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So often college baseball programs in the northern part of the country will travel south, to Florida or Texas or California, to play some early-season ball games. Thursday night, the Gophers baseball team will HOST Hawaii. It’s one nine-inning game. Hawaii is coming to Minnesota to play in the first Dairy Queen Classic (along with Oral Roberts and Iowa) this weekend, and the two teams are playing an extra game tonight. Again, head to US Bank Stadium this weekend for some terrific baseball.Today we bring you another Q&A with a Gophers senior. Let’s get to know a little more about right-handed pitcher Tyler Hanson. The Burnsville native grew up a Twins fan and has spent the last three years playing for his home team Gophers. He came to the University as a pitcher and first baseman, but starting as a junior, he focused strictly on pitching. Get to know: Tyler Hanson Seth Stohs (SS): Growing up in Burnsville, were you a big Twins fan? Did you get to many games? Who were some of your favorite ballplayers? Tyler Hanson (TH): Born and raised a Twins fan! I've been to plenty of games at both the Metrodome and Target Field. This may surprise some, but I enjoyed watching Kyle Lohse and Joe Nathan when I grew up. SS: What were some of the highlights of your high school career? TH: My sophomore year at Burnsville, we won the State Championship game to Maple Grove, coming back 5-0 in the bottom of the 7th. SS: What was it about the University of Minnesota that made you decide to play for the Gophers? TH: The U of M was a perfect fit for me academically, geographically, socially, and obviously a strong baseball program that values family and tradition. SS: Have you played summer ball through your college years? TH: Yes, I played three seasons for the Willmar Stingers in the Northwoods League. SS: Which pitches do you throw, and what makes you successful on the mound? TH: I throw a 4-seam fastball, change-up, slider, and a knuckle ball. My success is all a part of throwing off my fastball. Mixing locations and establishing I can command all pitches for strikes. SS: What have been some of the highlights of your time with the Gophers? TH: My personal highlight is crushing my only home run of my college career at Richmond my sophomore year. My favorite moment as a Gopher has to be winning the Big Ten regular season last year. SS: What are your goals for the 2017 season? TH: My goal is to do all that I can on and off the field to give our team the best chance to win games. SS: What is your major, and what are your career goals going forward? (How does baseball fit into that equation?) TH: I am a Sport Management major and am pursuing a career in marketing, hopefully in the sport industry. Hanson has a 4.26 ERA in 6.1 innings so far this season. He earned a win this past weekend against Seattle with 3.1 scoreless innings of work. He will likely fill a long relief type of role in the Gophers bullpen though he may also have the ability to make some spot starts if needed. GOPHER NOTES On Tuesday night, the Gophers hosted NDSU at US Bank Stadium. The Bison won the game 3-1. For the Gophers, Nolan Burchill started and gave up one run in 4.1 innings of work. He also batted seventh and went 0-1. Burchill is a 6-1 freshman from Sioux Falls, South Dakota.Luke Peterson still leads the team in batting average at .667 (14-21).Upcoming Games:Thursday: 5:00 vs HawaiiFriday: 6:30 vs Oral RobertsSaturday: 6:30 vs HawaiiSunday: 3:00 vs IowaTuesday: 6:00 vs South Dakota StateWednesday: 6:30 vs MilwaukeePlease feel free to discuss Tyler Hanson, the Gophers, the upcoming schedule of games or anything you’d like below. Click here to view the article