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Gophers Open Big Ten Play on the Road at Iowa
3/28/2024 1:00:00 PM | Baseball
Friday, Mar. 29
Minnesota at Iowa
First Pitch: 4:00 p.m. CT
Location: Duane Banks Field, Iowa City, Iowa
Gophers Starter: LHP Tucker Novotny (0-3, 5.79 ERA, 28.0 IP. 33 K)
Hawkeyes Starter: RHP Brody Brecht (0-1, 2.22 ERA, 28.1 IP, 53 K)
TV: Big Ten+
Saturday, Mar. 30
Minnesota at Iowa
First Pitch: 2:00 p.m. CT
Location:Â Duane Banks Field, Iowa City, Iowa
Gophers Starter: RHP Will Semb (1-1, 6.91 ERA, 27.1 IP, 37 K)
Hawkeyes Starter: LHP Cade Obermueller (1-1, 2.89 ERA, 28.0 IP, 35 K)
TV: BTN
Sunday, Mar. 31
Minnesota at Iowa
First Pitch: 1:00 p.m. CT
Location:Â Duane Banks Field, Iowa City, Iowa
Gophers Starter: LHPÂ Connor Wietgrefe (2-1, 4.09 ERA, 33.0 IP, 29 K)
Hawkeyes Starter: RHP Marcus Morgan (1-2, 8.37 ERA, 23.2 IP, 28 K)
TV: Big Ten+
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota baseball team opens Big Ten play this weekend on the road in Iowa City. The Gophers (10-10, 0-0 Big Ten) will face the Hawkeyes (13-10, 2-1 Big Ten) in a three-game series at Duane Banks Field.
First pitches are scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Friday, 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and 1:00 p.m on Sunday. Game two will be on BTN, while games one and three will be on Big Ten+. Live results can be found on GopherSports.com.
Last Time Out
-The Gophers won their first series of the season in San Francisco, bringing their record back to .500.
-Minnesota collected double-digit hits in all three games and hit for a .389 average over the weekend.
-After falling in game one, 6-4, the Gophers bounced back to take the next two games, scoring 12 runs in each game.
-In 26.0 innings, Gopher pitchers struck out 42 Dons compared to just 20 by the Dons.
-Eight of Minnesota's starters hit over .300 for the weekend. Senior Boston Merila had his first career four-hit game on March 23.
Scouting the Hawkeyes
-Iowa defeated Purdue last weekend 2-1 in their Big Ten series opener. After falling 10-3 in their Big Ten opener, they came back and beat the Boilermakers 4-3 and 9-6 in the final two games.
-The Hawkeyes are led offensively by 2023 First-Team All-Big Ten honoree Sam Peterson. He is slashing .393/.509/.697 and is second in the Big Ten in slugging (.697).
-Iowa is led on the mound by starters Brody Brecht and Cade Obermueller. Each of the two pitchers has a sub-three ERA and rank in the top 10 in the Big Ten in the stat. Brecht is second in the conference with a 2.22 ERA while Obermueller is 8th with a 2.89. Brecht also leads the conference in strikeouts at 53.
Opponent Series History
-The Hawkeyes and Gophers have faced off 313 times in their storied histories. Minnesota leads the all-time series 186-127.Â
-In 2023, the Hawkeyes visited Minneapolis. The Gophers won game one of the series 12-3 behind a three-hit, three-RBI performance from Brady Counsell. Tucker Novotny and Connor Wietgrefe combined for 11 strikeouts while allowing just three  earned runs on six hits.
-Iowa finished out the series by winning the final two games while outscoring Minnesota 25-6.
-The Gophers last regular-season win at Iowa came on April 18, 2014 behind a strong start from current Minnesota assistant Alec Crawford who went 7.1 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits.
Productive Pitching
-The Gophers' pitching staff has put together impressive numbers among Big Ten ranks to begin the season. The Gophers have allowed second-fewest runs (109) and earned runs (93). As a team, the 'U' ranks fourth in the Big Ten in ERA (4.74) and in opponent hitting (.243). The team also ranks fourth in the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.14) and second in strikeouts per nine (10.3).Â
-Junior Connor Wietgrefe leads Minnesota starters with a 4.09 ERA, which ranks 16th in the Big Ten this season.
-Junior Will Semb ranks seventh in the Big Ten in strikeouts with 37. He also ranks 14th in the conference in opponent hitting, holding batters to a .243 average.
-The Minnesota bullpen has three pitchers with a minimum of four appearances that have a sub-three ERA.Â
-In 11.2 innings, junior Seth Clausen has struck out 17 batters and has a 2.31 ERA. He picked up his first save of the season in San Francisco, striking out three in 1.1 innings.
Breakout Freshmen
-Kyle Remington was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Mar. 11. Since Mar. 4, Remington has worked 8.2 innings, striking out nine while allowing just one earned run. He has a 1.04 ERA in that span and has allowed just four walks.
-Tyler Hemmesch has pitched 12.2 innings in six appearances for the Gophers in his rookie season. He's tallied 13 strikeouts with a 2.84 ERA.
-Charlie Sutherland has appeared in 12 games this season with two starts. In 21 at bats, he is slashing .286/.400/.476 with a home run, a double, six RBIs and four runs scored.
Fitzgerald's Big Weekend
-Redshirt junior Josh Fitzgerald had a breakout weekend in San Francisco.
-In two starts and 10 at bats, he collected six hits and slashed .600/.636/1.100.
-The Mason City, Iowa native hit one home run and had two doubles while scoring five runs, including a traditional steal of home.
What's on Deck
Minnesota will return home next week with a mid-week game scheduled for Tuesday, April 2 against South Dakota State. The Gophers will then host the Illinois Fighting Illini in a three-game series over the weekend.
Minnesota at Iowa
First Pitch: 4:00 p.m. CT
Location: Duane Banks Field, Iowa City, Iowa
Gophers Starter: LHP Tucker Novotny (0-3, 5.79 ERA, 28.0 IP. 33 K)
Hawkeyes Starter: RHP Brody Brecht (0-1, 2.22 ERA, 28.1 IP, 53 K)
TV: Big Ten+
Saturday, Mar. 30
Minnesota at Iowa
First Pitch: 2:00 p.m. CT
Location:Â Duane Banks Field, Iowa City, Iowa
Gophers Starter: RHP Will Semb (1-1, 6.91 ERA, 27.1 IP, 37 K)
Hawkeyes Starter: LHP Cade Obermueller (1-1, 2.89 ERA, 28.0 IP, 35 K)
TV: BTN
Sunday, Mar. 31
Minnesota at Iowa
First Pitch: 1:00 p.m. CT
Location:Â Duane Banks Field, Iowa City, Iowa
Gophers Starter: LHPÂ Connor Wietgrefe (2-1, 4.09 ERA, 33.0 IP, 29 K)
Hawkeyes Starter: RHP Marcus Morgan (1-2, 8.37 ERA, 23.2 IP, 28 K)
TV: Big Ten+
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota baseball team opens Big Ten play this weekend on the road in Iowa City. The Gophers (10-10, 0-0 Big Ten) will face the Hawkeyes (13-10, 2-1 Big Ten) in a three-game series at Duane Banks Field.
First pitches are scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Friday, 2:00 p.m. on Saturday and 1:00 p.m on Sunday. Game two will be on BTN, while games one and three will be on Big Ten+. Live results can be found on GopherSports.com.
Last Time Out
-The Gophers won their first series of the season in San Francisco, bringing their record back to .500.
-Minnesota collected double-digit hits in all three games and hit for a .389 average over the weekend.
-After falling in game one, 6-4, the Gophers bounced back to take the next two games, scoring 12 runs in each game.
-In 26.0 innings, Gopher pitchers struck out 42 Dons compared to just 20 by the Dons.
-Eight of Minnesota's starters hit over .300 for the weekend. Senior Boston Merila had his first career four-hit game on March 23.
Scouting the Hawkeyes
-Iowa defeated Purdue last weekend 2-1 in their Big Ten series opener. After falling 10-3 in their Big Ten opener, they came back and beat the Boilermakers 4-3 and 9-6 in the final two games.
-The Hawkeyes are led offensively by 2023 First-Team All-Big Ten honoree Sam Peterson. He is slashing .393/.509/.697 and is second in the Big Ten in slugging (.697).
-Iowa is led on the mound by starters Brody Brecht and Cade Obermueller. Each of the two pitchers has a sub-three ERA and rank in the top 10 in the Big Ten in the stat. Brecht is second in the conference with a 2.22 ERA while Obermueller is 8th with a 2.89. Brecht also leads the conference in strikeouts at 53.
Opponent Series History
-The Hawkeyes and Gophers have faced off 313 times in their storied histories. Minnesota leads the all-time series 186-127.Â
-In 2023, the Hawkeyes visited Minneapolis. The Gophers won game one of the series 12-3 behind a three-hit, three-RBI performance from Brady Counsell. Tucker Novotny and Connor Wietgrefe combined for 11 strikeouts while allowing just three  earned runs on six hits.
-Iowa finished out the series by winning the final two games while outscoring Minnesota 25-6.
-The Gophers last regular-season win at Iowa came on April 18, 2014 behind a strong start from current Minnesota assistant Alec Crawford who went 7.1 innings and allowed three runs on seven hits.
Productive Pitching
-The Gophers' pitching staff has put together impressive numbers among Big Ten ranks to begin the season. The Gophers have allowed second-fewest runs (109) and earned runs (93). As a team, the 'U' ranks fourth in the Big Ten in ERA (4.74) and in opponent hitting (.243). The team also ranks fourth in the conference in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.14) and second in strikeouts per nine (10.3).Â
-Junior Connor Wietgrefe leads Minnesota starters with a 4.09 ERA, which ranks 16th in the Big Ten this season.
-Junior Will Semb ranks seventh in the Big Ten in strikeouts with 37. He also ranks 14th in the conference in opponent hitting, holding batters to a .243 average.
-The Minnesota bullpen has three pitchers with a minimum of four appearances that have a sub-three ERA.Â
-In 11.2 innings, junior Seth Clausen has struck out 17 batters and has a 2.31 ERA. He picked up his first save of the season in San Francisco, striking out three in 1.1 innings.
Breakout Freshmen
-Kyle Remington was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Mar. 11. Since Mar. 4, Remington has worked 8.2 innings, striking out nine while allowing just one earned run. He has a 1.04 ERA in that span and has allowed just four walks.
-Tyler Hemmesch has pitched 12.2 innings in six appearances for the Gophers in his rookie season. He's tallied 13 strikeouts with a 2.84 ERA.
-Charlie Sutherland has appeared in 12 games this season with two starts. In 21 at bats, he is slashing .286/.400/.476 with a home run, a double, six RBIs and four runs scored.
Fitzgerald's Big Weekend
-Redshirt junior Josh Fitzgerald had a breakout weekend in San Francisco.
-In two starts and 10 at bats, he collected six hits and slashed .600/.636/1.100.
-The Mason City, Iowa native hit one home run and had two doubles while scoring five runs, including a traditional steal of home.
What's on Deck
Minnesota will return home next week with a mid-week game scheduled for Tuesday, April 2 against South Dakota State. The Gophers will then host the Illinois Fighting Illini in a three-game series over the weekend.
Highlights: Gophers 10, Kansas 3
Saturday, February 28
Highlights: Gophers 12, Kansas 5
Friday, February 27
Highlights: Gophers 7, Kansas 8
Wednesday, February 25
Cinematic Recap: Gophers Sweep Northeastern
Wednesday, February 25