Gophers baseball loses to No. 18 Oregon State in Arizona tournament

Brett Bateman went 4-for-5 and Kris Hokenson had a three-run double for the Gophers baseball team, but it lost 8-7 to No. 18 Oregon State on Saturday afternoon in the College Baseball Classic in Surprise, Ariz.

Hokenson's big hit came in a five-run seventh inning. The most effective pitcher for Minnesota (0-2) was freshman reliever Caden Capomaccio, who gave up no runs and one hit in three innings. He struck out four, walked one.

The Beavers (1-1) scored all their runs in the first four innings.

U softball loses two

The Gophers softball team lost 3-0 to Virginia in nine innings and to host North Carolina 10-5 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Chapel Hill.

In the first game, Sarah Coon led off the ninth for the Cavaliers (6-2) with a home run off Autumn Pease, who left after that batter. Pease allowed only four hits, struck out eight and walked two.

Kelly Ayer had an RBI double later in the inning and Virginia's third run scored on an error.

Freshman Addison Leschber hit a three-run homer for the Gophers (4-4) in the third to give them a 4-3 lead against the Tar Heels. But with the scored tied 5-5 in the seventh, North Carolina (5-2) scored five runs on Abby Settlemyre's three-run homer and Skyler Brooks' two-run triple.

Banham re-signs with Lynx

Rachel Banham is back with the Lynx. The team announced it had re-signed Banham, who has played the past three seasons in her home state.

Banham's 7.9-point scoring average in 2022 was the best in her seven WNBA seasons. One of three players who appeared in every game for the Lynx, she also averaged 1.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists. She shot 43% overall and 38.3% on three-pointers; her 57 three-pointers made shots led the team.

The former Lakeville North and Gophers standout is also in her first year as director of quality control for the Gophers women's basketball team.