Minnesota Faces Iowa at Home, Border Battle in Madison on Tuesday

GAME ONE
Minnesota (25-16, 6-6 Big Ten) vs. Iowa (28-17, 8-6 Big Ten)
Date: Friday, April 21
Time: 3:00 p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Site: Jane Sage Cowles Stadium
Parking: Fans are encouraged to park in the 4th Street Ramp
Twitter: @GopherSoftball, @IowaSoftball

GAME TWO
Minnesota (25-16, 6-6 Big Ten) vs. Iowa (28-17, 8-6 Big Ten)
Date: Saturday, April 22
Time: 1:00 p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Site: Jane Sage Cowles Stadium
Parking: Fans are encouraged to park in the 4th Street Ramp
Twitter: @GopherSoftball, @IowaSoftball

GAME THREE
Minnesota (25-16, 6-6 Big Ten) vs. Iowa (28-17, 8-6 Big Ten)
Date: Sunday, April 23
Time: 12:00 p.m. CT
Location: Minneapolis, Minn.
Site: Jane Sage Cowles Stadium
Parking: Fans are encouraged to park in the 4th Street Ramp
Twitter: @GopherSoftball, @IowaSoftball

GAME FOUR
Minnesota (25-16, 8-6 Big Ten) vs. Wisconsin (22-14, 7-5 Big Ten)
Date: Tuesday, April 25
Time: 2:00 p.m. CT
Location: Madison, Wisc.
Site: Goodman Softball Complex
Twitter: @GopherSoftball, @BadgerSoftball

GAME FIVE
Minnesota (25-16, 8-6 Big Ten) vs. Wisconsin (22-14, 7-5 Big Ten)
Date: Tuesday, April 25
Time: 4:30 p.m. CT
Location: Madison, Wisc.
Site: Goodman Softball Complex
Twitter: @GopherSoftball, @BadgerSoftball

MINNEAPOLIS – Following their third conference series win, the Golden Gopher softball team is set for a three-game series against Iowa April 21-23 at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium and mid-week doubleheader against the Wisconsin Badgers on Wednesday, April 25 in Madison.

Iowa Series History
» Iowa leads the all-time series by two contests, 58-56
» The Golden Gophers lead at home, 31-19
» The Hawkeyes lead in Iowa City, 39-23
» Minnesota holds a two-game win streak with their last win coming last season
» In their last 10 matchups, Minnesota is 8-2 over Iowa

Wisconsin Series History
» Minnesota leads the all-time series 25-18
» The Golden Gophers lead the series both at home (11-8) and in Madison (14-10)
» Minnesota has won the last nine conference contests over the Badgers
» In their last ten meetings, Minnesota leads 9-1
» The Border Battle rivals last met in the Big Ten Tournament, with Wisconsin taking the game 2-0

Parking Information
Due to the University of Minnesota's Spring Jam, Lot 37 will be closed all weekend. Please plan on parking in 4th Street Ramp for the closest parking and easiest access to Jane Sage Cowles Stadium.

Recapping the Action
Over the weekend, Minnesota took a three-game series over the Spartans 2-1 in East Lansing. The Golden Gophers won the first two with a combined score of 18-1. Graduate Natalie DenHartog hit two home runs in game one while fifth year senior Autumn Pease notched her third shutout of the season in game two. The Spartans came back late following a rain delay to win, 3-2 in the finale.

Nat at the Top
On Saturday, Natalie DenHartog hit her 66th and 67th home runs against the Spartans, making her the Big Ten Conference's second solo all-time home runs leader. DenHartog surpassed Rachel Lewis (Northwestern, 2018-22) who had 65 during her career for the Wildcats.

Twice As Nice
Freshman Jess Oakland has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second time this season, as announced by the league office on Monday.

The San Jose, Calif., native is the fifth Golden Gopher to receive multiple Freshman of the Week honors in a single season. Oakland's first weekly award came on Feb. 13, following Minnesota's first weekend of games.

Over the weekend, Oakland went .500 at the plate, collecting three runs and one RBI. Through three starts, Oakland went 5-for-10 slugging .500 with a .583 on-base clip.

Everything is Bigger in Texas!
University of Minnesota fifth year senior Autumn Pease was drafted in the Women's Professional Fastpitch League (WPF) on Monday night.

Pease was the No. 10 pick in the third round by the Texas Smoke. 2023 is the second draft in the history of the WPF.

In 105 career appearances for Minnesota, Pease has pitched a 2.59 ERA with 509 strikeouts in 475.1 innings. She's posted a 44-25 record, including 16 wins this season placing her second in the Big Ten conference for victories. Pease has thrown five shutouts (three this season) and tossed a no-hitter against Nebraska last season.

The Smoke franchise is making its debut in 2023, and is already boasting an impressive roster. Recent signees include Texas legend Janae Jefferson and professional star Sahvanna Jacquish. Austin, Texas will be their home market.

Women's Professional Fastpitch (WPF) is the official professional fastpitch league in the United States, founded by USA Softball, USSA, and Smash It Sports. WPF showcases the best athletes in softball, provides a world-class experience for fans, and connects young fans to their idols.

Sister-Sister
Freshman Sydney Schwartz will face off against her older sister, Maddie Schwartz. Schwartz, a grad student, is a member of the Badgers' pitching staff. So far this season, she's made 26 appearances with 13 starts and eight wins.

Breaking the Hoosier Barrier
In Minnesota's third conference weekend against the Hoosiers, Indiana held a 22-game win streak and picked up its 23rd in the first game of the series. The Golden Gophers spoiled the fun, handing Indiana its first loss in 23 games and first conference series loss.

Milestone Watch
In her third season as head coach, Piper Ritter is 20 games away from reaching 100 wins at the helm of the Golden Gopher softball program.

Up Next
Minnesota travels to Columbus, Ohio in a three-game series April 28-30 against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

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Players Mentioned

Natalie DenHartog

Jess Oakland

Autumn Pease

Sydney Schwartz