University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, April 23
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12:00 PM
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Gophers Travel to Indiana for Three-Game Series
4/21/2021 10:03:00 AM | Baseball
Friday, April 23 (DH)
Minnesota at Indiana
First Pitch: 12:00 p.m. CT (Game 1)
Location: Bloomington, Ind.
Minnesota Starter: RHP J.P. Massey (0-3, 13.50 ERA)
Indiana Starter: LHP Tommy Sommer (4-1, 3.32 ERA)
Watch: BTN+
Friday, April 23 (DH)
Minnesota at Indiana
First Pitch: 3:00 p.m. CT (Game 2)
Location: Bloomington, Ind.
Minnesota Starter: LHP Jack Liffrig (1-2, 4.24 ERA)
Indiana Starter: RHP McCade Brown (4-2, 2.41 ERA)
Watch: BTN+
Sunday, April 25
Minnesota at Indiana
First Pitch: 10:00 a.m. CT
Location: Bloomington, Ind.
Minnesota Starter: TBD
Indiana Starter: TBA
Watch: BTN+
Minnesota (4-20) hits the road this upcoming weekend for a three-game series against third place Indiana (15-8), spanning from April 23-25. The first two games will take place in the form of a Friday doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. CT, while game three will take place at 10 a.m. CT on Sunday. These two teams previously competed in two games at U.S. Bank Stadium during the opening weekend of the 2021 season. All three of this weekend's matchups will be nine innings and stream live on BTN+.
SERIES HISTORY
Dating back to 1902, Minnesota and Indiana have played 164 total times, with the Gophers holding a 113-51 (.689) advantage in the all-time series. Indiana comes into game one on a two-game winning streak against Minnesota, as the Hoosiers won both of the meetings between the two teams earlier in 2021 by scores of 5-2 and 8-1. Minnesota's most recent win in the series came on May 23, 2019, when the Maroon & Gold defeated Indiana, 9-4, to stay alive in the Big Ten Tournament.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gophers spent last weekend hosting No. 25 Michigan in a three-game set at Siebert Field, ultimately falling in all three matchups despite strong performances from left-handed pitcher Jack Liffrig and outfielder Easton Bertrand. The former fired seven shutout, two-hit innings against the Wolverines in game two, while Bertrand homered in games one and three to finish with a .556/.600/1.222 slash line in the series.
SCOUTING THE HOOSIERS
Indiana enters the series with a 15-8 overall record in 2021 and in sole possession of third place in the Big Ten standings. This season, the Hoosiers are 8-1 at home, 6-6 on the road and 1-1 at neutral sites. Most recently, Indiana claimed two-of-three games at Northwestern just last weekend. The Hoosiers rank eighth in the conference with a .251 team batting average and own the conference's best team ERA with a 2.83 mark.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The upcoming trio of games against Indiana represents Minnesota's third true road series of the 2021 campaign and fourth time overall playing as the away team. The Gophers are 1-9 as the away team this season, having dropped three games to Iowa in Iowa City from April 9-11 the last such time the team was on the road.
LIFFRIG NAMED B1G PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Left-handed starter Liffrig was nearly flawless last weekend in game two against No. 25 Michigan, earning Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors this past week after firing seven shutout, two-hit innings with a career-high eight strikeouts. Liffrig allowed just three runners to reach base, scattering two hits and walking just one. Liffrig has now pitched five or more innings in all seven of his starts this year, allowing three earned runs or fewer in five of his last six outings. With the scoreless performance against Michigan, the southpaw lowered his ERA to 4.24 on the season.
RAABE NAMED TO GOLDEN SPIKES WATCH LIST
On March 14, Preseason Second Team All-American second baseman Zack Raabe became one of 45 players across the nation to be named to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List. After leading the nation with 31 hits in 2020 en route to Second Team All-America honors, Raabe is currently slashing .405/.500/.658 with four home runs, one triple, six doubles, 15 runs, seven RBI and one steal. Raabe's .405 batting average and .500 on-base percentage both lead the Big Ten, while he also ranks tied for fifth in hits (32), seventh in slugging percentage, tied for 10th in total bases (52) and 11th in walks (15). Nationally, Raabe is tied for 24th in both batting average and on-base percentage.
BERTIE BOMBS
Homering in games one and three against Michigan last weekend, Bertrand led all Gophers with two home runs, four RBI, three runs scored and 11 total bases during the course of the series. His five hits also tied for the most on the team. Bertrand posted a weekend slash line of .556/.600/1.222 to raise his overall season line to .255/.291/.471 with three home runs, one triple, 10 RBI, six runs and one steal.
YOUNG GUNS
In total, 18 of Minnesota's 24 starts this season have been made by sophomores Sam Ireland, Liffrig and Trent Schoeberl. Four different sophomores and two freshmen have logged innings for the Gophers so far this season, as rookies Brett Bateman and Noah DeLuga have seen mound work as well in addition to sophomore Bennett Theisen.
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 1,329 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.
STANKE NAMED TO BUSTER POSEY AWARD WATCH LIST
Starting catcher Chase Stanke was named to the 2021 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List on March 9. 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 .288/.380/.325 batting line with three doubles, 11 RBI, eight runs and two stolen bases.
BROADCAST SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
Minnesota will play on national television two remaining times throughout the regular season: May 15 vs. Rutgers (6:30 p.m. on BTN) and May 30 at Purdue (3 p.m. on BTN).
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 canceled 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 redshirt senior Jack 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.
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), Andrew Wilhite (.320), Ireland (.303) and 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.
NEW TO THE U
Minnesota welcomes six new players to the fold for the 2021 campaign, including five freshmen: outfielder/right-handed pitcher Brett Bateman, left-handed pitcher DeLuga, catcher/outfielder Cody Kelly, right-hander pitcher George Klassen and infielder Boston Merila. Redshirt senior left-handed pitcher Tom 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 2020 MLB Draft, Minnesota also bid farewell to redshirt senior 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.
UP NEXT
Following this weekend's series, Minnesota remains on the road the following week with a three-game series at Maryland from April 30-May 2.
Minnesota at Indiana
First Pitch: 12:00 p.m. CT (Game 1)
Location: Bloomington, Ind.
Minnesota Starter: RHP J.P. Massey (0-3, 13.50 ERA)
Indiana Starter: LHP Tommy Sommer (4-1, 3.32 ERA)
Watch: BTN+
Friday, April 23 (DH)
Minnesota at Indiana
First Pitch: 3:00 p.m. CT (Game 2)
Location: Bloomington, Ind.
Minnesota Starter: LHP Jack Liffrig (1-2, 4.24 ERA)
Indiana Starter: RHP McCade Brown (4-2, 2.41 ERA)
Watch: BTN+
Sunday, April 25
Minnesota at Indiana
First Pitch: 10:00 a.m. CT
Location: Bloomington, Ind.
Minnesota Starter: TBD
Indiana Starter: TBA
Watch: BTN+
Minnesota (4-20) hits the road this upcoming weekend for a three-game series against third place Indiana (15-8), spanning from April 23-25. The first two games will take place in the form of a Friday doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. CT, while game three will take place at 10 a.m. CT on Sunday. These two teams previously competed in two games at U.S. Bank Stadium during the opening weekend of the 2021 season. All three of this weekend's matchups will be nine innings and stream live on BTN+.
SERIES HISTORY
Dating back to 1902, Minnesota and Indiana have played 164 total times, with the Gophers holding a 113-51 (.689) advantage in the all-time series. Indiana comes into game one on a two-game winning streak against Minnesota, as the Hoosiers won both of the meetings between the two teams earlier in 2021 by scores of 5-2 and 8-1. Minnesota's most recent win in the series came on May 23, 2019, when the Maroon & Gold defeated Indiana, 9-4, to stay alive in the Big Ten Tournament.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gophers spent last weekend hosting No. 25 Michigan in a three-game set at Siebert Field, ultimately falling in all three matchups despite strong performances from left-handed pitcher Jack Liffrig and outfielder Easton Bertrand. The former fired seven shutout, two-hit innings against the Wolverines in game two, while Bertrand homered in games one and three to finish with a .556/.600/1.222 slash line in the series.
SCOUTING THE HOOSIERS
Indiana enters the series with a 15-8 overall record in 2021 and in sole possession of third place in the Big Ten standings. This season, the Hoosiers are 8-1 at home, 6-6 on the road and 1-1 at neutral sites. Most recently, Indiana claimed two-of-three games at Northwestern just last weekend. The Hoosiers rank eighth in the conference with a .251 team batting average and own the conference's best team ERA with a 2.83 mark.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The upcoming trio of games against Indiana represents Minnesota's third true road series of the 2021 campaign and fourth time overall playing as the away team. The Gophers are 1-9 as the away team this season, having dropped three games to Iowa in Iowa City from April 9-11 the last such time the team was on the road.
LIFFRIG NAMED B1G PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Left-handed starter Liffrig was nearly flawless last weekend in game two against No. 25 Michigan, earning Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors this past week after firing seven shutout, two-hit innings with a career-high eight strikeouts. Liffrig allowed just three runners to reach base, scattering two hits and walking just one. Liffrig has now pitched five or more innings in all seven of his starts this year, allowing three earned runs or fewer in five of his last six outings. With the scoreless performance against Michigan, the southpaw lowered his ERA to 4.24 on the season.
RAABE NAMED TO GOLDEN SPIKES WATCH LIST
On March 14, Preseason Second Team All-American second baseman Zack Raabe became one of 45 players across the nation to be named to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List. After leading the nation with 31 hits in 2020 en route to Second Team All-America honors, Raabe is currently slashing .405/.500/.658 with four home runs, one triple, six doubles, 15 runs, seven RBI and one steal. Raabe's .405 batting average and .500 on-base percentage both lead the Big Ten, while he also ranks tied for fifth in hits (32), seventh in slugging percentage, tied for 10th in total bases (52) and 11th in walks (15). Nationally, Raabe is tied for 24th in both batting average and on-base percentage.
BERTIE BOMBS
Homering in games one and three against Michigan last weekend, Bertrand led all Gophers with two home runs, four RBI, three runs scored and 11 total bases during the course of the series. His five hits also tied for the most on the team. Bertrand posted a weekend slash line of .556/.600/1.222 to raise his overall season line to .255/.291/.471 with three home runs, one triple, 10 RBI, six runs and one steal.
YOUNG GUNS
In total, 18 of Minnesota's 24 starts this season have been made by sophomores Sam Ireland, Liffrig and Trent Schoeberl. Four different sophomores and two freshmen have logged innings for the Gophers so far this season, as rookies Brett Bateman and Noah DeLuga have seen mound work as well in addition to sophomore Bennett Theisen.
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 1,329 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.
STANKE NAMED TO BUSTER POSEY AWARD WATCH LIST
Starting catcher Chase Stanke was named to the 2021 Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award Watch List on March 9. 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 .288/.380/.325 batting line with three doubles, 11 RBI, eight runs and two stolen bases.
BROADCAST SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED
Minnesota will play on national television two remaining times throughout the regular season: May 15 vs. Rutgers (6:30 p.m. on BTN) and May 30 at Purdue (3 p.m. on BTN).
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 canceled 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 redshirt senior Jack 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.
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), Andrew Wilhite (.320), Ireland (.303) and 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.
NEW TO THE U
Minnesota welcomes six new players to the fold for the 2021 campaign, including five freshmen: outfielder/right-handed pitcher Brett Bateman, left-handed pitcher DeLuga, catcher/outfielder Cody Kelly, right-hander pitcher George Klassen and infielder Boston Merila. Redshirt senior left-handed pitcher Tom 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 2020 MLB Draft, Minnesota also bid farewell to redshirt senior 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.
UP NEXT
Following this weekend's series, Minnesota remains on the road the following week with a three-game series at Maryland from April 30-May 2.
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