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Photo by: Matt Krohn
2024 Summer Ball Assignments
5/30/2024 10:30:00 AM | Baseball
16 Gophers will play in four leagues across the country this summer
MINNEAPOLIS - With summer now in full swing, numerous members of the Gopher Baseball program have started competition with their summer teams throughout the country. The Golden Gophers have 16 players placed throughout four different collegiate leagues in the country, with the majority of athletes in the Northwoods League.
Minnesota players can also be found in the Appalachian League, Cape Cod League, West Coast League and playing town ball. More additions are expected throughout the summer as the team continues to grow its roster in preparation for their first season under new head coach Ty McDevitt in 2025. Several players will also stay back on campus to train with the strength and conditioning staff in preparation for the fall.
Appalachian League (1)
Alex Altmann, Fr., OF (Pulaski River Turtles) – Ranked the No. 2 overall outfielder in Minnesota by Prep Baseball Report in 2023, Altmann redshirted for the Gophers in 2024 to further his player development. He will play for the Pulaski River Turtles this summer in Virginia.
Cape Cod League (1)
Connor Wietgrefe, Jr., LHP (Bourne Braves) – A First Team All-Big Ten selection in 2024, Wietgrefe will head east to play with the Bourne Braves in Massachusetts. Wietgrefe went 8-4 in 2024 with the Gophers, starting 13 games with a 2.77 ERA which was second in the Big Ten. He led the team with 78.0 innings (8th in B1G) and 74 strikeouts (6th in B1G) He allowed just 24 earned runs (4th in B1G), 35 total runs (9th in B1G) and 12 extra-base hits and was one of nine players in the Big Ten to pitch a complete game.
Northwoods League (12)
Drew Berkland, So., OF (Wausau Woodchucks) – A Wayzata, Minn. native, Berkland came alive at the end of the 2024 season on his way to being named the Most Improved Player at the 2024 team banquet. He appeared in 33 games with 21 starts, and slashed a career-high .325/.434/.550 with four home runs. In the final two series of the season, Berkland racked up 11 hits with seven RBI and eight runs scored. He reached base at least three times in his final four games of the season. This will be his second summer playing with the Woodchucks.
Caden Capomaccio, So., RHP (Green Bay Rockers) – The Green Bay, Wis. native will stay home this summer and suit up for the Rockers. In 15 appearances for the Gophers in 2024, Capomaccio went 1-0 and struck out 26 batters in 19.0 innings pitched. He opened the season with a perfect inning against No. 7 Oregon State, striking out all three batters he faced. This will be his third summer with the Green Bay Rockers.
Seth Clausen, Jr., RHP (Wausau Woodchucks) – After spending last summer training on campus, Seth Clausen will play for the Wausau Woodchucks in 2024. The Bettendorf, Iowa native made 18 appearances out of the Gopher bullpen last season, striking out 31 opponents in 24.0 innings pitched. He went 2.2 innings against Pacific last season, picking up three strikeouts without allowing a run.
Tristan Ellis, R-Fr., INF (Badlands Big Sticks) – A Greendale, Wis. native, Ellis will be playing his first summer in the Northwoods League this year with the Badlands Big Sticks. He made his collegiate debut last season against No. 7 Oregon State, scoring a run. In 15 games in his first season, he collected two hits and scored three runs.
Easton Fritcher, So., OF (Minnesota Mudpuppies) – A native of Hayfield, Minn., Fritcher will be playing in the Northwoods League for the third straight summer. After making 10 appearances his freshman season, Fritcher redshirted in 2024 for player development.
Tyler Hemmesch, Fr., RHP (St. Cloud Rox) – Hemmesch will return to the St. Cloud Rox in 2024 after playing there in the summer of 2023. In his rookie season with the Gophers, Hemmesch made 15 relief appearances and had a 1-0 record with a 4.00 ERA. The righty had 25 strikeouts in 27.0 innings pitched. He made his collegiate debut against No. 7 Oregon State, throwing 3.0 innings of one-hit, no-run ball with three strikeouts.
Sam Hunt, R-So., C (Lakeshore Chinooks) – A Minneapolis native, Hunt appeared in 31 games with 24 starts for the Gophers in 2024. He slashed .256/.392/.462 with three home runs and seven doubles in his second season at Minnesota. He had a breakout game against Michigan State, slugging two doubles and a home run with four RBI in four trips to the plate. This summer will be Hunt's first in the Northwoods League.
Jake Perry, Jr., INF (St. Cloud Rox) – An Appalachian League All Star in 2022, Perry will make the move to the Northwoods League for 2024. In his junior season with the Gophers, Perry slashed a career-high .305/.398/.557 with nine home runs and a league-high 20 doubles. He led the team with 43 RBI and was second with 43 runs scored. His 30 walks, 113 total bases, 18 multi-hit games and 12 multi-RBI games also led the team.
Jack Spanier, Fr., INF (Willmar Stingers) – All-Big Ten Freshman Team honoree, Jack Spanier, will be playing his second season with the Willmar Stingers this summer. Spanier burst onto the scene in Big Ten play in his rookie season, slashing .293/.414/.329 for the year. He hit .361 in Big Ten play, the second-highest average of any freshman in the league in 2024. He also had a .979 fielding percentage with 36 putouts and 58 assists at shortstop.
Charlie Sutherland, Fr., UTL (Duluth Huskies) – Sutherland will return home for the summer, playing ball with the Duluth Huskies. He made 33 appearances in his first season with the Gophers, slashing .274/.430/.387. He recorded 34 putouts and two assists, playing outfield, third base and first base for Minnesota. The Duluth, Minn. native also tallied nine RBI and 11 runs scored with a home run and four doubles.
Jack Taxdahl, Fr., C (Willmar Stingers) – A native of Prior Lake, Minn., Taxdahl will spend his summer with the Willmar Stingers. He made 16 appearances, including six starts in his first year with the Gophers, slashing .250/.344/.250 with three RBI. He recorded 67 putouts as a rookie with just one error. Taxdahl made his collegiate debut against New Mexico, recording a pinch-hit RBI single in his first at-bat.
Will Whelan, Fr., LHP (Willmar Stingers) – Whelan will join teammates Jack Spanier and Jack Taxdahl in Willmar for the summer. The southpaw made 17 relief appearances for the Gophers in 2024, striking out 26 batters in 18.2 innings. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on April 29, following his first career save against Penn State where he threw 1.2 shutout innings without allowing a hit or walk. This will be Whelan's second straight summer with the Willmar Stingers.
West Coast League (1)
Jake Larson, Jr., INF (Wenatchee Applesox) – A native of Covington, Wash., Larson will return to his home state for the summer of 2024. He played in 34 games in his junior year with 18 starts at shortstop. Larson tallied 12 RBI and scored 10 runs, slugging one home run, two doubles and a triple. He went 1-for-2 with a stolen base against No. 7 Oregon State in the opening game of 2024.
Town Ball (1)
Cade Bruett, Fr., UTL (Delano Athletics) - After redshirting in 2024 for player development, freshman Cade Bruett will return to his hometown to play amateur baseball with the Delano Athletics.
Training/Rehabbing (6)
Josh Fitzgerald, R-Jr., OF – The Gophers' 2024 MVP and batting champion will spend the summer training. He appeared in 42 games, making 38 starts in the outfield and led the team with an average of .360 (9th in B1G), OBP of .467 (6th in B1G), slugging percentage of .632 (5th in B1G) and OPS of 1.100 (4th in B1G). He stole 11 bases with a perfect 1.000 stolen base percentage and tallied nine homers, 38 RBI and 31 runs scored on his way to being named to the All-Big Ten Second Team.
Sam Malec, Jr., RHP – A 2022 Northwoods League All-Star, Malec will spend the summer training after redshirting in 2024.
Kyle Remington, Fr., RHP – Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on March 11, Remington looks to build on a strong rookie season by lifting and training in the offseason. He led the Gophers pitching staff with 20 appearances, posting a 5.74 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 42.1 innings.
Gunnar Heuchert, Fr., INF – Heuchert will rehab and train in the summer of 2024 after redshirting in his first season with a shoulder injury.
Nick Argento, Fr., RHP – Argento completed his first healthy collegiate baseball season in 2024 and will look to build strength in the summer. He made six appearances, including two starts with a 3.00 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 12.0 innings.
Noah Rooney, Jr., LHP – Rooney was poised to have a big season in 2024 before being sidelined with an injury. He will spend the summer rehabbing and training to compete again in the 2025 season.
Minnesota players can also be found in the Appalachian League, Cape Cod League, West Coast League and playing town ball. More additions are expected throughout the summer as the team continues to grow its roster in preparation for their first season under new head coach Ty McDevitt in 2025. Several players will also stay back on campus to train with the strength and conditioning staff in preparation for the fall.
Appalachian League (1)
Alex Altmann, Fr., OF (Pulaski River Turtles) – Ranked the No. 2 overall outfielder in Minnesota by Prep Baseball Report in 2023, Altmann redshirted for the Gophers in 2024 to further his player development. He will play for the Pulaski River Turtles this summer in Virginia.
Cape Cod League (1)
Connor Wietgrefe, Jr., LHP (Bourne Braves) – A First Team All-Big Ten selection in 2024, Wietgrefe will head east to play with the Bourne Braves in Massachusetts. Wietgrefe went 8-4 in 2024 with the Gophers, starting 13 games with a 2.77 ERA which was second in the Big Ten. He led the team with 78.0 innings (8th in B1G) and 74 strikeouts (6th in B1G) He allowed just 24 earned runs (4th in B1G), 35 total runs (9th in B1G) and 12 extra-base hits and was one of nine players in the Big Ten to pitch a complete game.
Northwoods League (12)
Drew Berkland, So., OF (Wausau Woodchucks) – A Wayzata, Minn. native, Berkland came alive at the end of the 2024 season on his way to being named the Most Improved Player at the 2024 team banquet. He appeared in 33 games with 21 starts, and slashed a career-high .325/.434/.550 with four home runs. In the final two series of the season, Berkland racked up 11 hits with seven RBI and eight runs scored. He reached base at least three times in his final four games of the season. This will be his second summer playing with the Woodchucks.
Caden Capomaccio, So., RHP (Green Bay Rockers) – The Green Bay, Wis. native will stay home this summer and suit up for the Rockers. In 15 appearances for the Gophers in 2024, Capomaccio went 1-0 and struck out 26 batters in 19.0 innings pitched. He opened the season with a perfect inning against No. 7 Oregon State, striking out all three batters he faced. This will be his third summer with the Green Bay Rockers.
Seth Clausen, Jr., RHP (Wausau Woodchucks) – After spending last summer training on campus, Seth Clausen will play for the Wausau Woodchucks in 2024. The Bettendorf, Iowa native made 18 appearances out of the Gopher bullpen last season, striking out 31 opponents in 24.0 innings pitched. He went 2.2 innings against Pacific last season, picking up three strikeouts without allowing a run.
Tristan Ellis, R-Fr., INF (Badlands Big Sticks) – A Greendale, Wis. native, Ellis will be playing his first summer in the Northwoods League this year with the Badlands Big Sticks. He made his collegiate debut last season against No. 7 Oregon State, scoring a run. In 15 games in his first season, he collected two hits and scored three runs.
Easton Fritcher, So., OF (Minnesota Mudpuppies) – A native of Hayfield, Minn., Fritcher will be playing in the Northwoods League for the third straight summer. After making 10 appearances his freshman season, Fritcher redshirted in 2024 for player development.
Tyler Hemmesch, Fr., RHP (St. Cloud Rox) – Hemmesch will return to the St. Cloud Rox in 2024 after playing there in the summer of 2023. In his rookie season with the Gophers, Hemmesch made 15 relief appearances and had a 1-0 record with a 4.00 ERA. The righty had 25 strikeouts in 27.0 innings pitched. He made his collegiate debut against No. 7 Oregon State, throwing 3.0 innings of one-hit, no-run ball with three strikeouts.
Sam Hunt, R-So., C (Lakeshore Chinooks) – A Minneapolis native, Hunt appeared in 31 games with 24 starts for the Gophers in 2024. He slashed .256/.392/.462 with three home runs and seven doubles in his second season at Minnesota. He had a breakout game against Michigan State, slugging two doubles and a home run with four RBI in four trips to the plate. This summer will be Hunt's first in the Northwoods League.
Jake Perry, Jr., INF (St. Cloud Rox) – An Appalachian League All Star in 2022, Perry will make the move to the Northwoods League for 2024. In his junior season with the Gophers, Perry slashed a career-high .305/.398/.557 with nine home runs and a league-high 20 doubles. He led the team with 43 RBI and was second with 43 runs scored. His 30 walks, 113 total bases, 18 multi-hit games and 12 multi-RBI games also led the team.
Jack Spanier, Fr., INF (Willmar Stingers) – All-Big Ten Freshman Team honoree, Jack Spanier, will be playing his second season with the Willmar Stingers this summer. Spanier burst onto the scene in Big Ten play in his rookie season, slashing .293/.414/.329 for the year. He hit .361 in Big Ten play, the second-highest average of any freshman in the league in 2024. He also had a .979 fielding percentage with 36 putouts and 58 assists at shortstop.
Charlie Sutherland, Fr., UTL (Duluth Huskies) – Sutherland will return home for the summer, playing ball with the Duluth Huskies. He made 33 appearances in his first season with the Gophers, slashing .274/.430/.387. He recorded 34 putouts and two assists, playing outfield, third base and first base for Minnesota. The Duluth, Minn. native also tallied nine RBI and 11 runs scored with a home run and four doubles.
Jack Taxdahl, Fr., C (Willmar Stingers) – A native of Prior Lake, Minn., Taxdahl will spend his summer with the Willmar Stingers. He made 16 appearances, including six starts in his first year with the Gophers, slashing .250/.344/.250 with three RBI. He recorded 67 putouts as a rookie with just one error. Taxdahl made his collegiate debut against New Mexico, recording a pinch-hit RBI single in his first at-bat.
Will Whelan, Fr., LHP (Willmar Stingers) – Whelan will join teammates Jack Spanier and Jack Taxdahl in Willmar for the summer. The southpaw made 17 relief appearances for the Gophers in 2024, striking out 26 batters in 18.2 innings. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on April 29, following his first career save against Penn State where he threw 1.2 shutout innings without allowing a hit or walk. This will be Whelan's second straight summer with the Willmar Stingers.
West Coast League (1)
Jake Larson, Jr., INF (Wenatchee Applesox) – A native of Covington, Wash., Larson will return to his home state for the summer of 2024. He played in 34 games in his junior year with 18 starts at shortstop. Larson tallied 12 RBI and scored 10 runs, slugging one home run, two doubles and a triple. He went 1-for-2 with a stolen base against No. 7 Oregon State in the opening game of 2024.
Town Ball (1)
Cade Bruett, Fr., UTL (Delano Athletics) - After redshirting in 2024 for player development, freshman Cade Bruett will return to his hometown to play amateur baseball with the Delano Athletics.
Training/Rehabbing (6)
Josh Fitzgerald, R-Jr., OF – The Gophers' 2024 MVP and batting champion will spend the summer training. He appeared in 42 games, making 38 starts in the outfield and led the team with an average of .360 (9th in B1G), OBP of .467 (6th in B1G), slugging percentage of .632 (5th in B1G) and OPS of 1.100 (4th in B1G). He stole 11 bases with a perfect 1.000 stolen base percentage and tallied nine homers, 38 RBI and 31 runs scored on his way to being named to the All-Big Ten Second Team.
Sam Malec, Jr., RHP – A 2022 Northwoods League All-Star, Malec will spend the summer training after redshirting in 2024.
Kyle Remington, Fr., RHP – Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on March 11, Remington looks to build on a strong rookie season by lifting and training in the offseason. He led the Gophers pitching staff with 20 appearances, posting a 5.74 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 42.1 innings.
Gunnar Heuchert, Fr., INF – Heuchert will rehab and train in the summer of 2024 after redshirting in his first season with a shoulder injury.
Nick Argento, Fr., RHP – Argento completed his first healthy collegiate baseball season in 2024 and will look to build strength in the summer. He made six appearances, including two starts with a 3.00 ERA and 10 strikeouts in 12.0 innings.
Noah Rooney, Jr., LHP – Rooney was poised to have a big season in 2024 before being sidelined with an injury. He will spend the summer rehabbing and training to compete again in the 2025 season.
Sights & Sounds: Spring Training
Sunday, February 22
Postgame Rouser: Gophers-Twins
Saturday, February 21
In the Cage: Michael Lippe
Tuesday, February 17
In the Cage: Ethan Cole
Monday, February 16