The Gophers will try to match and surpass last year's 8-0 start today.
Minnesota, ranked No. 12 and 13 in two major softball polls, plays UMass-Lowell (4-4) at 8:30 a.m. in Claremont, Fla. The Rivers Hawks are coming off a 2-0 loss to Missouri-Kansas City and a 9-1 loss to South Dakota State on Saturday.
Then the Gophers play maybe their toughest opponent yet, Central Florida (7-0), at 10:30 a.m.
The Knights have beaten three SEC teams in a row, South Carolina 4-1. Missouri 1-0 and Arkansas 6-1. They have shut out four teams and held three to one run. They have at least two pitchers who are on a roll.
The Gophers (7-0) obviously have talent, too.
And it all starts in the circle with sophomore righthander Sara Groenewegen. She is 4-0 with a 0.61 ERA and recently had a nine-inning stretch over three games in which she gave up no hits.
The Canadian has 40 strikeouts in 23 innings. Almost two per inning. Remember last season she led the NCAA in most strikeouts per a seven-inning game. She had walked only two, given up 10 hits and opponents are hitting .123 off her.
She also can hit a little. She is hitting .476 -- fourth on the team -- but leads the Gophers in homers with two, and it tied for the lead in total bases with 18 and RBI with 10.
