University of Minnesota Athletics
Wednesday, March 1
Minneapolis, MN
6:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Milwaukee
Players Mentioned
OF/C
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
OF/LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
C/INF
/ Baseball
Gophers Open Home Slate at U.S. Bank Stadium
2/28/2023 7:57:00 PM | Baseball
Minnesota hosts Milwaukee at 6 p.m.
Wednesday, March 1
Minnesota vs. Milwaukee
First Pitch: 6 p.m. CT
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium
Minnesota Starter: RHP Brett Shepard (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 SO, 1 app.)
Milwaukee Starter: RHP Owen Rice (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 app.)
TV: B1G+
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Gophers baseball team opens a six-game homestand with a mid-week game against Milwaukee (4-2, 0-0 Horizon League) on Wednesday night at U.S. Bank Stadium. B1G+ will have the stream and fans can follow along with live stats at Gophersports.com. The game is the first of 11 that Minneosota will play at U.S. Bank Stadium in March.
LAST TIME OUT
-Minnesota went 0-3 against Saint Louis last weekend in Fort Myers, Fla. They lost 6-3, 8-3 and 16-9 to the Billikens, falling to 0-7 on the year.
-The Gophers fell twice to UCSB, once to Oregon State and once to New Mexico in weekend one.
HISTORICAL NOTES
-Minnesota is in its 135th season in program history in the spring of 2023.
-John Anderson is in his 42nd year at the helm of Gopher Baseball and holds a 1,347-968-3 (.582) overall record. This includes a 604-400 (.603) Big Ten record. Under Anderson's watch, the Gophers have won 11 Big Ten titles and have made the NCAA Tournament 19 times.
-The winningest coach in Big Ten history, Anderson won his 600th conference game in late April, a 7-3 win over Penn State. He's the only B1G coach to reach that mark.
-Anderson coached his 1,000th career B1G game last May against Indiana. He's the only coach in conference history to hit that mark.
SCOUTING MILWAUKEE
-Milwaukee (4-2, 0-0 Horizon) took two of three at Pacific last weekend and from USA Feb. 18-19.
-The Horizon League coaches poll predicted UWM to finish in third behind second-place Oakland and Wright State. In 2022, UWM went 20-30 (9-18 Horizon) and missed the postseason.
-Mark Connelly (.381) and Luke Seidel (.375) lead the team in hitting. Seidel was an All-Horizon Second Team honoree in 2022.
SERIES HISTORY
Minnesota leads UWM 11-6 all-time. The two teams last played in 2019, with the Panthers winning 5-4.
LAST YEAR AT U.S. BANK STADIUM
-The Gophers went 6-6 last season at U.S. Bank Stadium. They swept Western Illinois and defeated Air Force, Kansas and West Virginia once each.
-Dating back to 2020, Minnesota is 15-22 when playing at U.S. Bank Stadium.
-Minnesota is 2-4 all-time at the Cambria College Classic. Its wins were against Kansas (2022) and North Carolina (2020) while the losses were to Duke (2020), NC State (2020), West Virginia (2022) and Notre Dame (2022).
FRESHMEN FLASH SKILLS IN WEEK ONE
-Freshmen Sam Hunt (C/OF), Weber Neels (C/INF), Kris Hokenson (OF/LHP) and Drew Berkland (OF) all started games for Minnesota in the first two weeks.
-Hunt (.333) leads the team in OPS (1.122) and home runs (1) after he hit his first against SLU on Saturday.
-Berkland, Hokenson and Neels have each started multiple games in the field and Hokenson has made a pair of appearances on the mound. All three are Minnesota natives.
GOPHERS SWIPING BASES AT A HIGH RATE
-The Gophers were aggressive on the base paths last season, swiping 68 bases in 94 attempts. -The 'U' ranked fifth in the Big Ten (85th nationally) in stolen bases and had contributions from 10 different players. Bateman (21) led the team. His 21 stolen bases tied former Gopher Alex Boxwell (2015-18) for most stolen bases by a Minnesota player since 2010.
-Minnesota stole five bases in four games to open 2023, a mark that ranks third in the Big Ten.
HOLETZ HOLDING FIRM IN SENIOR YEAR
-Fifth year senior Richie Holetz has been a major bright spot on the mound for the Gophers this spring. In his second year on campus since coming over from Omaha, he leads the team in ERA 2.89, ranks second in innings pitched (9.2) and strikeouts (9). He struck out a Minnesota career-best six hitters on Sunday against Saint Louis.
COUNSELL COMES UP CLUTCH
-Brady Counsell had a breakout game on Monday vs. New Mexico, going 4-for-5 with a double and the game-tying RBI single in the ninth.
-He ranks second on the team in 2023 with 11 hits and three doubles, hitting in the No. 3 hole.
-In 2022, Counsell played the most games of any freshman, starting in 24 of 36 games he played in.
-He slashed .200/.320/.283 with one home run, 20 hits, 10 RBI, 11 runs scored and five doubles.
PITCHING PLAYING A ROLE IN STRUGGLES
-Minnesota ranks 12th in the Big Ten in ERA this season (7.92), hits (74), runs (64) and earned runs (56). It ranks 11th in opponent batting average (.289), and walks (38) while posting the No. 13 spot in wild pitches (16). The Gophers have also hit 14 batters, a number that ranks them ninth most in the Big Ten.
MEZZENGA MAKING MOST OF OPPORTUNITIES
-A transfer from NIACC, Ike Mezzenga is the third Mezzenga boy in his family to play for Minnesota. His brother Gabe played on the football team from 2010-14 while his brother Ben played baseball from 2015-19. Ike came to Minnesota after playing two years of JUCO ball.
-So far in 2023, he's made his presence known, ranking second on Minnesota in average (.391) and third in hits (9) while leading the team in doubles (4).
-Ike has shown his versatility in the field, playing shortstop, first base, left field and right field.
TWO NEW COACHING STAFF MEMBERS JOIN THE FOLD
-Head coach John Anderson added two new members to the coaching staff this season in Alec Crawford (interim pitching coach) and Mike Kvasnicka (volunteer assistant).
-A 2014 MLB Draft pick of the Rockies, Crawford pitched for two years (2013-14) at the University of Minnesota. He was an All-Big Ten Third Team selection and named the Gophers' David Winfield Pitcher of the Year in his senior season. He tied for the team lead and ranked fifth in the Big Ten with 67 strikeouts.
-Another Gopher great, Kvasnicka was former first round MLB Draft pick in 2010 (33rd, Houston Astros), Kvasnicka spent time in the Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins farm systems (Third base, right field and catcher) over the course of six seasons. He reached AA (New Britain) in 2014 with the Twins before playing with the St. Paul Saints in the American Association in 2015. During his professional baseball career, Kvasnicka played in 535 games, with a career batting average of .269.
UP NEXT: CAMBRIA COLLEGE CLASSIC
-Minnesota will host the third ever Cambria College Classic from March 3-5 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Defending national champion Ole Miss, perennial power Vanderbilt and Hawaii will play Minnesota, Maryland and Nebraska in the three-day event.At the conclusion, a champion will be named in addition to the all-tournament team and MVP.
Minnesota vs. Milwaukee
First Pitch: 6 p.m. CT
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium
Minnesota Starter: RHP Brett Shepard (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 SO, 1 app.)
Milwaukee Starter: RHP Owen Rice (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 app.)
TV: B1G+
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Gophers baseball team opens a six-game homestand with a mid-week game against Milwaukee (4-2, 0-0 Horizon League) on Wednesday night at U.S. Bank Stadium. B1G+ will have the stream and fans can follow along with live stats at Gophersports.com. The game is the first of 11 that Minneosota will play at U.S. Bank Stadium in March.
LAST TIME OUT
-Minnesota went 0-3 against Saint Louis last weekend in Fort Myers, Fla. They lost 6-3, 8-3 and 16-9 to the Billikens, falling to 0-7 on the year.
-The Gophers fell twice to UCSB, once to Oregon State and once to New Mexico in weekend one.
HISTORICAL NOTES
-Minnesota is in its 135th season in program history in the spring of 2023.
-John Anderson is in his 42nd year at the helm of Gopher Baseball and holds a 1,347-968-3 (.582) overall record. This includes a 604-400 (.603) Big Ten record. Under Anderson's watch, the Gophers have won 11 Big Ten titles and have made the NCAA Tournament 19 times.
-The winningest coach in Big Ten history, Anderson won his 600th conference game in late April, a 7-3 win over Penn State. He's the only B1G coach to reach that mark.
-Anderson coached his 1,000th career B1G game last May against Indiana. He's the only coach in conference history to hit that mark.
SCOUTING MILWAUKEE
-Milwaukee (4-2, 0-0 Horizon) took two of three at Pacific last weekend and from USA Feb. 18-19.
-The Horizon League coaches poll predicted UWM to finish in third behind second-place Oakland and Wright State. In 2022, UWM went 20-30 (9-18 Horizon) and missed the postseason.
-Mark Connelly (.381) and Luke Seidel (.375) lead the team in hitting. Seidel was an All-Horizon Second Team honoree in 2022.
SERIES HISTORY
Minnesota leads UWM 11-6 all-time. The two teams last played in 2019, with the Panthers winning 5-4.
LAST YEAR AT U.S. BANK STADIUM
-The Gophers went 6-6 last season at U.S. Bank Stadium. They swept Western Illinois and defeated Air Force, Kansas and West Virginia once each.
-Dating back to 2020, Minnesota is 15-22 when playing at U.S. Bank Stadium.
-Minnesota is 2-4 all-time at the Cambria College Classic. Its wins were against Kansas (2022) and North Carolina (2020) while the losses were to Duke (2020), NC State (2020), West Virginia (2022) and Notre Dame (2022).
FRESHMEN FLASH SKILLS IN WEEK ONE
-Freshmen Sam Hunt (C/OF), Weber Neels (C/INF), Kris Hokenson (OF/LHP) and Drew Berkland (OF) all started games for Minnesota in the first two weeks.
-Hunt (.333) leads the team in OPS (1.122) and home runs (1) after he hit his first against SLU on Saturday.
-Berkland, Hokenson and Neels have each started multiple games in the field and Hokenson has made a pair of appearances on the mound. All three are Minnesota natives.
GOPHERS SWIPING BASES AT A HIGH RATE
-The Gophers were aggressive on the base paths last season, swiping 68 bases in 94 attempts. -The 'U' ranked fifth in the Big Ten (85th nationally) in stolen bases and had contributions from 10 different players. Bateman (21) led the team. His 21 stolen bases tied former Gopher Alex Boxwell (2015-18) for most stolen bases by a Minnesota player since 2010.
-Minnesota stole five bases in four games to open 2023, a mark that ranks third in the Big Ten.
HOLETZ HOLDING FIRM IN SENIOR YEAR
-Fifth year senior Richie Holetz has been a major bright spot on the mound for the Gophers this spring. In his second year on campus since coming over from Omaha, he leads the team in ERA 2.89, ranks second in innings pitched (9.2) and strikeouts (9). He struck out a Minnesota career-best six hitters on Sunday against Saint Louis.
COUNSELL COMES UP CLUTCH
-Brady Counsell had a breakout game on Monday vs. New Mexico, going 4-for-5 with a double and the game-tying RBI single in the ninth.
-He ranks second on the team in 2023 with 11 hits and three doubles, hitting in the No. 3 hole.
-In 2022, Counsell played the most games of any freshman, starting in 24 of 36 games he played in.
-He slashed .200/.320/.283 with one home run, 20 hits, 10 RBI, 11 runs scored and five doubles.
PITCHING PLAYING A ROLE IN STRUGGLES
-Minnesota ranks 12th in the Big Ten in ERA this season (7.92), hits (74), runs (64) and earned runs (56). It ranks 11th in opponent batting average (.289), and walks (38) while posting the No. 13 spot in wild pitches (16). The Gophers have also hit 14 batters, a number that ranks them ninth most in the Big Ten.
MEZZENGA MAKING MOST OF OPPORTUNITIES
-A transfer from NIACC, Ike Mezzenga is the third Mezzenga boy in his family to play for Minnesota. His brother Gabe played on the football team from 2010-14 while his brother Ben played baseball from 2015-19. Ike came to Minnesota after playing two years of JUCO ball.
-So far in 2023, he's made his presence known, ranking second on Minnesota in average (.391) and third in hits (9) while leading the team in doubles (4).
-Ike has shown his versatility in the field, playing shortstop, first base, left field and right field.
TWO NEW COACHING STAFF MEMBERS JOIN THE FOLD
-Head coach John Anderson added two new members to the coaching staff this season in Alec Crawford (interim pitching coach) and Mike Kvasnicka (volunteer assistant).
-A 2014 MLB Draft pick of the Rockies, Crawford pitched for two years (2013-14) at the University of Minnesota. He was an All-Big Ten Third Team selection and named the Gophers' David Winfield Pitcher of the Year in his senior season. He tied for the team lead and ranked fifth in the Big Ten with 67 strikeouts.
-Another Gopher great, Kvasnicka was former first round MLB Draft pick in 2010 (33rd, Houston Astros), Kvasnicka spent time in the Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins farm systems (Third base, right field and catcher) over the course of six seasons. He reached AA (New Britain) in 2014 with the Twins before playing with the St. Paul Saints in the American Association in 2015. During his professional baseball career, Kvasnicka played in 535 games, with a career batting average of .269.
UP NEXT: CAMBRIA COLLEGE CLASSIC
-Minnesota will host the third ever Cambria College Classic from March 3-5 at U.S. Bank Stadium. Defending national champion Ole Miss, perennial power Vanderbilt and Hawaii will play Minnesota, Maryland and Nebraska in the three-day event.At the conclusion, a champion will be named in addition to the all-tournament team and MVP.
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Wednesday, May 28
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Friday, May 16
Gophers (4) - Michigan State (3) Highlights
Thursday, May 15