Long-term deals still possible at U

John Anderson has done a fantastic job coaching the Gophers baseball team since 1981. He's the winningest coach in Big Ten baseball history, and led the Gophers to the conference title this year and a berth in the NCAA tournament for the 17th time.

But Anderson, whose five-year contract is up, doesn't believe he'll be offered a new multiyear deal. He was under the impression he'd only get a one-year contract for the 2011 season because of a recent University of Minnesota regulation not allowing any new long-term contracts.

"It's university policy, and I can't do anything about it," said Anderson, who has a career record of 1,038-677. "I was told that no long-term contracts can be negotiated because of the recent wage freeze and also because of the economic problems at the university."

However, when reached later Thursday, Gophers athletic director Joel Maturi said that Anderson was incorrect, and that the university still could work out a multiyear deal with Anderson.

Maturi said multiyear contracts also are being worked on for basketball coach Tubby Smith and wrestling coach J Robinson.

Gophers head to pros Gophers catcher Kyle Knudson, who was drafted in the ninth round by the Twins, signed while at the Kansas City game on Wednesday. Knudson wouldn't reveal how much money he got to sign, but he did say it was less than six figures.

Knudson, will report to the Twins complex in Fort Myers, Fla., on Sunday and eventually catch for Elizabethton, Tenn., in the Appalachian Rookie League.

"Once the negotiations start in the next few days, I'll really find out," said Kvasnicka. "It's looks right now like a pretty good opportunity, and I'll probably take my opportunity."

Rosin, who said he anticipated the Twins drafting him, said he hasn't talked money with the Giants. Said Rosin: "I'm 99 percent sure I'm going to sign, but not 100 percent."

Toews a great leader Jonathan Toews is only 22, but he is such a natural leader at a young age that he captained the Chicago Blackhawks, who won the Stanley Cup on Tuesday night.

Toews won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, and was also named the top forward at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, where he helped Team Canada to the gold medal.

The Winnipeg native played his high school hockey in 2004-05 at Shattuck-St. Mary's boarding school in Faribault, where he was coached by former Gophers hockey and baseball player Tom Ward.

Toews was a top Canadian player as a bantam and was headed for the Western Hockey League before he decided to play at Shattuck, where he had 110 points in 64 games for a program that travels all over North America to play.

After a year in Faribault, Toews played two seasons at North Dakota. Following his freshman season, he was taken No. 3 overall in the NHL draft by the Blackhawks.

Ward said Toews came to Shattuck as a highly touted player, and it was easy to see the great potential.

"He was everything plus that when he was at our school," Ward said. "He has great leadership skills. He's very humble. He's a hard-working kid."

Following his rookie season with the Blackhawks, Toews was named team captain in 2008 at age 20. The Blackhawks beat the Flyers on Wednesday to win the Cup, with Ward watching with pride.

Five former Shattuck players -- Toews, Sidney Crosby, Zach Parise, Jack Johnson and Ryan Malone -- played in the Olympics, and Ward said the team Toews played on at Shattuck was his best ever.

That team included two other NHL players, Islanders winger Kyle Okposo and Edmonton defenseman Taylor Chorney, along with future college or pro players such as Michael Gergen, Tyler Ruegsegger, Angelo Esposito and Chay Genoway.

Toews, with 29 points, was second in Stanley Cup playoff scoring to Philadelphia's Danny Briere (30 points).

Jottings Twins president Dave St. Peter expects the Twins to hit the three million mark in tickets sold next week during the Colorado series. This means the Twins will have around 200,000 tickets available for the rest of the season as they head toward a total attendance of more than 3.2 million -- in a ballpark that has a capacity of 40,000 only if they sell standing room- only tickets.

The Gophers basketball team will play three preseason games in Canada against Canadian universities -- Sept. 2 at British Columbia, Sept. 3 at Trinity Western and Sept. 5 at Victoria. They will have exhibition games to open the season at home against Northern Oklahoma and Winona State; their non-conference home games are against Wofford, Siena, North Dakota State, Virginia, Cornell, Eastern Kentucky, Akron and South Dakota State.

Fornasiere said two Gophers recruits, both lefthanded pitchers, were drafted but neither one expects to sign. Tom Windle of Osseo was taken by the White Sox in the 28th round and D.J. Snelten of Lake Villa, Ill., went in the 30th round to the Padres.

"I talked to both of them yesterday," Fornasiere said. "Right now, they are draft-and-follow kids during the summer. Because of the round they were drafted in, I doubt if they will sign. We're hoping they show up on campus in September."