Minnesota Scene: Three Gophers spring football practices to be open to public

Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck will open three spring practice sessions to the public.

Fleck on Friday announced the Gophers' spring practice schedule, with the first of 15 practice dates Tuesday and the last on April 16.

The March 27 and April 3 practices will be open, beginning at 4:45 p.m. at locations to be announced, as will the April 14 spring game at noon at TCF Bank Stadium.

The Gophers will practice Tuesday and Thursday, then are off for spring break before returning for 13 practice sessions beginning March 20.

Minnesota, which went 5-7 in Fleck's first season, opens the 2018 season Thursday, Aug. 30 against New Mexico State at TCF Bank Stadium.

Randy Johnson

Luke Pettersen, after leading off the inning with a single, scored on a bases-loaded walk to give the Gophers baseball team a 3-2 victory over Arizona on Friday night in the Big Ten/Pac 12 Challenge at U.S. Bank Stadium. Cole McDevitt drew the walk.

The No. 21 Gophers softball team defeated Oregon State 4-1 on Friday in its first game in the San Diego Classic but lost to host San Diego State 6-2 in its second.

Against the Beavers, Minnesota scored three runs in the first inning on Sydney Dwyer's two-run single and an error and one run in the second on Kendyl Lindaman's RBI single. Sophomore righthander Amber Fiser pitched a four-hitter to improve to 8-2 this season.

The Aztecs scored four runs in the fourth inning of the second game to break a 2-all tie. MaKenna Partain had a two-run homer for the Gophers (11-5) in the third.

• Mitch McKee of the Gophers was seeded third at 133 pounds for the two-day Big Ten Wrestling Championships opening Saturday at Michigan State. Teammate Ethan Lizak was seeded fifth at 125. They are Minnesota's two highest seeds. Former Apple Valley star Mark Hall, of Penn State, is seeded first at 174.