U baseball opens at home by beating UW-Milwaukee

Pitchers TJ Oakes and Kevin Kray combined for a 1-0 shutout victory over Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the Gophers' baseball home opener Friday night at the Metrodome.

Oakes earned his second victory in as many starts as he pitched seven innings, while Kray added another two scoreless innings to help improve the Gophers to 2-2 on the season.

Both Gophers victories this season came in Oakes starts. The first came in the season opener against Louisville.

Minnesota broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth inning when No. 8 and No. 9 hitters Matt Halloran and Michael Handel provided back-to-back extra-base hits to push across the lone run. With two outs, Halloran hit a double to right center, his first hit of the season. Handel delivered his first career extra-base hit when he drove home Halloran, hitting a right-field liner into the corner for a triple.

Panthers starter Eric Semmelhack also pitched well, allowing just the one earned run.

The teams play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 2:05 p.m.

Stadium plan moving The University of Minnesota has chosen DLR Group of Minneapolis as the design team and PCL of Burnsville as the general contractor to build the Gophers baseball team's new Siebert Field.

"Being able to announce this next step in the Siebert Field process is a great day for Gopher baseball," head baseball coach John Anderson said. "With this announcement, Gopher baseball will be able to begin building our vision of a new on-campus stadium. Although we have not completed the fundraising process for a competitive Big Ten baseball facility, we are excited about this next step towards a new home."

U track teams compete The No. 8 Minnesota men's track and field team wrapped up the first day at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in fifth place with 22 team points. The women's team was in 11th place with one point.

Host Nebraska leads the men's standings with 45 points, followed by Wisconsin, Ohio State and Indiana.

Trey Davis finished fourth overall in the shot put with a personal-best 18.45 meters (60 feet, 6 1/2 inches)

Jack Szmanda cleared 5.32m (17-5 1/2) in the pole vault, another career best, to earn a second-place finish.

Minnesota qualified an event-best three runners in the 800 meters. David Pachuta finished third at 1:49.62. Travis Burkstrand ran a 1:49.89 to take eighth and Nick Hutton clocked in at 1:49.90 for ninth place.

Cameron Boy finished with a career-best time of 21.31 in the 200. Boy qualified for the finals Saturday, and his time bumps him up two spots on the Minnesota all-time list.

Hassan Mead scored eight team points in the 3,000-meter run, placing second in 8:01.76, his fastest time of the season.

On the women's side, the team got its only point in the distance medley relay. Kathryn Ritter, Megan Geyen, Lauren Domski and Katie Moraczewski clocked in at a season-best 11:36.63, which put them in 10th place.

U softball team wins The Gophers softball team defeated James Madison 3-1 on Friday behind Sara Moulton's one-hit, 10-strikeout performance in Chapel Hill, N.C.

The Dukes scored their run on a throwing error, allowing Jasmine Butler, who had their only hit, to score.

Etc. • The No. 16 Gophers men's swimming and diving team moved up to sixth place at the Big Ten Championships at the University of Iowa. The Gophers have 235 team points heading into the final day of competition at the championships. Michigan continues to lead with 516.5 points, followed by Ohio State in second with 380 points.

• The Gophers women's tennis team beat Missouri 6-1 at the Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis.

• The St. Paul Saints signed former Como High School and Gophers relief pitcher Reid Mahon and infielder Jon Townsend, a former prospect with the Los Angeles Angels.

• St. Thomas' Ty Stenzel has been chosen the 2011 Division III Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year by Samson Equipment and American Football Monthly. Stenzel is in his 20th season as the full-time strength and conditioning coach for Tommies athletics.