MN Daily - Spring 2022 Sports Preview by The Minnesota Daily

Spring Sports Preview 2022

MN Daily MEDIA

2022 Spring Sports Preview

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2022 Gophers men’s hockey stats

Women’s basketball photo spread

Gophers basketball’s Parker Fox’s discovery in recovery

Gophers baseball looking to forget 2021

Gophers baseball welcomes new players ahead of 2022 season

Hooten’s empowering floor routine

Spring Sports Preview | Monday, February 14, 2022 OFFICE OF THE PUBLISHER Hana Ikramuddin Editor-in-Chief eic@mndaily.com (612)-435-1575 Avni Tripathi Business Operations Officer boo@mndaily.com (612)-435-5772 Charlie Weaver General Manager gm@mndaily.com (612)-435-5657

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Men’s basketball photo spread

Anderson leads Gophers baseball in his 41st year after extension

Spring Sports Preview 2022

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2022 Gophers Men’s Hockey stats 10 noteworthy stats from this season of Gophers Men’s Hockey By Michael Lyne mlyne@mndaily.com 1. Junior goaltender Justen Close made his first collegiate start for the Gophers on Friday, Jan. 14, backing Minnesota to a 4-1 victory against Alaska. 2. Junior Jackson LaCombe leads Gophers defensemen in points with 12. 3. The longest winning streak of Minnesota’s season is three games. 4. Four Gophers have recorded at least 20 blocked shots so far this season. 5. The five forward freshmen for Minnesota have combined for 52 points (21 goals, 31 assists), accounting for 24.9% of the team’s total. 6. The Gophers have seven wins against ranked opponents this season. 7. Minnesota’s single-game high for goals this season came against Mercyhurst on Friday, Oct. 8, in the Gophers’ season-opener. 8. Junior Jackson LaCombe has recorded the most shots on goal in a game by any Gophers player this season with eight on target. 9. Senior co-captain Sammy Walker became the 85th member of the Gophers’ 100-point club after earning his 100th career point against Alaska on Friday, Jan. 14, 2021. 10. Freshman Tristan Broz scored his first collegiate goal for the Maroon and Gold on Friday, Jan. 14, in a 4-1 win over Alaska. Stats are through the Michigan series

Gophers defenseman Jackson LaCombe steers the puck towards the goal during the Gophers’ game against Notre Dame, Oct. 29. The Gophers won, 4-1. (Ethan Fine / Minnesota Daily)

Gophers defenseman Ryan Johnson drives the puck away from Notre Dame during the teams’ matchup, Oct. 29. The Gophers won, 4-1.(Ethan Fine / Minnesota Daily)

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2022 Spring Sports Preview

Back to business: In head coach Lindsay Whalen’s fourth year, 12 amount of roster players from last season have returned. With Jasmine Powell’s transfer, other players may see more time on the court.

Guard Sara Scalia dribbles the ball down the court during the Gophers’ game against Wisconsin at Williams Arena, Jan. 30. The Gophers won, 57-55. (Ethan Fine / Minnesota Daily)

Guard Alexia Smith dribbles the ball during the Gophers’ game against Wisconsin at Williams Arena, Jan. 30. The Gophers won, 57-55. (Ethan Fine / Minnesota Daily)

The Gophers’ bench celebrates during the Gophers’ game against Wisconsin at Williams Arena, Jan. 30. The Gophers won, 57-55. (Ethan Fine / Minnesota Daily)

Spring Sports Preview 2022

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Parker Fox’s discovery in recovery for as long as he can remember. After a serious injury world “When I could barely even walk sidelined Gophers [my father] put a basketball in my hands. All I’ve ever known is basketball. Yeah, Men’s basketball just love the game,” Fox said, “My best player Parker Fox at Ifriends know that if I’m ever not myself, a key moment in his I can just go to a gym and play basketball and I’m back to myself again.” basketball career, Fox, the big, outgoing presence he has gained a new who doesn’t let someone walk by withgiving a high-five or a warm greetperspective on what it out ing, has clearly come into his own. means to be a baller. Eight years ago, you wouldn’t have recBy: Emma Carpenter fcarlson@mndaily.com With the University of Minnesota’s “M” plastered across every piece of clothing he’s wearing, Gophers basketball player, junior Parker Fox, looked up at his strength coach in the team’s weight room after he jumped as high as he could onto Hawkin Dynamics Dual Force Plates. The plates are a motion analysis system that aids performance assessment and rehabilitation, according to Steve Felde, Associate Director of Sports Performance for Gophers men’s basketball. Fox and his strength coaching staff celebrated the small 8% difference between the force he was using on one leg compared to the other. Fox tore his ACL and three parts of his meniscus in the spring of 2021. After a stand-out season at Northern State University (NSU) in South Dakota, Fox’s career-changing injury happened when he was in the midst of deciding between eight Division I schools to transfer to. Originally from Mahtomedi, Minn., the 22-year-old is a brand-new member of the Gophers basketball team this year, but will be unable to play a single game the entire season. Basketball has been Fox’s whole

Division I ball. As soon as he entered his name in the transfer portal, Fox had offers from programs from over 100 schools across the country. “I didn’t think I was going to have these opportunities when I was a freshman [in college] but I just worked my butt off and it all paid off,” Fox said. “I think that it’s a testament to my motivation and understanding that I wanted to be bigger and better than I was.”

During the time he was making the decision for his next step, Fox continued to practice at NSU. In a routine dunk, Fox jumped off his right leg, landed on his left leg and felt something pop. After some tests were done on his knee, his trainer looked down at him and said the most devastating phrase that any athlete could hear: “Your ACL isn’t connected.”

ognized the now 6’8 power forward. A late bloomer, he began his high school basketball career smaller than many of his opponents. Fox said he was only about 5’8 and weighing 100 pounds. “I didn’t have the physical attributes to be a college basketball player yet, but I knew all I wanted to do was play basketball,” Fox said. After four years at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Fox had the highest winning percentage of any player that’s ever played for NSU. He was an All-American, the 2020-21 NCIS North Division MVP, the Defensive Player of the Year in 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons and more.

“The emotions that flooded over me was something I couldn’t even control. That was the first time I had ever really cried like that.” When Fox finished his final season for NSU with two more years left of eligibility, he knew that he was ready to play

Gophers Guard Sean Sutherlin sports Kobe shoes and shows off his Kobe Bryant Mamba tattoo during the Gophers’ game against Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Dec. 14. (Ethan Fine / Minnesota Daily)

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2022 Spring Sports Preview

A photo of Parker Fox with a basketball in hand, courtesy of Gopher Athletics. In an instant, Fox felt the promise of his future and purpose quickly crumble. “I just got a wave of emotion over me. I just broke down and started crying. I was at a point in my life where I was a person who was one of the top recruits in the country and this big-time player that was supposed to be the next big transfer and my knee wasn’t attached anymore,” Fox said. “The emotions that f looded over me was something I couldn’t even control. That was the first time I had ever really cried like that.” After leaving the training room, Fox called his mother to tell her the bad news. After learning about his ACL tear, she was able to help him find new perspective and inner strength.

“I’ll always remember [this], she said to me, ‘You didn’t lose your leg. People are dealing with way worse things in life. This is just a knee. This isn’t the end of the world. You’re one of the strongest people I know and you’re going to come back from this one day.’ When she told me that, I believed it was true,” Fox said. This new perspective is the way that Fox has attacked his rehab in not only becoming a better player, but a better person. Fox also found clarity through his injury, as his first thought was to notify first-year University of Minnesota head basketball coach, Ben Johnson, of his desire to be a Gopher. “Everything happens for a reason, and I think that God was trying

to tell me that I have to come home. I have to come to Minnesota,” Fox said, “Being from here, I grew up a Gophers fan my whole life. I knew this is where I wanted to be, I just needed something to show me that. I think this knee injury and this process allowed me to kind of see that and allowed me to grow too.” While Fox isn’t cleared to play, he has still found ways to make a positive impact for his team helping his coaches with recruiting or watching film, as well as helping his teammates off the court. “It’s all what you make it. You can dread it,whine about it and cry about it, or you can pick yourself up and try to be a good teammate and a good person,” Fox said, “I’ve taken some of the freshmen underneath my wing. I’ve learned a lot

through college basketball, and I want to be able to share that knowledge with other people.” Nine months post-injury, in addition to his efforts off the court, Fox is spending time in rehab and in the weight room strengthening his torn knee inpreparation for a full comeback in 2022. “For Parker’s current situation, we notice with his injured leg that he is lacking strength in his quad,” Felde said. “So what we want to end up doing is get his injured leg even with his non-injured leg. So, currently in his program, we want to focus on quad and hamstring strength.” Next season, Fox will be cleared to play for the Gophers and live his dream of competing at Williams Arena. But for now, he can only support his teammates and watch. “It’s not easy to hear someonetell you that you’re going to be out from the thing you love doing for a year and the fact that I have to sit on the bench and watch people do what I love to do, is super tough,” Fox said. But for Parker, with adversity, came self-discovery. The competitive young man who once viewed his whole identity tied to a sport, has discovered a new love and respect for himself as a human being, rather than just an athlete. “It was tough, but it made me realize there are so many bigger things in life than basketball and it’s just a game at the end of the day,” Fox said. “A lot of times I like to call myself a basketball player, the basketball guy, but you know, I’m way bigger and way more than that.” Emma Carpenter is a freelance reporter for the Minnesota Daily and a student at the University of Minnesota.

Spring Sports Preview 2022

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Gophers baseball looking to forget 2021 After going 6-31 in 2021, the Gophers are looking to find a new level in success in 2022.

He a d i n g i nt o h i s 42 nd s e a s o n a t t he he l m , t he G o phe r s ’ he a d c o a c h Joh n A nd e r s o n w i l l lo ok t o fo r ge t a b ou t t he 6 - 31 s e a s o n i n 2 0 2 1 w i t h a r e v a mp e d M i n ne s o t a r o s t e r.

ble a s a b a c k up c a t c he r a nd s o pho mo r e B r e t t B a t e m a n w ho w i l l c o nt r i b u t e a s a p i t c he r a s we l l . B e r t r a nd w a s s e c o nd o n t he t e a m l a s t s e a s o n , p o s t i n g a . 2 95 b a t t i n g ave r a ge.

By Tony Liebert fcarlson@mndaily.com

Replac i n g ve te r a n offen sive pl aye r s

Ret u r n i n g succe s s on t he mou nd

G ophe r s b a s eb a l l i s r i g ht a r ou nd t he c o r ne r. F i r s t p i t c h of t he 2 0 2 2 s e a s o n i s o n F r id ay, Feb. 18 i n B o c a R a t o n , F l a . i n a no n - c o n fe r e nc e s e r ie s o p e ne r a g a i n s t F lo r id a A t l a nt ic .

Gopher Batter Jack Wassel follows through his swing in U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, March 7. The Gophers lost to Indiana, 8-1. (Audrey Rauth / Minnesota Daily)

M i n ne s o t a w i l l b e w i t hou t i t s t wo le a d e r s i n t o t a l a t b a t s f r o m a s e a s o n a g o. S e c o nd b a s e m a n Z a c k R a a b e w a s d r a f te d i n t he 8 t h r ou nd of t he M L B D r a f t b y t he M i l w a u k e e B r e we r s a nd t h i r d b a s e m a n Ja c k Wa s s e l g r a du a t e d f r o m t he p r o gram. A s fo r r e t u r n i n g p o s i t io n pl aye r s , t he G o phe r s w i l l r e l y he av i l y o n s e n io r c a t c he r C h a s e S t a n k e , w ho w a s t h i r d o n t he t e a m i n b a t t i n g ave r a ge (. 27 2) i n 2 0 2 1 a nd t ie d fo r s e c o nd i n t o t a l h i t s (3 4). Ve r s a t i le j u n io r S a m I r e l a nd w i l l pl ay a l a r ge r ole i n 2 0 2 2 a t b o t h f i r s t b a s e a nd o n t he mou nd a s a p i t c he r. A f t e r p o s ti n g a . 2 1 2 b a t t i n g ave r a ge w i t h 6 6 a t b a t s l a s t s e a s o n , he w i l l h ave a s i m i l a r r ole i n 2 0 2 2 . T he r e s t of t he i n f ie ld w i l l b e le d b y a c o m b i n a t io n of r e d s h i r t s e n io r R o n a ld S we e ny, s o pho mo r e B o s t o n Me ri l a , j u n io r D r e w S t a h l a nd r e d s h i r t- j u n io r No a h B e r g h a m me r. S we e ny le d t he g r oup w i t h 114 a t b a t s l a s t s e a s o n , d r i v i n g i n a t e a m h i g h 3 0 R BI, p o s t i n g a . 2 2 8 b a t t i n g ave r a ge. T he G o phe r s ou t f ie ld w i l l b e he a d l i ne d b y s e n io r A n d r e w W i l h i t e , r e d s h i r t- s e n io r E a s t o n B e r t r a nd , r e d s h i r t s e n io r Ja c k K e l l y, w ho w i l l d ou -

T he p i t c h i n g s t a f f r e t u r n s e ve r y s i n g le pl aye r w ho s t a r t e d mo r e t h a n o ne g a me a s e a s o n a g o. I r e l a nd , r e d s h i r t- j u n io r L H P Ja c k L i f f r i g , j u n io r R H P T r e nt S c ho eb e r l , r e d s h i r t- s e n io r L H P To m S k o r o, a nd s e n io r R H P J. P. M a s s e y w i l l l i k e l y r ou nd ou t t he u n i t .

L i f f r i g le d t he t e a m w i t h 11 s t a r t s . 6 4 i n n i n g s p i t c he d a nd 4 3 s t r i k e ou t s l a s t s e a s o n , he r e c o r d e d t he s e c o nd b e s t E R A o n t he t e a m a t 4. 3 6 . I r e l a nd a nd S k o r o we r e t he o n l y o t he r t wo pl aye r s o n t he t e a m t h a t p i t c he d 3 0 + i n n i n g s i n 2 0 2 1 a nd I r e l a nd le d t he t e a m w i t h 4. 31 E R A i n s e ve n star ts. T he G ophe r s b u l lp e n w i l l h ave a lo t of ne w n a me s t h i s s e a s o n , w i t h r e d s h i r t- j u n io r R H P Jo s h C u l l i ve r a nd s opho mo r e No a h D eLu g a a r e t he o n l y t wo o t he r p i t c he r s t h a t p i t c he d 10 + i n n i n g s l a s t s e a s o n .

A gopher baseball player sits on the bench on April 14, 2019 at Siebert Field. (Jasmin Kemp / Minnesota Daily)

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2022 Spring Sports Preview

Gophers baseball welcomes new players in 2022 After winning just six games last year, head coach John Anderson got some new acquisitions to help Minnesota this season. By AJ Condon acondon@mndaily.com

The Gophers baseball team and head coach John Anderson had a busy offseason trying to fill some h o l e s w i t h i n t h e r o s t e r. Minnesota is welcoming f ive incoming transfer players as well as 10 new freshmen.

Tra n s fe rs

A big struggle for the Gophers last season was in their pitching and that was a key component Anderson went after in the offseason. All f ive of the Gopher transfers are right-handed pitchers ( R H P), i n clud i n g t wo M i n nesotans. Senior Richie Holetz is returning to his home state after playing for Nebraska-Omaha following his graduation from Edin a H i g h S c h o o l . H o l e t z ’s re c o rd d o e s n’t t el l t h e f u l l s t o r y, a s h e f i n i s h e d with a 5-8 record across his three seasons in 109 innings. He struck out 94 batters while allowing just a .256 average to batters. Holetz should f ind a spot in the starting rotation once the season gets

Ryan Duffy pitches the ball to Illinois on April 14, 2019 at Siebert Field. The Gophers lost 3-13 to Illinois. (Jasmin Kemp / Minnesota Daily going, and still has two years of eligibility to help turn this Gopher team around. Sophomore Will Semb pitched his lone collegiate season for the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2021. Semb only pitched 15 innings in seven outings througho u t t h e s e a s o n . H o w e v e r, that was the most innings pitched among freshmen on the team and he allowed just f ive runs while striking 16 batters out. Semb was highly recruited out of the state of Wisconsin, being nationally ranked as the No. 8 overall player and No. 3 RHP in the state. Sophomore Joe Hauser is a similar player to junior

Sam Ireland who brings pitching and hitting skills t o t h e t e a m . H a u s e r, o n the other hand, brings a strong arm and could find himself up the middle on defense as well as on the mound. Hauser was previously with Arizona State where he made 10 appearances with the Sun Devils with six starts. Those six starts were the third most on the team. He pitched 16.1 innings while striking 14 batters out and allowing a .288 average against. Redshirt junior Aidan Maldonado spent three seasons in Illinois pitching at the University of Illinois and is now back

home. Maldonado graduated from Rosemount High School and has two years of eligibility left at Minnesota. The Rosemount alum pitched 55.2 innings with 47 strikeouts in nine starts and 28 appearances total at Illinois. M a l d o n a d o ’s f a s t b a l l h a s reached up to 97 MPH and he was selected in the 38th round of the 2018 MLB draft to the Milwaukee Brewers. He also brings previous experience playing in the Big Te n a n d s h o u l d f i n d h i m self making an immediate impact in the pitching staff. The f inal transfer is sophomore Randon Dauman who will have three more years of eligibility after spending two years at St. Louis University and Triton Junior College. Last season, Dauman made 10 appearances and allowed opponents to hit just .250 off him in the spring. Dauman used the shorte n e d C OV I D s ea s o n t o h i s advantage and redshirted his freshman year at Triton. The Gophers still have a lot of work to do if they plan on making an impact in this competitive Big Te n c o n f e r e n c e , b u t t h e s e f ive transfers are sure to make a positive impact on the pitching staff as a whole.

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Hooten’s empowering floor routine Hooten earned perfection with her new routine in only two weeks. By Michael Lyne mlyne@mndaily.com

Gophers gymnastics’ sophomore Mya Hooten quickly took the collegiate scene by storm last season with her breathtaking f loor routine, but this year, her new f loor routine is anything but just a f loor routine. Hooten, originally from Woodbury, Minn., ranked tied for No. 4 in the nation last season on f loor after averaging a score of 9.898, highlighted by a perfect 10 against Nebraska to become the first Minnesota gymnast in the program’s history to achieve this feat. After Hooten’s freshman season, Gophers head coach Jenny Hansen allowed the program’s rising superstar to create and perform a new f loor routine for her sophomore campaign. Then came Gophers assistant coach Geralen Stack-Eaton to assist Hooten in the process, the mastermind behind creating her new f loor routine over the summer of 2021. In her eighth season with the Gophers, Stack-Eaton has always wanted to choreograph a routine with a Beyoncé song. This time around, Hansen granted her wish as Hooten needed a new f loor routine. “I really liked how Mya’s f loor routine last year got a lot

of attention,” Stack-Eaton said. “I was like, ‘We got to make it so much better this year, so it can even go more viral.’” As the creative process got underway for Stack-Eaton and Hooten, they wanted to make the f loor routine meaningful. Brainstorming various ideas, Stack-Eaton quickly thought of different social issues in the Twin Cities: racial injustice and inequality, police brutality, discrimination, gun violence, etc. Over recent years, Minnesota has been at the forefront of many of these issues — the murder of George Floyd (2020) and the killings of Philando Castile (2016) and Daunte Wright (2021) — that have caused nation-wide protests. With these issues in mind, one song from Beyoncé’s catalog fit perfectly. Stack-Eaton proposed to Hooten that she perform her f loor routine to Beyoncé’s “Freedom” from her live performance at Coachella in 2018, where the artist became the first-ever Black woman to headline at the yearly music and arts festival. Hooten quickly accepted the proposal as a no-brainer. She, along with Stack-Eaton, is a huge fan of Beyoncé. “The message behind ‘Freedom’ spoke volumes. I was like, ‘We should definitely use this’ and Hooten agreed,” Stack-Eaton said. “She was like, ‘This is going to be amazing.’” But while the two collaborated, they wanted Hooten’s routine to be more than just

Photo courtesy of Brad Rempel - Gopher Athletics

her performing to “Freedom” — so they decided to beautifully choreograph a fun, energetic performance that also included powerful underlying messages of empowerment throughout it. Hooten opens up her f loor routine, acting as a drum major on one knee with a whistle to signify the start of her awe-inspiring performance. Quickly, Hooten performs her first pass as she sprints diagonally across the f loor to complete a roundoff, back handspring, and 1/1 in tucked

skill, which she says is her hardest pass, before switching sides to complete her popa. The sophomore phenom continues to dazzle the crowd just moments before sprinting diagonally across the f loor another time to finish her second pass, where she completes a front handspring, front 1/1 with a pike. Then, the symbolism begins. “After my second pass, I’m pushing away the people who don’t like the Black community,” Hooten said. “After that, I cover my mouth because some-

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times you don’t have a voice. Then I get down on my knees, I’m getting arrested, and I’m breaking the chains.” After breaking the chains, Hooten gets up and “she’s free.” She then bends over and throws a few punches before walking off, where she hits her chest and then raises her fist in the air “because I’m proud of being Black.” To close out her routine, Hooten runs diagonally across the f loor to finish her third and final pass, where she completes a roundoff, back handspring topped off with a double tuck, leaving the starstruck crowd on their feet at Maturi Pavilion. Hooten debuted her new f loor routine for the Gophers in their season-opener, scoring a 9.900 when they hosted UCLA and Iowa on Dr. Martin

Luther King Jr. Day. “I got chills the entire time she did the routine the first time at the Pav,” Stack-Eaton said. “It ’s just an incredible moment. I’m really so proud of Mya and how she’s been able to capitalize on this message.” A week later, against Michigan, Hooten earned the second perfect 10 of her career on f loor, helping the Gophers set a new program-record f loor team total at 49.725. All of this wouldn’t have been possible without everyone, spanning from the leadership group at Minnesota to Hooten’s teammates, as they all collectively supported each other regarding social issues through uncomfortable conversations that were sometimes difficult to have. Throughout last season, the Gophers donned “stronger to-

gether: together for change and unity” t-shirts after the murder of Floyd, a traumatizing time for many. The team wanted to bring awareness in light of Floyd’s recent death and better themselves, speaking volumes to where they want to go as a program and culture. In February 2021, sophomore Ella Sirjord created a “stronger together” Instagram video with messages and words from a handful of athletes on the team with an overall pledge to listen, learn, act, and take a stand against racial injustices. “It opened a lot of people’s minds. We did have those hard conversations. It was really good for everyone to finally talk about things that they’ve struggled with or been through, and I think

“She’s the true storyteller. I just wanted to try to make that come to life.”

Photo courtesy of Bjorn Franke - Gopher Athletics

that was really good for the team,” Sirjord said. “We were all vulnerable at some points. It grew us as a team. I feel like, after having these hard conversations, we’re a lot closer.” As fans continue to pack the stands at Maturi Pavilion throughout the season, Hooten wants them to recognize from her routine that while equality has progressed, that progression is not yet over as there’s still a need to push for change. “She’s the true storyteller. I just wanted to try to make that come to life,” Stack-Eaton said of Hooten’s routine. “My hope is just to continue to have her inspire people and understand the message she is trying to portray. I think she’s done a phenomenal job so far.”

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New kids on the block: A f ter t he depa r t ure of for mer coach R icha rd P it ino, t he Gophers men’s basketba ll tea m reva mped t heir l ine - up under new coach Ben Johnson.

Guard Luke Loewe goes up for a layup during the Gophers’ game against Iowa at Williams Arena, Jan. 16. The Gophers lost, 81-71. (Ethan Fine / Minnesota Daily)

Guard Payton Willis looks down the court during the Gophers’ game against Iowa at Williams Arena, Jan. 16. The Gophers lost, 81-71. (Ethan Fine / Minnesota Daily)

Guard Payton Willis celebrates after scoring a basket against Rutgers during the Gophers’ game against the Scarlet Knights at Williams Arena, Jan. 22. The Gophers won, 68-65. (Ethan Fine / Minnesota Daily)

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Guard Eylijah Stephens dunks the ball during the Gophers’ game against Texas A&M Corpus Christi at Williams Arena, Dec. 14. The Gophers won, 79-71. (Ethan Fine / Minnesota Daily)

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Guard Payton Willis goes to dunk the ball during the Gophers’ game against Purdue, Feb. 2. The Gophers lost, 88-73. (Ethan Fine / Minnesota Daily)

Guard Payton Willis goes up for a layup during the Gophers’ game against Iowa at Williams Arena, Jan. 16. The Gophers lost, 81-71. (Ethan Fine / Minnesota Daily)

Gophers forward Eric Curry looks to pass the ball during the Gophers’ game against Michigan State at Williams Arena, Dec. 8. The Gophers lost, 75-67. (Ethan Fine / Minnesota Daily)

Gophers forward Jamison Battle celebrates a basket during the Gophers’ game against Purdue, Feb. 2. The Gophers lost, 88-73. (Ethan Fine / Minnesota Daily)

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MN Daily MEDIA

Anderson leads Gophers baseball in his 41st year after two-year extension Minnesota is coming off a detrimental six-win season last year, their lowest win total under Anderson. By AJ Condon acondon@mndaily.com Gophers baseball head coach John Anderson has been at the helm of the Maroon & Gold since the fall of 1981. Throughout his tenure, Minnesota has seen its ups and downs, but Anderson got re-signed to a two-year extension to keep him with the Gophers through the 2023 season. The Gophers’ biggest struggles came from their pitching staff who accumulated a team 8.09 ERA while their opponents had a 3.43 team ERA. Minnesota should see a turnaround from last year, at the bare minimum, because the Gophers will once again face non-conference opponents. They also revamped their pitching staff and brought in five new transfers to help. Anderson has a long history with Minnesota, and holds the record for the winningest baseball coach in the Big Ten with a 1,331-928-3 record. He also led the Gophers to 19 NCAA tournament appearances, 10 Big Ten tournament titles and 11 first-place Big Ten regular seasons. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise to see Anderson get an extension, even after a tough back-to-

back under .500 seasons. Prior to the two under-performing seasons, the Gophers went four straight years with a record above .500, including two Big Ten championships, a NCAA Super Regionals appearance in 2018 and a Big

Ten Coach of the Year award. The regular season starts in the middle of February as the Gophers try to reclaim their dominance in the Big Ten behind Anderson. It won’t be until the first week in April, however, that

(Jasmin Kemp / Minnesota Daily) Minnesota will host a game at Siebert field. The Gophers will have home games prior to that, but their first 12 home games will be at US Bank Stadium.

MN Daily MEDIA

2022 Spring Sports Preview 15

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16 Spring Sports Preview 2022

MN Daily MEDIA

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