All Things Gopher Baseball

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ClassOf98Gopher said:
Wow are there a lot of “ifs” in this post!
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The biggest "if" I still think about this year is that missed call at Illinois that would've ended the game with a Gopher win and instead the ump misses it and there is no replay there. Just a couple pitches later Illinois walks it off for the win. Switch the result of that game and the battle for the 7/8 spot looks like 7. Michigan State 11-11, 8. Purdue 11-12 9. Minnesota 10-12 10. Illinois 11-13 instead of the Gophers needing quite as many breaks to go their way they would have a little more control.
 


Indiana gets 2 in the 9th but can't complete the comeback as a liner to leftcenter is caught for the final out with the bases loaded securing the 1 run win and sending Michigan State to the Big Ten Tournament.
 

Gophers lose big in the season finale, 14-6. Ugly stat of the day: Rutgers scored 8 runs in the 6th on only 2 hits.

18-34 overall; 10-14 in the conference.
 

The Gophers did improve a bunch as the season went on. Several of the younger players started to hit and a handful of pitchers certainly showed improvement. More depth is needed and infield defense needs to improve significantly. They can't afford an error a game or more from the infielders and combined with walks hurt the Gophers often this year. Still undecided on the staff, obviously Anderson is back for another year. With all the youth coming back and the players that missed this last year, expectations are fairly high for next year.
 


After starting the year 3-18, they finished 15-16 in the final 31 games, so definitely much more competitive after the horrid start. Also, their schedule was more difficult this year overall (74 SOS vs. 131 last year).

Offensively, batting average and on-base percentage was slightly better this year, but a lack of power led to fewer runs scored.

On the mound, ERA improved almost a 1/3rd run, with better batting average allowed and fewer walks, although more hit batters and wild pitches (...the latter also being in part on the catching...).

Coming into the year, we didn't have a lot of returning players who had good numbers in 2022. Will have to see what the offseason brings, but right now feels like we will have a lot more production returning.
 

It is looking like 3 teams (Maryland, Indiana, Iowa) are pretty safe for the NCAA tournament at-large selections. A couple sites had Rutgers on the first four out prior to weekend, so Gophers likely played spoiler and forced Scarlet Knights to win in Omaha to get in.
 

SomeGopherFan said:
After starting the year 3-18, they finished 15-16 in the final 31 games, so definitely much more competitive after the horrid start. Also, their schedule was more difficult this year overall (74 SOS vs. 131 last year).

Offensively, batting average and on-base percentage was slightly better this year, but a lack of power led to fewer runs scored.

On the mound, ERA improved almost a 1/3rd run, with better batting average allowed and fewer walks, although more hit batters and wild pitches (...the latter also being in part on the catching...).

Coming into the year, we didn't have a lot of returning players who had good numbers in 2022. Will have to see what the offseason brings, but right now feels like we will have a lot more production returning.
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Certainly should have more returning production and just experience overall coming back. The key to me right now is how/can Semb, Kennedy, Egan, Rooney, Hauser recover and be ready to pitch and pitch well next spring. Because of all the injuries on the mound I think if we have any openings on the roster and I would bet we will that my top priority would be a couple starting pitchers.
You kinda know what you have in Bateman and Merila but you woulda also hope you can see jumps from younger guys like Hokenson and Neels, even Perry, Counsell, Mezzenga are guys that I think can take a significant jump offensively.
 

Some things to build on:
The team went 6-2 with Novotny as our game 1 starter in conference play. If they can keep that trend of starting Fridays with a win, they should be able to build a good conference record next season. For contrast; we went 2-6 in both game 2 and game 3 of our weekend series.

Our top 7 hitters have eligibility to return. Now granted, our hitting wasn't the most productive but Neels was a big surprise and Hokenson really seemed to come on late and his .421 OBP tends to get overlooked.
 



Believe only a couple of guys on the current roster aren't listed in any category Jared Everson and Dawson Hall which leads me to believe they likely won't be back next year whether that is transferring or just going to school. A little surprised to see Dauman listed as I did not expect him back and who knows maybe he still won't.
 

MN Daily: Opinion: Coach John Anderson needs to go

Athletic Director Mark Coyle has not had a slow trigger when dispensing with coaches of high-profile revenue-raising sports like football, hockey and the two basketball teams when those squads have become stagnant.

That’s why it’s time to dispose of Gopher baseball coach John Anderson. The Hibbing native and former player and student manager as an undergraduate here, he has compiled an enviable record over his 43 years at the helm, including a won-lost record of 1347-964-3, 11 Big Ten regular season championships and 10 conference tournament titles, earning eight Conference Coach of the Year awards, along with national honors as the second-winningest Division I Coach and induction into the College Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, among other well-deserved accolades.

But the last few years have witnessed a precipitous and disturbing decline in the quality of the teams he has fielded, including three consecutive losing seasons that hit rock bottom at 5-31 and 16-36 in the past two seasons, which was emulated with this year’s desultory 10-14 Big Ten mark, 10th in the 13-team conference, and an overall 18-34 record, which the leadership has blamed I that old baseball bugaboo, injuries, an affliction that strikes other teams, too, and reflects the paucity of depth in the Gopher program.

This is a far cry from the school’s illustrious baseball history, highlighted by three national championships and 41 professional major leaguers over the years, including some stars and Hall of Famers.

At 67, Coach Anderson should be commended for helping to contribute to this legacy, accorded gratitude for his four-plus decades of loyalty to the program and ushered into retirement.

The team’s past glory probably cannot be regained in today’s environment in which Sun Belt teams dominate at the college level. But the Gophers had been competitive at the national level and in the top echelon of the Big Ten until the recent slide.

There’s no reason the team cannot attract good talent, particularly with its two high quality
home fields at Siebert Field on campus and the Twins’ facility at Target Field, along with the allure of Major League Baseball in town. While it may not be able to dominate at the conference level or have a significant presence nationally, consistent with its past history, the University of Minnesota’s baseball team can and should do a lot better.

Athletic Director Coyle acted on sympathy, rather than pragmatism, when he agreed last week to exercise the one-year renewal of Anderson’s contract. In doing so, he failed to recognize the University baseball team is withering while the women’s softball team has achieved a high level of success in the conference and nationally. The baseball team has the tools to resume that level of competitiveness.

It needs new leadership to do so.

mndaily.com

Opinion: Coach John Anderson needs to go

Baseball coach John Anderson has been coach since 1982
mndaily.com mndaily.com

Go Gophers!!
 

re: Anderson's renewal

I'd be curious as to whether there are influential donors who Coyle is hesitant to upset. When you look at the athletic financial statements, baseball has the highest individual contributions (dollar wise) after the revenue sports.
For 2022:
Football: $12M
Mens B-ball: $3.1M
Mens Hockey: $1.3M
Vball: $396k
Baseball: $331k
W B-ball: $310k

Baseball is not a profitable sport by any stretch so I'm wondering if some donors loyal to Anderson are what's keeping Coyle from pulling the trigger.
 

BleedGopher said:
MN Daily: Opinion: Coach John Anderson needs to go

Athletic Director Mark Coyle has not had a slow trigger when dispensing with coaches of high-profile revenue-raising sports like football, hockey and the two basketball teams when those squads have become stagnant.

That’s why it’s time to dispose of Gopher baseball coach John Anderson. The Hibbing native and former player and student manager as an undergraduate here, he has compiled an enviable record over his 43 years at the helm, including a won-lost record of 1347-964-3, 11 Big Ten regular season championships and 10 conference tournament titles, earning eight Conference Coach of the Year awards, along with national honors as the second-winningest Division I Coach and induction into the College Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, among other well-deserved accolades.

But the last few years have witnessed a precipitous and disturbing decline in the quality of the teams he has fielded, including three consecutive losing seasons that hit rock bottom at 5-31 and 16-36 in the past two seasons, which was emulated with this year’s desultory 10-14 Big Ten mark, 10th in the 13-team conference, and an overall 18-34 record, which the leadership has blamed I that old baseball bugaboo, injuries, an affliction that strikes other teams, too, and reflects the paucity of depth in the Gopher program.

This is a far cry from the school’s illustrious baseball history, highlighted by three national championships and 41 professional major leaguers over the years, including some stars and Hall of Famers.

At 67, Coach Anderson should be commended for helping to contribute to this legacy, accorded gratitude for his four-plus decades of loyalty to the program and ushered into retirement.

The team’s past glory probably cannot be regained in today’s environment in which Sun Belt teams dominate at the college level. But the Gophers had been competitive at the national level and in the top echelon of the Big Ten until the recent slide.

There’s no reason the team cannot attract good talent, particularly with its two high quality
home fields at Siebert Field on campus and the Twins’ facility at Target Field, along with the allure of Major League Baseball in town. While it may not be able to dominate at the conference level or have a significant presence nationally, consistent with its past history, the University of Minnesota’s baseball team can and should do a lot better.

Athletic Director Coyle acted on sympathy, rather than pragmatism, when he agreed last week to exercise the one-year renewal of Anderson’s contract. In doing so, he failed to recognize the University baseball team is withering while the women’s softball team has achieved a high level of success in the conference and nationally. The baseball team has the tools to resume that level of competitiveness.

It needs new leadership to do so.

mndaily.com

Opinion: Coach John Anderson needs to go

Baseball coach John Anderson has been coach since 1982
mndaily.com mndaily.com

Go Gophers!!
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I struggle with how long the U should allow Anderson to try to "right the ship" and don't disagree with many of the writer's conclusions. That said, I only intended to comment on the use of the phrase "dispose of" in reference to any person, much less one who has given as much to the University as Anderson has. I was prepared to castigate the Daily's young opinion writer and bemoan the lack of an editor who failed to suggest a more appropriate description of the separation of a life long employee from the University. Then I realized that the author was not some sophomore looking to generate some juice, but rather an old windbag employment law attorney. So, I guess, never mind.
 



DarrenTheGreek said:
re: Anderson's renewal

Baseball is not a profitable sport by any stretch so I'm wondering if some donors loyal to Anderson are what's keeping Coyle from pulling the trigger.
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I don't know, but it's an interesting question. Perhaps the perceived improvement as this year went along convinced Coyle to see if they can build on that next year?

I would guess that many who donate to the program recall nothing of Gopher baseball without Anderson involved. (I don't and I'm in my 50s.) The former players who I see around are very loyal to Anderson. Would their connection to the program survive forcing out Anderson? I'm not sure. That has to weigh on Coyle as he ponders who would replace Anderson. It's a lot less attractive job if the alumni are in revolt and might make it impossible to find a replacement with any connection to the program. (Not suggesting that it should be a requirement in any way, but it certainly seems to have been Coyle's preference with some of his recent hires.)

Best case would be Anderson stepping aside and endorsing a replacement, but that doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon. I have seen Anderson speak of wanting to get the program back to solid footing before stepping aside, but I don't know how much longer they can wait.
 

Some pretty solid guys in the portal with either Minnesota ties and/or that were recruited by this staff the first time around. Hopefully we have a few roster spots to play with at least to be active in there and if not well then there may need to be some tough conversations with guys at the bottom of the roster.
 

Ton of guys in the portal and the Gophers just had their first with Dawson Hall.

Maryland loses their head coach to Alabama and expected to elevate an assistant, will be interesting how much of their returning contributors hit the portal. They were already gonna have huge holes to fill with guys headed to the draft but they could really be hurting.
 

Dumb question but is there a place where an average joe like me can see who is in the portal?
 


Klassen drafted in round 6 by Phillies; Bateman in round 8 by the Cubs.
 


I also posted this on the Pat Fitzgerald thread on the football page, but culture troubles with the NU baseball program were introduced today as well. My son’s friend and travel teammate who’s been offered by Northwestern said he’s been hearing about this since the spring. We may have had some struggles in the past few seasons, but I’m confident this stuff doesn’t happen with 14 leading our program.

 

WindyCityGopher said:
I also posted this on the Pat Fitzgerald thread on the football page, but culture troubles with the NU baseball program were introduced today as well. My son’s friend and travel teammate who’s been offered by Northwestern said he’s been hearing about this since the spring. We may have had some struggles in the past few seasons, but I’m confident this stuff doesn’t happen with 14 leading our program.

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Think it was like the 2nd week of the season this spring when their pitching coach just decided he was done there and left, you knew something was up when something like that happens.
 


Goldy Gopher said:
Think it was like the 2nd week of the season this spring when their pitching coach just decided he was done there and left, you knew something was up when something like that happens.
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So did their recruiting coordinator/hitting coach and their director of operations, who I know personally, as he’s been deeply involved in the youth baseball scene on the North Shore for years. Foster’s going to be following Fitz out the door very soon.
 

TNGophfan said:
They they will take the money and go?
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For sure, very rare to see a top 10 round pick not sign because than the MLB team loses that slot value from their total draft allotment. Think it is like under 7% of top 10 rounders in the last 5 years don't sign, most of the times the framework to the deal is done before a player is picked.
 

Goldy Gopher said:
For sure, very rare to see a top 10 round pick not sign because than the MLB team loses that slot value from their total draft allotment. Think it is like under 7% of top 10 rounders in the last 5 years don't sign, most of the times the framework to the deal is done before a player is picked.
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Thanks. Good info. Didn't know that.
 


What I have found is that the clubs/scouts call the player pre draft and make sure they are not losing money and/or slot by asking them if they would sign.
Then some players say yes. Some say for this much money and then some say do not bother I am coming back to school.
 

Wayzata alum and North Carolina transfer righthanded pitcher. Argento did not pitch in 2 years at UNC. He missed his first season due to injury.
 

To close the loop, Bateman signs with Cubs (terms not disclosed), and Klassen signs with Phillies for $300,000. Good luck to both.
 

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