University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, April 9
Evanston, IL
3:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Northwestern
Players Mentioned
UT
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
RHP/UT
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
Photo by: Kelly Hagenson
Gophers Take on No. 21 Northwestern This Weekend
4/8/2021 8:38:00 AM | Softball
HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND
• Minnesota is back on the road this weekend when it travels to Northwestern, April 9-11 in Evanston, Ill. Northwestern currently holds the top spot in the conference at 18-2 and ranked 21st and 22nd in the current polls. The Golden Gophers are receiving votes. The weekend format is a single game on Friday, doubleheader on Saturday and a single game scheduled Sunday. Al games this weekend will be played at Northwestern's Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
• The April 9 game is televised on ESPNU, while the April 11 game is on Big Ten Network. The Northwestern games would also be the first televised games for the Gophers this year. The Saturday doubleheader games this weekend can be found on BTN +.
• Northwestern enters the Minnesota series with 4-0 record at home and a six-game win streak. The Wildcats rank 28th nationally in team batting average (.316). Northwestern also has 11 triples this year, which is third nationally and average 0.55 per game. Skyler Shellmyer averages a team-best .429 batting average, while Morgan Newport has a team-best four home runs, 16 RBIs and a .703 slugging percentage. Danielle Williams has seen the most action in the circle for Northwestern as she's pitched 62 innings and holds a 1.69 ERA.
• Minnesota played Northwestern four times back in 2019, including once in the Big Ten Tournament. In the three-game series in Minneapolis (May 3-5, 2019), the Gophers lost the opener, 1-0, but took the series with 8-0 and 4-0 wins. Minnesota then defeated the No. 2 seed Northwestern in the semifinals, 4-0, to advance to their fourth straight Big Ten Tournament championship game in 2019.
LAST WEEKEND RECAP
• Minnesota played a home collegiate softball game at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium for the first time in 678 days last weekend when the Gophers host the Purdue Boilermakers, April 2-4. Minnesota earned three of four wins against the Boilermakers. Prior to the Purdue series, the Gophers' last home game was May 25, 2019 when Minnesota hosted a 2019 Super Regional.
• In just 10 at bats last weekend against Purdue, Natalie DenHartog had six hits, three home runs, two doubles and scored four runs. She also walked three times and had six RBIs. She held a slugging percentage of 1.700 and also contributed four putouts. Her home run last Sunday proved to be the game-winning run in a narrow 2-1 win.
• The Gopher pitching corps holds a 1.68 ERA this season, which ranks 18th nationally. Autumn Pease holds a 1.24 ERA, while Amber Fiser is at 1.73. Pease also has three saves and pitched 56.2 innings, while Fiser has two saves and seen action in 77 innings. Ava Dueck and Kianna Jones has also seen action in the circle this year.
UP NEXT
• Minnesota is back home April 16-18 when the Nebraska Cornhuskers visit Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. All matches will be streamed on BTN +.
• Minnesota is back on the road this weekend when it travels to Northwestern, April 9-11 in Evanston, Ill. Northwestern currently holds the top spot in the conference at 18-2 and ranked 21st and 22nd in the current polls. The Golden Gophers are receiving votes. The weekend format is a single game on Friday, doubleheader on Saturday and a single game scheduled Sunday. Al games this weekend will be played at Northwestern's Sharon J. Drysdale Field.
• The April 9 game is televised on ESPNU, while the April 11 game is on Big Ten Network. The Northwestern games would also be the first televised games for the Gophers this year. The Saturday doubleheader games this weekend can be found on BTN +.
• Northwestern enters the Minnesota series with 4-0 record at home and a six-game win streak. The Wildcats rank 28th nationally in team batting average (.316). Northwestern also has 11 triples this year, which is third nationally and average 0.55 per game. Skyler Shellmyer averages a team-best .429 batting average, while Morgan Newport has a team-best four home runs, 16 RBIs and a .703 slugging percentage. Danielle Williams has seen the most action in the circle for Northwestern as she's pitched 62 innings and holds a 1.69 ERA.
• Minnesota played Northwestern four times back in 2019, including once in the Big Ten Tournament. In the three-game series in Minneapolis (May 3-5, 2019), the Gophers lost the opener, 1-0, but took the series with 8-0 and 4-0 wins. Minnesota then defeated the No. 2 seed Northwestern in the semifinals, 4-0, to advance to their fourth straight Big Ten Tournament championship game in 2019.
LAST WEEKEND RECAP
• Minnesota played a home collegiate softball game at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium for the first time in 678 days last weekend when the Gophers host the Purdue Boilermakers, April 2-4. Minnesota earned three of four wins against the Boilermakers. Prior to the Purdue series, the Gophers' last home game was May 25, 2019 when Minnesota hosted a 2019 Super Regional.
• In just 10 at bats last weekend against Purdue, Natalie DenHartog had six hits, three home runs, two doubles and scored four runs. She also walked three times and had six RBIs. She held a slugging percentage of 1.700 and also contributed four putouts. Her home run last Sunday proved to be the game-winning run in a narrow 2-1 win.
• The Gopher pitching corps holds a 1.68 ERA this season, which ranks 18th nationally. Autumn Pease holds a 1.24 ERA, while Amber Fiser is at 1.73. Pease also has three saves and pitched 56.2 innings, while Fiser has two saves and seen action in 77 innings. Ava Dueck and Kianna Jones has also seen action in the circle this year.
UP NEXT
• Minnesota is back home April 16-18 when the Nebraska Cornhuskers visit Jane Sage Cowles Stadium. All matches will be streamed on BTN +.
Highlights: Gophers 6, Central Michigan 1
Saturday, February 21
Highlights: Gophers 7, LIU 6
Saturday, February 21
Highlights: Gophers 11, NMSU 4
Saturday, February 14
Highlights: Gophers 8, UTEP 6
Friday, February 13