2018 Gopher Baseball

[GophersInIowa]

Was the college world series smaller/larger at one point during Anderson's reign?

Again, shouldn't coaches face scrutiny if they aren't making it close to a national championship every 5,10,15,20 years?

The Big Ten in baseball is comparable to a mid-major in basketball.

 

[gophereric30]

The Big Ten in baseball is comparable to a mid-major in basketball.

There were 4 teams in the tournament this year with Iowa and Michigan on the bubble. Your telling me the mid majors in basketball usually have 6 teams vying to get in tournament? Not saying the big ten is one of the best conferences in baseball, but it's not the MAC or MVC!

 

[Goldy Gopher]

The Big Ten in baseball is comparable to a mid-major in basketball.

It used to be but the last few years it has improved and it looks like it will continue to going forward. Most years it seems like in baseball you really have the SEC as the power conference and you could throw the ACC in there too depending on the year. Then you have the Big 12, Pac 12, Big Ten, and American on kind of that next level.

 

[Oregon Gopher]

There were 4 teams in the tournament this year with Iowa and Michigan on the bubble. Your telling me the mid majors in basketball usually have 6 teams vying to get in tournament? Not saying the big ten is one of the best conferences in baseball, but it's not the MAC or MVC!

Really depends on how one defines mid major- especially with how conferences were changing on a weekly basis 5-10 years ago. Nevertheless conferences such as the MVC, A-10 and American garner 2-4 spots on an annual basis. In addition the Big 10 has had several years with less than 4 teams in the NCAA baseball tourney.


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[Goldy Gopher]

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[a79krgm]

I sure wish the boys could have made it to Omaha for #14 (and TO). How lucky the program is to have a coach like him. So much accomplished over the years and without silly three word mottos. I hope Fleck was paying attention. I would bet he wasn't as he can't seem to keep his mouth shut for very long.

 

[#2Gopher]

I sure wish the boys could have made it to Omaha for #14 (and TO). How lucky the program is to have a coach like him. So much accomplished over the years and without silly three word mottos. I hope Fleck was paying attention. I would bet he wasn't as he can't seem to keep his mouth shut for very long.

4 players committed to the football program receiving scholarships today. In addition 1 player agreed to a PWO. I think Fleck is doing fine. This is a baseball board by the way. Lets go back to baseball.

 

[book]

Having so many left handed hitters hurt them against the lefty relievers last night. It would be nice to throw some more right handed hitters in there. 14 Ks we had...

 

[Goldy Gopher]

Having so many left handed hitters hurt them against the lefty relievers last night. It would be nice to throw some more right handed hitters in there. 14 Ks we had...

We had Smith on the bench and he is sometimes in for Mezzenga against lefties but overall our left handed hitters have handled left handed pitching well all year long so go with what got you there. A big part of the 14 strikeouts was the umps terrible zone. I can think of 2 strikeouts alone in the 9th that weren't strikes and there were at the very least another 5 throughout the game that shouldn't have been strikeouts and I'm not gonna fault the guys for taking.

 

[MinnGopher]

Any insights on incoming recruits? I saw that we have a kid from Sioux Falls that throws low 90's and a solid kid from Forest Lake. Why is it we can't get any of the studs leaving MN to go to Oregon State/UNC/Missouri to stay home? Weather the main factor or am I missing something?

 

[MennoSota]

Any insights on incoming recruits? I saw that we have a kid from Sioux Falls that throws low 90's and a solid kid from Forest Lake. Why is it we can't get any of the studs leaving MN to go to Oregon State/UNC/Missouri to stay home? Weather the main factor or am I missing something?

Easy classes...[emoji41][emoji57]

 

[dlw4gophers]

Any insights on incoming recruits? I saw that we have a kid from Sioux Falls that throws low 90's and a solid kid from Forest Lake. Why is it we can't get any of the studs leaving MN to go to Oregon State/UNC/Missouri to stay home? Weather the main factor or am I missing something?

Max Meyer stayed home. So some of them do, but many leave and my guess is for the warmer weather. I won't mention all of the incoming recruits, but here are a few. Zach Raabe. Rated the #1 infielder in Mn. by Prep Baseball Report. Otto Grimm. Rated #1 outfielder in Minnesota. Chase Stanke, rated #1 catcher in Illinois. Riley Swensen rated the #2 catcher in Minnesota. Add to this the pitchers and it looks like a solid class.
Andrew Wilhite

Position: Infielder | Ht: 6-1 | Wt: 175 | B/T: L/R
Hometown: Stillman Valley, Ill. | High School: Stillman Valley
Scouting Report: Fast-rising player and talented athlete ... Capable of playing multiple positions ... Possesses one of the strongest bats in the 2018 recruiting class.

Ranked as #6 shortstop and #37 overall player by Prep Baseball Report, tabbed as the #286th ranked player nationally by PerfectGame. Garnered PerfectGame All American Honorable Mention accolades this past spring in addition to being named Pre-season All American by Baseball Factory in both 2014 and 2015. Comes to the Gophers after an outstanding prep career at Stillman Valley High School where he lettered 4-years in baseball and 3 years in football for the Cardinals. 3-year starter in baseball where he played for his father and head coach Scott Wilhite. Named to 1st Team All-Conference three straight years, 2-time Rockford All-Area, Named Cardinals Most Valuable Player, Silver Slugger recipient winner and Top Pitcher from 2015 – 2017. Over the past two seasons the Byron, Illinois native has amassed one of the more impressive prep resumes in the state of Illinois posting a .426 average with 84 hits, 67 runs scored, 25 doubles, 3 triples, 3 homeruns and 50 RBI’s. Played club baseball for Top Tier Hoffman where he played for head coach Glen Hoffman and with Gopher signee Chase Stanke. Over the past two years has hit .386 for the Illinois based club team with 77 hits, 60 runs scored, 21 doubles, 6 triples, one homerun and 46 RBI’s. Plans to study business at Minnesota. Son of Scott and Stacy Wilhite.



Fornasiere on Wilhite: "Andrew is a very good hitter from the left side, a versatile infielder, and can pitch with either arm. He is an outstanding student and comes from a baseball family. Andrew keeps getting better and better."

Wilhite on why he chose Minnesota: "I chose Minnesota for many reasons. The academics are outstanding as I am looking for a challenge in school. Also, the coaches and players are great people that will push me to become not only a better player, but a better person as well."

 

[Livingat45north]

Easy classes...[emoji41][emoji57]

The facilities in SEC conference were much better than ours, that's changed. The January to June weather in SEC and Pac10 country is better for baseball than it is in MN, that hasn't changed. I like Anderson's concept of having a summer NCAA baseball league. If that happened, the weather from May to Sept is much nicer in MN than it is in SEC states.

 

[dlw4gophers]

Not having US Bank sucks for next year. Hope the get some games in S Cal. And Az in Feb. that's where we are spending the Winter

 

[Goldy Gopher]

Not having US Bank sucks for next year. Hope the get some games in S Cal. And Az in Feb. that's where we are spending the Winter

Think we owe Long Beach State a return trip from them coming to Minneapolis last year. Wouldn't be surprised if that is one of the first couple series next season.

 

[Goldy Gopher]

Any insights on incoming recruits? I saw that we have a kid from Sioux Falls that throws low 90's and a solid kid from Forest Lake. Why is it we can't get any of the studs leaving MN to go to Oregon State/UNC/Missouri to stay home? Weather the main factor or am I missing something?

I think a season like this one will help a lot in keeping a kids home and helping them realize they can accomplish the same things here as they can at many of the other places. Sure North Carolina, TCU, and Oregon State types are gonna be tough to beat out but we should be able to land guys over teams like Missouri, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. I think there are a couple in there we didn't really recruit either staff may have decided they just didn't fit with the program.

 

[pharmacygopher]

Not having US Bank sucks for next year. Hope the get some games in S Cal. And Az in Feb. that's where we are spending the Winter

I missed this. Why can't the Gophers use US Bank Stadium next year??

Never mind...found it in the 2019 thread. Bummer.

 

[dlw4gophers]

Wilhite was a Arkansas commit until they had a coaching change. Glad to have him. Anyone here where he was drafted and by who.

 

[Goldy Gopher]

Wilhite was a Arkansas commit until they had a coaching change. Glad to have him. Anyone here where he was drafted and by who.

I'm pretty sure Andrew Wilhite only committed to Minnesota. Catcher Chase Stanke who is on the same summer team as Wilhite was committed to Arkansas until the coach who recruited him took the Tennessee job then he opened things up and committed to Minnesota the 2nd time around. None of our incoming players were drafted this year.

 

[dlw4gophers]

Thank you for that correction. Read the article wrong. I hate false news!

 

[Golden04]

IF _________came back the Gophers could have won the College World Series!

I know it was very unlikely to happen but if Gilbreath came back his senior year this team had a legit chance of winning the College World Series. I know it's very rare that a kid drafted in the top 10 rounds comes back for his senior year, but once in a great while it happens (contract dispute, likes college life, ect.) Gilbreath, Meyer, and Fredrickson would have been a very good weekend rotation.

 

[beavergopher]

Not having US Bank sucks for next year. Hope the get some games in S Cal. And Az in Feb. that's where we are spending the Winter

I spoke to coach Anderson in the Portland airport before the flight home. He told me that they going to be playing in the PAC 12/ B1G challenge sponsored by Oregon State in Surprise, AZ next year.
I have gone the last two years. Great venue for the rodent rematch. Highly recommended.

 

[beaverSIR]

What's up with validating my log in AFTER the super regionals?

It just hit me how much we are going to miss Vavra next year. That was one of the greatest single season hitting performances ever put on by a Gopher.

no fun talking smack after we already sent the gophers back down their hole

Anyway... that was a helluva game 2. Game 1 was just a concession to the mastery of Luke Heimlich so its not a surprise you rolled heavy into Game 2. I see why the Big Ten championship and why the pitching credentials are legit. That was about as well as you can pitch OS. It took all of our team's mojo to finally blast a hole in that arsenal. Of course your team got screwed by not hosting an SR but it takes more than 1 good year to wake up the NCAA seeding minds. Anyway i think Minnesota could have been a valid threat in the CWS. Vavra is Madrigal good at the plate and that's saying something. I do not think you have a Madrigal Larnach Rutschman stretch in your lineup. Maybe nobody does. Get some bats next year and see you in the tourney i hope.

 

[Tucker]

no fun talking smack after we already sent the gophers back down their hole

Anyway... that was a helluva game 2. Game 1 was just a concession to the mastery of Luke Heimlich so its not a surprise you rolled heavy into Game 2. I see why the Big Ten championship and why the pitching credentials are legit. That was about as well as you can pitch OS. It took all of our team's mojo to finally blast a hole in that arsenal. Of course your team got screwed by not hosting an SR but it takes more than 1 good year to wake up the NCAA seeding minds. Anyway i think Minnesota could have been a valid threat in the CWS. Vavra is Madrigal good at the plate and that's saying something. I do not think you have a Madrigal Larnach Rutschman stretch in your lineup. Maybe nobody does. Get some bats next year and see you in the tourney i hope.

Good sportsmanship is nice, too.
I get tired of rudeness and internet snark.
Thanks for the post.

 

[BleedGopher]

per Shama:

Gopher baseball coach John Anderson receives a well-deserved $15,000 bonus for leading his team to the NCAA Super Regional played last week in Corvallis, Oregon.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Go Gophers!!

 

[#2Gopher]

Tough to see that the majority of metro players of the year today going elsewhere to play college ball. Seems to me only one was staying home and he was from Forest Lake.

 

[dlw4gophers]

Missed on all of the first team selections. I am still high on the recruiting class. It's tough to understand why some would pick S. Mississippi, Illinois and Mo. Over Minnesota.. We did pick up some talent from S.D. And Illinois. Going to be hard to get to the CWS without more of the top Minnsota talent.

 

[Goldy Gopher]

Missed on all of the first team selections. I am still high on the recruiting class. It's tough to understand why some would pick S. Mississippi, Illinois and Mo. Over Minnesota.. We did pick up some talent from S.D. And Illinois. Going to be hard to get to the CWS without more of the top Minnsota talent.

Some we lost out on and some we didn't really go after. Just because a newspaper says these are the top guys and names them first team doesn't mean they really are, especially the strib which doesn't get out to many high school games. Know for a fact there were a few guys on that list that the Gophers could've had if they wanted them but chose not to either because they found a more talented guy or a better fit to their program and culture elsewhere.

 

[#2Gopher]

Some we lost out on and some we didn't really go after. Just because a newspaper says these are the top guys and names them first team doesn't mean they really are, especially the strib which doesn't get out to many high school games. Know for a fact there were a few guys on that list that the Gophers could've had if they wanted them but chose not to either because they found a more talented guy or a better fit to their program and culture elsewhere.

Hope you're right.

 

[WoodburyTim]

It's even more head shaking in baseball than football or basketball. I can see a guy leaving for Duke in basketball or Alabama in football because there is obviously something undeniable about national attention and stardom. But even at the biggest of the biggest SEC programs the attention is very local. It's not like ESPN is televising a bunch of prime time baseball games, at least until the NCAA super regionals.