University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, March 11
Austin, TX
1:30 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Nicholls
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C/1B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
Final Non-Conference Weekend Awaits Minnesota in Texas
3/10/2022 3:30:00 PM | Softball
MINNEAPOLIS - The Minnesota softball team plays its final non-conference event Mar. 11-13 in Austin, Texas, at the Bevo Classic facing Nicholls, Texas and Drake.
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All five games of the weekend slate will be available live on the Longhorn Network and streamed on the ESPN app.
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WEEKEND QUICK HITS
RECORDS MADE TO BE BROKEN
After hitting six home runs during the six games played in the state of Oklahoma, Natalie DenHartog remains second on the Minnesota all-time home run list with 49, but quickly closed the gap. She continues to chase Jordanne Nygren (1999-2003) and the record of 51 career long balls. A senior from Hopkins, Minn., DenHartog is currently averaging one home run per 9.3 trips to the plate and has registered 153 RBI across 149 games played, needing just 17 RBI to crack the program's top five.
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SENIORS AT THE TOP
The Gophers senior class continues to set the pace offensively as four of the top five hitters are all seniors or graduate students. DenHartog took over the team lead behind a .406 batting average, while Lauren Espalin is second at .343 and also ranks 30th in the country hitting seven doubles. Ellee Jensen sits at .293 and Makenna Dowell has a .283 average pushing Minnesota at the plate. Fellow seniors Megan Dray, Emily Hansen and Ali Lindner, have helped the class combine for 49 RBI, 16 home runs, 52 free bases and 12 of the team's 15 stolen bases.
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MARCH BELONGS TO DENHARTOG
The senior outfielder has collected three-hit outings in four of her last 10 games and recorded at least one hit in 17 of 21 games this season. She raised her batting average more than 70 points in the month of March going 12-for-21 with seven extra-base hits, nine RBI and eight runs scored. DenHartog now ranks eighth in the NCAA registering 60 total bases.
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DEFENSIVE GEMS
The Minnesota defense has excelled all season showcased by numerous highlight-reel plays in both the infield and outfield and tallied a .973 fielding percentage that is 39th nationally. Twice the Gophers have been featured as a top play by NCAA Softball and turned an average of 0.52 double plays per game, ranking 21st in the country thanks to slick work by the middle infielders Dowell and Sydney Strelow.
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RECOMMEND A DINGER A DAY
Minnesota has launched 24 home runs in 21 games this season to sit 33rd in the NCAA in home runs per game. Six different players have hit a long ball, led by 10 from DenHartog and four by Dray and Strelow, helping the Gophers to a 10-4 record when hitting at least one home run.
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HANDLE THE WORKLOAD
The pitching duo of Autumn Pease and Emily Leavitt has combined to throw 137.1 of Minnesota's 140.2 innings in 2022 and struck out 128 opposing batters. They are responsible for all win-loss decisions this season and pitched nine complete games as Leavitt has five and Pease has four.
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BATTLING THE BEST
Minnesota's schedule, one of the toughest in the nation, includes matchups with 12 different teams that made the 2021 NCAA Tournament and three teams that made the 2021 Women's College World Series, including opening-day opponent Georgia. Eight teams on the docket were ranked inside the top 25 of the 2022 USA Today/NFCA Coaches' Preseason Poll and three more received votes, along with the Gophers.
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UP NEXT
Minnesota has an extended break before it begins Big Ten Conference action Mar. 25-27 in Piscataway, N.J., facing Rutgers for a three-game series.
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All five games of the weekend slate will be available live on the Longhorn Network and streamed on the ESPN app.
Â
WEEKEND QUICK HITS
RECORDS MADE TO BE BROKEN
After hitting six home runs during the six games played in the state of Oklahoma, Natalie DenHartog remains second on the Minnesota all-time home run list with 49, but quickly closed the gap. She continues to chase Jordanne Nygren (1999-2003) and the record of 51 career long balls. A senior from Hopkins, Minn., DenHartog is currently averaging one home run per 9.3 trips to the plate and has registered 153 RBI across 149 games played, needing just 17 RBI to crack the program's top five.
Â
SENIORS AT THE TOP
The Gophers senior class continues to set the pace offensively as four of the top five hitters are all seniors or graduate students. DenHartog took over the team lead behind a .406 batting average, while Lauren Espalin is second at .343 and also ranks 30th in the country hitting seven doubles. Ellee Jensen sits at .293 and Makenna Dowell has a .283 average pushing Minnesota at the plate. Fellow seniors Megan Dray, Emily Hansen and Ali Lindner, have helped the class combine for 49 RBI, 16 home runs, 52 free bases and 12 of the team's 15 stolen bases.
Â
MARCH BELONGS TO DENHARTOG
The senior outfielder has collected three-hit outings in four of her last 10 games and recorded at least one hit in 17 of 21 games this season. She raised her batting average more than 70 points in the month of March going 12-for-21 with seven extra-base hits, nine RBI and eight runs scored. DenHartog now ranks eighth in the NCAA registering 60 total bases.
Â
DEFENSIVE GEMS
The Minnesota defense has excelled all season showcased by numerous highlight-reel plays in both the infield and outfield and tallied a .973 fielding percentage that is 39th nationally. Twice the Gophers have been featured as a top play by NCAA Softball and turned an average of 0.52 double plays per game, ranking 21st in the country thanks to slick work by the middle infielders Dowell and Sydney Strelow.
Â
RECOMMEND A DINGER A DAY
Minnesota has launched 24 home runs in 21 games this season to sit 33rd in the NCAA in home runs per game. Six different players have hit a long ball, led by 10 from DenHartog and four by Dray and Strelow, helping the Gophers to a 10-4 record when hitting at least one home run.
Â
HANDLE THE WORKLOAD
The pitching duo of Autumn Pease and Emily Leavitt has combined to throw 137.1 of Minnesota's 140.2 innings in 2022 and struck out 128 opposing batters. They are responsible for all win-loss decisions this season and pitched nine complete games as Leavitt has five and Pease has four.
Â
BATTLING THE BEST
Minnesota's schedule, one of the toughest in the nation, includes matchups with 12 different teams that made the 2021 NCAA Tournament and three teams that made the 2021 Women's College World Series, including opening-day opponent Georgia. Eight teams on the docket were ranked inside the top 25 of the 2022 USA Today/NFCA Coaches' Preseason Poll and three more received votes, along with the Gophers.
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UP NEXT
Minnesota has an extended break before it begins Big Ten Conference action Mar. 25-27 in Piscataway, N.J., facing Rutgers for a three-game series.
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