University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Big Ten Announces Preseason Baseball Poll
2/14/2024 3:00:00 PM | Baseball
B1G top-six coaches poll, players to watch announced
ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten announced the baseball preseason coaches' poll on Wednesday, choosing Iowa to win it all. Coaches across the conference also selected three student-athletes from each team to comprise the 39-player reseason 'Players to Watch' list.
Three Gophers were named 2024 Big Ten 'Players to Watch' ahead of the season. Juniors Connor Wietgrefe and Brady Counsell join sophomore Weber Neels on the list.
Wietgrefe tied for a team-high 22 appearances out of the bullpen last season, leading the team with five saves. The southpaw struck out 58 batters in 44.2 innings and held opponents to hitting .209 against him. Wietgrefe allowed just one run in his final four outings of the year in 2023, striking out 11 batters over 9.0 innings of work.
Counsell led the team and was fourth in the Big Ten in 2023 with 147 assists. He slashed .248/.371/.316 in his sophomore campaign and was the only Gopher to play in all 52 games.
In his rookie season in 2023, Neels led all true Gopher freshmen in every major hitting category. He slashed .274/.452/.372 while leading the team with seven home runs.
In addition to Iowa, the top-six coaches' poll includes Indiana in second place, followed by the reigning Big Ten Champions, Maryland, in third. Rutgers, Nebraska and Michigan round out the top six.
Minnesota opens their 2024 campaign on Friday at 6 p.m. CT against CSU Bakersfield in Surprise, Ariz.
Big Ten Preseason Honors List:
Jack Crowder, RHP, Sr., Illinois
Ryan Moerman, OF, Jr., Illinois
Logan Tabeling, RHP, Sr. Illinois
Connor Foley, RHP, So., Indiana
Devin Taylor, OF, So., Indiana
Brock Tibbitts, C, Jr., Indiana
Brody Brecht, RHP, Jr., Iowa
Marcus Morgan, RHP, Jr., Iowa
Sam Petersen, OF, Jr., Iowa
Alex Calarco, C/DH, Jr., Maryland
Chris Hacopian, 3B, Fr., Maryland
Sam Hojnar, 2B, Sr., Maryland
Jonathan Kim, CF, So., Michigan
Dylan Vigue, RHP, Fr., Michigan
Mitch Voit, RHP/1B, So., Michigan
Joseph Dzierwa, LHP, So., Michigan State
Jack Frank, OF, Sr., Michigan State
Nick Powers, LHP, Sr., Michigan State
Brady Counsell, 2B, Jr., Minnesota
Weber Neels, C/1B, So., Minnesota
Connor Wietgrefe, LHP, Jr., Minnesota
Dylan Carey, SS, So., Nebraska
Gabe Swansen, OF, Jr., Nebraska
Will Walsh, UTL, Jr., Nebraska
Tyler Ganus, OF, Gr., Northwestern
Owen McElfatrick, INF, So., Northwestern
Garrett Shearer, RHP, Fr., Northwestern
Landon Beidelschies, LHP, So., Ohio State
Gavin Bruni, LHP, Jr., Ohio State
Henry Kaczmar, SS, So., Ohio State
Adam Cecere, OF, Gr., Penn State
J.T. Marr, C, Gr., Penn State
Bryce Molinaro, INF, So., Penn State
Mike Bolton Jr., C, 5th, Purdue
Connor Caskenette, C, Sr., Purdue
Couper Cornblum, OF, Sr., Purdue
Christian Coppola, RHP, So., Rutgers
Josh Kuroda-Grauer, SS, Jr., Rutgers
Tony Santa Maria, 3B, So., Rutgers
Three Gophers were named 2024 Big Ten 'Players to Watch' ahead of the season. Juniors Connor Wietgrefe and Brady Counsell join sophomore Weber Neels on the list.
Wietgrefe tied for a team-high 22 appearances out of the bullpen last season, leading the team with five saves. The southpaw struck out 58 batters in 44.2 innings and held opponents to hitting .209 against him. Wietgrefe allowed just one run in his final four outings of the year in 2023, striking out 11 batters over 9.0 innings of work.
Counsell led the team and was fourth in the Big Ten in 2023 with 147 assists. He slashed .248/.371/.316 in his sophomore campaign and was the only Gopher to play in all 52 games.
In his rookie season in 2023, Neels led all true Gopher freshmen in every major hitting category. He slashed .274/.452/.372 while leading the team with seven home runs.
In addition to Iowa, the top-six coaches' poll includes Indiana in second place, followed by the reigning Big Ten Champions, Maryland, in third. Rutgers, Nebraska and Michigan round out the top six.
Minnesota opens their 2024 campaign on Friday at 6 p.m. CT against CSU Bakersfield in Surprise, Ariz.
Big Ten Preseason Honors List:
Jack Crowder, RHP, Sr., Illinois
Ryan Moerman, OF, Jr., Illinois
Logan Tabeling, RHP, Sr. Illinois
Connor Foley, RHP, So., Indiana
Devin Taylor, OF, So., Indiana
Brock Tibbitts, C, Jr., Indiana
Brody Brecht, RHP, Jr., Iowa
Marcus Morgan, RHP, Jr., Iowa
Sam Petersen, OF, Jr., Iowa
Alex Calarco, C/DH, Jr., Maryland
Chris Hacopian, 3B, Fr., Maryland
Sam Hojnar, 2B, Sr., Maryland
Jonathan Kim, CF, So., Michigan
Dylan Vigue, RHP, Fr., Michigan
Mitch Voit, RHP/1B, So., Michigan
Joseph Dzierwa, LHP, So., Michigan State
Jack Frank, OF, Sr., Michigan State
Nick Powers, LHP, Sr., Michigan State
Brady Counsell, 2B, Jr., Minnesota
Weber Neels, C/1B, So., Minnesota
Connor Wietgrefe, LHP, Jr., Minnesota
Dylan Carey, SS, So., Nebraska
Gabe Swansen, OF, Jr., Nebraska
Will Walsh, UTL, Jr., Nebraska
Tyler Ganus, OF, Gr., Northwestern
Owen McElfatrick, INF, So., Northwestern
Garrett Shearer, RHP, Fr., Northwestern
Landon Beidelschies, LHP, So., Ohio State
Gavin Bruni, LHP, Jr., Ohio State
Henry Kaczmar, SS, So., Ohio State
Adam Cecere, OF, Gr., Penn State
J.T. Marr, C, Gr., Penn State
Bryce Molinaro, INF, So., Penn State
Mike Bolton Jr., C, 5th, Purdue
Connor Caskenette, C, Sr., Purdue
Couper Cornblum, OF, Sr., Purdue
Christian Coppola, RHP, So., Rutgers
Josh Kuroda-Grauer, SS, Jr., Rutgers
Tony Santa Maria, 3B, So., Rutgers
Highlights: Gophers 12, NDSU 3
Tuesday, April 21
Driven to the Diamond: Jonathan Dobis
Tuesday, April 14
Highlights: Gophers 5, Washington 4
Saturday, April 11
Highlights: Gophers 12, Washington 6
Friday, April 10