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Another delay...social media accounts say 5pm central start (...though BTN+ currently lists a 6pm central start, so...???)
 



Game delay again. Start push back to 6:35 p.m. CT (4:35 p.m. PT).

Push back again.
 
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Rooney getting the start. Hunt is catching again. Did Neels get hurt?
 


Nice at bat by Knoll to fight some good pitches off, then 4 pitch walk to Perry to bring in a run. 2-0, bases loaded, one out, new pitcher in, let's go Gophers!
 



Gophers catch a break, with their second baseman unable to snare a line drive one-hopper from Sutherland that would have likely been a inning ending DP, and instead plates 2...4-0, and bases loaded again after Larson draws a walk...
 

3 more in as Gopher with some aggressive base running to score 2 on an infield hit/error, then Larson scores from second on a Hellum infield single. 7-0 Gophers after 2 1/2.
 

SomeGopherFan said:
Gophers catch a break, with their second baseman unable to snare a line drive one-hopper from Sutherland that would have likely been a inning ending DP, and instead plates 2...4-0, and bases loaded again after Larson draws a walk...
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It's nice to be on the good side of those miscues
 

Rooney getting out of that jam in B4 was huge. Do not give the Ducks a chance to in incrementally cut into this lead.

We've had 7 batters retired in a row now. Runs might be hard to come by so let's preserve this lead.
 







Time for a Lou Brown pep talk. "Everytime you play one off your hips you owe me 20 sit-ups."
 


gophersfan said:
Just turn on the live stream and the Gophers win the final game. 9-1 Gophers win. it went 8 innings.
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Had to catch a plane home. Poor guys will get home around 5-6 am.

Great win though. So important to avoid a sweep. They definitely have things to clean up but there is a lot to like about this team.

Doesn't get much easier next weekend. High Point is legit
 

Gophers didn't smash the ball but took advantage of miscues and ran the bases well, and pitching was outstanding.

Third weekend already where Gophers lose two out of three but were above water in run differential. Also second win over a top 10 team.

12 in a row at home starting Wednesday... let's stack some wins!
 

Conference Records and RPI rankings through 3/16. Top 12 teams qualify for Big Ten Tournament.

RankTeamConf RecordOverall RecordRPI
1Oregon5-117-441
1UCLA5-116-413
3Penn State4-214-488
3Indiana4-211-9126
3Iowa4-28-8160
3Purdue2-117-289
3Washington2-18-12173
8Michigan3-311-860
9Michigan State1-213-6134
9Illinois1-29-7141
9Maryland1-210-1098
9Rutgers1-29-11166
9Northwestern1-28-10183
9USC2-411-867
9Minnesota2-48-1017
16Nebraska1-57-11161
17Ohio State0-35-12189
18Wisconsin
 

Midweek schedule for Big Ten (winners will be in green upon completion of game)

Tuesday
Nebraska @ Pepperdine
Georgetown @ Maryland
Milwaukee @ Purdue
Western Michigan @ Michigan
Saint Bonaventure @ Penn State
Evansville @ Indiana
UIC @ Iowa
Miami OH @ Ohio State
Indiana State @ Illinois
Rutgers @ Oregon State
USC @ Arizona State

Wednesday
Nebraska @ Pepperdine
Oakland @ Michigan State
Lafayette @ Penn State
Saint Thomas @ Minnesota
 
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Weekend schedule for 3/21-3/23 (Games will be updated in green upon completion)

Conference
Illinois (2-4) @ Northwestern (3-3) - Northwestern wins series 2-1
Michigan (5-4) @ Purdue (3-3) - Michigan wins series 2-1
Ohio State (0-6) @ Iowa (7-2) - Iowa wins series 3-0
Michigan State (3-3) @ Penn State (5-4) - Michigan State wins series 2-1
Rutgers (2-4) @ Oregon (7-2) - Oregon wins series 2-1
Indiana (5-4) @ UCLA (7-2) -  UCLA wins series 2-1
Nebraska (2-7) @ USC (4-5) - USC wins series 2-1
Maryland (2-3) @ Washington (3-2) - Series tied 1-1

Non-Conference
High Point @ Minnesota - Minnesota wins series 2-1
 
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DarrenTheGreek said:
Conference Records and RPI rankings through 3/16. Top 12 teams qualify for Big Ten Tournament.

RankTeamConf RecordOverall RecordRPI
1Oregon5-117-441
1UCLA5-116-413
3Penn State4-214-488
3Indiana4-211-9126
3Iowa4-28-8160
3Purdue2-117-289
3Washington2-18-12173
8Michigan3-311-860
9Michigan State1-213-6134
9Illinois1-29-7141
9Maryland1-210-1098
9Rutgers1-29-11166
9Northwestern1-28-10183
9USC2-411-867
9Minnesota2-48-1017
16Nebraska1-57-11161
17Ohio State0-35-12189
18Wisconsin
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Don't know if it was intentional or not but #18 there made me LOL
 

Good
On a weekend where it was a struggle to get much going offensively there were a few bright spots:
Spanier 4-12 with a double
Hellum 5-13 with 2 doubles
Elbeery 4-11 with a double
Martin 1-2 with a HR on Sunday

The starting pitching was fantastic. All 3 guys did great despite bad weather, delays, cold and facing a tough lineup.
Selvig/Remington/Rooney combined for 16 innings and only 4 earned run. Only 15 hits given up. If we can get this every weekend we’re going to be tough to beat down the stretch.

Bad
Berkland carried us for several weeks but he’s struggling at the moment. Just 1-11 at the plate and the one hit was an infield single. We need our big slugger to come back.

1-11 with runners in scoring position on Friday.

8 backwards K’s on Friday. Strikeouts continue to be a problem for the offense.

Ugly
Weather. Ish
The errors. We might have had a chance on Friday if we were a little more clean.
 


DarrenTheGreek said:
Good
On a weekend where it was a struggle to get much going offensively there were a few bright spots:
Spanier 4-12 with a double
Hellum 5-13 with 2 doubles
Elbeery 4-11 with a double
Martin 1-2 with a HR on Sunday

The starting pitching was fantastic. All 3 guys did great despite bad weather, delays, cold and facing a tough lineup.
Selvig/Remington/Rooney combined for 16 innings and only 4 earned run. Only 15 hits given up. If we can get this every weekend we’re going to be tough to beat down the stretch.

Bad
Berkland carried us for several weeks but he’s struggling at the moment. Just 1-11 at the plate and the one hit was an infield single. We need our big slugger to come back.

1-11 with runners in scoring position on Friday.

8 backwards K’s on Friday. Strikeouts continue to be a problem for the offense.

Ugly
Weather. Ish
The errors. We might have had a chance on Friday if we were a little more clean.
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Thank you, DtG, for diligently and painstakingly providing curated Gopher baseball news. The mathematical cushion provided by the low RPI road win opponents will begin to dissipate if we don’t start winning series or sweeping against high RPI Big Ten teams. If, hypothetically, we finish 4th or 5th in the conference with a similar Big Ten tourney performance, could we make the NCAA field if we have a higher RPI than teams finishing ahead of us in the standings? (Again, I don’t know if the RPI math wouid allow for such a result.)
 

DarrenTheGreek said:
Had to catch a plane home. Poor guys will get home around 5-6 am.

Great win though. So important to avoid a sweep. They definitely have things to clean up but there is a lot to like about this team.

Doesn't get much easier next weekend. High Point is legit
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Hopefully get a little healthier before getting back into conference play in a couple weeks.
 

Married@SiebertField said:
If, hypothetically, we finish 4th or 5th in the conference with a similar Big Ten tourney performance, could we make the NCAA field if we have a higher RPI than teams finishing ahead of us in the standings?
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It has happened but it has been awhile.

In 2024 there were 3 teams from B1G and they were the highest 3 in conference standings. They had RPI’s of 29, 43, 55. Maryland didn’t make it and they had an RPI of 48…but since they were 8 games back it was a no-brainer to keep them out.

In 2023 again, there were 3 teams from B1G and they had the highest 3 conference standings and lowest RPI so a no brainer

You’d have to go back to 2018 to find an example where a lower team in the standings jumped someone higher for an at-large spot. That year B1G got 4 bids but the 3rd and 4th place teams in the conference were passed over in favor of 5th and 6th due to RPI. MN (12), Purdue (40), Michigan (63), Illinois (50), Indiana (34) and Ohio State (46). Michigan and Illinois were snubbed.

So to answer your question, it IS possible for Gophers to leap teams ahead of us in the standings if we have a better RPI. Seeing as how the conference schedules are not balanced, that might be more likely IMHO. For example, not every team is going to play Oregon.

But in your question you asked about if the Gophers finished 4th or 5th in conference. I happen to think this year the B1G will get 5 bids. Historically we’ve gotten 3…with as little as 2 and as high as 5. But with the Pac12 dissolving and the conference being better in non-conference this year compared to history, I think 5 is an attainable goal. If the Gophers can get to 4th or 5th in conference standings they would have a great chance IMHO.
 

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