University of Minnesota Athletics
Softball
Lauren Espalin
- Title:
- Graduate Manager
Lauren Espalin joined the coaching staff with Minnesota softball as a graduate manager in the summer of 2022 after finishing her playing career in the spring. She spent her final collegiate season with the Golden Gophers following a four-year career at the University of California, Berkeley.
During her lone season wearing the Maroon & Gold, Espalin earned a spot on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Great Lakes All-Region Third Team as she appeared in all 54 games and started 53 contests. She matched a Minnesota single-game record totaling seven RBI in a road win at Rutgers (Mar. 26, 2022) hitting a grand slam and a three-run home run in consecutive innings.
The San Dimas, Calif., native finished the season second on the team with a .340 batting average and was third registering a .531 slugging percentage. Espalin also paced the team behind a .437 on-base percentage aided by 25 walks and was hit-by-pitch three times. She was the only everyday starter to log more walks (25) than strikeouts (20) recording a season-high three walks at Rutgers (Mar. 27) and had a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate against Nicholls (Mar. 11) totaling eight bases.
Espalin led the Gophers with 18 multi-hit performances and her .348 batting average and a .606 slugging percentage in Big Ten Conference play was the best on the team.
Over a four-year career with the Golden Bears, she appeared in 154 games and ranked third on the team with a .318 batting average in 2021. Espalin played the hero in an upset of No. 5 Arizona as a sophomore in 2019 driving in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth to snap the Wildcat’s 21-game win streak.
Espalin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Legal Studies while at Cal in 2021. She is currently pursuing a Master of Education degreen in Sports Management at Minnesota.
During her lone season wearing the Maroon & Gold, Espalin earned a spot on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Great Lakes All-Region Third Team as she appeared in all 54 games and started 53 contests. She matched a Minnesota single-game record totaling seven RBI in a road win at Rutgers (Mar. 26, 2022) hitting a grand slam and a three-run home run in consecutive innings.
The San Dimas, Calif., native finished the season second on the team with a .340 batting average and was third registering a .531 slugging percentage. Espalin also paced the team behind a .437 on-base percentage aided by 25 walks and was hit-by-pitch three times. She was the only everyday starter to log more walks (25) than strikeouts (20) recording a season-high three walks at Rutgers (Mar. 27) and had a perfect 4-for-4 day at the plate against Nicholls (Mar. 11) totaling eight bases.
Espalin led the Gophers with 18 multi-hit performances and her .348 batting average and a .606 slugging percentage in Big Ten Conference play was the best on the team.
Over a four-year career with the Golden Bears, she appeared in 154 games and ranked third on the team with a .318 batting average in 2021. Espalin played the hero in an upset of No. 5 Arizona as a sophomore in 2019 driving in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth to snap the Wildcat’s 21-game win streak.
Espalin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Legal Studies while at Cal in 2021. She is currently pursuing a Master of Education degreen in Sports Management at Minnesota.
Minnesota (4) - Michigan (0) Highlights
Friday, May 02
Sydney Schwartz Throws No-Hitter
Tuesday, April 29
Gophers (8) - North Dakota (0) Highlights
Sunday, April 27
Gophers (5) - North Dakota (3) Highlights
Saturday, April 26
