Coach John Anderson's Gophers baseball team will have its first full squad practice of the
spring semester on Friday at the Nagurski Complex.
Minnesota will open their 2011 season on Feb. 19 against St. John's, ranked No. 23 in Baseball America's preseason top 25, in Clearwater, Fla.
The Gophers will face No. 9 UConn and Louisville the next two days in Clearwater.
Minnesota returns 24 players who played on last year's team that won the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles, and reached the final game of the NCAA regional at Cal State
Fullerton.
Among top returning players:
* first baseman Nick O'Shea, all-Big Ten first team ... a power hitter
* starting pitcher Phil Isaksson, second team
* closer Scott Matyas, third team ... can get big strikeout
* pitcher T.J. Oakes, third team and all-Bit Ten freshman team ... son of pitching coach, could become staff ace
