The No. 7-ranked Gophers softball team, at 18-0 one of two unbeaten Division I teams left, will play five games in the Husky Classic in Seattle this weekend.
Two of the games will be against host Washington, 15-3 and ranked No. 8. Minnesota will face the Huskies, who ended the Gophers' season last year in a region final, at 5:45 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday. Two games against Seattle and one against South Dakota also are scheduled.
The Gophers are led by pitcher Sara Groenewegen, who is 9-0 with a 0.50 ERA and 72 strikeouts, and first baseman Sydney Dwyer, who is hitting .434 with 20 RBI.
Legend on sideline
Former St. John's basketball coach Jim Smith will coach the West team in the Division III College All-Star Game on March 18, which will be played as part of the 2017 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship.
The All-Star Game will be played before the national title game at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Va. Former Roanoke College (Va.) coach Page Moir will coach the East team. Both coaches are recipients of the NABC Division III Distinguished Service Award.
The winningest collegiate basketball coach on any level in Minnesota, Smith retired in March 2015 following his 51st season at St. John's with a 786-556 career record.
Etc.
• The University of North Dakota, the host school, announced that a limited number of 2017 NCAA Division I men's hockey West Regional ticket packages will go on sale to the public at 2 p.m. Friday. It will be held March 24-25 at Scheels Arena in Fargo, N.D.
