Iowa Baseball Series Preview: Minnesota Golden Gophers

WEEKEND SERIES: AT MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS (11-11)

Last week, the talk was about how the Hawkeyes had been taking an unorthodox approach in their first two Big Ten series, taking the final two after losing on Friday. This past weekend, Iowa took the less stressful approach and just won them all, sweeping Ohio State in dominating fashion. They outscored the Buckeyes 42-7 and won via run-rule on Friday and Sunday. The sweep moved them into a tie for first place in the Big Ten at 7-2, with Oregon and UCLA. Despite that, the Hawkeyes had their six-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday, falling to Illinois State 10-8 in Normal.

This week, the Hawkeyes are headed up to Minneapolis for a three-game series with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The scheduling is a bit different, with the opener later today and a doubleheader set for Friday due to forecasted weather conditions over the weekend. Minnesota leads the all-time series 187-129, but the Hawkeyes have won 10 of the last 12 meetings, including a pair of series sweeps.

The Gophers are led by first-year head coach Ty McDevitt who took over for the legendary John Anderson. McDevitt played collegiately at Minnesota and spent the last eight seasons on staff, including six seasons as pitching coach. The program hasn’t had a winning season in Big Ten play since 2019, but they are a competitive bunch this season. Despite the 11-11 record and 2-4 mark in Big Ten play, Minnesota has played the #2 strength of schedule in terms of opponent record, including 21 of 22 games coming against teams with above .500 records. They have a series win at Arizona State, as well as single wins over #8 Oregon State and #10 Oregon.

Minnesota Last 10 Games (6-4)

March 9 vs Purdue: W 10-8 March 11-12 vs Kansas: W 10-6, L 29-1 March 14-16 at Oregon: L 5-2, L 4-2, W 9-1 March 19 vs St Thomas: W 8-2 March 21-23 vs High Point: W 12-1, L 11-7, W 8-2

IOWA HAWKEYES PROBABLE STARTING ROTATION

RHP Aaron Savary (Thursday) – Through six starts this season, Aaron Savary has a 4-0 record, posting a 3.06 ERA over 32.1 innings, including 36 strikeouts to 15 walks. In the Hawkeyes 12-5 win over OSU on Saturday, Savary was helped by his offense, allowing five runs on four hits over 3.1 innings, including four strikeouts to four free bases given up. This week against the Gophers, Aaron will look to bounce back and prove that last week was a blip on the radar. His overall numbers are still solid, holding opponents to 0.59 hits per inning and throwing 60.9% (319/524) of his pitches for strikes.

LHP Cade Obermueller (Friday Game #1) – Through six starts this season, Cade Obermueller has a 3.48 ERA over 33.2 innings, including 42 strikeouts to 11 walks. After briefly going over 1.00 hits allowed per inning, Cade has gotten that back to 0.92 per inning after a good start against OSU. In the series opener against the Buckeyes, Obermueller got his first win of the season, tossing 6.0 scoreless innings, including nine strikeouts to two walks and three hits allowed. Another start with 60.0%+ strikes thrown moves his season strike rate up to 65.9% (307/466).

RHP Reece Beuter (Friday Game #2) – Through six starts, Reece Beuter has been a reliable Sunday starter, posting a 3.52 ERA over 30.2 innings, including 30 strikeouts to 11 walks. Beuter has gotten back on track after a rough outing at Rutgers and was good again in the series finale against OSU. Reece allowed two runs on one hit over 5.0 innings and walked four, but did strike out seven. Over his last two starts, Beuter has 15 strikeouts, but has walked seven. Still, Reece has a 65.9% (309/469) strike rate, which is where you want to be.

MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS PROBABLE STARTING ROTATION

RHP Cole Selvig (Thursday) – Through six starts this season, Texas transfer right-hander Cole Selvig has posted a 4.26 ERA over 31.2 innings, including 28 strikeouts to 11 walks. He has allowed some hits, with opponents’ batting .300 and averaging 1.15 hits per inning, but eight of his earned runs and 17 of hits allowed came over two starts against Purdue and Oregon. Last time out against High Point, Selvig allowed one run on four hits over 6.0 innings, including six strikeouts to just one walk.

LHP Justin Thorsteinson (Friday Game #1) – A former Oregon State transfer and reliever for the Gophers last season, left-hander Justin Thorsteinson has moved into the rotation this year. In six starts, Thorsteinson has a 4.79 ERA over 20.2 innings, including 28 strikeouts to ten walks. He doesn’t provide the same length as the other starters, averaging just 3.3 innings per start, does average 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings. Last time out against High Point, Thorsteinson did provide length, tossing 5.0 scoreless innings, including 11 strikeouts to three walks and one hit.

RHP Kyle Remington (Friday Game #2) – As a freshman last season, right-hander Kyle Remington appeared in just four games but has made the jump into the starting rotation this year. In six starts, Kyle has a 4.45 ERA over 30.1 innings, including 28 strikeouts to 11 walks. The glaring stat about his pitching is that when he allows hits, they are mostly loud. Remington is allowing 1.02 hits per inning, with 20 of his 31 hits (64.5%) allowed going for extra bases. Last time out against High Point, Remington has allowed three runs on five hits over 2.2 innings, including two strikeouts to two walks.

GOLDEN GOPHERS PLAYERS TO WATCH

1. OF Drew Berkland – A part-time starter in each of his first two seasons with the Gophers, outfielder Drew Berkland is enjoying a great start at the plate. He appeared in 33 games, with 21 starts and batted .325 last season, but is an everyday guy now, starting all 22 games. Berkland is slashing .264/.366/.598, with 23 hits, 20 runs scored, five doubles, eight home runs and 27 RBI’s. He has seven multi-hit games, including a three-hit, two-home run, five-RBI game against High Point last Friday.

2. 2B Easton Richter – A transfer from St Louis, second baseman Easton Richter batted .322 last season for the Billikens, including a .428 on-base percentage, 15 extra base hits and 32 RBI’s. In 20 starts, Richter is slashing .308/.393/.641, with 24 hits, four doubles, six home runs and 22 RBI’s. He has totaled 19 hits over his last 12 games and enters the weekend riding a nine-game hitting streak.

3. SS Jack Spanier – A Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection a year ago, sophomore shortstop Jack Spanier appeared in 30 games with 27 starts last season. He hit .361 in Big Ten games, which ranked second-best of all freshmen in the conference. This season, in 20 starts, Spanier is slashing .324/.429/.437, with 23 hits, 16 RBI’s and a team-leading 11 stolen bases. As a team, the Gophers don’t earn many free bases, with just a 13.8% team walk+hbp rate, but Spanier is second on the team with 13 walks+hbp. He has reached base in 19 of 20 games this season.

4. 1B Jake Elbeery – A transfer from Richmond, first baseman Jake Elbeery missed much of last season due to injury, but started 121 games, totaling 138 hits and 24 extra base hits in his time with the Spiders. This season, his first with the Gophers, Elbeery is slashing .333/.425/.449, with 23 hits, five doubles and seven RBI’s. Going back to his time with Richmond, he isn’t a giant power threat, with just 30 of his 161 (18.6%) career hits going for extra bases. That being said, he has still produced, averaging 1.15 hits per start.

5. C Weber Neels – A starter since the day he stepped on campus, junior catcher Weber Neels has been a staple in the Gophers lineup, totaling 104 starts. Last season, Neels batted .317, totaling 57 hits and 22 extra base hits, but has gotten off to a slow start this season. In 18 starts, Weber is slashing .227/.354/.439, with 15 hits, three doubles, three home runs and 12 RBI’s. He is tied with Jack Spanier for second on the team, with 13 walks+hbp. When Neels is doing well he doesn’t strike out a lot, posting a 13.9% strikeout rate in 215 plate appearances a year ago, but that has spiked to 27.8% in 79 plate appearances this season.

6. RHP Joe Sperry – A transfer from South Carolina Lancaster, right-hander Joe Sperry has been the Gophers most used option out of the bullpen this season, appearing in nine games. Sperry has posted a 3.20 ERA over 19.2 innings, including 16 strikeouts to nine walks. He got roughed up in his last outing, allowing five runs over 3.0 innings against High Point, but he has allowed one run or less in eight of his nine appearances.

MIDWEEK: at Bradley (3-17)

On Tuesday, the Hawkeyes will travel down to Peoria for their second consecutive road midweek contest, this time facing the Bradley Braves. Generally, a decent ball club in the MVC, the Braves fell to 13-37-1 last season and are just 3-17 so far this season. Picked to finish 8th in the preseason MVC coaches’ poll, Bradley brought back just four of 11 players that started 20+ games last season. The Braves are at home for a three-game series with Southern Illinois this weekend.

BRAVES PLAYERS TO WATCH

1. OF Mason Breidenbach – Appearing in just 35 games over his first two seasons with the Braves, outfielder Mason Breidenbach has made a big impact in his first year as a full-time starter. Breidenbach is slashing .338/.458/.403, with a team-high 26 hits, five doubles and 13 RBI’s. Not only has he totaled nine multi-hit games, but he also leads the team with an 18.9% walk+hbp rate and has reached base in 17 of 20 games.

2. 1B Timmy O’Brien – The power hitter in the Braves lineup, first baseman Timmy O’Brien finished with 23 extra base hits, eight home runs and 43 RBI’s last season. This season, in 20 starts, O’Brien is slashing .260/.372/.534, with 19 hits, six home runs and 15 RBI’s. He does strikeout quite a bit, with a 27.3% strikeout last season and now, a 31.4% K rate this season over 86 plate appearances. Over his last 70 games, O’Brien is reaching base 1.56 times per game and striking out 1.24 times per game.

3. DH Bobby Atkinson – A transfer from Coastal Carolina, designated hitter Bobby Atkinson started his collegiate career at Heartland CC, before spending last season with the Chanticleers. This season, Atkinson is slashing .299/.396/.494, with 23 hits, seven doubles, two home runs and 17 RBI’s. He has totaled five multi-hit games and leads the Braves with 16 runs scored.

FINAL THOUGHT

Set the over/under for the week at 2.5 wins. The Hawkeyes suffered a tough midweek loss at Illinois State, but facing the Braves this coming Tuesday is a must-win. Not only is Bradley just 3-17, but their RPI is #270, so a loss would be a major hit. As for the series against the Gophers, it will be an interesting test for both sides, starting a day early and ending with a doubleheader on Friday. A very unique schedule for both coaching staffs to plan for.

Minnesota is a tough squad with solid talent on the mound and in the field. That being said, offensively, they rank 9th in the Big Ten in batting average, 12th in OBP, 12th in hits, 13th in walks drawn and 4th in strikeouts. On the mound, they rank 10th in ERA, 5th in K/9, 7th in BB/9 and 9th in batting average against. It’s by no means an easy series, especially with the unique schedule, but it’s a winnable series with the way the Hawkeyes have been playing the last three weekends.