With a relatively new team mixed with young talent, transfers and a new head coach, Gophers baseball looks to their upperclassmen for leadership. 

The Gophers lean on the upperclassmen to set the tone at practice and provide optimism throughout both wins and losses. 

Junior Weber Neels recently delivered an impressive performance in a tough matchup against the University of Southern California, hitting a home run and driving in three RBI. Neels said that keeping composure and staying positive is crucial as a leader for his teammates. 

“Staying the course, trusting the work and to keep showing up is the best way to keep positive,” Neels said.

Senior Josh Fitzgerald also helped lead the team against the Trojans, hitting two home runs with two RBI.

After a nine-game winning streak, the Gophers are focused on continuing their momentum. To maintain their focus, the upperclassmen play a key role in keeping their teammates’ mindset sharp during practice every day.

“Such a great group of guys that help a ton, and help a lot by trusting what I’ve done and putting it out there,“ freshman Jameson Martin said.

With a team of new faces and unknown capabilities, pressure can easily arise.

“I had conversations with some of the guys and just reminded them you got recruited here for a reason,” Neels said.

Neels said he tells the team that they have the ability to play at the Division I level, trying to give them reassurance to help them trust themselves.

The team culture at practice is an important piece of the puzzle for the Gophers as they attempt to keep the energy high as the season winds down.

Head coach Ty McDevitt emphasized the importance of practicing with the same intensity and intention used in a game.

“When we get into team practice, we aren’t slowing down for anybody,” McDevitt said. 

The Gophers have embraced the new energy within the team culture, driven by McDevitt and the leadership of the upperclassmen.

“Ty brings in a new environment,” Martin said. “He expects a ton out of us but is a great leader, has all of our backs and is always energetic.”

In his first year as head coach, McDevitt brought in 10 transfers, giving the upperclassmen a chance to reinforce the core values and expectations of Gopher baseball to the new additions.

“You have to create new relationships and meet new faces, and learn what makes them tick,” Neels said. 

Without the ability to play year-round, the Gophers have to find different ways to get the work done and help the new players with the adjustment. 

“Minnesota baseball is unique. When guys want to come to Minnesota, they have to realize it’s different, and the team we are trying to create is someone who can compete with anybody across the nation, no matter how cold it is,” Neels said.

As the weather warms up, Neels said the team’s mood continues to lift, furthering the energy and team culture the Gophers strive for every day. 

The Gophers will celebrate their 13 seniors at Siebert Field on May 11 for their final Big Ten home series of the season.

Qualifying for the NCAA Regional golf tournament is becoming somewhat of a routine for Gophers junior golfer Isabella McCauley, marking her third consecutive appearance this season.

McCauley’s journey to the NCAA Regional golf tournament has been impressive. Beginning as a freshman, McCauley qualified for the tournament and finished 6th overall with scores of 74-67-68-209 and a ticket to nationals.

Ultimately, McCauley capped off her freshman year tied for runner-up at the Big Ten tournament and a top-80 national performance.

Looking back on her first experience as an incredibly fun and exciting time, McCauley is eager to create more memories just like it.

“I like to go into big competitions with no expectations and just have as much fun as I can, and the chips will fall where they may,” McCauley said.

After a successful first year, McCauley was determined to continue working hard and improve.

“It’s important to continue practicing and keep your goals in the back of your mind to always have something to work for,” McCauley said.

McCauley’s younger sister and teammate, Reese McCauley, has always grown up inspired by her sister’s work ethic.

“Bella is the one who would push me and made me want to go out there all the time,” Reese McCauley said.

Not only did Isabella McCauley return to the regional meet her sophomore season, but she also took the Big Ten Tri-Championship title after she finished second the previous year. 

In the offseason, McCauley stayed hard at work and continued to practice as much as possible. Over the years she focused on all the small aspects of golf people do not normally see. 

“Recently I’ve been focusing on putting the small things that go unnoticed in golf first and the score results secondary,” McCauley said.

By her second regional and national appearance in a row, McCauley learned the best ways to calm her nerves and keep her mind sharp. 

“All three years I have had the same mindset going in, and that is really to just have no expectations so I can take the pressure off and focus on having a fun time with my coaches and family,” McCauley said.

As a junior, McCauley already topped her previous accomplishments as she received an honorary invite to compete at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, was named Final Fall on ANNIKA Award News and Watch List and won her third collegiate tournament at the Ron Moore Intercollegiate. 

McCauley said she has been strategic in adjusting her goals over the years as she continues to improve every year. 

“I’ve learned to not compare myself to years prior and just focus on things that I can control,” McCauley said.

With six individual representatives and 12 teams, the dynamic of the regional meet felt very team-based. McCauley said she felt some of the pressure of the tournament lifted as an individual competitor. 

“It definitely takes the pressure off as an individual, plus I know a lot of people from other schools that I get along with really well, so I never have felt alone,” McCauley said.

While loving the opportunity to represent maroon and gold on her own, McCauley’s biggest goal as a senior is to qualify for both regionals and nationals with her team.

“As any athlete, you always have goals and expectations so I would really love to make an appearance with my team next year,” McCauley said. 

McCauley will compete next at the Columbus Regional tournament in Carlsbad, California on May 5.

As summer approaches and the collegiate season winds down, the Gophers baseball team is already gearing up for the season ahead. 

Summer league baseball starts immediately after the regular season ends, usually at the end of May or early June. The league is a way for college athletes to stay in shape in the offseason and is the most popular option for players who want a professional career in the MLB.

It tends to be more relaxed than collegiate baseball, but it is an important method to showcase talent to major league scouts. The Gophers are full of players looking for a chance to be drafted.

“The goal is to play in the MLB,” Gophers junior Drew Berkland said.

The Northwoods League is the most popular for the Gophers and where the majority of the Gophers will be playing this summer. 

Berkland, who plays with the Wausau Woodchucks in the summer, was named Northwoods League Player of the Night in a game versus Madison in 2023. 

Gophers sophomore Cole Selvig said the summertime is also an opportunity to reconnect with past coaches and teammates.

“One of my biggest influences was my coach during the summer for the Northwoods League,” Selvig said. “It was kind of nice to rekindle that relationship.”

Comparatively to college baseball, summer league is more individualized and is used to improve certain aspects of each player’s game. 

With less attention put on team success and overall standings, the pressure is a lot lower in the summer for players.

While players are focusing more on individual growth in the summer, there are less team commitments and daily responsibilities. During the school year, players usually have to balance practice with classes, lifts and team meetings.

Being on the road every week during the school year can become mentally strenuous. During the summer season, there is a lot more flexibility. 

“We are on the road quite a bit throughout the school year and we normally have mandatory schedules,” Berkland said.

In the summer, the travel is less hectic and games are usually located in more regional settings. 

Additionally, summer league practices are a different environment compared to the collegiate routine. During the summer, it is on the player to take control of their practice hours, while in college the coaching staff manages the team. 

Freshman Jameson Martin said he and his teammates understand what their goals are as soon as they get on the field. 

“When we go to practice we know what we need to get done,” Martin said. “We are always making each other better.” 

The Gophers are currently 20-18 after a nine-game win streak with 14 games remaining before the Big Ten Tournament.

The process of becoming a professional golfer is far from any other sport. It is a long journey that not only takes talent and skill, but also years of accumulated points and experience. 

Unlike other sports where the path to the pros can sometimes be clear-cut, golf requires a unique combination of different factors. 

For most aspiring professionals, the journey begins at the collegiate level. Over the course of their career, they need to accumulate points through different tournaments based on their performance. 

The points collected will grant a college athlete eligibility for the PGA Tour membership, which is the next step before reaching the professional level.

“It is extremely competitive, and if you’re not placing at the top of the leaderboard, you’re not rewarded and you can’t move on to the next stage,” Gophers freshman golfer Jordana Windhorst-Knudsen said.

Throughout the PGA Tour, a golfer’s success and achievements determine if they will qualify as a professional. Additionally, there is a requirement to pass the qualifying level, which will then grant professional status. 

There is a considerable difference between the PGA and LPGA, which is why multiple women on the Gophers team are not sure if they want to go professional. 

“I haven’t quite decided what I want to do, whether that’s playing pro or going into business, I am not sure,” Gophers junior golfer Isabella McCauley said. 

“Going pro is very challenging, especially for women,” Windhorst-Knudsen said. “The pay difference between the PGA and Ladies PGA is very significant.”

After successfully reaching a professional career, the transition from a college golfer to a professional golfer is drastic. 

By no longer being on a team, most of the support system is gone and golfers become individually responsible for their career.

While college athletes often have scholarships and team support, professionals need to secure sponsorship deals, prize money and sometimes even personal investors to cover travel and other expenses. 

Both of Minnesota’s freshmen, Jack Crousore and Chun-Ta Wu, agree that a key part of their collegiate success comes from being surrounded by teammates who all have aspirations to go pro.

“There is no way to succeed by yourself, so being able to have people around you that are supporting you to chase your dreams is a big help,” Wu said.

What started as a shared interest in golf blossomed into the McCauley sisters playing together on the same collegiate team.

Minnesota’s Reese McCauley grew up playing golf because of her older sister, Isabella McCauley. Watching Isabella practice alongside their dad, Reese knew she wanted to follow in her footsteps.

The two sisters each started playing golf at the age of six. Their father, Sean McCauley, ignited the love for the sport in both of his daughters by bribing the two with candy to get them to practice.

“He just made us love it. Growing up, we would be playing games and he told me I had a good shot, so from then on I wanted to go out there all the time,” Reese said.

Sean was a golf instructor before the girls were born, passing his knowledge and passion onto them. 

The sisters played together for two years at Simley High School before Isabella left to play in college.

Isabella paved the way for her sister as she collected many accolades throughout high school, including an individual state championship title and being named Ms. Minnesota Golf in 2022.

Both of which Reese achieved as well.

Reese looked up to her sister as her biggest inspiration. Taking after her older sister, Reese quickly rose through the ranks in high school, where she became a two-time state champion and Ms. Minnesota Golf in 2024.

Although neither sister planned on attending the same college, the University of Minnesota just ended up being the right fit for both of them, being about 25 minutes away from home.

“It was never something from the start where we said we have to go to the same school, it just happened that way and ended up being the best fit for both of us,” Isabella said.

Growing up, the sisters were always close. Practicing long hours together, Isabella would always encourage Reese, wanting her to be the best version of herself.

“It’s nice to have someone who knows the ropes ahead of time to help me,” Reese said.

Adjusting to a university as big as Minnesota, Reese was grateful for the guidance from her older sister for her freshman year.

Both Isabella and Reese were excited about the idea of being teammates with a sister, but they did not know they would get a best friend as well.

“It’s been absolutely amazing having her on the team, she and I are like best friends and being able to make memories for these two years while I am here, it’s so awesome,” Isabella said.

Now the sisters enjoy sharing a hotel room at competitions, having family to travel with for competitions and a 24-hour practice partner. 

“It kind of feels like we are an old married couple at times, where we fight a lot but then we will be super close, so it is really fun,” Reese said. 

Having both a friend and teammate who have the same goals makes it a lot easier to stay on track as a college athlete and hold one another accountable.

“It is kind of crazy when you think about us ending up together, but I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Isabella said.

Behind every hole-in-one lies the hidden physical strain and mental pressure that come with the game of golf. 

Day and night dedication and discipline are required for each round at the collegiate level.

The reality is 14-hour days and over 30 hours of practice each week, where both physical and mental fitness is tested. During competition days on a 36-hole course, golfers walk over 20 miles across the hilly course.

Minnesota freshman Reese McCauley said there is a difference between players who are just playing for fun and those who are playing competitively. 

“Both players experience mental toughness, but I think competitive players experience it more physically,” Reese McCauley said.

Trying to stay fueled throughout the day can be one of the biggest challenges, according to Minnesota’s Big Ten Tri-Champion Isabella McCauley.

While it is crucial for golfers to keep both their bodies fueled and their minds sharp during competitions, players often do not even stop for lunch.

“It is always a bit tough managing some of those days, it really tests your mental stamina,” Isabella McCauley said.

In the high-pressure environment of competitive golf, having a supportive team culture can make all the difference.

Freshman Jordana Windhorst-Knudsen said looking forward to practicing with the team is a great way to get through some of the long days. 

“We really operate like family and are a tight and close-knit team that is a very positive culture to be around,” Windhorst-Knudsen said.

The Gophers’ favorite way to stay close is spending time together outside of their sport. 

“We like to change it up and get our nails done together, go shopping and do fun things that aren’t related to golf,” Reese McCauley said.

With a roster size as small as seven girls, inclusivity is what differentiates the golf team from other sports.

Reese McCauley said an enjoyable part of the sport is there is no golf stereotype. 

“Golf has every personality, body type, height, whether you’re short or tall, which is really interesting,” Reese McCauley said.

Golf is a unique sport, meaning careers are not over after graduating. The average age of men’s golfers in the U.S. is 43.5 years old, while women’s golfers are an average age of 39. 

“I just love golf because you can take it literally anywhere in your career, you can go pretty much anywhere you want with it,” Windhorst-Knudsen said.

They may be new to the team, but lately, it is two freshmen leading the Gophers on the golf course.

Freshmen Jack Crousore and Chun-Ta Wu paved the way for their team the past three tournaments, helping the Gophers score in the top 20 for three weekends in a row. 

Crousore made a statement at the Pay it Forward Collegiate, carding a personal best 18-hole score of 66. Crousore wrapped up the tournament with a score of 3-under par, resulting in a 15th-place finish. 

Wu made his presence known early on by dropping eight birdies during the 54-hole event and finishing 3-over for a 34th-place finish.

The duo’s performance showed how the future of Gophers golf is already making an impact. 

Head coach Justin Smith showed excitement for the potential of the freshman recruits.

“I am so excited for the future of our program,” Smith said. 

With just 10 guys on the roster, the Gophers have built a family-like team culture.

That close-knit environment has been the perfect setting for freshmen like Crousore and Wu, who are surrounded by teammates who challenge and support them as they chase their dreams of going pro.

“The team culture is unbelievable, at the end of the day we all have aspirations to go pro and there is no way to succeed by yourself,” Wu said. 

With the relationships he has built within the team, Wu has been motivated to not only play for himself but his teammates.

Crousore also embraced the role as a young key contributor, excited to continue to develop over his career at Minnesota.

“It feels really cool to be able to come in here and play my way into that role this second semester, it is really cool for us because we have three more years of this,” Crousore said. 

Coming in as freshman leaders continues to be an exciting experience for Crousore and Wu, both enthused about what it could mean for the future of the program.  

“I feel like it is a really good opportunity for the program to develop around some young guys to make a run at Big Tens and regionals,” Crousore said.  

With both tournaments coming up, neither Crousore nor Wu has any plans of slowing down as they set their sights on some big goals.

Currently ranked 440th in the nation, Wu is focused on climbing into the top 200 over the next few tournaments, while Crousore is setting his sights on making a statement at the Big Ten Championships.

“I for sure want to be in the hunt at Big Tens,” Crousore said. “I would love to finish in the top 15 at Big Tens, and get inside the top 400 on Clippd rankings.”

As the Gophers gymnastics season draws to a close, the 2025 season left many highlights to reflect on. 

To start the year, the University of Minnesota officially opened the doors to the new $15.5 million dollar gymnastics performance center in January. 

“This is an exciting day for our gymnastics program,” Athletic Director Mark Coyle said.

The new gymnastics performance center was a goal head coach Jenny Hansen had made 11 years ago, so she was beyond excited for the day to finally come. 

“We have worked a long time to make this day a reality for our student-athletes and we’re so grateful to everyone who made this a reality,” Hansen said.

The Gophers started strong this season, winning five consecutive meets and securing an early second-place ranking in the Big Ten.

The vault was a shining point for the Gophers early on. Their top five scorers all scored 9.775 or better and scored a collective 49.250 in their second meet of the season against the University of New Hampshire. 

Hansen, predicting the future success of the season, felt excited for her team of vaulters.

“We have a lot of really good vaulters,” Hansen said. “I can really see that being one of our best events this year.” 

Proving Hansen right, the Gophers recorded a season-high on vault with a score of 49.400.

Midway through the season, the Gophers achieved one of their biggest milestones, capturing the Big Four Meet title. 

“We were steadily improving throughout the year, and that hard work paid off when it mattered most,” senior Emily Koch said. 

“This really was a team effort,” Koch said. “The upperclassmen are really showing the rest of the team the way.” 

At the heart of the team’s success was fifth-year Mya Hooten, earning All-Big Ten honors for the fifth consecutive year. Hooten made nationals for the fourth time in her career, including her second straight year as an individual.

Freshman Ava Stewart, an Olympian for Team Canada this past summer, made an immediate impact on the team. 

By the end of the season, Stewart earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, becoming the first Gophers freshman since 2021 to earn all-freshman honors. 

Alongside Stewart, sophomore Jordyn Lyden and junior Sarah Moraw were also named to the Second Team All-Big Ten, showcasing the strength of Minnesota’s lineup from top to bottom.

Collectively the Gophers placed third at the Big Ten championships, where Lyden had her breakout performance tying for the bars title. 

With a strong lineup and a close-knit team, the Gophers were bound to succeed this season.

“Our team culture this year was so amazing, we were so close inside and outside of the gym,” Koch said. 

Their impressive run continued, and before long, they were one of only two Big Ten teams to make it to the NCAA Regional finals for the fourth time in five years.

“The energy in the arena was incredible, and we were able to feed off that momentum, using it to fuel our performances,” Koch said. “I am so grateful I got to end my career with two hit routines, surrounded by my team, my family and Gopher nation!”

Once again proving her leadership has elevated the Gophers program to new heights, Hansen earned an award at the end of the season as well. 

Leading the Gophers to a stellar 17-7 record and an 8-1 conference record this year, Hansen was named the North Central Region Coach of the Year.

Jenny Hansen is known for the success and accolades she brings to the Gophers gymnastics program as head coach, but before she was a coach, she was a gymnast herself. 

Native to Ripon, Wis., Hansen started coaching at 13 years old. She worked in gyms with preschool and elementary kids every summer, finding joy in helping others succeed.

Watching young athletes’ reactions to a new accomplishment fulfilled Hansen and kept her returning every summer. 

“I loved being part of the process of helping somebody get better, I got to experience that really early on and had the coaching bug in me,” Hansen said.

From 2000 to 2003, Hansen competed as a gymnast for the University of Minnesota, where she pursued both individual goals and helped her team get to the national championships. In her senior season, Hansen worked her way onto three all-time performance lists, including beam, floor and vault, and was named a team captain. 

Former Gophers gymnast and Hansen’s teammate Kelly Fang admired Hansen’s determination to improve every year. 

“By senior year, normally you are dwindling down because your body can only handle so much, and she was the opposite. She even added the event vault,” Fang said.

As she watched Hansen calculate their team’s numbers and scores, Fang knew Hansen would be a coach one day.

“She always had that mindset of figuring out what we needed to do to win, while the rest of us were mainly focused individually,” Fang said. “She had a bigger understanding of gymnastics as a whole.” 

Hansen had an abundance of coaching experience before graduating with a degree in kinesiology. As a fifth-year student, she was a student coach for the Gophers before moving into a volunteer coaching position the following year. 

In 2006, Hansen was offered a position as an assistant coach for the University of Illinois. Hansen handled the floor exercise, music selection compilation and choreography with Illinois for a year before returning to the Gophers.  

In Hansen’s eyes, a key piece to the program’s success is to value the team’s environment. In the recruiting process, Hansen looks for women who love gymnastics with a passion.

“It’s really kind of easy to coach those kinds of athletes when they walk in with a smile on their face and ready to go every day, that’s a really great environment,” Hansen said. 

National qualifier and All-American Lexy Ramler competed under Hansen for five years. Ramler said Hansen grew the culture to be more than just gymnastics and, in doing so, led the team to greater success. 

“The team environment was a big focus for Jenny. We would go over team values in practice and she would help develop us as more than just athletes,” Ramler said.

Since Hansen returned to her alma mater to coach, every coach on her roster is still here today. Hansen’s biggest goal every year is to build on the last. 

“It’s definitely something that is unique about her. Typically, you see the coaching staff change, but Minnesota has had the same staffing coach for years, which just shows the stable foundation of Minnesota’s program in general,” Ramler said.

Hansen is determined to create a program that thrives both athletically and academically. The team led all winter programs at Minnesota and in the Big Ten with 15 Academic All-Big Ten selections. 

A record six gymnasts were 2019-20 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award recipients and the 2020 spring term 3.82 grade point average was the highest in program history. 

“We want to be that premier program in the athletic program that athletically they achieve, academically achieve and just set a great example for the community,” Hansen said. 

Hansen’s biggest challenge is balancing her work and personal life. Married with two children, her experience as a student athlete helped prepare her with time-management skills. 

“Things don’t get easier, you just learn how to handle hard better,” Hansen said.

Set on continuing to grow Gophers gymnastics, Hansen’s end goal is to have a program that everyone strives to be like. 

“We want to be great in all the areas where everyone says, ‘Let’s be like the gymnastics team,’” Hansen said.

Ever since two boys in the neighborhood asked Cole Selvig to play baseball with them, his mind has been on baseball.

Now all three of them played baseball at the college level. Cooper Kapanke and Campbell Kapanke played baseball for Winona State and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, respectively.

“We didn’t know it, but we’d all be college baseball players someday,” Selvig said.

Since he was 5 years old, Selvig always had a bat or ball in his hand. He played baseball from sunrise until sunset every week with the neighbor kids. 

Selvig grew up without any siblings, so he considers Cooper and Campbell Kapanke as his brothers. He credits them for sparking his competitiveness which is now reflected in his games.

“Ever since then I’ve had a competitive edge about me, in everything I do, it is kind of annoying sometimes,” Selvig said. 

Selvig appeared in seven games as a freshman, throwing 8.1 innings with the University of Texas. He started multiple games this season for the Gophers as a sophomore, with a career-high of seven strikeouts against Oklahoma.

Selvig reached a turning point in his career in 2020 during COVID lockdown.

At home, Selvig decided to workout in his basement mini gym, despite his season being put on pause.

“When everyone was taking time off I would go in there every day and kind of just work out and hit in my garage and just tried to outwork everyone in a sense,” Selvig said. 

The following year, he helped his team to the state championships. 

The Eau Claire, Wisconsin native attended Regis Catholic for high school. Selvig’s team had an extremely successful program, appearing in the state championships twice and taking the title his junior year. 

The year his team won the state title was bittersweet for Selvig. Dealing with a serious back injury at the time, Selvig did not suit up until the championship. 

Watching the game from the dugout refocused his mindset and reminded him that anything can take away the things you love.

“Especially with my team doing so well and I had to watch from the sidelines it built a lot of mental toughness, and that is something I still carry over to this day,” Selvig said.

Selvig’s main role model in the sport was his father, Mark Selvig, who taught him the importance of hard work, the unwritten rules of baseball and would always go to the field with him to throw.

“I would tell him that there is always someone that is always gonna have more talent, but you can always out-work them, and so I really just tried to let him know that hard work will pay off,” Mark Selvig said.

Amazed by his son’s work ethic, Mark Selvig could not comprehend how his son was never satisfied.

After watching him play, Mark Selvig and his wife would compliment their son. However, Cole Selvig never took any of his parents’ compliments to heart.

“He is always focused on what he can do better next time, what he did wrong, small little missteps and what he and his pitching coach are going to work on already next week,” Mark Selvig said.

Letting Cole Selvig chase his dream from an early age makes both of his parents extremely proud. 

“My wife and I were extremely proud and supportive and kind of just had to let him go and go chase his dream,” Mark Selvig said.

Selvig credits a lot of his success to his support system, starting all the way back with the kids next door.