University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
C/INF
/ Baseball
RHP/INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Gopher Baseball Returns Home for Battle with Cornhuskers
5/2/2024 11:15:00 AM | Baseball
Friday, May 3
Minnesota vs. Nebraska
First Pitch: 5:00 p.m. CT
Location: Siebert Field
Gophers Starter: RHP Will Semb (1-4, 8.13 ERA, 52.0 IP, 63 K)
Huskers Starter: RHP Brett Sears (7-0, 1.84 ERA, 73.1 IP, 72 K)
TV: Big Ten+
Saturday, May 4
Minnesota vs. Nebraska
First Pitch: 3:00 p.m. CT
Location: Siebert Field
Gophers Starter: LHP Connor Wietgrefe (6-2, 3.18 ERA, 62.1 IP, 60 K)
Huskers Starter: RHP Mason McConnaughey (5-3, 3.40 ERA, 42.1 IP, 50 K)
TV: Big Ten+
Sunday, May 5
Minnesota vs. Nebraska
First Pitch: 1:00 p.m. CT
Location: Siebert Field
Gophers Starter: TBD
Huskers Starter: LHP Will Walsh (4-3, 5.05 ERA, 46.1 IP, 37 K)
TV: Big Ten+
MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball team (20-19, 6-9 Big Ten) welcomes the Nebraska Cornhuskers (28-15, 10-5 Big Ten) to Siebert Field for a three-game series this weekend.
First pitches will be at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. All games will be streamed on Big Ten+ with live stats available on GopherSports.com.
Last Time Out
-The Maroon and Gold won their first Big Ten series of the year last weekend at Penn State, keeping themselves in the hunt for the Big Ten tournament.
-After jumping out to a 3-0 in the first three innings on Friday night, Penn State came back to score seven unanswered runs to take game one.
-On a rainy day on Saturday, the Nittany Lions grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning of a pitcher's duel. The 'U' responded with three runs of their own in the sixth, followed by two more in the eighth to take a 5-1 lead. Penn State made it interesting by scoring three in the bottom of the ninth, but the Gophers escaped to take the 5-4 win and tie the series.
-Sunday's rubber match proved to be a wild one that saw a run scored in all but two innings. The Gophers collected 15 runs on 18 hits, but Penn State was knocking on the door the entire game until Will Whelan entered the game with one out in the eighth and kept the Nittany Lions off the bases for the final 1.2 innings to pick up his first career save.
Scouting the Cornhuskers
-The Cornhuskers are 28-15 this season and have spent some time in the Top-25. In Big Ten play, they are coming off of two straight series wins over Maryland and Iowa.
-On Wednesday, Nebraska pitcher Jackson Brockett tossed the first nine-inning no-hitter for the Huskers since 1954.
-Offensively, Nebraska is led by Josh Caron who is slashing .293/.367/.527 with 45 RBIs and 30 runs.
-The Huskers pitching staff is fronted by Big Ten ERA leader Brett Sears. In 73.1 innings, he has a 1.84 ERA, 72 strikeouts and only 13 walks. He also leads the conference with seven wins.
Opponent Series History
-Nebraska is one of just two teams that lead the Gophers in the all-time series matchup. The Cornhuskers edge the Gophers 37-32 all-time, but have won seven of the last 10.
-Minnesota won game one of their series in Lincoln last season, 9-7, before falling in the final two games.
-The Huskers last visited Siebert Field in 2022. Nebraska took game one, but the Gophers bounced back to win game two 9-8 in 12 innings and game three 3-1.
Whelan Freshman of the Week
-Whelan earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for the first time in his career on April 29. He became the second Gopher this season to earn the distinction after Kyle Remington won on March 11.
-The Lino Lakes, Minn. native pitched 5.1 innings across three appearances in the week, allowing just one run on one hit and three walks.
-He had a 1.69 ERA for the week and held opponents to a .063 average against him while striking out four.
-The southpaw picked up his first career save on Sunday against the Nittany Lions at Penn State after throwing 1.2 innings of shutout ball. He did not allow a hit or a walk in the outing and struck out the final batter in the game.
Wietgrefe's World
-Junior LHP Connor Wietgrefe became the first Gopher since 2008 to pitch a seven-inning complete game on April 21 against Indiana in what was his sixth quality start of the season.
-The Prior Lake, Minn. native pitched well enough on Saturday at Penn State to pick up his sixth win of the season and fourth in four starts in April.
-In four starts in the month of April, Wietgrefe pitched 24.2 innings, allowing just five runs. He struck out 24 batters and had a 1.82 ERA while picking up four wins. For the month, he held opponents to a .220 average against him and allowed just four extra-base hits.
-The southpaw currently ranks third in the Big Ten in ERA (3.18), tied for second in wins (6), fourth in innings (62.1) and seventh in strikeouts (60). He is one of just seven pitchers to have a complete game in the Big Ten this season.
Neels by the Numbers
-Sophomore Weber Neels has picked up where he left off after a stellar freshman season.
-Neels leads the team in average (.333) and RBIs (36). He is second in on base percentage (.441), doubles (11), and hits (48). He is also slugging .535 with six home runs for the season.
-Splitting time at catcher and first base, Neels is one of three players that has played all 39 games this season and leads the team with 299 putouts.
Consistency in Counsell
-Counsell has been a consistent bright spot in the Gophers lineup. He ranks in the top five in all offensive categories including leading the team in home runs (9), runs (37), hits (52), total bases (90), walks (25) and stolen bases (16).
-A Milwaukee, Wis. native, Counsell is slashing .321/.419/.556. He has 52 hits, including 11 doubles, and 31 RBIs.
-He had a stellar month of April, slashing .406/.486/.672 (1.158 OPS) with 19 RBI, 15 runs scored and four home runs.
-Counsell leads the team with 41 assists, playing all 39 games at second base.
Fitzgerald's Breakout Season
-After missing all of the 2023 season due to injury, redshirt junior Josh Fitzgerald has made his impact known in 2024.
-The Mason City, Iowa native is leading the team in slugging percentage (.602) and on base percentage (.458). He is second in average (.330), third in home runs (7), fourth in RBIs (27) and fifth in doubles (7) despite missing six games.
-Fitzgerald has also made a number of highlight reel plays in the outfield. He has spent time in right field before earning his spot as the regular center fielder in April.
Newcomers Making an Impact
-No Gopher pitcher has made more appearances than freshman Kyle Remington. In 16 appearances, the righty from Grand Rapids, Mich. has thrown 31.0 innings, striking out 25 batters. Remington was the first Gopher this season to earn a Big Ten weekly award after he was named Freshman of the Week on March 11.
-Charlie Sutherland has appeared in 26 games this season with 10 starts. He has emerged as one of the Gophers' go-to hitters off the bench and has earned more playing time in the outfield. For the season, he is slashing .296/.433/.426 with a home run, four doubles, seven RBIs and nine runs scored.
-Senior transfer Justin Thorsteinson has provided the Gophers a trustworthy arm in the back end of the bullpen. Leading the Gopher bullpen with 32.1 innings, he has a 2.78 ERA to go with 29 strikeouts.
-Freshman Jack Spanier has seen an increase in playing time after flashing the leather at shortstop. His bat came along in the month of April as he hit for a .302 average with seven RBI and 11 runs scored in the month.
What's on Deck
The Maroon and Gold remain home for their final home games of the 2024 season. The Gophers will take on the Michigan State Spartans for a three game series. The 'U' will honor John Anderson on Saturday and its seniors on Sunday prior to the games.
Minnesota vs. Nebraska
First Pitch: 5:00 p.m. CT
Location: Siebert Field
Gophers Starter: RHP Will Semb (1-4, 8.13 ERA, 52.0 IP, 63 K)
Huskers Starter: RHP Brett Sears (7-0, 1.84 ERA, 73.1 IP, 72 K)
TV: Big Ten+
Saturday, May 4
Minnesota vs. Nebraska
First Pitch: 3:00 p.m. CT
Location: Siebert Field
Gophers Starter: LHP Connor Wietgrefe (6-2, 3.18 ERA, 62.1 IP, 60 K)
Huskers Starter: RHP Mason McConnaughey (5-3, 3.40 ERA, 42.1 IP, 50 K)
TV: Big Ten+
Sunday, May 5
Minnesota vs. Nebraska
First Pitch: 1:00 p.m. CT
Location: Siebert Field
Gophers Starter: TBD
Huskers Starter: LHP Will Walsh (4-3, 5.05 ERA, 46.1 IP, 37 K)
TV: Big Ten+
MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball team (20-19, 6-9 Big Ten) welcomes the Nebraska Cornhuskers (28-15, 10-5 Big Ten) to Siebert Field for a three-game series this weekend.
First pitches will be at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, 3:00 p.m. on Saturday and 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. All games will be streamed on Big Ten+ with live stats available on GopherSports.com.
Last Time Out
-The Maroon and Gold won their first Big Ten series of the year last weekend at Penn State, keeping themselves in the hunt for the Big Ten tournament.
-After jumping out to a 3-0 in the first three innings on Friday night, Penn State came back to score seven unanswered runs to take game one.
-On a rainy day on Saturday, the Nittany Lions grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning of a pitcher's duel. The 'U' responded with three runs of their own in the sixth, followed by two more in the eighth to take a 5-1 lead. Penn State made it interesting by scoring three in the bottom of the ninth, but the Gophers escaped to take the 5-4 win and tie the series.
-Sunday's rubber match proved to be a wild one that saw a run scored in all but two innings. The Gophers collected 15 runs on 18 hits, but Penn State was knocking on the door the entire game until Will Whelan entered the game with one out in the eighth and kept the Nittany Lions off the bases for the final 1.2 innings to pick up his first career save.
Scouting the Cornhuskers
-The Cornhuskers are 28-15 this season and have spent some time in the Top-25. In Big Ten play, they are coming off of two straight series wins over Maryland and Iowa.
-On Wednesday, Nebraska pitcher Jackson Brockett tossed the first nine-inning no-hitter for the Huskers since 1954.
-Offensively, Nebraska is led by Josh Caron who is slashing .293/.367/.527 with 45 RBIs and 30 runs.
-The Huskers pitching staff is fronted by Big Ten ERA leader Brett Sears. In 73.1 innings, he has a 1.84 ERA, 72 strikeouts and only 13 walks. He also leads the conference with seven wins.
Opponent Series History
-Nebraska is one of just two teams that lead the Gophers in the all-time series matchup. The Cornhuskers edge the Gophers 37-32 all-time, but have won seven of the last 10.
-Minnesota won game one of their series in Lincoln last season, 9-7, before falling in the final two games.
-The Huskers last visited Siebert Field in 2022. Nebraska took game one, but the Gophers bounced back to win game two 9-8 in 12 innings and game three 3-1.
Whelan Freshman of the Week
-Whelan earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for the first time in his career on April 29. He became the second Gopher this season to earn the distinction after Kyle Remington won on March 11.
-The Lino Lakes, Minn. native pitched 5.1 innings across three appearances in the week, allowing just one run on one hit and three walks.
-He had a 1.69 ERA for the week and held opponents to a .063 average against him while striking out four.
-The southpaw picked up his first career save on Sunday against the Nittany Lions at Penn State after throwing 1.2 innings of shutout ball. He did not allow a hit or a walk in the outing and struck out the final batter in the game.
Wietgrefe's World
-Junior LHP Connor Wietgrefe became the first Gopher since 2008 to pitch a seven-inning complete game on April 21 against Indiana in what was his sixth quality start of the season.
-The Prior Lake, Minn. native pitched well enough on Saturday at Penn State to pick up his sixth win of the season and fourth in four starts in April.
-In four starts in the month of April, Wietgrefe pitched 24.2 innings, allowing just five runs. He struck out 24 batters and had a 1.82 ERA while picking up four wins. For the month, he held opponents to a .220 average against him and allowed just four extra-base hits.
-The southpaw currently ranks third in the Big Ten in ERA (3.18), tied for second in wins (6), fourth in innings (62.1) and seventh in strikeouts (60). He is one of just seven pitchers to have a complete game in the Big Ten this season.
Neels by the Numbers
-Sophomore Weber Neels has picked up where he left off after a stellar freshman season.
-Neels leads the team in average (.333) and RBIs (36). He is second in on base percentage (.441), doubles (11), and hits (48). He is also slugging .535 with six home runs for the season.
-Splitting time at catcher and first base, Neels is one of three players that has played all 39 games this season and leads the team with 299 putouts.
Consistency in Counsell
-Counsell has been a consistent bright spot in the Gophers lineup. He ranks in the top five in all offensive categories including leading the team in home runs (9), runs (37), hits (52), total bases (90), walks (25) and stolen bases (16).
-A Milwaukee, Wis. native, Counsell is slashing .321/.419/.556. He has 52 hits, including 11 doubles, and 31 RBIs.
-He had a stellar month of April, slashing .406/.486/.672 (1.158 OPS) with 19 RBI, 15 runs scored and four home runs.
-Counsell leads the team with 41 assists, playing all 39 games at second base.
Fitzgerald's Breakout Season
-After missing all of the 2023 season due to injury, redshirt junior Josh Fitzgerald has made his impact known in 2024.
-The Mason City, Iowa native is leading the team in slugging percentage (.602) and on base percentage (.458). He is second in average (.330), third in home runs (7), fourth in RBIs (27) and fifth in doubles (7) despite missing six games.
-Fitzgerald has also made a number of highlight reel plays in the outfield. He has spent time in right field before earning his spot as the regular center fielder in April.
Newcomers Making an Impact
-No Gopher pitcher has made more appearances than freshman Kyle Remington. In 16 appearances, the righty from Grand Rapids, Mich. has thrown 31.0 innings, striking out 25 batters. Remington was the first Gopher this season to earn a Big Ten weekly award after he was named Freshman of the Week on March 11.
-Charlie Sutherland has appeared in 26 games this season with 10 starts. He has emerged as one of the Gophers' go-to hitters off the bench and has earned more playing time in the outfield. For the season, he is slashing .296/.433/.426 with a home run, four doubles, seven RBIs and nine runs scored.
-Senior transfer Justin Thorsteinson has provided the Gophers a trustworthy arm in the back end of the bullpen. Leading the Gopher bullpen with 32.1 innings, he has a 2.78 ERA to go with 29 strikeouts.
-Freshman Jack Spanier has seen an increase in playing time after flashing the leather at shortstop. His bat came along in the month of April as he hit for a .302 average with seven RBI and 11 runs scored in the month.
What's on Deck
The Maroon and Gold remain home for their final home games of the 2024 season. The Gophers will take on the Michigan State Spartans for a three game series. The 'U' will honor John Anderson on Saturday and its seniors on Sunday prior to the games.
2025 Gopher Baseball Highlights
Tuesday, December 30
First Practice of Fall
Thursday, September 18
Weber Neels Highlights
Wednesday, May 28
Gophers (11) - Michigan State (5) Highlights
Friday, May 16