Could Gophers Baseball Be a Big Ten Factor in 2026?

Gophers baseball began its 2026 season with six games over two weeks in Florida, and they're coming back to Minnesota with a 5-1 record. They were projected to finish near the bottom of the Big Ten standings before the season, but that might not be the case. Here's why.

Minnesota opened the season with +8000 odds to win the Big Ten, which was tied for 14th-best in the conference. Those odds have jumped to +2800 only two weeks into the season, which is eighth best in the conference, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

In the span of 19 days, Minnesota's odds to win the Big Ten have jumped from +8000 to +2800 after starting the 2026 season 5-1.

Started in a tie for the 14th-best odds, now all the way up to 8th. Impressive start to Year 2 for Ty McDevitt. https://t.co/ecuEk3OXbo pic.twitter.com/cqfvg0mywy
— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) February 23, 2026

Will the Gophers win the Big Ten this season? Probably not, but they haven't even had a winning record in conference play since 2019. Only 12 of the 17 teams in the Big Ten qualify for the conference tournament, so Minnesota has shown signs that it could get back to that level in 2026.

The Gophers haven't played the toughest competition with wins over Stetson, Ball State, St. John's and Northeastern twice, but their start has objectively been impressive with two shutouts and two wins by 10 runs.

Their most impressive offensive player has been senior Easton Richter, who is hitting .385 with 2 home runs and 9 RBIs. Junior Charlie Sutherland is hitting .391 with 3 home runs and 9 RBIs, while Jack Spanier is hitting .476 with 1 home run and 6 RBIs. All three players began their careers at Minnesota.

The biggest difference between this year's team and last year's team is the pitching. St. Thomas transfer RHP Marcus Kruzan hasn't allowed a single earned run in 9.2 innings. He has struck out 10 batters, and he looks like a transfer portal steal. Returning RHP Cole Selvig and Texas A&M transfer RHP Isaac Morton have also both been solid, but Division II RHP transfer Ben Gregory has been a surprise with a 1.57 ERA in seven innings pitched. Their pitching staff has impressed so far.

The Gophers will have a big step up in competition this week in their first action back in Minnesota. They will host Kansas on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Jayhawks have gotten off to a 5-2 start, but none of their games have come against Power Conference opponents. Ultimately, Minnesota's success this week will go a long way in telling us whether or not the hot start is legit.

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