Gophers hope to make Big Ten baseball tournament with strong finish

The game's first pitch to the Gophers was a fastball that hit Dan Motl in the face. The center fielder, riding a 17-game hitting streak, dropped to the ground, and Minnesota's bad start last Sunday — Penn State scored three runs in the top half of the inning — had just become much worse.

The Gophers entered the series against the Nittany Lions six games under .500 and in 11th place in the Big Ten standings. Minnesota hosts the Big Ten tournament next month at Target Field, and if Gophers want to be part of the field, they need to finish in the conference's top eight.

The Gophers couldn't afford to lose any more ground this past weekend, and the sight of their leadoff man hitting the turf only inspired them.

Ten batters and six runs later, the Gophers were ahead after a roller-coaster first inning and on their way to a critical conference sweep.

The successful weekend moved the Gophers (17-19, 6-9) into eighth place, the tournament cut line, in the Big Ten standings. They have nine league games left, including a home series against Michigan this weekend.

"I thought the kids responded Sunday very well," Gophers coach John Anderson said. "That was a good sign. That was a point where we could have gone in the other direction. … Dan is out. Bad first inning. Based on what has happened this year to date, it was a time we could have seen things go south. But they didn't lose their confidence."

Confidence was hard to come by after a troubled first two-thirds of the regular season. Spending the first seven weeks of the season on the road started to catch up the Gophers, Anderson said, and they entered their first home series in late March looking "tired."

This extended homestand could be just want they need. The Gophers play just their 11th game of the season at Siebert Field on Friday night, and they are 8-2 there. Twelve of their final 16 games are at Siebert.

Last week was the Gophers' first full week of outdoor practice at home. Anderson said the results — the three-game sweep of Penn State, preceded by a 13-5 victory over North Dakota State — speak for themselves.

A winning streak likely would get the Gophers to Target Field in late May, where the talent level could be unprecedented. The Big Ten has added three quality programs in recent years — Nebraska, Maryland and Rutgers — while other programs are thriving with stronger teams and new facilities.

"It's going to be a historic year for the Big Ten Conference," Anderson said. "We might have five teams in the NCAA tournament. I don't think that's ever happened to my knowledge."

The conference has five teams ranked in the top 35 in the RPI rankings. The Gophers are No. 120, but with eight consecutive home games up next, they could improve on that and, at least, get in position to play at Target Field.

Shortstop Michael Handel, who is hitting .442 in Big Ten play, sure hopes the Gophers qualify: "It's big for me as a senior to try and not go out missing the Big Ten tournament. It's pretty cool to have it in your back yard.

"When I came into the program five years ago, they were coming off two Big Ten titles, making NCAA regionals, and that drew my appearance. Only one year we didn't make the Big Ten tournament, but we didn't have the success I was really hoping for. But being my last year, I think we can finish off well and get the program back to where it was."

Jason Gonzalez • 612-673-4494