The Gophers softball team has its final home series of the season scheduled this weekend, which basically guarantees the weather will be lousy.¶ Of all the local teams impacted by the wet/snowy/cold spring, the Gophers might lay claim to being the one most affected. They have played 46 games, compiling a 30-16 record.
Exactly three of those games have been at home. Another 25 were true road games, while 18 came at neutral sites. Five home games have been completely canceled by weather — including two Wednesday — and won't be made up. Another five were switched from home games to road games — three against Illinois and two against Iowa State — because of weather.
Guess what? Minnesota won all five.
So the Gophers also win the award for best attitude about the weather.
"It's just a testament to the team. They're focused on a goal, they're competitive and they want to play. If we get on a bus and drive to Illinois, so be it," third-year head coach Jessica Allister said.
"We talk all the time about controlling what we can control. We can choose to either let it ruin things or deal with it and move on. And they've done a tremendous job."
Pitcher Sara Moulton is 26-9 with a 1.61 ERA, while Kaitlyn Richardson and Tyler Walker are both hitting above .400 with 19 combined homers.
"She gives everyone so much confidence behind her," Allister said of Moulton. "We have a chance to beat anyone in the country when she's in the circle."
