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After losing 12-9 yesterday to Utah Valley, 5th ranked Oregon State (1-1) will try to bounce back today in Surprise, AZ, against Minnesota.(3-0*). Game time was set for 1 PM AST, noon PST, but was pushed back 15 minutes.
* The Golden Gophers of the B1G Ten will be playing their second game of the day, after a second game against Utah this morning. Minnesota beat the Utes 6-1 on Friday, and then downed Utah Valley 8-2 yesterday morning. Today, the Gophers got Utah again, this time by a 9-3 score. Utah got their 3 in the bottom of the 9th, prolonging the proceedings, and necessitating the 15 minute schedule delay.
It's been a good start to the season for the Gophers, who finished last season with a 21-30 record, including a 9-15 B1G Ten record, good for 9th place in a 13 team conference for baseball (Wisconsin doesn't participate in baseball), 13 games behind conference winning Illinois.
There's no video of any of the games at Surprise, just live stats and radio stream.
Pitching has been a surprisingly serious problem for the Beavers the first 2 days in Surprise. Coach Pat Casey said this past week that Sophomore LHP Luke Heimlich and senior RHP Travis Eckert will get the starts today and tomorrow against Utah, but Casey will wait until time to turn in a lineup to decide which pitcher will go which day, based on what matchups with the opposition will be most beneficial to the Beavers overall.
Casey has finally decided to go with Eckert today. This because 6 of the 9 Gophers in the starting lineup today are left handed hitters. Eckert went 6-2 with a 4.08 ERA in 16 starts last season.
Minnesota will send RHP Tyler Hanson out today. Hanson is making his first start, after 14 relief appearances last season, with 2 saves, 9 strikeouts, and no decisions in 18 2/3 innings. Hanson was also a position player, seeing time at first base and as the designated hitter.
Casey has also moved Trevor Morrison back to shortstop today, after yesterday's venture into center field. Nick Madrigal moves back to second base, with Caleb Hamilton heading out to left field, as Kyle Nobach is today's center fielder. Logan Ice is back behind the plate from the get-go, and KJ Harrison will be at first, with Billy King the designated hitter. This lineup seems the most sensible of those tried so far, though defense really hasn't been an issue.
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Oregon State and Minnesota have met 7 times previously, with the Beavers winning in 1990, the Gophers winning the next 3., sweeping a series in 1999, and the Beavers the last 3, sweeping a series in Corvallis in 2001.
Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com