The Gophers will send Alec Crawford to the mound against Illinois on Friday in a Big Ten Tournament elimination game.
Minnesota would need to win five consecutive games, including two today, to win this tournament and secure the Big Ten’s automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. The Gophers probably won’t qualify for an at-large bid.
Illinois can make a strong case to make the tournament regardless of today’s outcome. The Fighting Illini rank 30th in the latest RPI rankings.
One hour after this game ends, the winner will face third-seeded Nebraska.
ILLINOIS (34-17)
1. Lindauer, SS
2. Hurwitz, DH
3. Justin Parr, CF
4. Jordan Parr, LF
5. Hohl, 3B
6. Kerian, 1B
7. Roper, 2B
8. Hendrickson, RF
9. Norris-Jones, C
Starting pitcher: RH Castellanos (3-1, 5.20 ERA)
GOPHERS (31-21)
1. Schaefbauer, 2B
2. Schlangen, RF
3. Henkemeyer, LF
4. Halloran, C
5. Olinger, 1B
6. TBA, DH
7. Handel, SS
8. Abrahamson, 3B
9. Larson, CF
Starting pitcher: RH Crawford (3-2, 2.62 ERA)
Target Field. First pitch: 12:05 p.m. TV: Big Ten Network
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Randy Johnson has been covering college football in one form or another since the early 1990s. He was the Star Tribune’s main college football editor on the copy desk for nearly two decades before returning to reporting in August 2017 as the beat writer for Gophers football. Randy has covered a Rose Bowl (Joe Paterno’s 1994 Penn State team), and he covered a John Gutekunst-coached Gophers team that missed out on the 1990 Weed-Eater Bowl. Email Randy to talk about the Gophers.
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