Gophers coach John Anderson calls it "the noise." As college baseball players become eligible for the major league draft, they get bombarded with advice from agents, advisers and even strangers on social media, creating a confusing stew of messages that can knock them off course.

That noise got to Gophers lefthander Dalton Sawyer last spring, leading to a difficult junior season — and prompting Anderson to issue an ultimatum after Sawyer was drafted by the Twins. "He decided not to sign, and he came in and saw me in the office," Anderson recalled. "I said, 'You can come back, but we're not going through what we went through last year.' "

With a clear head and a tight focus, Sawyer is assembling what Anderson called "a completely reverse year" as a senior. The Waconia native, who moved last season from the bullpen to the starting rotation, is 3-2 with a team-high 38 strikeouts and an earned-run average of 3.90. In his most recent start, he tied a career high with nine strikeouts in a victory at No. 23 Missouri State.

Sawyer frequently uses the word "gratitude" when talking about the past four years, which include his recovery from a car accident and his selection by the Twins in the 27th round of the draft. That feeling has only grown during his final college season, leaving little room for the noise.

"My goal as a senior is to be a role model and leader for the younger guys, to set the tone and pace for Gopher baseball and how hard we're going to play," said Sawyer, whose team opens the Big Ten season Friday against Iowa at Siebert Field. "This team has the most potential of any in the four years I've been here.

"I just wanted to come out this year and have fun with these guys and play well as a team. We've absolutely done that, and it's been great."

At 6-5, Dalton Sawyer is an imposing figure on the mound for the Gophers.

The Gophers are 13-9, with all but two of those games on the road, and their RPI stands at No. 23 — second only to Michigan (No. 17) among Big Ten teams. Their deep lineup includes catcher Austin Athmann of Cold Spring, Minn., who leads the team with a .412 average and five home runs; freshman shortstop Terrin Vavra, an outstanding fielder who is hitting .403 and whose father, Joe, is the Twins bench coach, and an experienced pitching staff.

Several players have raised their games, Anderson said, including Sawyer. After his freshman season, he suffered a collapsed lung, concussion and broken rib when his car collided with a pickup truck. He recovered quickly and had an outstanding sophomore year, leading the Gophers with six saves and six victories in 21 appearances out of the bullpen. He had a 2.62 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 44â…” innings.

With plans to move the 6-5, 215-pound Sawyer into the starting rotation, Anderson advised him not to play summer ball after his sophomore season. Sawyer elected to play anyway for St. Cloud of the Northwoods League, thinking it would help his draft prospects. As a junior, he struggled to a career-high ERA of 4.53 with 32 walks, and he had to be shut down for four weeks because of arm fatigue. Anderson said he also was swayed by too many outside opinions with the draft approaching.

"He lost his way," Anderson said. "There were lots of people in his ears, lots of people coaching him. And Dalton got kind of caught up in that.

"But he learned from it. He's been a phenomenal leader this year. He's been focused every day, he's listening, he's been coachable. He decided he wasn't going down that road again, and that's a credit to him."

This season, Anderson said, the only disagreements he's had with Sawyer happen when he takes him out of a game. Now that he's shut out the noise, Sawyer hopes the Gophers can create some buzz of a different kind.

"The goal is to go to [the College World Series] and win," he said. "Whatever the coaches want me to do to help the team best, I'll do it. I'm just happy to be out there."