Gophers baseball eyeing first Big Ten tournament appearence since 2019

Minnesota has won 9 of its last 10 and is the hottest team in the Big Ten.

Gophers baseball coach Ty McDevitt. | Picture via: Gopher Athletics

The Gophers' nine-game win streak came to an end on Sunday against Rutgers, but the impressive run has brought them firmly in the mix to qualify for this year's Big Ten tournament. With less than one month remaining, Minnesota holds a 20-18 overall record, and it sits in a tie for 12th place in the Big Ten at 7-11.

Junior catcher Webber Neels was arguably the star of the weekend for Minnesota in Piscataway. He went 4-for-13 at the plate with two home runs and seven RBIs during a busy weekend for Gophers bats.

After getting off to a 2-10 start in the Big Ten, the Gophers responded with a sweep on the road last week against Ohio State and a 2-1 weekend at Rutgers. Minnesota has a big test this weekend at Siebert Field against fourth-place Southern Cal, who bring in an 11-7 conference record to the diamond.

The top 12 teams in the 17-team Big Ten qualify for the conference tournament at the end of May in Omaha, Neb. First-year head coach Ty McDevitt is looking to bring the Gophers to the postseason for the first time since 2019. At 9-1 in their last 10 games, the Gophers are the hottest team in the conference.

After hosting the Trojans this weekend, Minnesota has a pivotal series against Nebraska (7-11), before hosting Maryland (5-11) in its final home series of the season. The Gophers will wrap up regular season play on the road against Michigan State (9-9) May 15-18.

Legendary head coach John Anderson built Gophers baseball into one of the most consistent programs in the Big Ten across 43 seasons. McDevitt had big shoes to fill, but there's a lot to like about the new era of the program in year one.