The Gophers baseball team was picked to finish fifth in the Big Ten in a coaches' preseason poll. Indiana, which reached the title game a year ago, was picked to win the conference title.

The three Gophers chosen as players to watch were senior outfielder Andy Henkemeyer, junior corner infielder Dan Olinger and junior relief pitcher Tom Windle.

Henkemeyer hit .314 and had 27 RBI last season and led the Gophers with 31 runs scored. Olinger hit .318 and had 34 RBI to lead the team in both categories. Windle had a 3.27 earned-run average in 12 games.

The Gophers open the season with a three-game series at UCLA starting Friday.

Two from state honoredTwo Minnesotans are among the WCHA's three athletes of the week. Minnesota State Mankato's Eriah Hayes, a senior forward from La Crescent, Minn., is the offensive player of the week. He had four goals and three assists in the Mavericks' road sweep of Minnesota Duluth last weekend.

North Dakota's Zane Gothberg, a freshman from Thief River Falls, is the defensive player of the week. He stopped 62 of 65 shots in UND's sweep of Nebraska Omaha on the road.

The third athlete of the week is Hayes' teammate Teddy Blueger, a forward from Riga, Latvia, who had both game-winning goals and two assists against UMD.

Gophers sweep weekly diving awardsMaggie Keefer of the Gophers was named the Big Ten women's diver of the week and Marina Spadoni the freshman swimmer of the week for their accomplishments at the Minnesota Challenge in the team's pool. Keefer, a junior from Stillwater, won the 3-meter and platform events. Spadoni, of Foothill Ranch, Calif., won the 100-yard freestyle and swam on four winning relays.

The Gophers also won the men's diver of the week award. Senior Mikey Ross of Wilmette, Ill., earned that honor. He won the 3-meter and platform events at the Minnesota Challenge.

U women dominating hockey pollFor the 19th week in a row, the Gophers women's hockey team was rated No. 1 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine national ratings. The Gophers are 30-0-0 and have received all 19 votes for the top spot every week.

Two other WCHA teams in the top 10 were North Dakota at No. 7 and Wisconsin at No. 9.