his early-season performance on the hill.
Other National Leaders
In addition to Meyer, the Gophers boast a handful of recognition across the NCAA leaderboards. As a pitching staff, Minnesota ranks 14th in the country with a 11.9 K/9. Additionally, Easton Bertrand finds himself in the NCAA top-50 with four home runs (33rd) and 0.36 home runs per game (36th).
CCC Accolades Cont.
Two other Gophers were named to the CambriaCollegeClassic All-Tournament Team this past weekend in Zack Raabe (.583/.543/.833) and Jack Wassel (.538/.571/.923). The accolades came at second base and third base, respectively.
The Raabe Rocket
In Minnesota's 4-1 takedown of North Carolina, Raabe launched his first career home run in the seventh inning. The homer came in Raabe's 47th career start and 191st career at bat in Maroon & Gold.
Massey Shines in Rotation Debut
Sophomore J.P. Massey was added to the weekend rotation last weekend and the right-hander did not disappoint in his starting debut. Massey pitched a career-high 5 2/3 innings with three runs allowed (two earned) on five hits and two walks to go along with a career-high eight strikeouts.
Career Highs
While Meyer (14 strikeouts) and Massey (5 2/3 IP, eight strikeouts) set new career highs last week, so did Drake Davis and Sam Ireland. Davis' 3 2/3 IP and six strikeouts against NC State both signified career bests. Also against NC State, Ireland set new career highs with three innings pitched and three strikeouts. Against SDSU on Wednesday, Patrick Fredrickson tied his career high in strikeouts with eight.
Kozicky Milestone Watch
As the lone senior on the roster, Jordan Kozicky has numerous career milestones in sight as he embarks on his final season in Gold Country. Kozicky is just 36 hits away from reaching 200 for his career, while also being within striking distance of Minnesota's top-10 all-time lists in the following stats: doubles (eight needed), home runs (six needed) and RBI (43 needed). Already in 2020, Kozicky moved onto the career top-10 list for most hit by pitches, currently in 10th place all-time with 20.
Career Firsts
In Wednesday's midweek battle against SDSU, Ireland registered his first-ever three-hit game while driving in and scoring the first runs of his career. Michael Gurka also made his college debut in the game, striking out the first batter of his career in the process.
Team Leaders
Through 13 games, the following players lead the Gophers in at least one major stat:
AVG: Raabe (.400)
OBP: Wassel (.483)
SLG: Bertrand (.710)
Hits: Raabe (18)
Runs: Raabe (10)
RBI: Wassel (13)
Doubles: Wassel (six)
Home Runs: Bertrand (four)
Total Bases: Wassel (30)
ERA: Schoeberl (2.03)
Innings Pitched: Meyer (19.2)
Wins: Meyer (two)
Saves: Horton (two)
Strikeouts: Meyer (31)
BAA: Meyer (.159)
Back at the Bank
After being away from their second home for the entirety of 2019 due to the NCAA Basketball Tournament, Minnesota is set to return to U.S. Bank Stadium this season. The Gophers will begin their 2020 home slate with 14 consecutive contests at U.S. Bank, running from Feb. 22 to March 11. When the U last competed at U.S. bank in 2018, they went 8-5 with series wins against Iowa and St. John's, while sweeping series against Purdue and Penn State.
On the Draft Radar
Meyer headlines the list of Minnesota's potential upcoming draftees, having been listed as the No. 24 overall prospect for the 2020 MLB Draft by MLB Pipeline. CBN also acknowledged Meyer in their 2020 Draft Preview section as a player likely to be selected within the first two rounds of this June's MLB Draft. Meyer was previously drafted out of high school in the 34th round by the
Minnesota Twins. Overall, the Gophers have 16 draft-eligible players in 2020. Junior right-handed pitchers Fredrickson, Sam Thoresen, Davis and Joshua Culliver, as well as position players Kozicky, Jack Kelly, Ronald Sweeny and Drew Hmielewski are among those also generating significant draft buzz.
Diamond Rooks
Eleven new faces can be found in the Gopher dugout this season, as the team welcomes eight freshmen and three transfers to the 2020 ranks. Davis will also be making his debut in the Maroon & Gold this year after sitting out the entirety of the 2019 season due to NCAA transfer restrictions. This year's rookie class was ranked third in the Big Ten and 54th in the country by CBN. Ten of the aforementioned 12 players received national rankings from either Perfect Game or Prep Baseball Report, while all 12 were ranked among the best at their position in their home state.
Familiar Faces
Coupled with the newcomers are 23 returners to Minnesota's 2020 dugout, including four positional starters and four starting pitchers. These returners will be led by Kozicky, the lone senior, although 12 juniors are back from last year as well.
2019 in Review
The Gophers finished the 2019 campaign at 29-27 (15-9), earning a berth in the Big Ten Tournament for the fourth consecutive season and for the 33rd time since the tournament began in 1981. As the No. 4 seed, Minnesota advanced all the way to the semifinal game before their journey came to a close with a loss to Ohio State. Included in the tournament was a season highlight for the U, as the Gophers upset No. 1 seeded Indiana to keep their bid for a championship alive.
TV Schedule Announced
Minnesota will appear on television four times (three at home) this season in 2020. The Gophers will be featured on BTN on April 5 at home against Rutgers, (2 p.m. CT) April 10 at Illinois (4 p.m. CT) and on May 9 at home against Michigan (8 p.m. CT). The Gophers' May 8 home contest against Michigan will air on ESPNU at 8:30 p.m. CT.
Up Next
Once their three games against Utah draw to a close, Minnesota will host Creighton in a pair of midweek games at U.S. Bank Stadium on March 10 and 11.
Utah vs. Minnesota
First Pitch: 6:30 p.m. CT
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium
Minnesota Starter: RHP Max Meyer (2-1, 2.75 ERA)
Utah Starter: RHP Justin Kelly (0-1, 2.55 ERA)
Saturday, March 7
Utah vs. Minnesota
First Pitch: 6:00 p.m. CT
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium
Minnesota Starter: RHP J.P. Massey (1-0, 4.70 ERA)
Utah Starter: TBD
Sunday, March 8
Utah vs. Minnesota
First Pitch: 1:00 p.m. CT
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium
Minnesota Starter: RHP Drake Davis (1-0, 8.18 ERA)
Utah State Starter: TBD
Heading into the weekend with a 5-8 record through the first three weeks of the season, the Gopher Baseball team will look to return to their winning ways against the Utes of Utah in a three-game series. Last weekend, Minnesota turned in an impressive weekend of play on the diamond, taking down North Carolina before dropping close match-ups to No. 14 Duke and No. 13 NC State.
Although the Gophers did not secure a victory against either of the aforementioned ranked opponents, they were either tied or held the lead in both games in as late as the eighth inning. Having played an intensely competitive schedule to this point in the season, Minnesota aims to return to playing .500 baseball via a successful series versus Utah.
Last Time Out
Minnesota enters the CambriaCollegeClassic after dropping a pair of midweek contests against North Dakota State and South Dakota State. After falling to the Bison, 7-4, to begin the week, the Gophers came up short against the Jackrabbits, 10-8, on Wednesday.
CambriaCollegeClassic in Review
Last weekend, the Maroon & Gold wrapped up a 1-2 showing at the 2020 CambriaCollegeClassic. Minnesota opened the tournament with a 4-1 win over North Carolina, before dropping games to No. 14 Duke and No. 13 NC State. Although the Gophers came up short in the latter two contests, they were either tied or held the lead in as late as the eighth inning in both games.
Season Snapshot
Heading into the weekend, Minnesota possesses a 5-8 overall record in 2020. The Gophers have yet to play a true road contest, but are 2-2 on neutral turf and 3-6 at home thus far. Minnesota currently has victories against Oregon, Arizona, South Dakota State, No. 22 TCU and North Carolina this season. As of Feb. March 3, Minnesota sits at No. 84 in the nation in terms of RPI.
History Against the Utes
The Gophers own an all-time record of 3-0 against Utah, having last taken two-of-two games from the Utes in 2016 in Surprise, Ariz. In the more recent of the two victories, Minnesota claimed a 9-3 win as Toby Anderson threw five no-hit innings, while Riley Smith and Terrin Vavra combined to go seven-for-10 at the plate. Utah enters this weekend's series with a 4-6 record so far in 2020.
Meyer Named B1G Pitcher of the Week, CCC MVP
After turning in a dominant, complete game performance against North Carolina last Friday night, Max Meyer was named the Big Ten Conference Pitcher of the Week on March 2. While earning the victory against the Tar Heels, Meyer tossed nine innings of one-run ball, surrendering just five hits and one walk to go with a career-high 14 strikeouts. As a result, Meyer was also named the Tournament MVP of the 2020 CambriaCollegeClassic.
Meyer Among Nation's best
Meyer not only took home Tournament MVP honors at the CCC, he was also named to the All-Tournament Team as a starting pitcher. Heading into the fourth weekend of the season, Meyer's 31 strikeouts rank 11th overall in the NCAA and his 14.2 K/9 rank 47th. Already on the Golden Spikes Watch List, Meyer is creating even more buzz with his early-season performance on the hill.
Other National Leaders
In addition to Meyer, the Gophers boast a handful of recognition across the NCAA leaderboards. As a pitching staff, Minnesota ranks 14th in the country with a 11.9 K/9. Additionally, Easton Bertrand finds himself in the NCAA top-50 with four home runs (33rd) and 0.36 home runs per game (36th).
CCC Accolades Cont.
Two other Gophers were named to the CambriaCollegeClassic All-Tournament Team this past weekend in Zack Raabe (.583/.543/.833) and Jack Wassel (.538/.571/.923). The accolades came at second base and third base, respectively.
The Raabe Rocket
In Minnesota's 4-1 takedown of North Carolina, Raabe launched his first career home run in the seventh inning. The homer came in Raabe's 47th career start and 191st career at bat in Maroon & Gold.
Massey Shines in Rotation Debut
Sophomore J.P. Massey was added to the weekend rotation last weekend and the right-hander did not disappoint in his starting debut. Massey pitched a career-high 5 2/3 innings with three runs allowed (two earned) on five hits and two walks to go along with a career-high eight strikeouts.
Career Highs
While Meyer (14 strikeouts) and Massey (5 2/3 IP, eight strikeouts) set new career highs last week, so did Drake Davis and Sam Ireland. Davis' 3 2/3 IP and six strikeouts against NC State both signified career bests. Also against NC State, Ireland set new career highs with three innings pitched and three strikeouts. Against SDSU on Wednesday, Patrick Fredrickson tied his career high in strikeouts with eight.
Kozicky Milestone Watch
As the lone senior on the roster, Jordan Kozicky has numerous career milestones in sight as he embarks on his final season in Gold Country. Kozicky is just 36 hits away from reaching 200 for his career, while also being within striking distance of Minnesota's top-10 all-time lists in the following stats: doubles (eight needed), home runs (six needed) and RBI (43 needed). Already in 2020, Kozicky moved onto the career top-10 list for most hit by pitches, currently in 10th place all-time with 20.
Career Firsts
In Wednesday's midweek battle against SDSU, Ireland registered his first-ever three-hit game while driving in and scoring the first runs of his career. Michael Gurka also made his college debut in the game, striking out the first batter of his career in the process.
Team Leaders
Through 13 games, the following players lead the Gophers in at least one major stat:
AVG: Raabe (.400)
OBP: Wassel (.483)
SLG: Bertrand (.710)
Hits: Raabe (18)
Runs: Raabe (10)
RBI: Wassel (13)
Doubles: Wassel (six)
Home Runs: Bertrand (four)
Total Bases: Wassel (30)
ERA: Schoeberl (2.03)
Innings Pitched: Meyer (19.2)
Wins: Meyer (two)
Saves: Horton (two)
Strikeouts: Meyer (31)
BAA: Meyer (.159)
Back at the Bank
After being away from their second home for the entirety of 2019 due to the NCAA Basketball Tournament, Minnesota is set to return to U.S. Bank Stadium this season. The Gophers will begin their 2020 home slate with 14 consecutive contests at U.S. Bank, running from Feb. 22 to March 11. When the U last competed at U.S. bank in 2018, they went 8-5 with series wins against Iowa and St. John's, while sweeping series against Purdue and Penn State.
On the Draft Radar
Meyer headlines the list of Minnesota's potential upcoming draftees, having been listed as the No. 24 overall prospect for the 2020 MLB Draft by MLB Pipeline. CBN also acknowledged Meyer in their 2020 Draft Preview section as a player likely to be selected within the first two rounds of this June's MLB Draft. Meyer was previously drafted out of high school in the 34th round by the
Minnesota Twins. Overall, the Gophers have 16 draft-eligible players in 2020. Junior right-handed pitchers Fredrickson, Sam Thoresen, Davis and Joshua Culliver, as well as position players Kozicky, Jack Kelly, Ronald Sweeny and Drew Hmielewski are among those also generating significant draft buzz.
Diamond Rooks
Eleven new faces can be found in the Gopher dugout this season, as the team welcomes eight freshmen and three transfers to the 2020 ranks. Davis will also be making his debut in the Maroon & Gold this year after sitting out the entirety of the 2019 season due to NCAA transfer restrictions. This year's rookie class was ranked third in the Big Ten and 54th in the country by CBN. Ten of the aforementioned 12 players received national rankings from either Perfect Game or Prep Baseball Report, while all 12 were ranked among the best at their position in their home state.
Familiar Faces
Coupled with the newcomers are 23 returners to Minnesota's 2020 dugout, including four positional starters and four starting pitchers. These returners will be led by Kozicky, the lone senior, although 12 juniors are back from last year as well.
2019 in Review
The Gophers finished the 2019 campaign at 29-27 (15-9), earning a berth in the Big Ten Tournament for the fourth consecutive season and for the 33rd time since the tournament began in 1981. As the No. 4 seed, Minnesota advanced all the way to the semifinal game before their journey came to a close with a loss to Ohio State. Included in the tournament was a season highlight for the U, as the Gophers upset No. 1 seeded Indiana to keep their bid for a championship alive.
TV Schedule Announced
Minnesota will appear on television four times (three at home) this season in 2020. The Gophers will be featured on BTN on April 5 at home against Rutgers, (2 p.m. CT) April 10 at Illinois (4 p.m. CT) and on May 9 at home against Michigan (8 p.m. CT). The Gophers' May 8 home contest against Michigan will air on ESPNU at 8:30 p.m. CT.
Up Next
Once their three games against Utah draw to a close, Minnesota will host Creighton in a pair of midweek games at U.S. Bank Stadium on March 10 and 11.
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