PHOTOS: ALICIA JEROME
Piper Ritter to return as pitching coach. “I tell people all the time that I have the two best assistant coaches in the country,” Allister said. “I really believe that Coach Merchant and Coach Ritter are unbelievable at what they do.” With classes about to begin and the start of fall practice looming, the new staff went to work trying to salvage a 2010 recruiting class. Fortunately, the 2009 class of local standouts Sara Moulton and Bree Blanchette stuck with the Gophers following the coaching change. But September was days away, putting Minnesota’s new staff well behind in the process. After working tirelessly those first few months, the staff
amazingly put together a class that included current Gophers Madie Eckstrom, Hannah Granger, Erica Meyer, Kaitlyn Richardson, Erika Smyth and Tyler Walker. Combined, those 2009 and 2010 classes include four position players who have started every game so far in 2014, as well as Moulton. When the senior right-hander wraps up her career at the end of this season, she will own virtually every notable school record for a pitcher. As most coaches would, Allister shies away from singling out any one individual player. The Gophers win and lose as a team, and each player has a role to play in the team’s success. But it’s hard to ignore the
success of Moulton, Richardson and Walker. IT STARTS IN THE CIRCLE About one-third of the way through her final campaign in the circle for the Gophers, Moulton owns a career record of 96-44 with a 1.71 earned run average and 1,041 strikeouts. She already owns Minnesota’s career marks for wins, complete games and shutouts, and needs less than 100 strikeouts and 40 innings pitched to move past Coach Ritter for first-place in those categories. Moulton has earned All-Big Ten accolades in each of her first three seasons. She was named Second Team All-Big Ten and the Big Ten Freshman of the
Allister’s appointment followed a season in which the Gophers had gone 2-17 in the Big Ten and 16-37 overall. The quick turnaround under Allister is remarkable, as Minnesota won 31 games in each of her first two seasons before finishing 36-19 during 2013.
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