Gophers baseball opens season by winning in a rout

The Gophers baseball team, after a rough 6-31 season in 2021, hoped for a better season this year.

And, at least on Opening Day, his players gave coach John Anderson, starting his 41st season, plenty to be encouraged about.

Minnesota hammered Florida Atlantic 9-1 Friday night in nonconfence baseball in Boca Raton, Fla.

Sam Ireland started and went five innings for the win. He gave up only one run and two hits, striking out five and walking four.

His teammates scored in bunches: four runs in the third for a 5-1 lead, three more in the sixth.

Drew Stahl had three RBI on a single and a two-run double. Andrew Wilhite had two one-run doubles, and Chase Stanke hit a solo homer.

U softball wins easily

Minnesota (4-4) scored three runs in the first inning and five in the second.

Freshman Emily Leavitt got the win, allowing one run on four hits in four innings.

Sophomore Ansleigh Hollifield made her pitching debut for the Gophers in the fifth and tossed the final scoreless inning.

U gymnasts in Big Five Meet

The Gophers women's gymnastics team, ranked No. 6 this week based on average team score, will compete in the Big Five Meet at 6 p.m. Saturday in Toledo against four other Big Ten teams: Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State and Rutgers.

Ramler, No. 2 in the all-around nationally, and first on beam and tied for fourth on bars, might face her toughest competition for a repeat of that sweep from her own teammates. Ona Loper, a fifth-year senior as is Ramler, is ranked seventh in the all-around and first in vault; Mya Hooten, a sophomore, is fifth in floor exercise.

Two titles for U in pool

Sarah Bacon won the 3-meter diving title in the Big Ten Women's Swimming and Diving Championship in Madison, Wis., one day after winning the 1-meter event. Her score was 436.70. Teammate Joy Zhu was second (369.75).,

Gophers sophomore Megan Van Berkom was first in the 400-yard individual medley (4:03.45) and its 200 freestyle relay was third (1:27.92).

Minnesota is fifth in the team standings with 595.5 points into the final day.

Twelve seniors on the Gophers women's hockey team will be honored Saturday when Minnesota plays St. Thomas at 4 p.m. at Ridder Arena in its final regular-season game.

Nine of the seniors have another season of eligibility left if they opt to return. Three will play in their final game: goalie Lauren Bench and defensemen Emily Brown and Olivia Knowles.

With a win, the Gophers, who beat the Tommies 7-1 on Thursday at their rink, will clinch the WCHA regular-season title as well.

U thrower excels

The Gophers track and field team won 18 event titles at the Snowshoe Open at the University of Minnesota Field House. Sophomore Shelby Frank had the fifth-best mark in school history in winning the weight throw (69 feet, 10¾ inches). It's the second mark in the Big Ten this season and comes just a week before the Big Ten Indoor Championships.