University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, February 10
Leesburg, Fla.
11:00 AM
University of Minnesota
vs
Western Kentucky
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballC
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballINF
/ SoftballP/INF
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
Softball Opens Season in Sunshine State at Northern Lights Tournament
2/9/2023 9:15:00 AM | Softball
Minnesota will face Western Kentucky, Butler, Portland State and Colgate
MINNEAPOLIS – The University of Minnesota softball team opens the 2023 season Friday when the Golden Gophers take on Western Kentucky in Leesburg, Fla., to open the Northern Lights Softball Tournament.
Minnesota is also set to take on Butler, Portland State, and Colgate in five total games to open the season.
WEEKEND QUICK HITS
NEW STAFF ON DECK
Minnesota welcomes back Head Coach Piper Ritter and Associate Head Coach Carly Wynn, along with the addition of Assistant Coach Annie Smith and Volunteer Assistant Bailey Oetting. Smith joins the Gophers' staff after three seasons at Arkansas, where she earned NFCA South Region Staff of the Year honors. Smith also made stops at Auburn, Georgia Southern, and Mississippi State.
Oetting began her coaching career as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with Arizona Christian University in Phoenix. She spent the 2019 season as the head coach at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, Ill., before two years as a graduate assistant at Southern Arkansas.
FIERCE FRESHMEN
Head Coach Piper Ritter welcomed six freshmen to 'The U' this season hailing from five different states. Sydney Schwartz (Victoria, Minn.) and Billi Connell (Luverne, Minn.) represent the state of Minnesota while Breezy Burnett (Jacksonville, Fla.), Jess Oakland (San Jose, Calif.), Addison Leschber (Thrall, Texas), and Maggie Werner (Greenville, Wis.) all made the trek to play for the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
The five newcomers bring a bundle of wealthy experience to Minnesota's roster. Schwartz was named 2022 Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year and the Gatorade Minnesota Softball Player of the Year in both 2021 and 2022. Connell was recognized to the 2022 Class AA Minnesota Fastpitch Association and MN Softball Hub All-State First Teams.
Burnett landed on the 2020 Extra Innings Top 100 National Rankings as the No. 4 Outfielder and the No. 29 player for the class of 2022. Leschber was a five-sport athlete at Thrall High School (volleyball, basketball, track, powerlifting, and softball) while being named to the Extra Innings Softball Extra Elite Class of 2022 as both an infielder and outfielder.
A Wisconsin native, Werner earned 11 letters as a four-sport athlete (softball, volleyball, basketball, and cross country) and named to the 2022 Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association Division I All-Star Team. Oakland rounds out the freshmen class after a successful prep career in California. After totaling 44 home runs, 159 RBIs and 135 runs in her four-year prep career, Oakland earned the title of 2022 Ms. Softball State Player of the Year, the top high school honor in the Golden State.
TACTFUL TRANSFERS
The Gophers added three high-level transfers from Power Five programs for the upcoming season in Amani Bradley (Cal), Taylor Krapf (Duke), and Bri Enter (Florida State).
Bradley made 53 starts and 55 appearances for the Bears during her senior season while posting a .283 batting average and a .336 on-base percentage. While at Duke, Krapf competed in 26 games with three starts, including an NCAA Super Regional game against UCLA. In her previous season with the Seminoles, Enter saw three starts with 13 appearances while finishing with a perfect 2-0 record and 1.44 ERA.
SUNSHINE STATE STUNNAS
A trio of new Gophers return to their home state this weekend to open the 2023 season. Breezy Burnett, Taylor Krapf, and Bri Enter all hail from the Sunshine State.
ONE OF OUR OWN
Graduate outfielder, Natalie DenHartog, has been recognized amongst the best in the country. DenHartog has earned preseason awards from D1 Softball (Preseason Outfield Power Rankings No. 11, Preseason D100 Player No. 47), Softball America (2023 Preseason Top 100 No. 56), and Extra Inning Softball (Extra Elite 100 No. 40).
UP NEXT
Next weekend, Minnesota travels to Chapel Hill, N.C., to face North Carolina and Virginia in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
Minnesota is also set to take on Butler, Portland State, and Colgate in five total games to open the season.
WEEKEND QUICK HITS
NEW STAFF ON DECK
Minnesota welcomes back Head Coach Piper Ritter and Associate Head Coach Carly Wynn, along with the addition of Assistant Coach Annie Smith and Volunteer Assistant Bailey Oetting. Smith joins the Gophers' staff after three seasons at Arkansas, where she earned NFCA South Region Staff of the Year honors. Smith also made stops at Auburn, Georgia Southern, and Mississippi State.
Oetting began her coaching career as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator with Arizona Christian University in Phoenix. She spent the 2019 season as the head coach at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, Ill., before two years as a graduate assistant at Southern Arkansas.
FIERCE FRESHMEN
Head Coach Piper Ritter welcomed six freshmen to 'The U' this season hailing from five different states. Sydney Schwartz (Victoria, Minn.) and Billi Connell (Luverne, Minn.) represent the state of Minnesota while Breezy Burnett (Jacksonville, Fla.), Jess Oakland (San Jose, Calif.), Addison Leschber (Thrall, Texas), and Maggie Werner (Greenville, Wis.) all made the trek to play for the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
The five newcomers bring a bundle of wealthy experience to Minnesota's roster. Schwartz was named 2022 Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year and the Gatorade Minnesota Softball Player of the Year in both 2021 and 2022. Connell was recognized to the 2022 Class AA Minnesota Fastpitch Association and MN Softball Hub All-State First Teams.
Burnett landed on the 2020 Extra Innings Top 100 National Rankings as the No. 4 Outfielder and the No. 29 player for the class of 2022. Leschber was a five-sport athlete at Thrall High School (volleyball, basketball, track, powerlifting, and softball) while being named to the Extra Innings Softball Extra Elite Class of 2022 as both an infielder and outfielder.
A Wisconsin native, Werner earned 11 letters as a four-sport athlete (softball, volleyball, basketball, and cross country) and named to the 2022 Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association Division I All-Star Team. Oakland rounds out the freshmen class after a successful prep career in California. After totaling 44 home runs, 159 RBIs and 135 runs in her four-year prep career, Oakland earned the title of 2022 Ms. Softball State Player of the Year, the top high school honor in the Golden State.
TACTFUL TRANSFERS
The Gophers added three high-level transfers from Power Five programs for the upcoming season in Amani Bradley (Cal), Taylor Krapf (Duke), and Bri Enter (Florida State).
Bradley made 53 starts and 55 appearances for the Bears during her senior season while posting a .283 batting average and a .336 on-base percentage. While at Duke, Krapf competed in 26 games with three starts, including an NCAA Super Regional game against UCLA. In her previous season with the Seminoles, Enter saw three starts with 13 appearances while finishing with a perfect 2-0 record and 1.44 ERA.
SUNSHINE STATE STUNNAS
A trio of new Gophers return to their home state this weekend to open the 2023 season. Breezy Burnett, Taylor Krapf, and Bri Enter all hail from the Sunshine State.
ONE OF OUR OWN
Graduate outfielder, Natalie DenHartog, has been recognized amongst the best in the country. DenHartog has earned preseason awards from D1 Softball (Preseason Outfield Power Rankings No. 11, Preseason D100 Player No. 47), Softball America (2023 Preseason Top 100 No. 56), and Extra Inning Softball (Extra Elite 100 No. 40).
UP NEXT
Next weekend, Minnesota travels to Chapel Hill, N.C., to face North Carolina and Virginia in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
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