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We are closing in on the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft. Since last September, we knew the Twins would have the #1 overall pick. The Twins scouting department has been hard at work ever since putting together reports and traveling all over to find players, not only for that first pick, but for the other 40 draft picks they’ll make between Monday night and Wednesday. It will be a fun three days for fans, but there are a bunch of baseball fans in Minnesota who will be watching the draft a little more closely this year. As I have in the past, I like to write up an article on players from Minnesota who could be selected in the draft. That includes players from Minnesota playing in-state or elsewhere. It also includes players from Minnesota colleges. Clearly the name-to-know in this grouping today is Sam Carlson. We have discussed him quite a bit already on Twins Daily, with profiles and Q&As with the right-hander. But there are several other Minnesotans who will be playing close attention on Days 2 and 3 as well.Find out today which players with Minnesota ties could live out a dream by hearing their names called as a 2017 MLB Draft pick over the next three days. SAM CARLSON Just this last week, Sam Carlson helped lead the Burnsville Blaze high school baseball team to the state tournament. His team will start tournament play on Thursday. On Friday night he graduated. However, as big and as fun as Thursday will be for Carlson, Monday will be a very big day for him as well. As we know, he has a chance to become the first pitcher drafted out of a Minnesota high school in the first round of the MLB draft. At 6-4 and 205 pounds, Carlson plays center field when he isn’t pitching, but it is on the mound where his future is very bright. He has a commitment to the University of Florida to pitch, but he is also expected to be selected somewhere in the second half of the first round. For Twins fans, it might be more ideal for him to fall into the team’s lap with the 35th overall pick. As a junior, Carlson was throwing a fastball in the 87 to 89 mph range. Last summer, he was hitting 91-93 mph in the national prep circuit. This spring, he has been clocked between 91-95 mph. And some scouts believe that he’s got room to grow yet and potentially add a couple more ticks to that velocity. He’s got a full mix of pitches including a very good changeup. He worked on a slider that can be more of a swing-and-miss pitch to go with a slower curveball. In a recent Q&A with Twins Daily, Carlson said he is “extremely comfortable with all my pitches to the point where, depending on the batter, any one of them can be an out pitch.” It’s probably a dream to think Carlson could last until the Twins’ second pick, but if he does, they should lock him up! But wait… there’s more… MICHAEL BAUMANN The Twins drafted right-hander Michael Baumann in the 34th round of the 2014 draft out of Mahtomedi High School where he teamed with Kentucky’s Friday night starter, sophomore Sean Hjelle. Baumann obviously did not sign, instead attending Jacksonville University. Following a great freshman season, Baumann’s stock was likely at its highest. He’s continued to pitch well. This spring, he started slow due to a bout with mono, but he gained strength as the season went on. He has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and has touched 97. It has some natural movement to it as well. He has a solid slider in the mid-80s. He also has a slow curveball, but it’s definitely his third pitch. At 6-5 and 225 pounds, it’s possible he could continue to add strength and some velocity. While 37 might be a little early for him, if he’s there in the third or fourth round, the Twins should consider him as well. SEVERAL GOPHERS COULD BE DRAFTED The Minnesota Gophers had another solid season. Predicted to finished sixth in the Big 10, they finished fourth in the regular season and third in the Big Ten tournament. Left-hander Lucas Gilbreath is the name to watch early on in the draft. The left-hander from Westminster, Colorado, came to the Gophers three years ago even though he had been drafted by the Rockies in the 36th round of the 2014 draft. He pitched some as a freshman. He was very good as a sophomore working out of the bullpen. This season, he became the Gophers’ Friday night starter. He struggled a little early in the adjustment, but figured things out in a hurry. He went 5-2 with a 2.66 ERA in 14 starts. In 81.1 innings, he walked 32 and struck out 92. Gilbreath’s fastball sits anywhere between 88 and 93, touching 94 at times. He also has an above average curveball. A third pitch could make him a starter long term. If not, he could do well as a lefty reliever. He could be drafted anytime on Day 2, depending on which person saw him on which day. 3B Micah Coffey, 1B Toby Hanson and OF Alex Boxwell are all are possible late Day 2 guys though Day 3 is maybe more likely. Coffey came to Minnesota from Illinois. The 6-1, 200 pound junior was second team Big Ten this year. He hit .340/.396/.493 (.889) with 15 doubles, two triples and four homers. Hanson is from Delano. The 6-2, 220 pound junior played in all 57 games for the Gophers this year. He hit .319/.350/.477 (.827) with 14 doubles, four triples, five home runs and a team-leading 57 RBI. Boxwell missed time due to injury, but his tools are rather good. The Coon Rapids native played a lot of center field early in the season. He hit just .253/.329/.438 (.767) with a double, four triples and six home runs. He’s currently playing in the Cape Cod League but there’s a chance he too is taken late on Day 2 or early Day 3. 2B Luke Pettersen hit .354 (tops on the team) with a .411 on-base percentage. He had eight doubles. The junior from Minnetonka could be a Day 3 guy. Then there are a couple of seniors that could be taken at any time. If the right scout saw them on the right day, maybe they’re a late Day 2 senior signing type, or more likely they’re late Day 3 guys. OF Jordan Smith from Eden Prairie hit .309/.406/.480 (.886) with 13 doubles, two triples and six home runs. Closer Brian Glowicki came to the Gophers from Downers Grove, Illinois, where he played with Zach Burdi and watched Nick Burdi when he was younger as well. He set the Gophers’ single-season saves record with 16 this year. He also went 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 32.2 innings. Toby Anderson struggled as a starter early in the season, but if a scout saw him pitching out of the bullpen in the Big Ten tournament, maybe he saw something to make him a late-round pick as well. MANKATO STARTING PITCHERS The Minnesota State - Mankato baseball team had another strong season in 2017 under the direction of coach Matt Mager. The team went 46-11 overall and 35-5 in the conference. Left-hander Brody Rodning is one pitcher to watch late on Day 2 or sometime Day 3. The Gaylord (MN) native went to Sibley East High School where he had three letters each in football, basketball and baseball. On the mound, he struck out 81 batters in 38 innings as a senior. He went to Mankato where he was quickly put in the starting rotation and succeeded. As a junior this season, he went 6-4 with a 3.47 ERA. He struck out 77 batters in 70 innings. He is 6-1 and about 190 pounds. He has five pitches. His fastball is mostly 88-91 mph, though he can touch 93, but he throws with a crossfire that adds some deception. He throws both a slider and a curveball as well as a cutter. He also throws a changeup. Right-hander Dalton Roach went 10-1 with a 1.56 ERA as a junior this season. The Eau Claire native struck out 128 batters while walking just 12 over his 86.2 innings in 2017. Like Rodning, Roach came in as a freshman and immediately made an impact. He has an upper-80s fastball that reaches into the 90s. As you would guess, he’s got really good control and command of the strike zone. He’s got a four-pitch mix and uses his pitches effectively. He could be a mid-Day 3 guy. Red-shirt junior Nick Belzer is from Ankeny High School in Iowa. On the season, he went 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 60.2 innings. He walked 22 and struck out 77. The 6-2, 185 pound right-hander reaches into the low 90s at times. He may be one to watch in the late rounds as well. Junior Ricky Digurgilliers is 6-3 and 200 pounds. He went 7-0 with a 1.75 ERA in 51.1 innings, mostly out of the bullpen. Senior Mitchell Bauer is from Maple Grove. He’s 6-2 and 195 pounds. He went 9-0 with a 2.91 ERA in 86.2 innings. He walked 28 and struck out 70. Both pitch in the mid-80s for the most part so are unlikely to be drafted, but Bauer may garner interest from some teams. STILL MORE... Dalton Lehnen is a junior left-handed pitcher from Lakeville. After high school, he went to the University of Cincinnati for two years before transferring to Augustana for his junior season. He posted a 2.60 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 52 innings. He throws a fastball between 93 and 96 mph so most see him as a power bullpen arm going forward. He has the makings of a solid breaking ball, slider, that he’ll need. His control and command can also struggle at times. He is another late Day 2, early Day 3 guy. Rollie Lacy is a right-handed pitcher out of Creighton University in Omaha. He graduated from Holy Family High School where, as a senior, he posted a 0.00 ERA in 34 innings. He is now a red-shirt junior. He has been the team’s Friday night starting pitcher since his sophomore season. At 6-4 and 195 pounds, Lacy typically will sit 89-91 mph. He has a lot of sink and also throws a slurve. This year, he went 5-2 with a 2.54 ERA. In 88.2 innings, he struck out 83 and walked just 18. He’ll likely be an early Day 3 guy because he doesn’t have a ton of velocity, but he is one who could go through the lower levels fairly quickly. Of course, not all of these guys will necessarily be drafted, and it’s possible, maybe likely, I was off on the rounds for those that do get selected. While Sam Carlson is the name that so many Minnesota fans know, there are quite a few more players that have a chance to hear their name called on MLB.com’s coverage. It’s a big three days for a lot of people. We at Twins Daily would like to extend our best wishes to all of these players and others selected in the MLB Draft. Click here to view the article

The Twins played their first spring training game Friday, but baseball-starved Minnesotans didn't have to make the 1,700-mile trek to Fort Myers to catch a live game. The Gophers played their first baseball game in U.S. Bank Stadium history, beating Seattle University 13-4. In terms of how the venue transformed to accommodate baseball, it was clear a lot of inspiration was taken from the building that formerly stood at the corner of 4th Street & Chicago Ave.Indeed, it seemed the more things change the more they stay the same, as the field shares some striking similarities to the Metrodome. It's got the baggy out in right field, the awkwardly folded up football seats in center, foul "poles" ascending down from the roof -- it's almost like they've created an homage to the old dome sweet dome. And while there will always be something unnatural about baseball being played indoors (let alone in a stadium designed for football), it's still February baseball in Minnesota. A few of the things that looked out of place ranged from the visually unpleasing (industrial looking temporary dugouts, lack of dirt around the bases) to legit safety concerns: an awkward mound that's part turf and part dirt, no warning tracks, and not as much netting to protect fans as you'd see at an MLB stadium. And there's also the issue that the tickets ($10, all are general admission) and concessions all cost about the same as what I typically paid at Target Field last season. This was my first time inside U.S. Bank Stadium, and while I enjoyed exploring around some, it was a bit disappointing that seating was limited to the sections along the first base line and behind home plate. But even with those negatives I just listed, I'd go back to another game. Again, this is baseball being forced indoors, so it's never going to be perfect. But the most important thing is this configuration works, and it's going to give hundreds of Minnesota kids a chance to play real games in a pretty cool venue during late winter/early spring. As far as the game went, things didn't get off to a great start for the Gophers, as they fell behind 3-0. But once the bats got rolling it was big inning after big inning, as they scored 13 unanswered runs. Senior catcher Matt Stemper hit the first home run in the stadium's history, and finished the game 3-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs. Toby Hanson was another bright spot, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Lucas Gilbreath, who is trying to transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation this season, showed some positive signs, striking out five batters, but he also walked six over his three innings of work. Tyler Hanson came out of the pen to provide the Gophers 3 2/3 shutout innings. Friday' Gopher victory was the opener of a three-game series against Seattle U. The two teams square off again Saturday at 6 p.m., then close things out Sunday at 1 p.m.. Between now and late April around 140 baseball games will be played at the Metrodo ... er, U.S. Bank Stadium. Along with the Gophers, some other local college team's from the NSIC and MIAC will make appearances, as well as a number of high schools. Entry to non-Gopher games will be $5. Here is a full list of baseball games scheduled form the stadium's official website. 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