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Minnesota to Host Michigan State in Final Home Series
5/9/2024 3:15:00 PM | Baseball
Head Coach John Anderson will be honored prior to Saturday's game, while Senior Day will take place on Sunday
Friday, May 10
Minnesota vs. Michigan State
First Pitch: 6:00 p.m. CT
Location: Siebert Field
Gophers Starter: RHP Will Semb (1-4, 1-4, 7.78 ERA, 56.2 IP, 66 K)
Spartans Starter: LHP Joseph Dzierwa (5-2, 3.80 ERA, 71.0 IP, 76 K)
TV: Big Ten+
Saturday, May 11
Minnesota vs. Michigan State
John Anderson Celebration
First Pitch: 2:00 p.m. CT
Location: Siebert Field
Gophers Starter: LHP Connor Wietgrefe (6-3, 2.99 ERA, 69.1 IP, 66 K)
Spartans Starter: LHP Nick Powers (6-3, 5.05 ERA, 71.1 ERA, 56 K)
TV: Big Ten+
Sunday, May 12
Minnesota vs. Michigan State
Senior Day
First Pitch: 1:00 p.m. CT
Location: Siebert Field
Gophers Starter: TBD
Spartans Starter: TBD
TV: Big Ten+
MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball team (21-21, 7-11 Big Ten) welcomes the Michigan State Spartans (21-23, 9-9 Big Ten) to Siebert Field for their final home series of the 2024 season.
First pitches will be at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, 2:00 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.
On Saturday, the Gophers will honor Head Coach John Anderson by retiring his number in a pregame ceremony. Doors will open at 12:30 p.m. and fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 1:15 p.m.
The 'U' will honor its seven seniors after Sunday's contest.
Last Time Out
-The Maroon and Gold dropped a crucial series for their playoff hopes to Nebraska over the weekend.
-After jumping out to an early lead in the first inning of game one, the Huskers answered with six runs over the next four innings. The Gophers responded with two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth, but could not get over the hump, falling 10-7.
-Wietgrefe produced another quality start in game two, going seven strong innings of two-run ball, but the Huskers were able to score five in the final two innings to coast to a 7-3 win.
-Tucker Novotny was back on the bump on Sunday. He threw 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with six strikeouts. Jake Perry provided the offense for the Gophers, slugging an RBI double and a home run in the game. Kyle Remington earned his first career save in the game after 3.1 innings.
Scouting the Spartans
-The Michigan State Spartans are 21-23 this season and 9-9 in Big Ten play. They currently sit in seventh place in the conference standings after winning two of three over Michigan last weekend.
-Two Spartans were honored by the Big Ten after their first series win over Michigan since 2016. Jack Frank was B1G Player of the Week, while Ryan McKay was B1G Freshman of the Week.
-Offensively, Michigan State is led by Jack Frank who is slashing .370/.455/.624 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs. He also leads the team with 17 stolen bases and three triples.
-On the mound, the Spartans are headlined by Joseph Dzierwa. He has a 5-2 record with a 3.80 ERA and 76 strikeouts.
Opponent Series History
-Despite being two storied programs, Michigan State and Minnesota have only faced each other 143 times with the Gophers leading the all-time series 92-51.
-The two teams last squared off in East Lansing in 2022 with Michigan State getting a sweep.
Anderson's Final Ride
-The 2024 season is head coach John Anderson's 43rd and final year leading the Gophers. He announced in December that he will retire at the conclusion of the season.
-Anderson has led Minnesota to 11 Big Ten titles and has made the NCAA Tournament 19 times. He is an eight-time Big Ten Coach of the Year honoree and was named Mideast Region Coach of the Year three times.
-Anderson's career began as a player for the Gophers in 1974 before he became a student assistant from 1976-77 and graduate assistant in 1978. From 1979-81, he served as an assistant coach before being hired as the head coach in '81.
-Minnesota will honor Coach Anderson's legacy on Saturday by retiring No. 14 during a pregame ceremony.
Senior Sunday
-The Gophers will honor their seven seniors after Sunday's game for their contributions to the program.
-Kyle Bork, Noah DeLuga, Tommy Gross, Brady Jurgella, Ike Mezzenga and Justin Thorsteinson will all be honored.
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.
-The Prior Lake, Minn. native pitched another gem last Saturday against Nebraska, going seven innings and allowing two ones, one earned, with six strikeouts.
-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 second in the Big Ten in ERA (2.99), tied for second in wins (6), fourth in innings (69.1) and sixth in strikeouts (66). He is one of just eight 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 RBIs (37) and is second in average (.327) and on base percentage (.435). He is third in slugging (.513), doubles (11), and hits (51).
-Splitting time at catcher and first base, Neels is one of three players that has played all 42 games this season and leads the team with 327 putouts.
Consistency in Counsell
-Counsell has been a consistent bright spot in the Gophers lineup. He ranks in the top five in all offenseive categories including leading the team in home runs (11), runs (41), hits (55), total bases (100), walks (26) and stolen bases (16).
-A Milwaukee, Wis. native, Counsell is slashing .314/.410/.571. He has 55 hits, including 12 doubles, and 34 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 103 assists, playing all 42 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 average (.333), slugging percentage (.602) and on base percentage (.458). He is third in home runs (8) and fourth in RBIs (30) and doubles (9) 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 17 appearances, the righty from Grand Rapids, Mich. has thrown 34.1 innings, striking out 30 batters. He had a stellar outing last weekend, throwing 3.1 innings and allowing no runs on one hit with five strikeouts. He earned his first career save in the victory over Nebraska on May 5.
-Charlie Sutherland has appeared in 27 games this season with 11 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 .276/.417/.397 with a home run, four doubles, seven RBIs and 10 runs scored.
-Senior transfer Justin Thorsteinson has provided the Gophers a trustworthy arm in the back end of the bullpen. With 34.0 innings for the season, he has a 2.91 ERA to go with 31 strikeouts.
-First-year southpaw Will Whelen was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week last week after earning his first career save over Penn State. In 15 appearances, Whelan has a 1-0 record, a save and 26 strikeouts while holding opponents to hitting just .194 against him.
-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 travel to Evanston, Ill. for their final regular season series of 2024. The Gophers will face the Northwestern Wildcats in a three-game series from Thursday to Saturday.
-The Big Ten Conference Tournament begins on Tuesday, May 21 in Omaha, Neb. The double-elimination tournament will feature the top eight teams in the Big Ten standings at the conclusion of the regular season.
Minnesota vs. Michigan State
First Pitch: 6:00 p.m. CT
Location: Siebert Field
Gophers Starter: RHP Will Semb (1-4, 1-4, 7.78 ERA, 56.2 IP, 66 K)
Spartans Starter: LHP Joseph Dzierwa (5-2, 3.80 ERA, 71.0 IP, 76 K)
TV: Big Ten+
Saturday, May 11
Minnesota vs. Michigan State
John Anderson Celebration
First Pitch: 2:00 p.m. CT
Location: Siebert Field
Gophers Starter: LHP Connor Wietgrefe (6-3, 2.99 ERA, 69.1 IP, 66 K)
Spartans Starter: LHP Nick Powers (6-3, 5.05 ERA, 71.1 ERA, 56 K)
TV: Big Ten+
Sunday, May 12
Minnesota vs. Michigan State
Senior Day
First Pitch: 1:00 p.m. CT
Location: Siebert Field
Gophers Starter: TBD
Spartans Starter: TBD
TV: Big Ten+
MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball team (21-21, 7-11 Big Ten) welcomes the Michigan State Spartans (21-23, 9-9 Big Ten) to Siebert Field for their final home series of the 2024 season.
First pitches will be at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, 2:00 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.
On Saturday, the Gophers will honor Head Coach John Anderson by retiring his number in a pregame ceremony. Doors will open at 12:30 p.m. and fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 1:15 p.m.
The 'U' will honor its seven seniors after Sunday's contest.
Last Time Out
-The Maroon and Gold dropped a crucial series for their playoff hopes to Nebraska over the weekend.
-After jumping out to an early lead in the first inning of game one, the Huskers answered with six runs over the next four innings. The Gophers responded with two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth, but could not get over the hump, falling 10-7.
-Wietgrefe produced another quality start in game two, going seven strong innings of two-run ball, but the Huskers were able to score five in the final two innings to coast to a 7-3 win.
-Tucker Novotny was back on the bump on Sunday. He threw 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with six strikeouts. Jake Perry provided the offense for the Gophers, slugging an RBI double and a home run in the game. Kyle Remington earned his first career save in the game after 3.1 innings.
Scouting the Spartans
-The Michigan State Spartans are 21-23 this season and 9-9 in Big Ten play. They currently sit in seventh place in the conference standings after winning two of three over Michigan last weekend.
-Two Spartans were honored by the Big Ten after their first series win over Michigan since 2016. Jack Frank was B1G Player of the Week, while Ryan McKay was B1G Freshman of the Week.
-Offensively, Michigan State is led by Jack Frank who is slashing .370/.455/.624 with nine home runs and 36 RBIs. He also leads the team with 17 stolen bases and three triples.
-On the mound, the Spartans are headlined by Joseph Dzierwa. He has a 5-2 record with a 3.80 ERA and 76 strikeouts.
Opponent Series History
-Despite being two storied programs, Michigan State and Minnesota have only faced each other 143 times with the Gophers leading the all-time series 92-51.
-The two teams last squared off in East Lansing in 2022 with Michigan State getting a sweep.
Anderson's Final Ride
-The 2024 season is head coach John Anderson's 43rd and final year leading the Gophers. He announced in December that he will retire at the conclusion of the season.
-Anderson has led Minnesota to 11 Big Ten titles and has made the NCAA Tournament 19 times. He is an eight-time Big Ten Coach of the Year honoree and was named Mideast Region Coach of the Year three times.
-Anderson's career began as a player for the Gophers in 1974 before he became a student assistant from 1976-77 and graduate assistant in 1978. From 1979-81, he served as an assistant coach before being hired as the head coach in '81.
-Minnesota will honor Coach Anderson's legacy on Saturday by retiring No. 14 during a pregame ceremony.
Senior Sunday
-The Gophers will honor their seven seniors after Sunday's game for their contributions to the program.
-Kyle Bork, Noah DeLuga, Tommy Gross, Brady Jurgella, Ike Mezzenga and Justin Thorsteinson will all be honored.
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.
-The Prior Lake, Minn. native pitched another gem last Saturday against Nebraska, going seven innings and allowing two ones, one earned, with six strikeouts.
-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 second in the Big Ten in ERA (2.99), tied for second in wins (6), fourth in innings (69.1) and sixth in strikeouts (66). He is one of just eight 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 RBIs (37) and is second in average (.327) and on base percentage (.435). He is third in slugging (.513), doubles (11), and hits (51).
-Splitting time at catcher and first base, Neels is one of three players that has played all 42 games this season and leads the team with 327 putouts.
Consistency in Counsell
-Counsell has been a consistent bright spot in the Gophers lineup. He ranks in the top five in all offenseive categories including leading the team in home runs (11), runs (41), hits (55), total bases (100), walks (26) and stolen bases (16).
-A Milwaukee, Wis. native, Counsell is slashing .314/.410/.571. He has 55 hits, including 12 doubles, and 34 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 103 assists, playing all 42 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 average (.333), slugging percentage (.602) and on base percentage (.458). He is third in home runs (8) and fourth in RBIs (30) and doubles (9) 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 17 appearances, the righty from Grand Rapids, Mich. has thrown 34.1 innings, striking out 30 batters. He had a stellar outing last weekend, throwing 3.1 innings and allowing no runs on one hit with five strikeouts. He earned his first career save in the victory over Nebraska on May 5.
-Charlie Sutherland has appeared in 27 games this season with 11 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 .276/.417/.397 with a home run, four doubles, seven RBIs and 10 runs scored.
-Senior transfer Justin Thorsteinson has provided the Gophers a trustworthy arm in the back end of the bullpen. With 34.0 innings for the season, he has a 2.91 ERA to go with 31 strikeouts.
-First-year southpaw Will Whelen was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week last week after earning his first career save over Penn State. In 15 appearances, Whelan has a 1-0 record, a save and 26 strikeouts while holding opponents to hitting just .194 against him.
-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 travel to Evanston, Ill. for their final regular season series of 2024. The Gophers will face the Northwestern Wildcats in a three-game series from Thursday to Saturday.
-The Big Ten Conference Tournament begins on Tuesday, May 21 in Omaha, Neb. The double-elimination tournament will feature the top eight teams in the Big Ten standings at the conclusion of the regular season.
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