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This week, the Gophers are making a California swing before getting started with Big Ten play next weekend. They played a single game on Tuesday night at California-Berkeley, and last night they began a three-game series at Sacramento State. Find out more about those games and what’s coming up, but first, here is a Q&A with Gophers senior outfielder Jordan Smith.Smith came to the Gophers after a strong high school career at Eden Prairie. He also was a big Twins fan and is getting the opportunity to live out a dream by playing for the Gophers. Let’s get to know him. Get to know Jordan Smith Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Eden Prairie, were you a big Twins fan? Did you get to many games? Who were some of your favorite ballplayers? Jordan Smith (JS): When I was younger I was a huge Twins fan. I really enjoyed the teams they had in the early 2000s. Guys such as Jacque Jones, Christian Guzman, and Johan Santana were some of my favorite players. SS: What were some of the highlights of your high school career? JS: During my junior year, my legion team won the 2011 American Legion World Series. We had lost our first game I believe 13-1 and ended up winning 6 straight games in 4 days. It was an unbelievable run and something I will never forget. SS: What was it about the University of Minnesota that made you decide to play for the Gophers? JS: I always wanted to play for the Gophers growing up so when I had the opportunity to play here it was an easy choice. I was very comfortable with the coaching staff and I knew a majority of the players coming in with me along with players already on the team. SS: Have you played summer ball through your college years? JS: My true freshman summer I played for the Chaska Cubs. The following summer I played for the Rochester Honkers of the Northwoods League. The last two summers I have not played summer ball due to an injury and an internship commitment. SS: What have been some of the highlights of your time with the Gophers? JS: A moment that I really enjoyed last year was celebrating our Big Ten championship on the field after beating Ohio State. Along with that, playing in a regional tournament was really sweet too. The atmosphere of postseason baseball is something not every player will get to experience during their career so that was something special. SS: What are your goals for the 2017 season? JS: Continue to get better every single day and to make sure each game we compete at a high level. If we are able to do this, I know we can build upon last years season and advance to not just a super-regional, but a trip to Omaha to win a national championship which is the ultimate goal. SS: What is your major, and what are your career goals going forward? (How does baseball fit into that equation?) JS: My major is sport management, and I am not really sure what I want to do yet. Something involved in the sports industry would be my main goal. Maybe win the lottery… GOPHER NOTES On Tuesday at Berkeley, the Gophers lost a 7-1 decision. They managed just three hits. Luke Pettersen went 1-3 and drove in the lone run. Last night (Thursday), the Gophers fell 3-2 to Sacramento State. Lucas Gilbreath made the start and had his best showing of the season. The left-hander went the first six innings. He gave up no runs on two hits. He walked two and struck out a career-high nine batters. The Gophers lost the lead in the 7th inning on a three-run homer. Micah Coffey and Matt Stemper were each 2-4. Toby Hanson went 1-3 with a walk. The Gophers will play two more games against Sacramento State, one each on Friday and Saturday.Then next weekend, they begin Big Ten play at Ohio State. Alex Wimmers, Twins top pick in 2010 and former Buckeye noted the other day, “It’s crazy how college baseball is starting up conference play in a week here already.” He said that he played the Gophers twice at Ohio State and once in the Metrodome during his three years. “They always had a good team when I was there.” Click here to view the article

It’s a busy time of year for the Gophers baseball program. On Tuesday, they played NDSU. On Thursday, they played a game against Hawaii. Today, they completed the Dairy Queen Classic by playing Iowa after playing Oral Roberts on Friday and Hawaii on Saturday. The schedule doesn’t slow down as they will play South Dakota State on Tuesday night and Milwaukee on Wednesday night. Then they’ll play a three-game series against Missouri State. That will end their 13-game homestand at US Bank Stadium.Today, we get to know more about right-handed pitcher Tim Shannon. Coming into the season, he had pitched in 52 career games for the Gophers including 23 starts. This year, he has been working out of the bullpen for the Gophers (and making a fairly significant mechanical alteration). The Hopkins graduate grew up miles away from the Metrodome (and now Target Field) and was a big Twins fans. Let’s spend a little time today getting to know him. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Hopkins, were you a big Twins fan? Did you get to many games? Who were some of your favorite ballplayers? Tim Shannon (TS): I was always a huge Twins fan, and my family actually had season tickets for most of my childhood. I went to tons of games, and a good amount of playoff games as well, including Game 163 against the Tigers in 2009 which was definitely a highlight. My favorite players were Delmon Young, Alexi Casilla, and Michael Cuddyer. SS: What were some of the highlights of your high school career? TS: High school baseball was a phenomenal experience for me, and I have a lot of great memories from it. If I had to pick one, it would be a win that I got against Wayzata in 2012 to get into the state tournament. SS: What was it about the University of Minnesota that made you decide to play for the Gophers? TS: I really wanted to be part of the Gopher baseball family. I knew many of the guys on the team, and had heard nothing but good things about the coaches and support staff. SS: Have you played summer ball through your college years? TS: I have played in the Northwoods League with the Waterloo Bucks. My time in summer ball has been some of my favorite in the sport, and I made a lot of good friends in my time there. The Northwoods League is also a tremendous place to grow as a collegiate player and gain experience. SS: Which pitches do you throw, and what makes you successful on the mound? TS: This is my first year as a submariner, and so far it has been a blast. I rely mostly on deception and movement, and throw a sinking fastball, a frisbee slider, and a ridiculously slow changeup. SS: What have been some of the highlights of your time with the Gophers? TS: The big one is obviously winning the Big Ten Title in 2016. The team we had that year was a special group of guys that were really close on and off the field, and the things that we had to deal with off the field, including the passing of Todd Oakes, only worked to bring us closer. As far as personal highlights, my first career start came on the road at the University of Texas and I pitched pretty well. The next day, Auggie Garrido came and found me and told me he was impressed with the way that I threw, and that was a really cool moment for me. SS: What are your goals for the 2017 season? TS: My goals for the 2017 season are to help out in any way that I can out of the bullpen. One of the perks of being a submarine guy is that it doesn't take much of a toll on my arm, so I should be available for many of the games which is exciting for me. I also hope to grow as a leader on and off the field, especially as one of the older guys on the team. SS: What is your major, and what are your career goals going forward? (How does baseball fit into that equation?) TS: I am a political science major, and a sport management minor. I am hoping to go to law school down the road, and would love to work as an agent within the baseball field. Thank you to Tim Shannon for taking time to answer our questions. We certainly wish him continued success throughout the season and beyond. GOPHER NOTES On Thursday, Hawaii topped the Gophers 11-2, though going into the ninth inning, it was a 5-2 game. Terrin Vavra went 3-4 with a stolen base in the game. Micah Coffey went 2-4 with a double. Jordan Smith added his first home run of the year. Friday night, the Gophers played Oral Roberts in their first game of the Dairy Queen Classic. It went to the 13th inning when catcher Cole McDevitt hit a sacrifice fly to win the game. McDevitt went 2-4 with a walk and two RBIs in the game. Jordan Smith went 2-5 with a walk and a double. Terrin Vavra also had two hits. Ben Mezzenga went 1-4 with two walks. Lucas Gilbreath had his best start of the year. He gave up two unearned runs in the first inning and ended with six innings of just one-hit baseball. He walked three and struck out five. Jackson Rose threw two scoreless innings. Brian Glowicki gave up a run in his two innings. Nick Lackney finished the game with three shutout innings with a walk and three strikeouts. On Saturday night, the Twins were unable to get the bats going against Hawaii, falling 4-0. Brett Schulze started and was solid again. The freshman worked five innings and gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks. Tim Shannon struck out two over the final five outs. Terrin Vavra was 2-4 with a stolen base. Luke Pettersen was 1-3 with a walk. On Sunday, the Gophers played an afternoon game against Iowa. It won’t count as a Big 10 game, but the Gophers were able to pick up a 6-3 win. Toby Anderson was on the mound to start the game. He gave up a three-run homer in the first inning, but he settled down nicely. In total, he went six innings and gave up three runs on three hits. He walked four and struck out four. Nick Lackney got the next five outs, and Brian Glowicki recorded the final four outs for the save. Ben Mezzenga led off and went 2-4 with a walk. Luke Pettersen also went 2-4. Jordan Smith went 1-3 with a walk and his second home run. Micah Coffey was 1-3 with a walk, a double and a couple of RBIs. In the four games, shortstop Terrin Vavra went a combined 7-17 (.412) with a couple of stolen bases. After starting the season 5-27, it was a nice turnaround for the infielder. Vavra has more Twins ties that most. His father is Joe Vavra, the Twins current bench coach who has served the organization for a couple of decades. His brother Tanner Vavra spent three seasons in the Twins farm system, reaching Ft. Myers and twice being awarded a Harmon Killebrew Award. He spent 2016 with the St. Paul Saints. Another older brother, Trey Vavra, is a first baseman in the Twins system. He spent 2016 with the Miracle. He’s been named to his league’s All-Star team each of the last two years.Senior Jordan Smith also had a strong four-game weekend. He went 5-15 (.333) with two walks, a double and two home runs. The senior from Eden Prairie plays left field for the Gophers.Coming into the weekend, Luke Pettersen led the country with a .667 batting average. He went 3-13 with a walk in the Dairy Queen Classic. He is now hitting .529 (18-34) on the season.Micah Coffey leads the team with nine RBIs. Smith and Toby Hanson each have eight.Nick Lackney is a left-handed reliever from Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. He has appeared in four games and pitched nine innings. He has yet to give up a run. He has given up just one hit and struck out seven. He also has seven walks.Again, things stay busy this week for the Gophers. The 13-game US Bank homestand is eight games over. There will be five more games there for baseball fans to watch over the next week. Again South Dakota State will be here on Tuesday, and Milwaukee will be there on Wednesday. Missouri State then comes in for a three-game series next weekend. Then they are on the road for a couple of weeks. Feel free to discuss the Gophers, the Dairy Queen Classic and more. Feel free to ask questions and discuss college baseball. Click here to view the article

The Gophers played a home series in Minnesota for the first time since the days of the Metrodome. They helped open up US Bank Stadium with a three-game series against Seattle University. Read at the bottom for more on the three games and upcoming Gophers games. Before getting to more details on the series and other Gophers notes, let’s get to know a little more about Gophers senior closer Brian Glowicki. The right-hander grew up in Illinois and went to the same high school as Twins relief prospect Nick Burdi. He played with Burdi’s brother and top White Sox relief prospect Zach Burdi. But Glowicki is going to make a name for himself in the Minnesota bullpen this season.Over the weekend, he was on the mound for the final outs in two of the three Gopher wins. Take a few minutes to learn about Brian Glowicki. Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Illinois, who was your favorite team and who were some of your favorite ballplayers? Brian Glowicki (BG): My dad has been a huge Boston fan for as long as I can remember so the Red Sox have always been my favorite team. I loved watching Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez. SS: What were some of the highlights of your high school career? Did you play with or against the Burdi Brothers? BG: Winning the regional championship my senior year is a moment that I will always remember. And I went to the same high school as them. Zack is actually one of my best friends and I've played baseball and even football with him since we were in third grade or so. I don't believe I ever played with Nick Burdi but I watched him play a lot in high school. SS: What was it about the University of Minnesota that made you decide to play for the Gophers? BG: I really appreciated the way they went about recruiting and how the University of Minnesota had such a family atmosphere to it. SS: Have you played summer ball through your college years? BG: Yes, my sophomore and junior year summers I played in the Northwoods League for the St. Cloud Rox. SS: Which pitches do you throw, and what makes you successful on the mound? BG: I throw a 4-seam fastball, changeup and slider. I think most of my success comes from how competitive I am. I have the mindset that I am not going to back down from anyone which helps me attack hitters. SS: What have been some of the highlights of your time with the Gophers? BG: Everything about the 2016 season is a highlight. Winning the B1G and making a regional will be two moments I'll never forget. Also, in 2015 when we played against the Minnesota Twins at their spring training complex was a once in a lifetime opportunity. SS: What are your goals for the 2017 season? BG: My goals for the 2017 season are just to build on the success we had as a team last year. Last year we created a great culture within the team and this year I'd like to see us build on that as well as learn from some of the mistakes we made. SS: What is your major, and what are your career goals going forward? (How does baseball fit into that equation?) BG: I am majoring in kinesiology and with that I plan on eventually coaching baseball. I have also put some thought into obtaining a business degree and pursuing accounting or financial aid. GOPHER NOTES On Friday night, the Gophers won 13-4. Going into the bottom of the fifth inning, the Gophers were down 3-0. However, they put up four in the fifth, one in the sixth, and four in both the seventh and eighth innings. Matt Stemper went 3-5 and hit the team’s first home run at US Bank Stadium. Toby Hanson went 3-4 with a walk, a double and a triple. He scored and drove in three runs. Alex Boxwell went 3-6. Micah Coffey was 2-5, and Luke Pettersen went 2-4. Lucas Gilbreath struggled again in his second start. The lefty gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits and six walks in just three innings. He struck out five. Tyler Hanson came on and provided 3.2 innings of scoreless relief. (Read Tom Froemmings article from the Friday night game, including video.) Saturday night, the Gophers notched a 6-3 win. Freshman Brett Schulze made his first college start and gave up two runs on one hit in five innings. He walked two and struck out four. Nick Lackney walked four but got through the next 2.2 innings without allowing a run. Brian Glowicki got the final two outs of the game. Semper and Coffey each had two hits. Boxwell had two hits, including a triple. Toby Hanson and Troy Traxler each doubled. Sunday afternoon was again a close game until the late innings. In fact, Seattle scored a run in the top of the seventh to tie the game at seven. But the Gophers scored one in the bottom half and plated three more in the bottom of the eighth. They won 11-7. Jordan Smith led the offense. The senior went 4-5 with a double and four RBI. Luke Pettersen went 3-4 with a walk. Toby Hanson went 3-5 with a double. Freshman Eli Wilson made his first start and went 2-3 with a walk. Toby Anderson worked the first five innings. He gave up five runs. Alex Farley made his college debut and got the two batters he faced out. Brian Glowicki got the final five outs for the save. Junior Luke Pettersen went 5-8 with a walk in the series. The Minnetonka grad is now 13-17 on the season, a solid .765 average.Junior Toby Hanson was the star of the weekend. The first baseman from Delano went 7-13 in the series with three doubles and a triple.Along with the Gophers first home run in US Bank Stadium, catcher Matt Stemper went 5-14 in the series.Senior Jordan Smith went 5-11 (.455) with two walks and two doubles in the series. The Eden Prairie native plays left field for the Gophers.NEXT UP The Gophers will play a single game on Tuesday night at US Bank Stadium at 6:00 p.m. After sweeping a four-game series at Mississippi Valley State last weekend, the Bison were swept this weekend at Abilene Christian. The Bison have 23 players on their roster who went to high school in Minnesota. Tyler Oakes in the NDSU pitching coach. He spent four years pitching under his father Todd Oakes at the University of Minnesota. He was a starter one season and worked out of the bullpen three seasons. He went undrafted and spent one season with the Rays Appy League team. This is his fourth year as the Bison pitching coach. He also became their recruiting coordinator last summer. On Thursday the Gophers will play a game against Hawaii. Then Friday through Sunday, US Bank Stadium will host the Dairy Queen Classic. The four-team tournament returns and features Oral Roberts, Hawaii and Iowa. I remember going to the Dairy Queen Classic when I was in high school. Georgia Tech was one of the teams in the tournament, so I saw Nomar Garciaparra and Jason Varitek. If you’re able, be sure to check out a Gophers game this week. There are five options!! Click here to view the article