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Friday, March 12
U.S. Bank Stadium
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
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Illinois
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Gophers Set to Host Illinois in Four-Game Series
3/10/2021 12:26:00 PM | Baseball
Friday, March 12
Illinois vs. Minnesota
First Pitch: 7:00 p.m. CT
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium
Minnesota Starter: RHP Sam Ireland
Illinois Starter: RHP Andrew Hoffman
Watch: BTN+
Saturday, March 13
Illinois vs. Minnesota (DH)
First Pitch: 5:00 p.m. CT
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium
Minnesota Starter: RHP J.P. Massey
Illinois Starter: RHP Riley Gowens
Watch: BTN+
Saturday, March 13
Illinois vs. Minnesota (DH)
First Pitch: 8:00 p.m. CT
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium
Minnesota Starter: LHP Tom Skoro
Rutgers Starter: RHP Ty Rybarczyk
Watch: BTN+
Sunday, March 14
Illinois vs. Minnesota
First Pitch: 6:00 p.m. CT
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium
Minnesota Starter: LHP Jack Liffrig
Indiana Starter: LHP Cole Kirschsieper
Watch: BTN+
After opening the 133rd season in program history last weekend against Indiana and Rutgers, the Gopher Baseball program is back on the diamond this weekend for a four-game series against Illinois. Minnesota will play one game apiece against the Fighting Illini on Friday and Sunday, with a doubleheader featuring a seven-inning contest in game one taking place on Saturday.
SERIES HISTORY
Minnesota and Illinois have faced off a total of 217 times, with the Gophers holding a slight 112-104-1 (.516) edge in the all-time series. Most recently, Illinois claimed two out of three games at Siebert Field back in 2019, although the Maroon & Gold took the final game of the series, 5-4.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gophers went 1-3 in the opening weekend of the 2021 season, going 0-2 against Indiana and 1-1 versus Rutgers. Redshirt senior left-handed pitcher Tom Skoro earned the lone victory on the mound for Minnesota, as the Gophers took down the Scarlet Knights, 13-8, on March 7. Overall, Minnesota hit .241 as a team and produced a 9.25 ERA on the mound.
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING ILLINI
Tabbed as the sixth-ranked team in the Big Ten Preseason Poll, Illinois jumpstarted 2021 with a 1-3 record across opening weekend. Playing all four games against Ohio State, the Big Ten's preseason third-ranked team, the Fighting Illini dropped three in a row to begin the campaign before claiming the final game of the series, 8-0. Starting pitcher Cole Kirschsieper tossed five shutout, one-hit innings with six strikeouts to earn the victory. Overall, Illinois enters this weekend's series with a .271 team batting average and a collective 5.21 ERA.
ALL-AMERICAN RAABE STARTS SEASON WITH POWER SURGE
Entering the season as a Preseason Second Team All-American after leading the nation with 31 hits in 2020, second baseman Zack Raabe picked up right where he left off – but this time, with some thunder in the bat. Raabe homered in each of the first three games to open the 2021 campaign, slashing .444/.500/1.556 with three home runs, one double, four RBI and four runs scored. His 1.556 slugging percentage currently ranks first in the Big Ten and third in the nation. Meanwhile, his 1.00 home runs per game is tied for third in the country and his three home runs rank tied for first in the Big Ten.
SKORO DOMINANT IN FIRST DIVISION I START
Making his first career Division I start and first appearance as a Gopher against Rutgers on March 7, Skoro fired a quality start en route to earning the victory. Skoro pitched six innings with two earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out eight.
SWEENY FINDING GROOVE
After batting .214/.389/.286 in his debut season with the Gophers last year, Ronald Sweeny experienced a career game at the plate on March 7 against Rutgers. Powered by his three-run home run to centerfield in the first inning, Sweeny collected six total RBI in the game while finishing 2-for-4. Sweeny's six RBI in a single game are the most for any Minnesota player since March 17, 2019, when Jordan Kozicky drove in six at Long Beach State.
STANKE NAMED TO BUSTER POSEY AWARD WATCH LIST
Junior catcher Chase Stanke was named to the 2021 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List on Tuesday. Stanke came into the campaign on the heels of a breakout summer in the Northwoods League, where he batted .310/.360/.470 with three home runs, 22 RBI and 14 runs across 100 at bats. As a result, Stanke was named a 2020 Northwoods League Postseason All-Star. So far in 2021, Stanke owns a .273/.467/.364 batting line with one double, three RBI and one run scored while producing a 1.000 fielding percentage on the defensive end.
DIAMOND DEFENSE
Through the first four games of the year, Minnesota is sporting a .986 fielding percentage as a team with just two errors committed. That fielding percentage ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 14th in the country.
GOING STREAKING
Third baseman Jack Wassel extended his on-base streak to 17 games by reaching in each of the first four games of the season, despite ending his 14-game hitting streak after going 0-for-3 against Indiana on March 7. Raabe also wields an active 13-game on-base streak of his own on top of his current nine-game hitting streak and three-game home run streak. Junior outfielder Andrew Wilhite has reached base in 15 consecutive games dating back to last season as well.
ROOKIE DEBUTS
Four Minnesota freshmen debuted on the diamond this past weekend. Brett Bateman, Cody Kelly and Boston Merila all received their first career at bats, while Bateman and Noah DeLuga saw their first appearances on the mound. Merila and Kelly both notched their first collegiate hits, with Merila collecting three singles en route to a .500 batting average and Kelly going 4-for-10 with three doubles. Bateman and DeLuga both recorded their first collegiate strikeouts. Additionally, redshirt freshman Kyle Bork registered his first career at bat on March 6 against Rutgers.
JOHN ANDERSON'S 40TH SEASON
The 2021 Gopher Baseball campaign marks head coach John Anderson's 40th season at the helm of the program. Having been hired in the fall of 1981, Anderson boasts 1,326 wins, 19 NCAA postseason appearances, 11 regular season Big Ten Championships, 10 Big Ten Tournament titles and eight Big Ten Coach of the Year awards. At present, Anderson ranks second in wins among active Division I head baseball coaches and 22nd all-time in the history of the sport.
2020 IN REVIEW
Minnesota concluded the 2020 season with an 8-10 overall record, concluding the year on a two-game winning streak. The Gophers notched signature victories against Oregon, Arizona, TCU, North Carolina and Creighton before the season was cancelled on Friday, March 13 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Minnesota posted a 6-8 record at home while playing at U.S. Bank Stadium and went 2-2 in neutral site games.
PRESEASON ACCOLADES
Raabe comes into the season as a Preseason Second Team All-American (Collegiate Baseball) after earning 2020 Second Team All-American honors. Raabe was also ranked by D1Baseball as the preseason No. 4 second baseman in the nation, while Wassel was tabbed as the preseason No. 6 third baseman in the country. Wassel was also named to the 2021 Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List prior to the start of the season.
B1G DOMINANCE
Minnesota continues to dominate the Big Ten as it relates to NCAA Tournament appearances and offensive production. Minnesota's 32 NCAA Tournament Appearances rank first in the conference and are eight more than the next closest school (Michigan). As for the offense, 2020 marked the fourth time in the last five years that the Gophers led the B1G in both hits and total bases (2016, 2017, 2018, 2020). The Gophers are the only team in the B1G in the last 30 years to have led the conference in hitting for three straight seasons and have had more unique players hit .300 (18) than any other team dating back to 2016.
B1G BATS BACK
After leading the Big Ten in hits and total bases again in 2020, Minnesota returns all six of the team's .300 hitters from last season. Raabe (.463), Otto Grimm (.400), Wassel (.364), Wilhite (.320), Sam Ireland (.303) and Easton Bertrand (.302) all return for the Gophers and figure to receive regular at bats for the team. In total, Minnesota returns seven positional starters from last season, with shortstop being the only position to see turnover.
DRAFT RADAR
Junior right-handed pitcher J.P. Massey headlines Minnesota's crop of 2021 draft-eligible players, having been ranked as highly as the No. 17 college prospect by Perfect Game while being tabbed as a top-200 prospect overall by Baseball America. In total, 25 total Gophers are eligible for the upcoming draft. Other notable names likely to be selected in the 2021 Draft include Wassel, Stanke, Raabe, Ireland, Bertrand and Jack Kelly.
NEW TO THE U
Minnesota welcomes six new players to the fold for the 2021 campaign, including five freshmen: outfielder/right-handed pitcher Bateman, left-handed pitcher DeLuga, catcher C. Kelly, right-handed pitcher Klassen and infielder Merila. Redshirt senior left-handed pitcher Skoro also joins the Maroon & Gold after transferring in from Mizzou.
FAMILIAR FACES
Coupled with the newcomers are 31 returners to Minnesota's 2021 dugout, including positional starters at every position but shortstop.
KEY DEPARTURES
In addition to losing third overall pick Max Meyer to the MLB Draft, Minnesota also bid farewell to redshirt senior infielder Jordan Kozicky (graduation) and junior right-handed pitcher Sam Thoresen (free agent signee) on the heels of last season. Aside from those three players, Minnesota returns their entire 2020 roster.
BACK AT U.S. BANK STADIUM
After being away from their second home for the entirety of 2019 due to the NCAA Basketball Tournament, Minnesota returned to U.S. Bank Stadium to play 14 games in 2020. Minnesota went 6-8 at USBS during that time, including wins over TCU, North Carolina, Utah and Creighton (two). With a 1-3 mark at USBS to open the 2021 season, Minnesota is a combined 15-16 at USBS dating back to 2018.
UP NEXT
After this weekend's four-game set, Minnesota will stay in Minneapolis for a three game series against Northwestern from March 20-22. Although all three games will be played at U.S. Bank Stadium, Northwestern will serve as the home team for the entirety of the series.
Illinois vs. Minnesota
First Pitch: 7:00 p.m. CT
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium
Minnesota Starter: RHP Sam Ireland
Illinois Starter: RHP Andrew Hoffman
Watch: BTN+
Saturday, March 13
Illinois vs. Minnesota (DH)
First Pitch: 5:00 p.m. CT
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium
Minnesota Starter: RHP J.P. Massey
Illinois Starter: RHP Riley Gowens
Watch: BTN+
Saturday, March 13
Illinois vs. Minnesota (DH)
First Pitch: 8:00 p.m. CT
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium
Minnesota Starter: LHP Tom Skoro
Rutgers Starter: RHP Ty Rybarczyk
Watch: BTN+
Sunday, March 14
Illinois vs. Minnesota
First Pitch: 6:00 p.m. CT
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium
Minnesota Starter: LHP Jack Liffrig
Indiana Starter: LHP Cole Kirschsieper
Watch: BTN+
After opening the 133rd season in program history last weekend against Indiana and Rutgers, the Gopher Baseball program is back on the diamond this weekend for a four-game series against Illinois. Minnesota will play one game apiece against the Fighting Illini on Friday and Sunday, with a doubleheader featuring a seven-inning contest in game one taking place on Saturday.
SERIES HISTORY
Minnesota and Illinois have faced off a total of 217 times, with the Gophers holding a slight 112-104-1 (.516) edge in the all-time series. Most recently, Illinois claimed two out of three games at Siebert Field back in 2019, although the Maroon & Gold took the final game of the series, 5-4.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gophers went 1-3 in the opening weekend of the 2021 season, going 0-2 against Indiana and 1-1 versus Rutgers. Redshirt senior left-handed pitcher Tom Skoro earned the lone victory on the mound for Minnesota, as the Gophers took down the Scarlet Knights, 13-8, on March 7. Overall, Minnesota hit .241 as a team and produced a 9.25 ERA on the mound.
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING ILLINI
Tabbed as the sixth-ranked team in the Big Ten Preseason Poll, Illinois jumpstarted 2021 with a 1-3 record across opening weekend. Playing all four games against Ohio State, the Big Ten's preseason third-ranked team, the Fighting Illini dropped three in a row to begin the campaign before claiming the final game of the series, 8-0. Starting pitcher Cole Kirschsieper tossed five shutout, one-hit innings with six strikeouts to earn the victory. Overall, Illinois enters this weekend's series with a .271 team batting average and a collective 5.21 ERA.
ALL-AMERICAN RAABE STARTS SEASON WITH POWER SURGE
Entering the season as a Preseason Second Team All-American after leading the nation with 31 hits in 2020, second baseman Zack Raabe picked up right where he left off – but this time, with some thunder in the bat. Raabe homered in each of the first three games to open the 2021 campaign, slashing .444/.500/1.556 with three home runs, one double, four RBI and four runs scored. His 1.556 slugging percentage currently ranks first in the Big Ten and third in the nation. Meanwhile, his 1.00 home runs per game is tied for third in the country and his three home runs rank tied for first in the Big Ten.
SKORO DOMINANT IN FIRST DIVISION I START
Making his first career Division I start and first appearance as a Gopher against Rutgers on March 7, Skoro fired a quality start en route to earning the victory. Skoro pitched six innings with two earned runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out eight.
SWEENY FINDING GROOVE
After batting .214/.389/.286 in his debut season with the Gophers last year, Ronald Sweeny experienced a career game at the plate on March 7 against Rutgers. Powered by his three-run home run to centerfield in the first inning, Sweeny collected six total RBI in the game while finishing 2-for-4. Sweeny's six RBI in a single game are the most for any Minnesota player since March 17, 2019, when Jordan Kozicky drove in six at Long Beach State.
STANKE NAMED TO BUSTER POSEY AWARD WATCH LIST
Junior catcher Chase Stanke was named to the 2021 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List on Tuesday. Stanke came into the campaign on the heels of a breakout summer in the Northwoods League, where he batted .310/.360/.470 with three home runs, 22 RBI and 14 runs across 100 at bats. As a result, Stanke was named a 2020 Northwoods League Postseason All-Star. So far in 2021, Stanke owns a .273/.467/.364 batting line with one double, three RBI and one run scored while producing a 1.000 fielding percentage on the defensive end.
DIAMOND DEFENSE
Through the first four games of the year, Minnesota is sporting a .986 fielding percentage as a team with just two errors committed. That fielding percentage ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 14th in the country.
GOING STREAKING
Third baseman Jack Wassel extended his on-base streak to 17 games by reaching in each of the first four games of the season, despite ending his 14-game hitting streak after going 0-for-3 against Indiana on March 7. Raabe also wields an active 13-game on-base streak of his own on top of his current nine-game hitting streak and three-game home run streak. Junior outfielder Andrew Wilhite has reached base in 15 consecutive games dating back to last season as well.
ROOKIE DEBUTS
Four Minnesota freshmen debuted on the diamond this past weekend. Brett Bateman, Cody Kelly and Boston Merila all received their first career at bats, while Bateman and Noah DeLuga saw their first appearances on the mound. Merila and Kelly both notched their first collegiate hits, with Merila collecting three singles en route to a .500 batting average and Kelly going 4-for-10 with three doubles. Bateman and DeLuga both recorded their first collegiate strikeouts. Additionally, redshirt freshman Kyle Bork registered his first career at bat on March 6 against Rutgers.
JOHN ANDERSON'S 40TH SEASON
The 2021 Gopher Baseball campaign marks head coach John Anderson's 40th season at the helm of the program. Having been hired in the fall of 1981, Anderson boasts 1,326 wins, 19 NCAA postseason appearances, 11 regular season Big Ten Championships, 10 Big Ten Tournament titles and eight Big Ten Coach of the Year awards. At present, Anderson ranks second in wins among active Division I head baseball coaches and 22nd all-time in the history of the sport.
2020 IN REVIEW
Minnesota concluded the 2020 season with an 8-10 overall record, concluding the year on a two-game winning streak. The Gophers notched signature victories against Oregon, Arizona, TCU, North Carolina and Creighton before the season was cancelled on Friday, March 13 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Minnesota posted a 6-8 record at home while playing at U.S. Bank Stadium and went 2-2 in neutral site games.
PRESEASON ACCOLADES
Raabe comes into the season as a Preseason Second Team All-American (Collegiate Baseball) after earning 2020 Second Team All-American honors. Raabe was also ranked by D1Baseball as the preseason No. 4 second baseman in the nation, while Wassel was tabbed as the preseason No. 6 third baseman in the country. Wassel was also named to the 2021 Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List prior to the start of the season.
B1G DOMINANCE
Minnesota continues to dominate the Big Ten as it relates to NCAA Tournament appearances and offensive production. Minnesota's 32 NCAA Tournament Appearances rank first in the conference and are eight more than the next closest school (Michigan). As for the offense, 2020 marked the fourth time in the last five years that the Gophers led the B1G in both hits and total bases (2016, 2017, 2018, 2020). The Gophers are the only team in the B1G in the last 30 years to have led the conference in hitting for three straight seasons and have had more unique players hit .300 (18) than any other team dating back to 2016.
B1G BATS BACK
After leading the Big Ten in hits and total bases again in 2020, Minnesota returns all six of the team's .300 hitters from last season. Raabe (.463), Otto Grimm (.400), Wassel (.364), Wilhite (.320), Sam Ireland (.303) and Easton Bertrand (.302) all return for the Gophers and figure to receive regular at bats for the team. In total, Minnesota returns seven positional starters from last season, with shortstop being the only position to see turnover.
DRAFT RADAR
Junior right-handed pitcher J.P. Massey headlines Minnesota's crop of 2021 draft-eligible players, having been ranked as highly as the No. 17 college prospect by Perfect Game while being tabbed as a top-200 prospect overall by Baseball America. In total, 25 total Gophers are eligible for the upcoming draft. Other notable names likely to be selected in the 2021 Draft include Wassel, Stanke, Raabe, Ireland, Bertrand and Jack Kelly.
NEW TO THE U
Minnesota welcomes six new players to the fold for the 2021 campaign, including five freshmen: outfielder/right-handed pitcher Bateman, left-handed pitcher DeLuga, catcher C. Kelly, right-handed pitcher Klassen and infielder Merila. Redshirt senior left-handed pitcher Skoro also joins the Maroon & Gold after transferring in from Mizzou.
FAMILIAR FACES
Coupled with the newcomers are 31 returners to Minnesota's 2021 dugout, including positional starters at every position but shortstop.
KEY DEPARTURES
In addition to losing third overall pick Max Meyer to the MLB Draft, Minnesota also bid farewell to redshirt senior infielder Jordan Kozicky (graduation) and junior right-handed pitcher Sam Thoresen (free agent signee) on the heels of last season. Aside from those three players, Minnesota returns their entire 2020 roster.
BACK AT U.S. BANK STADIUM
After being away from their second home for the entirety of 2019 due to the NCAA Basketball Tournament, Minnesota returned to U.S. Bank Stadium to play 14 games in 2020. Minnesota went 6-8 at USBS during that time, including wins over TCU, North Carolina, Utah and Creighton (two). With a 1-3 mark at USBS to open the 2021 season, Minnesota is a combined 15-16 at USBS dating back to 2018.
UP NEXT
After this weekend's four-game set, Minnesota will stay in Minneapolis for a three game series against Northwestern from March 20-22. Although all three games will be played at U.S. Bank Stadium, Northwestern will serve as the home team for the entirety of the series.
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