University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, April 15
Lincoln, NE
5:00 PM
University of Minnesota
at
Nebraska
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
Minnesota Faces Nebraska in Weekend Series Apr. 15-17
4/14/2022 1:00:00 PM | Softball
MINNEAPOLIS - The Golden Gophers softball team is back on the road for a three-game series April 15-17 at Big Ten Conference-leading Nebraska, the only unbeaten team in league play. The action starts Friday at 5 p.m. and continues Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at noon.
Game one of the series will be nationally televised on BTN, while the remaining two contests are to be streamed on B1G+.
WEEKEND QUICK HITS
NEW HOME RUN QUEEN
On the third pitch she saw in the fourth inning Mar. 27 at Rutgers, Natalie DenHartog sent a deep fly high over the center field fence and circled the bases for the 52nd time in her career. That set a Minnesota record as she became the all-time home run leader passing Jordanne Nygren's mark of 51 from 1999-2003. She matched Nygren on a solo shot against Drake Mar. 12 capping an incredible stretch where she belted eight home runs in a span of 28 at-bats. DenHartog is currently averaging one home run every 7.9 trips to the plate this year and has totaled 165 RBI across 163 career games played, needing just five RBI to crack the program's top five. She also is 10th in the country launching 15 home runs, 13 of which have come in Gopher victories, and ranks 24th in the NCAA registering 94 total bases.
UP FOR THE CHALLENGE
The Gophers non-conference schedule ranked as the fifth toughest in all of NCAA softball as they played 14 games against opponents inside the top 50 of the RPI, including 11 in the top 25. Minnesota has posted a 14-11-1 record when facing a team outside of the Big Ten Conference this season.
CHLOE IN CHARGE
Chloe Evans has reached base safely in 29 of 35 games played this season and been a run-producing machine for Minnesota. The sophomore paces the team with 36 RBI and ranks 40th in the country averaging more than a RBI per game, including four, four-RBI performances. She has a hit in 16 of her last 18 outings, including her first career triple against SDSU, and scored at least one run in 12 of those contests.
STRELOW SURGING
Sydney Strelow has been surging through Big Ten play recording a .429 batting average in nine games and has an .857 slugging percentage with three doubles and two home runs. Even more impressive are the 11 walks and one hit-by-pitch as the junior has tallied a team-leading .636 on-base percentage reaching base safely in all nine contests. That momentum continued during the mid-week where she belted her seventh home run of the season in walk-off fashion Wednesday.
GETTING OUR STEPS IN BY WALKING
Minnesota drew double-digit walks (11) for the second time this season April 13 against the Jackrabbits continuing a trend of a disciplined approach at the plate. The Gophers have drawn five or more walks nine times over their previous 14 games and are averaging 6.1 free bases (75 walks and 10 hit batters) per game during that span. Strelow and Evans have combined for 26 of those free passes in that stretch.
RECOMMEND A DINGER (OR MORE) A DAY
Minnesota has launched 50 home runs in 35 games this season to sit 15th in the NCAA averaging 1.43 home runs per game. Nine different players have hit a long ball, led by 15 from DenHartog and seven by Evans and Strelow, helping the Gophers to an 18-6-1 record when hitting at least one home run. The team's six home runs Mar. 27 at Rutgers were the most in a single game since hitting six against Kent State Mar. 1, 2019, and just the second time hitting that mark over the last decade.
STRONG START TO THE INNING
Minnesota has recorded a .382 batting average (89-for-233) when leading off an inning. DenHartog is hitting .667 as the lead-off batter (12-for-18), while Jensen (.474), Dowell (.444) and Strelow (.423) also are hitting .400 or better. Espalin has a team-best 24 hits in that position and a .453 average giving the Gophers offense early chances with runners on base.
MEMORIES FOR A LIFETIME
It was a memorable finish to the weekend in Austin, Texas, for a pair of Gopher freshmen as both Nani Valencia and Kayla Chavez hit their first collegiate home runs against the Longhorns. Valencia's came in pinch-hit fashion Mar. 12 during her first at-bat for the Maroon and Gold, while Chavez launched a three-run blast the next day helping Minnesota to a 10-4 lead on the road. Valencia then added her first collegiate win in the circle a month later during a 9-8, extra-innings victory over South Dakota State at home.
MILESTONE WATCH
Minnesota has tallied 1,484 wins in program history and needs 16 more to reach the elusive 1,500-win mark. As it stands, the Gophers are 12th in NCAA Division I softball history in total wins dating back to the start of the program in 1974.
UP NEXT
Minnesota returns to Jane Sage Cowles Stadium for a season-long, six-game homestand starting with a mid-week doubleheader against Wisconsin April 20. Both games versus the Badgers will be available live on BTN starting at 4 p.m.
Game one of the series will be nationally televised on BTN, while the remaining two contests are to be streamed on B1G+.
WEEKEND QUICK HITS
NEW HOME RUN QUEEN
On the third pitch she saw in the fourth inning Mar. 27 at Rutgers, Natalie DenHartog sent a deep fly high over the center field fence and circled the bases for the 52nd time in her career. That set a Minnesota record as she became the all-time home run leader passing Jordanne Nygren's mark of 51 from 1999-2003. She matched Nygren on a solo shot against Drake Mar. 12 capping an incredible stretch where she belted eight home runs in a span of 28 at-bats. DenHartog is currently averaging one home run every 7.9 trips to the plate this year and has totaled 165 RBI across 163 career games played, needing just five RBI to crack the program's top five. She also is 10th in the country launching 15 home runs, 13 of which have come in Gopher victories, and ranks 24th in the NCAA registering 94 total bases.
UP FOR THE CHALLENGE
The Gophers non-conference schedule ranked as the fifth toughest in all of NCAA softball as they played 14 games against opponents inside the top 50 of the RPI, including 11 in the top 25. Minnesota has posted a 14-11-1 record when facing a team outside of the Big Ten Conference this season.
CHLOE IN CHARGE
Chloe Evans has reached base safely in 29 of 35 games played this season and been a run-producing machine for Minnesota. The sophomore paces the team with 36 RBI and ranks 40th in the country averaging more than a RBI per game, including four, four-RBI performances. She has a hit in 16 of her last 18 outings, including her first career triple against SDSU, and scored at least one run in 12 of those contests.
STRELOW SURGING
Sydney Strelow has been surging through Big Ten play recording a .429 batting average in nine games and has an .857 slugging percentage with three doubles and two home runs. Even more impressive are the 11 walks and one hit-by-pitch as the junior has tallied a team-leading .636 on-base percentage reaching base safely in all nine contests. That momentum continued during the mid-week where she belted her seventh home run of the season in walk-off fashion Wednesday.
GETTING OUR STEPS IN BY WALKING
Minnesota drew double-digit walks (11) for the second time this season April 13 against the Jackrabbits continuing a trend of a disciplined approach at the plate. The Gophers have drawn five or more walks nine times over their previous 14 games and are averaging 6.1 free bases (75 walks and 10 hit batters) per game during that span. Strelow and Evans have combined for 26 of those free passes in that stretch.
RECOMMEND A DINGER (OR MORE) A DAY
Minnesota has launched 50 home runs in 35 games this season to sit 15th in the NCAA averaging 1.43 home runs per game. Nine different players have hit a long ball, led by 15 from DenHartog and seven by Evans and Strelow, helping the Gophers to an 18-6-1 record when hitting at least one home run. The team's six home runs Mar. 27 at Rutgers were the most in a single game since hitting six against Kent State Mar. 1, 2019, and just the second time hitting that mark over the last decade.
STRONG START TO THE INNING
Minnesota has recorded a .382 batting average (89-for-233) when leading off an inning. DenHartog is hitting .667 as the lead-off batter (12-for-18), while Jensen (.474), Dowell (.444) and Strelow (.423) also are hitting .400 or better. Espalin has a team-best 24 hits in that position and a .453 average giving the Gophers offense early chances with runners on base.
MEMORIES FOR A LIFETIME
It was a memorable finish to the weekend in Austin, Texas, for a pair of Gopher freshmen as both Nani Valencia and Kayla Chavez hit their first collegiate home runs against the Longhorns. Valencia's came in pinch-hit fashion Mar. 12 during her first at-bat for the Maroon and Gold, while Chavez launched a three-run blast the next day helping Minnesota to a 10-4 lead on the road. Valencia then added her first collegiate win in the circle a month later during a 9-8, extra-innings victory over South Dakota State at home.
MILESTONE WATCH
Minnesota has tallied 1,484 wins in program history and needs 16 more to reach the elusive 1,500-win mark. As it stands, the Gophers are 12th in NCAA Division I softball history in total wins dating back to the start of the program in 1974.
UP NEXT
Minnesota returns to Jane Sage Cowles Stadium for a season-long, six-game homestand starting with a mid-week doubleheader against Wisconsin April 20. Both games versus the Badgers will be available live on BTN starting at 4 p.m.
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Sydney Schwartz Throws No-Hitter
Tuesday, April 29
Gophers (8) - North Dakota (0) Highlights
Sunday, April 27
Gophers (5) - North Dakota (3) Highlights
Saturday, April 26