Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern's Series With Minnesota Pushed Back
4/10/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 10, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Northwestern and Minnesota will now begin their four-game baseball series Saturday afternoon after the Golden Gophers were unable to catch their flight to Chicago Thursday evening. The entire series has been pushed back a day. Saturday's contest is slated to begin at 1 p.m. Be sure to check NUsports.com for further updates on the weekend's schedule.
Series History: Minnesota leads 140-69-1.
Last Season: The teams split a four-game series in Minneapolis May 4-6 of last season. The Wildcats won the opener and the finale.
Last Time Out
Jake Goebbert hit a pair of home runs and Nate Roberts and Jake Owens hit one apiece as Northwestern (8-14, 3-5 Big Ten) cruised to a 13-0 win over Chicago State Tuesday afternoon at Rocky Miller Park. The contest was called one batter into the top of the sixth inning due to rain and lightning.
Owens brought home the first run in the bottom of the third with an RBI triple before Aaron Newman contributed a run-scoring groundout. Goebbert then deposited his first round-tripper of the day to make it 3-0. Chris Lashmet drew a walk before Roberts got all of a massive tape-measure blast that went well onto the roof of McGaw Hall in right field for a two-run shot.
With one down in the bottom of the fourth, Owens left the yard with an opposite-field dinger to right for the third home run of his career. Two batters later, Goebbert connected for his second home of the game deep to right-center despite breaking his bat.
Northwestern completed the scoring in the fifth, with the first eight battters reaching base in a six-run inning. Max Mann, Owens and pinch-hitters Rob Campbell and Jake Wilson all had run-scoring hits in the frame. NU finished with a 17-5 advantage in the hit column, with Joe Muraski getting the win on the mound.
Home Run Derby
Northwestern's four home runs in Tuesday's win over Chicago State were the team's most in a game since hitting six in a memorable 19-18 win over Illinois April 14, 2006. Freshman Nate Roberts' roof shot off of McGaw Hall is one of just a handful to go off the top of the building. Among the elite company he joined is Michigan State alum Kirk Gibson.
Havey's Helping Hand
Senior right-hander Matt Havey has been a bright spot out of the bullpen for the 'Cats, sporting a team-best 1.29 ERA. Six of his seven appearances have come out of the 'pen, including picking up the win in a 5-4 victory over Michigan State April 6 during which he tossed 3.2 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief. Opponents are batting just .224 against Havey in '08.
Scouting Minnesota
• The Golden Gophers pounded out 21 hits and led 10-9 going into the ninth inning before falling 13-11 to Northern Iowa on Wednesday in a game held at the Metrodome. Five different Minnesota players had three hits.
• Minnesota has dropped six of its last seven, with the lone win being a 6-0 victory at Ohio State last Saturday in the opening game of a doubleheader.
• Matt Nohelty paces the Golden Gophers with a .415 batting average, 13 stolen bases and 22 RBI. Jeff DeSmith is hitting .389 with four home runs and 19 driven in. Tom Buske leads all regular starters with a 3-3 record and a 3.60 ERA in 40 innings pitched.
Up Next...
Northwestern hits the road Tuesday as it travels to Valparaiso for a single game beginning at 3 p.m.
