All Things 2016 Gophers Baseball Season Thread

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Goldy Gopher said:
Gophers lose 7-6. Glowicki came in for the 10th and got the 1st guy out with a strikeout but the SDSU 8 hitter who was 4-5 on the day singled and then 2 wild pitches advanced him to 3rd. With 2 strikes SDSU put down a bunt to score the winning run. I'm not one to usually question much that 14 does because look at his resume but there were definitely some very questionable decisions today. Gophers didn't play well today and really kind of skimmed by at Purdue for most of the weekend as well but they better find a way to get back to the top of their game by Thursday because Ohio State is a team with a bunch of talent and looks to be playing their best right now.
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Absolutely no reason Jess shouldn't have been in to close that game after the Gophers got up 6-5. Ridiculous. The Gophers have now put themselves into position to play themselves out of an NCAA bid with tonight's loss. IF they lose the series to Ohio State and go 0-2 in the B1G tourney they might be in real trouble. Not an impossible scenario by any means with the way the Buckeyes have come on.

I ABSOLUTELY HATE the RPI but it is very much considered when the committee decides on National seeds, hosts, and at large teams. Some years more than others. No doubt the Gophers RPI will take a hit after losing tonight to South Dakota State and their 237 RPI. The only question is how much of a hit. In my opinion, the Gophers should not even play the Dakota schools. Nothing to gain besides money saved on travel expenses. The games are absolute RPI killers.

The Gophers are good enough to make some real noise in a Regional this year. Some quality arms, a potent lineup, and they defend well. Will be a real bummer if the wheels fall off at the end of the season and they fail to get in. I'm really annoyed by tonight!
 

Also gotta imagine the team might be having a little trouble focusing on just baseball as they are probably thinking about Coach Oakes even more right now. I noticed they had a jersey hanging in the dugout at Purdue this weekend and seeing the news I'd guess it was his. I know Coach Oakes will continue to battle and hopefully he is able to overcome it.
 

Jess only pitched one inning last weekend. It's not like he was worn out. I thought for sure when we went ahead in the ninth that Jess would come in. Then when South Dakota got a runner on first with one out, I thought now Anderson will send Jess in. I know you want Jess to be rested up for the weekend but he is only pitching one inning. Granted if Jess gives up the tying run in the 9th and it goes to the 10th inning, I have no problem not sending him out there again for another inning in a mid-week game. You would have thought when South Dakota got the runner on first base with one out, having Jess get two batters out, would not wear him out before the weekend. I just don't understand why Jess was not sent out there in the ninth, especially when South Dakota got a runner on first base with one out.
 

D1Baseball.com latest Field of 64: Gophers a #2 seed

B1G with 3 projected into the field, the Gophers and Michigan as #2 seeds and Nebraska as a #3 seed.

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Right now we may be a projected #2 but that could change quickly, especially if OSU takes two out of three or God forbid a sweep. We by no means have the NCAA tourney bid wrapped up. I'm worried that the mid-week loses to the Dakotas may come back and haunt us.
 


Golden04 said:
Right now we may be a projected #2 but that could change quickly, especially if OSU takes two out of three or God forbid a sweep. We by no means have the NCAA tourney bid wrapped up. I'm worried that the mid-week loses to the Dakotas may come back and haunt us.
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I don't think any of the B1G teams can feel safe about an at-large bid at this point. It's very possible all 3 of the teams currently being projected into the field -- Gophers, Michigan, Nebraska -- could lose their series this weekend.

Can't wait for the games to get started tomorrow afternoon. Every series has some sort of impact on 1st place and/or B1G tourney seeding. The team I would not want to face in Game 1 in Omaha is Illinois, that's if the Illini make the tournament. The Gophers had some success against Illini ace Cody Sedlock, but he's been on fire the last part of the season.
 

I know this Gopher teams has shown the ability to battle back in games throughout the year but I think it would be huge to jump out to an early lead tomorrow night. Seems like we have done a lot of chasing the last few games. Hopefully we see Fiedler come out with great control and a quick 1st inning and then get some early hits and get on the board. Should be some nice weather tomorrow night hopefully there is a great crowd at Siebert.
 

SelectionSunday said:
Can't wait for the games to get started tomorrow afternoon. Every series has some sort of impact on 1st place and/or B1G tourney seeding. The team I would not want to face in Game 1 in Omaha is Illinois, that's if the Illini make the tournament. The Gophers had some success against Illini ace Cody Sedlock, but he's been on fire the last part of the season.
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I was excited too about tomorrow but losing to NDSU put me in a bad mood. Hopefully some wins can cheer me up.
 




Was listening to ESPN 1500 as Mackey and Judd are doing their show today live from Siebert. They had both Coach Anderson and Coach Fornasiere on and both mentioned that Vavra should return sometime this weekend, they didn't say if it would be tonight or not but still some good news.
 

Updated B1G Game Times

Great weekend of B1G baseball ahead, as not a single seed has been clinched for the B1G Tournament in Omaha. Only Northwestern and Purdue have been eliminated from tournament contention.

B1G Thursday
Northwestern 5, Rutgers 1 (Rutgers eliminated from B1G Tournament contention)
Maryland (11-10) @ Michigan State (12-9), 2:05 (BTN)
Iowa (10-11) @ Penn State (11-10), 5:30
Michigan (12-8) @ Illinois (10-11), 6
Ohio State (13-8) @ Minnesota (15-5), 6:30
Indiana (15-6) @ Nebraska (13-8), 6:35

B1G Friday
Iowa @ Penn State, 1 (Game 1)
Maryland @ Michigan State, 2:05
Iowa @ Penn State, 4:15 (Game 2)
Michigan @ Illinois, 6
Ohio State @ Minnesota, 6:30 (BTN)
Indiana @ Nebraska, 6:35

B1G Saturday
Maryland @ Michigan State, 12:05
Indiana @ Nebraska, 1:02 (BTN)
Ohio State @ Minnesota, 2
Michigan @ Illinois, 3:30 (BTN)
 

Northwestern beats Rutgers 5-1

Scarlet Knights' slim B1G Tournament hopes officially end.

Maryland (11-10) leads Michigan State (12-9) 3-1 in the 5th inning in East Lansing.
 

Maryland beats Sparty 6-3

The noose has to be getting tight around Sparty's neck. That's 3 straight conference losses, 4 overall. Maryland winning is good for Gophers' RPI.

Sparty still controls destiny with 1 win, but that won't stop them from cheering against Illinois and Iowa tonight, both behind them in the standings.
 



Does not surprise me Gophers lost today!

Winning breeds Winning. When we didn't put in Jess in the ninth inning to close out the game against North Dakota State this week, I felt the message was clear. This game is not important enough to put our closer in to seal the deal. I told my brother after losing to NDSU, I said this loss may have lingering effects. I was really worried about this game with OSU.
I know people are going to come up with all the reasons why we lost. I get that, but this week we had the chance to get things started out right against NDSU. It was a gift. We came back in the ninth to go ahead. To me that was an obvious sign to get our closer in the game. When you let your foot off the gas sometimes that can snowball into something bigger.
 

Gophers lose game 1 3-2 to Ohio State. Frustrating game as it was really one the Gophers should have won and didn't execute. Fiedler had a up and down start he went 6.1 innings, gave up 7 hits although only 1 was hit hard, gave up 2 runs only 1 earned, struck out 7, walked 3, and hit a batter. Fiedler really looked like he didn't have the control tonight and was all over the place from pitch to pitch. I think Fiedler had something like 5 wild pitches and there were a couple passed balls as well so way too many free bases for Ohio State and Ohio States first run scored via a wild pitch and the 2nd from a passed ball. Even Ohio State's go ahead run in the 9th wasn't real great as Gilbreath retired the first 2 batters before a solid single gave the Buckeyes a base runner. With a 2-2 count and Dawson up Ohio State put the steal on and Pettersen who had replaced Vavra at SS went to cover the bag and Dawson hit a very weak blooper that landed right where the SS should have been to give Ohio State 1st and 3rd with 2 out. With that situation I just don't think it makes sense to even cover 2nd and I'm not sure Pettersen was actually supposed to or not. The next batter would get a infield single to score the go ahead run. Gophers also had chances to open up the game a little more in both the 4th and 7th the Gophers had 1st and 2nd and nobody out and they were unable to move the runners up by executing the sacrifice bunt. Gophers did hit the ball hard but heading into tournament time just need to start executing better. Need to come back out tomorrow night and get a win to even up the series.
 

Golden04 said:
Winning breeds Winning. When we didn't put in Jess in the ninth inning to close out the game against North Dakota State this week, I felt the message was clear. This game is not important enough to put our closer in to seal the deal. I told my brother after losing to NDSU, I said this loss may have lingering effects. I was really worried about this game with OSU.
I know people are going to come up with all the reasons why we lost. I get that, but this week we had the chance to get things started out right against NDSU. It was a gift. We came back in the ninth to go ahead. To me that was an obvious sign to get our closer in the game. When you let your foot off the gas sometimes that can snowball into something bigger.
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The game this week was against SDSU(South Dakota State). The point that we should have brought Jess in still stands though and I agree. Had plenty of chances tonight offensively and didn't execute enough. Pitching/defense gave Ohio State too many free bases and were probably just as big of contribution to their offense as their own team was. When the other team plays better and just plain beats us that's fine whatever but when it is like tonight and the Gophers really beat themselves that is very frustrating.
 

Updated B1G Tournament Seedings (through May 19)

** denotes clinched spot in B1G Tournament

B1G Tournament Seedings (2 games remaining)
1. **GOPHERS (15-6)
2. **Indiana (15-7)
3. **Ohio State (14-8)
4. **Nebraska (14-8)
5. **Michigan (13-8)
6. Maryland (12-10)
7. Michigan State (12-10)
8. Iowa (11-11)

Still in the Hunt
9. Penn State (11-11)
10. Illinois (10-12)

B1G Friday
Iowa @ Penn State, 1 -- Hawkeyes clinch tournament spot with a win
Maryland @ Michigan State, 2:05 -- winner clinches tournament spot
Iowa @ Penn State, 4:30 -- Nittany Lions clinch tournament spot if wins both ends of the doubleheader
Michigan @ Illinois, 6
Ohio State @ GOPHERS, 6:30 (BTN)
Indiana @ Nebraska, 6:35
 

Tonight Game on Big Ten network will join it in progress after softball. Full game will stream on BTN2Go.
 

Gophers beat Ohio State and Nebraska beat Indiana. So Gophers clinch the Big Ten regular season title. They are the 1 seed in the Big Ten tourney.
 

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Go Gophers!!
 


Gophers win and clinch the B1G regular season championship in come from behind fashion. Gophers looked like they would start quick as they loaded the bases with 1 out in the 1st but a double play ended the threat. Ohio State jumped out to the lead in the 3rd with a lead off walk and then a 2 run homerun as their 1st hit of the game. Ohio State made it a 3-0 lead in the 6th as they got a leadoff walk followed by a bunt single to set up 1st and 2nd and nobody out. Following a popup bunt to the catcher and a groundout Ohio State had runners at 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs and a passed ball would score the runner from 3rd before a strikeout ended the inning. The Gophers rallied in the 6th as Jordan Smith led off with a solid single to left and Motl and Schaefbauer followed with back to back bunt singles to make it bases loaded and nobody out for Fiedler. Fiedler would hit into a 4-6-3 double play going after the 1st pitch that was low and outside. Athmann then beat out a infield single to make it 3-2. Coffey came through big with a triple to score Athmann to tie it and then scored on a ball that just got far enough away from the catcher to take the 4-3 lead. Sawyer got the win going 7.2 on the mound giving up 3 runs(2 earned) on 5 hits while striking out 9 and walking 5. Sawyer didn't have his best control and gave up a few leadoff walks but he battled through it and kept the Gophers in the game. Jess came in to record the last 4 outs and struck out 2. Gophers scored their 4 runs on 10 hits and had 1 error while Ohio State had 3 runs on 5 hits and didn't commit an error. Gophers will look to come back and win the series tomorrow at 2.
 


Celebration Pile-Ups

I love to see the enthusiasm but I ALWAYS worry that someone is going to get hurt and not be able to play after these celebrations. Seeing the manager in khakis leaping on to the pile at the end made me cringe!
 

Updated B1G Tournament Seedings

Through Friday games.

** denotes clinched spot in B1G Tournament

B1G Tournament Seedings (2 games remaining)
1. **GOPHERS (16-6)
2. **Nebraska (15-8)
3. **Indiana (15-8)
4. **Ohio State (14-9)
5. **Michigan (13-9)
6. **Michigan State (13-10)
7. Maryland (12-11)
8. **Iowa (12-12)

Still in the Hunt
10. Illinois (11-12)

B1G Saturday
Maryland @ MSU, 12:05 -- Maryland clinches tournament spot with win
Indiana @ Nebraska, 1:02 (BTN)
Ohio State @ Gophers, 2
Michigan @ Illinois, 3:30 (BTN) -- Illini clinch tournament spot with win & Maryland loss
 

Went to the Nebraska game last night. Cheered the Huskers on, while watching the Gopher live stats on my phone. Huskers playing well down the stretch. They have a freshman pitcher that has now gone 17 innings without giving up a run. I read that Minnesota set an attendance record with 1700 at Siebert which is great, Huskers had 4500 which was nothing special for them. Heading to Omaha for the first two days next week. Go Gophers.
 



Road to Omaha: B1G Tournament Bracket Is Set

All games on BTN.

Wednesday, May 25
Bracket 1
#3 Indiana vs. #6 Maryland, 9 a.m.
#2 Nebraska vs. #7 Michigan State, 1 p.m.

Bracket 2
#1 GOPHERS vs. #8 Iowa, 5 p.m.
#4 Ohio State vs. #5Michigan, 9 p.m.

I'm going with Ohio State to win the tournament. Best combination of hitting & pitching. Gophers, Nebraska, and Michigan receive at-large bids.
 

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