The Gophers women’s soccer team is poised to foster its younger players after a gut-wrenching 2023 season where they finished one spot short of the Big Ten tournament.

Minnesota welcomed six freshmen to their 2024 roster, along with junior forward Katie Krohn, who spent her first two seasons at the University of Buffalo. The blueprint is set for the new Gophers to step in and define their role on the team, with impact freshmen Kate Childers and Paige Kalal leading the way.

In her freshman season, Childers started every game and led the team in minutes on the field. The All-Big Ten freshman said she took advantage of the preseason to earn her coaches’ trust.

“I got my chance in one of the exhibition games,” Childers said. “I just kind of ran with it, and I was rewarded.”

Senior forward Khyah Harper looked to make an impression among other teams after spending the spring with Salvo Soccer Club (Salvo SC) of the Women’s Professional Soccer League (WPSL). Harper was the WPSL’s most recent central region Player of the Week after scoring four goals and tallying three assists in three games.

“I think all around I can be better, but I think I’m coming off a pretty good spring and summer right now,” Harper said. “I’ve scored eight in five games, and I’ve scored in every game.”

Harper’s Gopher teammates Alma Beaton and Sophia Boman played alongside her for Salvo SC throughout the summer. For the maroon and gold, Harper played in 16 of the 17 games, scoring one goal and assisting on four.

Putting the ball in the net was a frequent struggle for the Gophers all season. After scoring 9 goals in two non-conference games, Minnesota scored just 17 goals over its final 15 games. The team finished ninth in Big Ten scoring.

The Gophers returned two of their top three goal scorers from the 2023 season in Sophia Romine and Boman.

Harper said the team cultivated confidence through their spring season together, where they saw more goals when attacking their opponent’s net.

“Just building off of that and creating more confidence going forward, and we had a lot of unselfishness in the spring,” Harper said. “We had multiple goal scorers … which, I think, is something we haven’t really had the past three years.”

The Gophers are coming off a three-win conference season.

Minnesota lost five of its starters from last season, including forwards Megan Nemec and Izzy Brown, defender Jordy Rothwell, midfielder Amelia Brown and goalkeeper Megan Plaschko.

The big turnover in key positions means the Gophers will rely more on younger players and the experience they received from last season. Harper said junior defender Fiona Skwierawski earned a bigger role toward the end of last season.

“I think Fiona started to make her role as the season went on,” Harper said. “She started to earn her spot, but I think she will be a huge impact player for us this year.”

After playing just two games her freshman season, Skwierawski started seven games and appeared in 10 last season.

Childers said that, despite not making it to the Big Ten tournament in 2023, the team’s main goal is to earn a bid to the 2024 NCAA Tournament in December.

Senior golfer Ben Warian and sophomore Isabella McCauley each earned a spot representing the maroon and gold at the NCAA golf Championships in May.

For Warian, the bid was a culmination of four years with the Gophers, but McCauley reached the national championship for the second time after winning her first Big Ten title in April.

Warian was the first player to represent the men’s team on the national stage since the Gophers went as a collective in 2007 and was the first individual since Rob Kerr in 1996.

McCauley became the first Gopher to reach back-to-back NCAA Championships since Kate Hughes in the 80s.

Warian’s grand finale

Warian attended Hill-Murray High School where he competed in three Minnesota State High School League State Tournaments.

Three years into his college career, Warian hoped for his first individual win. He set the program’s single-season scoring record at 70.69 his junior year and had his best finish at the Colleton River Collegiate after he hit 206.

But the title of tournament champion was still missing from his golf resume.

It was not until this year that Warian captured the first win of his college career at the Highland Meadows Intercollegiate. He guided the Gophers to its first team victory since the MacDonald Cup in 2022.

Warian said it was a special week where the hard work paid off.

“A lot of hard work has gone into the last four years,” Warian said. “It was nice to have it culminate in a week like that.”

Warian set two program records, hitting 128 over 36 holes, followed by 198 over 54 holes at the Highland Meadows Intercollegiate tournament. 

Head coach Justin Smith praised Warian for his historic performance.

“He was -14 the first 36 holes,” Smith said. “That was a level of golf that not many have seen, if anybody, has seen in our program’s history.”

Warian placed 16th in the Big Ten tournament and was selected for the NCAA’s Stanford regional tournament.

After day two in Palo Alto, California, Warian placed seventh. He went on to shoot a 65 and tied for second place on the final day of the regional.

Smith watched the entire time and said he was fortunate to be with Warian throughout the week.

“The Stanford regional, I thought, was the best performance he had in his four years, no doubt,” Smith said.

Sophomore superstar McCauley

After making the national championship her freshman season, McCauley started her sophomore year on a roll.

The Simley native grabbed her first-ever college win in the first tournament of her sophomore year. She said it was a special moment.

“I wanted to win a college tournament, and that had been a goal since coming into college,” McCauley said. “I had no idea when it would happen, and to do it right away the first tournament of my sophomore season was super cool.”

McCauley carried her strong play throughout the season, beating her own single-season program scoring record from her freshman year with an average of 72.11 in the 2023-2024 season.

After being crowned conference champion, McCauley experienced more of the same in the postseason. She took part in the Auburn regional and shot a 65 (-7) on the final day to earn second place and a trip to the national championship.

McCauley finished the national championship +11, wrapping up her sophomore campaign. However, the recognition of McCauley’s historic season continued as she was named to the Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-American honorable mention team, the program’s first since 1989.

McCauley said being named an All-American was not even on her goal list.

“I didn’t even know if that would be attainable,” McCauley said. “I didn’t know what the standards were, so to be able to accomplish it was truly a dream come true.”

John Anderson completed his 43rd season as head coach for Gophers baseball in May with 1,390 victories, the most of any coach in Big Ten history.

The University of Minnesota athletic department ensured there would never be anyone else to wear the number 14 for the maroon and gold. Anderson’s old number was retired before the Gophers defeated Michigan State on May 11. The historic skipper capped off his final coaching season with a 25-23 record, winning four of his last five series.

Over his 43-year career at the helm of the program, Anderson amassed 11 regular-season Big Ten titles and a conference-best in postseason tournament titles. He also produced an MLB Draft pick for 36 consecutive years dating back to 1988.

But for the Hibbing native, coaching meant more than teaching baseball. Before the 2024 season, Anderson said his goal as a coach was to create a culture that developed not only great players but also great men.

“I’ve been fortunate enough that we’ve been able to have some success on the diamond,” Anderson said. “But more importantly, we’ve been able to graduate our young men at a very high level and prepare them for the next 50 years of their life.”

Ty McDevitt will fill Anderson’s shoes as the next head coach after working as a pitching coach for the Gophers. He played for Anderson all five years of his college career before he started coaching with him in 2017. Like McDevitt, Anderson played under and ultimately coached with his mentor and former head coach Dick Siebert.

McDevitt said it is difficult to express Anderson’s impact on the program. He said Anderson meant everything to him.

“It feels unjust to be able to just throw some words at it with John, and I think anybody that’s played with him has a hard time finding words for what he’s done,” McDevitt said. “He’s such a unique individual.”

McDevitt described Anderson as a “special person.” He thanked 14, Anderson’s nickname, for his mentorship over the years, which McDevitt deemed “instrumental” in getting him to where he is today.

For some players, Anderson’s leadership was paramount in their decision to play college baseball for the Gophers.

Third baseman Jake Perry said Anderson is one of the main reasons he attends Minnesota. Perry added that Anderson focused on building connections with his players and saw them as people more than athletes.

“He’s just a great guy on and off the field,” Perry said.

Starting pitcher Will Semb grew up in Wisconsin. However, since the University of Wisconsin-Madison does not have a Division I baseball team, the Gophers were his “in-state” team.

The 2018 Gopher baseball team that went to the Super Regionals cemented Minnesota as the place Semb wanted to play. He said it was a goal to play for Anderson.

Semb medically redshirted in 2023 due to a torn labrum and rotator cuff and spent the remainder of the season in the dugout. 

“I would say my career with injuries and everything hasn’t gone ideal, and he’s been nothing but helpful throughout the whole thing,” Semb said. “Being there for support and giving me opportunities.”

Anderson left his mark on the Gopher baseball program not just with his winning track record but also for the person he is off the field.

Infielder Jake Larson said he improved on the field under Anderson’s coaching but also feels he is prepared for life after baseball.

“I can confidently say when I graduate, he’s done a great job preparing me for that,” Larson said. “So, not only off the field but on the field, he’s helped me be a better baseball player and forget about failure.”

Relief pitcher Justin Thorsteinson, who transferred to Minnesota from Oregon State last season, said Anderson taught him about being a man on and off the field, the importance of self-care and managing schoolwork while playing baseball.

The Canadian left-hander integrated himself into the rotation and was the second most utilized arm out of the bullpen last season.

Relief pitcher Seth Clausen said Anderson was always there for his players and gives great advice.

“He’s always striving to make guys better,” Clausen said. “He’s a guy that you can go and talk to, you can talk about anything with him.”

Anderson’s mentorship extends beyond his baseball knowledge. Second baseman Brady Counsell said Anderson is someone he has looked up to during his time at the University.

“He’s definitely one of the bigger role models I’ve had in my life,” Counsell said. “He’s been unbelievable in helping me figure out the big things off the field.”

Gopher softball graduated six athletes this season, including homegrown talent and additions through the transfer portal.

The graduates accounted for 36% of the Gophers’ offense and 60% of Minnesota’s innings pitched in 2024. Pitchers Bri Enter and Jacie Hambrick led the team in innings pitched and earned run average (ERA), with a minimum of 20 appearances.

Minnesota finished with a 28-25 overall record (13-10 in the Big Ten).

Tenured Gophers

Second baseman Sydney Strelow spent her five-year career in Minnesota. She started 225 games for the Gophers, compiling 154 hits and 21 home runs. The Kenosha, Wisconsin native said Minnesota did not recruit her until she attended Gopher softball camps.

Strelow started all but two games in her freshman season, making an immediate impact and improving statistically each year.

Strelow notched her first 50-hit season in 2024. It was the first time she finished a campaign with a batting average of over .300.

First baseman Delanie Cox joined the team with Strelow in 2020 but did not have the same initial impact.

Cox played two games in her first season at Minnesota. She said she “grew up” throughout her time with the Gophers and gained confidence with experience. In the final two years of her career, she played in 105 games, starting in 90, and became the Gophers’ everyday first baseman.

Strelow said she and Cox relied on each other throughout their time as Gophers, which fostered their friendship.

“Delanie and I have been through so much, and through everything together, we’ve been each other’s support system,” Strelow said. “We both know we have each other’s back no matter what happens on or off the field.”

On senior day, Strelow and Cox combined for six hits against Nebraska, and on the final play of the game, Strelow caught a line drive and threw it over to Cox at first for a double play to win 7-5. The pair immediately let their emotions go when they shared a tight embrace in front of a standing crowd at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium.

When designated player Maddy Ehlke began her college career, she knew it would be unique given the circumstances surrounding COVID-19. She said she took the first two years to learn from her teammates.

Ehlke was a prominent piece of the lineup in her final two seasons. She played a solid role in Minnesota’s trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2023, hitting 6/12 over three games in the Seattle regional.

Ehlke said senior day was important because her parents got to see how much she achieved in the past four years.

“I think it will be a full circle moment, but also one of those to be thankful for how much my family has been there and supported me,” Ehlke said. “It’s also nice for my parents to see the success I was able to have and that all their hard work paid off.”

Ehlke’s favorite memory of her time at Minnesota is the go-ahead bases-clearing triple she hit against Indiana in 2023.

Here for a good time, not a long time

Center fielder Morgan DeBord spent her fifth season of collegiate softball at Minnesota after playing her first four at Loyola Marymount University.

A five-tool player who made highlight-reel catches in center field and produced clutch home runs, DeBord got on base by any means necessary, finishing her final four seasons all above a .300 batting average.

DeBord said even before the 2024 season, she formed strong bonds with her Gopher teammates.

“When I first got here, it was before school and my lease hadn’t started,” DeBord said. “Sydney, Delanie and the other seniors they live with took me in and I lived in their apartment. I didn’t even know these people and slept on their couch for a week.”

DeBord said the relationships she built with her teammates are strong, and some are “friends for life.”

Pitcher Jacie Hambrick transferred to Minnesota after spending her first two seasons at Grand Canyon University. Hambrick said the 2024 season was different because she changed roles throughout the year.

Hambrick said she always tried to prepare for every opportunity, whether starting the game, coming out of the bullpen in relief or being called on to close.

DeBord described Gopher softball as a “family” and said players build connections beyond the diamond.

“What I’m going to miss the most is just seeing these girls, my best friends,” Hambrick said. “They’re my sisters. I spend every second of my life with them.”

Pitcher Bri Enter started her career in her home state of Florida, playing for Florida State for her first three seasons.

Heading into 2024, Enter had only started seven games. This season, she took on the ace role and started 20 games, posting a team-leading 3.16 ERA and 110.2 innings pitched.

Enter said Minnesota lived up to her expectations when she transferred from the Sunshine State.

“I just felt like I’ve seen myself grow as a player more than I thought at Florida State,” Enter said. “Seeing how much I grew in a little bit of time with Coach Ritter has been amazing to look back on.”

The University of Minnesota announced Wednesday that Gophers pitching coach and player development coordinator Ty McDevitt will be the next head baseball coach. 

McDevitt spent the past eight years on the staff following his five-year playing career as a Gopher. He will become the 16th head coach in program history and the fourth coach since 1948.

McDevitt said he looks to uphold the history and tradition of Gopher baseball and continue to instill the values that define the program.

“This program is steeped in rich history and tradition, built on the hard work, dedication, and passion of countless players, coaches, and supporters who have come before me,” McDevitt said. “Together, we will strive to build upon this storied legacy, fostering a culture of integrity, resilience, and success both on and off the field.”

Under McDevitt, who spent the last six seasons as the team’s pitching coach, junior pitcher Connor Wietgrefe was named to the All-Big Ten First Team in 2024 and Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on May 15, 2023.

McDevitt will take over for John Anderson, who announced at the start of the 2024 season he would be stepping down. Anderson served as head coach for 43 seasons.

University Athletic Director Mark Coyle said he is excited about the program’s future with McDevitt at the helm.

“(McDevitt) has earned this next step in his career, and I am excited to watch him get to work,” Coyle said. “I know he will lead with great integrity and intensity, both on and off the field.”

McDevitt produced 13 MLB draft picks from the Gophers pitching squad. Max Meyer and Lucas Gilbreath were the only two selected before arriving in Minnesota.

Meyer was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in Round 34 of the 2017 MLB Draft but decided to attend Minnesota. After three seasons with McDevitt, Meyer redeclared for the MLB Draft. The Miami Marlins drafted Meyer third overall in the first round of the 2020 MLB Draft.

The Big Ten Conference announced Wednesday that sophomore Jess Oakland won the conference’s softball player of the year award.

The San Jose, California native led the conference in runs scored (68), doubles (19), home runs (19), walks (36), batting average (.457), on-base percentage (.554), slugging percentage (.925), OPS (1.479) and total bases (150).

Oakland is the first Gopher to win the award since Kendyl Lindaman won it in 2017 and 2018.

The Gophers shortstop earned Big Ten Player of the Week twice on April 21 and May 1. Oakland was unanimously named to the All-Big Ten team. She was also named to the All-Big Ten defensive team.

Junior Taylor Krapf joined Oakland on the All-Big Ten first team. Graduates Sydney Strelow and Morgan DeBord made the All-Big Ten second team and All-Big Ten defensive team. Senior Jacie Hambrick won the team’s sportsmanship award. 

Sophomore Isabella McCauley won Gophers women’s golf’s first Big Ten championship since 1989 on Sunday, becoming just the second golfer to achieve the feat at the University of Minnesota. 

Heading into the third and final day in Havre De Grace, Maryland, McCauley sat in 18th place and was hoping to “sneak in a top 10 finish.”

The sophomore shot a 64 (-8) off eight birdies and 10 pars, granting her a share of the Big Ten title.

Michigan’s Monet Chun posted a 66 on Saturday but a day later was defeated by McCauley, who made up the six-stroke gap on Sunday.

McCauley’s 64 on the final day was the best round by any golfer throughout the tournament.

McCauley said it is hard to verbalize the experience of growing up in Minnesota and winning the Big Ten tournament as a Gopher.

“Words can’t describe it,” McCauley said. “It’s something you definitely think about when you are eight or nine practicing, and you’re like, ‘Oh, this is to win the Big Ten championship.’”

It was a “surreal experience” for the native of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, who added that she was able to win in front of her father.

McCauley, who tied for second in last year’s tournament, said she knew the weight of the final shot as she approached it on the green.

“I’m shaking, right,” McCauley said. “I’m like, ‘Just actually make contact with the ball here.’”

Despite her status as an underclassman, McCauley is among a team filled with experience, including three graduate students.

Graduate Grace Curran played in her final Big Ten tournament on Sunday, having spent her entire five-year career at Minnesota.

“It was a really special weekend,” Curran said. “Both of my parents were there, and this has been by far my favorite group of teammates that I’ve had. We’re all super close, and it was really nice to be able to experience that one last time with them on a beautiful golf course.”

Curran shot 230 (+14) over the three days and tied for 62nd place. The Gophers, as a team, finished in ninth place, shooting 884 (+20) in the tournament.

Head coach Rhyll Brinsmead, in her fourth season at the helm, has helped the program grow and evolve during her time in Minneapolis, according to Curran.

Brinsmead said the win by McCauley means a lot to the team and the program.

“Minnesota historically hasn’t been a powerhouse within the Big Ten,” Brinsmead said. “So, to sort of have this recognition and to build the program around these seniors and around Bella coming in, it’s been pretty neat.”

Curran said Brinsmead “propelled the program to new heights,” and McCauley’s win in the Big Ten tournament is an example of that.

Seeing McCauley win the tournament for Brinsmead was “really fulfilling” as McCauley was a part of Brinsmead’s first recruiting class as the Gophers’ head coach.

Brinsmead said McCauley’s comeback from 18th to champion on the final day is the biggest one she has seen.

“Both Caroline [Craig] and Monet [Chun] are seniors and top-ranked, Bella’s ranked well, but she’s not top 10, and she held her own,” Brinsmead said.

Gophers softball dropped to 23-21 (9-8 in the Big Ten) on Sunday after a rubber match loss to Rutgers at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium.

The Gophers played five games last week, starting with a series against Wisconsin on April 17. Minnesota split the “border battle” doubleheader with the Badgers and lost two of three to the Scarlet Knights on the weekend.

Doubleheader against Wisconsin

Minnesota faced the Badgers’ graduate pitcher Tessa Magnanimo, who tossed her first career no-hitter in Game 1. Sophomore shortstop Jess Oakland spoiled Magnanimo’s perfect game in the first inning with a walk.

Gophers freshman pitcher Macy Richardson took the circle in Game 2 and threw her first career complete game in a 7-3 win over Wisconsin. She allowed just three runs on five hits and struck out four in her fifth career victory.

Oakland led the Gophers offense, going 2-for-3 with five RBIs, including a three-run home run and an RBI double.

Rutgers takes two in Minneapolis

Minnesota faced one of the toughest pitchers in the Big Ten, Mattie Boyd. In Game 1, she threw her third straight complete game, this time a 3-0 shutout win for the Scarlet Knights.

Jacie Hambrick tossed her first complete game of the season and 10th of her career in the loss, going seven innings and allowing three runs on nine hits.

Kayla Chavez got her 150th career hit in the game and was the only Gopher with two hits off Boyd.

The Gophers rebounded in Game 2, winning 9-6 as the offense responded like it did in the Wisconsin series with Richardson in the circle. 

Saturday marked Oakland’s 100th career start as a Gopher, having played every game in her two seasons. Junior catcher Taylor Krapf also reached 100 starts in a Gophers uniform after transferring from Duke.

Oakland said the experience has been the difference maker and is the cause of her improvement from her first to second year.

“The whole year last year was huge to know what to expect with travel and playing in Big Ten weather,” Oakland said. “My confidence has also grown a lot and my confidence in my teammates.”

Oakland leads the conference in batting average (.451), OPS (1.447), OBP (.546), runs scored (60), walks (31) and hits (64). She is second in the Big Ten in home runs (17) and RBIs (49).

Nani Valencia knocked in Minnesota’s first run of the series in the first inning. Delanie Cox followed suit with a three-run triple, the first three-bagger of her career.

Cox said she does not think she is the fastest on the field but was happy to make a big play for her teammates who have supported her this season.

“It meant a lot to me, especially this whole season, which has been up and down, with struggles here and there,” Cox said. “To be able to do that for me, especially when they support me in my toughest times, it just meant the world to me.”

The Gophers scored in each of the first four innings, mounting an eight-run lead. Minnesota never trailed in the game, evening the series at one game apiece.

Head coach Piper Ritter said if the hits come, then the runs will follow.

“The runs and the hits come when you are diligent at the plate and are working at swinging at your pitches, swinging at strikes and taking balls,” Ritter said. “Making adjustments, the pitcher is going to adjust from one at-bat to the next, so you have to make an adjustment.”

Rutgers decided to return to Boyd for the decisive game in the series, and she threw another complete game. The Scarlet Knights won 6-1 and took the series, improving to 29-19 (10-7 in the Big Ten) with the win Sunday afternoon.

Minnesota’s offense never figured out Boyd as they finished the series, only scoring one run in 14 innings.

Krapf went 2-for-3 in the series finale, and her second hit was the 100th of her career on her birthday, April 21, encompassing her time at Duke and Minnesota.

Richardson left her impact on the series after throwing nine innings, the most she has tossed in a single series in her freshman season. She has 61.1 innings pitched, a 5-4 record, a 5.36 ERA and 37 strikeouts to 25 walks.

Oakland said the freshman has been “huge” for the pitching staff in her first year.

“Macy, I’m so proud of her,” Oakland said. “The last two games, she’s had phenomenal outings, and she gets better and better every time she [takes the circle].”

A season ago, Gophers baseball sat No. 11 in the conference with a 5.95 ERA. This season, the pitching staff, made up of a mixture of youth and experience, improved their ERA to 4.97 and are heading into the weekend hunting for a postseason berth.

In the Gophers’ most recent game, South Dakota State traveled to Siebert Field on Wednesday night for a non-conference matchup.

Junior pitcher Tucker Novotny got the start against the Jackrabbits. Gophers head coach John Anderson said moving Novotny, Minnesota’s typical starter on Fridays, to a midweek game was a way to mix things up for the left-handed pitcher.

“We’re trying to move him out of the weekend and back to midweek to see if we can get him in a place where he can have some success and confidence,” Anderson said. “To try and find that fastball command that I think has served him so well in the past that he hasn’t had this year from a consistent standpoint.”

Anderson added that Novotny’s command of his fastball is “critical” to his success. Against the Jackrabbits, Novotny responded by tossing three scoreless innings, including six strikeouts and stranding five runners on base.

Already holding a three-run lead in the fourth inning, the Gophers brought in redshirt freshman Sam Kennedy. The St. Paul, Minnesota native set two career-highs with three scoreless innings and seven strikeouts.

Kennedy missed the entirety of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Redshirt junior starting pitcher Will Semb shared his experience with rehab as the pair both missed last season.

“Everybody’s rehab goes a little differently, just with the different games he’s throwing and how long [he] gets off, everything like that,” Semb said. “He’s just getting back and just week by week taking it that way.”

Novotny, Kennedy and Semb combined for 16 strikeouts in the Gophers’ seven-inning run-rule win over the Jackrabbits.

Kyle Remington, Tyler Hemmesch and Will Whalen all carved out sizable roles in the bullpen in their first seasons of college baseball. All three freshman relievers pitched more than 10 innings in the year.

Anderson said the three have bright futures.

“For them to be able to contribute the way they have as freshmen speaks to their talent level,” Anderson said. “It also speaks to the future they have in this game at the Division I level. I think all three are going to be outstanding pitchers.”

Anderson said Remington and Hemmesch have been more consistent than what he has seen “historically.”

Junior reliever Seth Clausen said while the Gophers have improved overall this season from the last there is still room for growth.

“We talk all the time about little things we need to get better at, and that’s two-strike execution,” Clausen said. “Being able to strike out more guys and not letting guys back into counts when you got them on the ropes.”

Minnesota leads the Big Ten, allowing the least amount of extra-base hits (70), first in both home runs (18) and doubles (43) allowed.

Comparatively, the 2018 Minnesota team that won the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles was second in the conference in extra-base hits allowed. In addition, the same team posted a 3.18 ERA, placing second in the conference.

One of the main areas needing improvement for this year’s team, according to Anderson, is limiting the other team’s free bases.

“We still haven’t reached a level of consistency I think we are capable of in all three phases: offense, defense and pitching,” Anderson said. “We have to eliminate the freebies that seem to come in clusters and impact the outcome of the game.”

Anderson said the staff needs “more consistent starting pitching” and added that depending on how things shake out this weekend, Remington could make his first career start.

The Gophers lead the Big Ten with 51 wild pitches and are last in the conference in fielding percentage at 96.3%, good for 225th in the nation.

Minnesota is 3-6 in Big Ten play and faces an important three-game series against Indiana at home starting on April 19. Only eight teams make the Big Ten Tournament, and the Gophers are ranked No. 11 in the conference, facing the 20-17 Hoosiers, who are No. 6 in the Big Ten (5-4).

Anderson said the lack of home games hindered the pitchers’ development early, but he sees them progressively improving.

“We’re trending in the right direction, and hopefully, we can close that gap a little bit,” Anderson said.

With no outs and trailing Ohio State by a single run in the sixth inning, Gophers softball head coach Piper Ritter elected to send up a pinch hitter.

Freshman Brooklyn Jones stepped up to the plate with two career at-bats behind her. The Gophers had trailed by as many as four but were back within striking distance with the game-tying run on second.

Ohio State countered Ritter’s move by bringing in right-handed pitcher Allison Smith. Jones struck out swinging for the first out of the inning.

Five runs and two outs later, the freshman Jones stepped in for the second time in the sixth inning. This time, the bases were loaded. 

Jones hit the second pitch on the inside corner and sent it over the left-field wall for a walk-off grand slam, capping off a 10-run inning to win Game 2 of the series on Saturday.

“The more consistent you are in practice, the more it translates in the at-bats,” Ritter said about Jones. “She deserved it.”

The first home run of Jones’ career also marked Minnesota’s 40th of the season. The Gophers have since tacked on two more, pushing their season total to 42 and extending their active home run streak to nine consecutive games.

The Gophers placed third in the Big Ten with an overall record of 21-15 and are on a six-game win streak, during which they have scored 70 runs.

The Gophers’ performance at the plate this year has been nothing short of spectacular. As of April 9, their offense is first or tied for first in the Big Ten in runs (247), RBIs (225), total bases (518), slugging percentage (.513) and walks (142).

The group is second in the conference in hits (316), home runs (42), on-base percentage (.402) and sacrifice flies (13).

Gopher Morgan DeBord followed up Jones’ Game 2 performance with a clutch moment of her own.

Down three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 3 with two runners on base, DeBord laid into a fastball on the outer edge, sending it to left-center and over the wall to tie the game.

DeBord said she had confidence heading into the at-bat.

“I’d been seeing the ball well all day,” DeBord said. “Once I hit it, I knew off the bat, yeah, that’s a good hit. Seeing it go over was a rush of energy. Rounding the bases and coming back to my team at home was probably the most hype I’ve ever been.”

It was a series to remember for DeBord, who went 6 for 9 with two doubles, six RBIs, and one home run in three games. The graduate transfer from Loyola Marymount said her first home series at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium was “a dream come true.”

The Gophers swept Illinois in an away series on March 29 and 30 thanks to 11 home runs from six different batters throughout the series, including a program record three home runs in a single game for Jess Oakland in Game 2.

Since March 17, the San Jose, California, native has tallied a hit in 10 consecutive games, averaging 2.2 per game.

Oakland said home runs and hits of all types spark confidence in the lineup when facing an opposing pitcher.

“I think [home runs] are totally contagious,” Oakland said. “When one person gets a hit, even if it’s a little dinker, it frees up people to be like, ‘We can hit this pitcher,’” Oakland said. 

Oakland said she came into college unsure what to expect from her offense. Now, Oakland sits second in the Big Ten with 14 home runs and second in the conference with a .479 batting average (min. 50 at-bats).

Catcher Taylor Krapf has four home runs in her last six games and went 4 for 4 at the plate in the final game of the Ohio State series, tallying three doubles and a single.

After not hitting a home run in the first 24 games of the season, Krapf has hit seven home runs in the last 12 games, including one in each of the three games against Illinois.

“Trusting myself and trusting that my teammates had my back if it wasn’t going my way,” Krapf said when asked about what helped her confidence on offense. “Finding my confidence and trusting the process to get there.”