University of Minnesota Athletics
Wednesday, May 4
1:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Wisconsin
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
C/1B
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
Mid-Week Border Battle Set for Wednesday Afternoon
5/3/2022 2:30:00 PM | Softball
MINNEAPOLIS - The Golden Gophers softball team opens a five-game homestand to close the regular season Wednesday in a mid-week doubleheader hosting Wisconsin. The Border Battle gets started at 1 p.m. from Jane Sage Cowles Stadium on B1G+.
MID-WEEK QUICK HITS
WELCOME TO MY HOUSE
After playing its first 28 games of the 2022 season away from home, Minnesota had its first opportunity to play in front of a home crowd April 1-3 hosting Illinois and welcomed more than 2,500 fans into the stadium over the course of the series despite chilly conditions. The Gophers had their first sellout of the season April 23 against Maryland as 1,050 fans attended the game. Minnesota has posted a 99-23 (.811) record at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium dating back to 2013.
UP FOR THE CHALLENGE
The Gophers non-conference schedule ranks as the No. 2 most difficult in all of NCAA softball as they have played 14 games against opponents inside the top 50 of the RPI, including 10 in the top 25. Minnesota has posted a 15-11-1 record when facing a team outside of the Big Ten Conference this season, while its overall strength of schedule ranks 18th in the nation playing 23 games against the top 50.
NATALIE AT THE TOP
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 has totaled 169 RBI across 173 career games played, needing just one more RBI to crack the program's top five. She is 13th in the country launching 17 home runs, 14 of which have come in Gopher victories, and ranks 36th in the NCAA registering 109 total bases.
CHLOE IN CHARGE
Chloe Evans has reached base safely in 36 of 45 games played this season and been a run-producing machine for Minnesota. The sophomore paces the team with 43 RBI and ranks 68th in the country averaging nearly a RBI per game, including four, four-RBI performances. She has a hit in 22 of her last 28 outings, including her first career triple against South Dakota State April 13, and scored at least one run in 16 of those contests.
GETTING OUR STEPS IN BY WALKING
Minnesota drew double-digit free bases (11) for the second time this season April 13 against the Jackrabbits continuing a trend of a disciplined approach at the plate in which it ranks 19th nationally totaling a B1G-best 171 walks. The Gophers have drawn five or more walks 14 times over their previous 24 games and are averaging 5.4 free bases, 112 walks and 18 hit batters, per game in that span. Nine different players have recorded double-digit walks for the team in 2022 with Evans (25), Sydney Strelow (23) and Lauren Espalin (22) leading the way.
RECOMMEND A DINGER (OR MORE) A DAY
Minnesota has launched 61 home runs in 45 games this season to sit 22nd in the NCAA averaging 1.4 home runs per game. Ten different players have hit a long ball, led by 17 from DenHartog, 10 by Evans and seven from Megan Dray, Sara Kinch and Strelow. The Gophers have posted a 21-8-1 record when hitting at least one home run in 2022. 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 .394 batting average (117-for-297) when leading off an inning. Lauren Espalin has a team-best 33 hits in that position and a .471 average giving the Gophers offense early chances with runners on base. DenHartog is hitting .607 as the lead-off batter (17-for-28), while Kayla Chavez, Makenna Dowell, Ellee Jensen, and Strelow are all hitting exactly .400.
POSTSEASON PUSH
The Gophers have reached a NCAA Regional each of the last eight times it was conducted, including an epic run to the Women's College World Series in 2019. That streak was continued in 2021 under first-year head coach Piper Ritter when Minnesota advanced to the NCAA Los Angeles Regional final before falling to UCLA. Ritter is no stranger to the postseason event as she helped the team to seven NCAA appearances as an assistant coach and pitched in two NCAA regionals during her time wearing the Maroon and Gold in the circle.
UP NEXT
Minnesota closes the 2022 regular season hosting Big Ten Conference-leading Northwestern for a three-game series May 6-8.
MID-WEEK QUICK HITS
WELCOME TO MY HOUSE
After playing its first 28 games of the 2022 season away from home, Minnesota had its first opportunity to play in front of a home crowd April 1-3 hosting Illinois and welcomed more than 2,500 fans into the stadium over the course of the series despite chilly conditions. The Gophers had their first sellout of the season April 23 against Maryland as 1,050 fans attended the game. Minnesota has posted a 99-23 (.811) record at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium dating back to 2013.
UP FOR THE CHALLENGE
The Gophers non-conference schedule ranks as the No. 2 most difficult in all of NCAA softball as they have played 14 games against opponents inside the top 50 of the RPI, including 10 in the top 25. Minnesota has posted a 15-11-1 record when facing a team outside of the Big Ten Conference this season, while its overall strength of schedule ranks 18th in the nation playing 23 games against the top 50.
NATALIE AT THE TOP
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 has totaled 169 RBI across 173 career games played, needing just one more RBI to crack the program's top five. She is 13th in the country launching 17 home runs, 14 of which have come in Gopher victories, and ranks 36th in the NCAA registering 109 total bases.
CHLOE IN CHARGE
Chloe Evans has reached base safely in 36 of 45 games played this season and been a run-producing machine for Minnesota. The sophomore paces the team with 43 RBI and ranks 68th in the country averaging nearly a RBI per game, including four, four-RBI performances. She has a hit in 22 of her last 28 outings, including her first career triple against South Dakota State April 13, and scored at least one run in 16 of those contests.
GETTING OUR STEPS IN BY WALKING
Minnesota drew double-digit free bases (11) for the second time this season April 13 against the Jackrabbits continuing a trend of a disciplined approach at the plate in which it ranks 19th nationally totaling a B1G-best 171 walks. The Gophers have drawn five or more walks 14 times over their previous 24 games and are averaging 5.4 free bases, 112 walks and 18 hit batters, per game in that span. Nine different players have recorded double-digit walks for the team in 2022 with Evans (25), Sydney Strelow (23) and Lauren Espalin (22) leading the way.
RECOMMEND A DINGER (OR MORE) A DAY
Minnesota has launched 61 home runs in 45 games this season to sit 22nd in the NCAA averaging 1.4 home runs per game. Ten different players have hit a long ball, led by 17 from DenHartog, 10 by Evans and seven from Megan Dray, Sara Kinch and Strelow. The Gophers have posted a 21-8-1 record when hitting at least one home run in 2022. 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 .394 batting average (117-for-297) when leading off an inning. Lauren Espalin has a team-best 33 hits in that position and a .471 average giving the Gophers offense early chances with runners on base. DenHartog is hitting .607 as the lead-off batter (17-for-28), while Kayla Chavez, Makenna Dowell, Ellee Jensen, and Strelow are all hitting exactly .400.
POSTSEASON PUSH
The Gophers have reached a NCAA Regional each of the last eight times it was conducted, including an epic run to the Women's College World Series in 2019. That streak was continued in 2021 under first-year head coach Piper Ritter when Minnesota advanced to the NCAA Los Angeles Regional final before falling to UCLA. Ritter is no stranger to the postseason event as she helped the team to seven NCAA appearances as an assistant coach and pitched in two NCAA regionals during her time wearing the Maroon and Gold in the circle.
UP NEXT
Minnesota closes the 2022 regular season hosting Big Ten Conference-leading Northwestern for a three-game series May 6-8.
Minnesota (4) - Michigan (0) Highlights
Friday, May 02
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