Minnesota Scene: Gophers football assistant Rpod Chance returning to Oregon staff

Cornerbacks coach Rod Chance is leaving the Gophers for the same job at Oregon, a source confirmed Sunday.

Chance joined the Gophers staff in January 2019 and helped the team to an 11-2 season. He helped develop a position group with no clear starters entering the season into a strong rotation, including All-Big Ten honorable mentions Coney Durr and Benjamin St-Juste, who return next season.

Chance was also a strong recruiter in areas such as Georgia, where he was once a high school coach.

Before coming to the Gophers, Chance was a defensive analyst at Oregon. He penned a goodbye note on Twitter, wishing his former team and players the best in future endeavors.

"To be a part of this culture and to experience such a special season will always be with me," Chance wrote. "...To win 11 games and achieving so many 'nevers' together will forever be a special memory for us."

The Gophers will look for Chance's replacement after some recently announced staff changes, including making defensive backs and safeties coach Joe Harasymiak co-defensive coordinator as well. Harasymiak and Chance were both additions last season, when coach P.J. Fleck decided to split up the secondary. The Gophers have had a different coach at that position each year under Fleck so far.

The No. 13 Gophers softball team topped No. 19 Missouri 10-1 in six innings to cap off the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational. The Gophers played three ranked teams in three days, posting victories over No. 5 Florida State and today's run-rule win over the Tigers.

The Gophers used a huge fourth inning to pull away Sunday. They started the frame by loading the bases with no outs and pushed across five runs, two scoring on a double by Josey White. Kianna Jones hit her first career homer and Natalie DenHartog hit a two-run single in a four-run Minnesota sixth.

Winner Amber Fiser (3-4) pitched a four-hitter, striking out the last six batters she faced.

The Gophers baseball team fell behind by seven runs and lost to the University of San Diego 7-3 in Tempe, Ariz.

The Toreros (2-1) scored three runs in each of the third and fourth innings while building a 7-0 lead. Jack Kelly, Max Meyer and Andrew Wilhite each had two hits for the Gophers (1-2).

Danielle Robinson, a three-time All-Star guard who played for the Lynx the past two seasons, signed with the Las Vegas Aces.