Gopher Sports: Weekend Preview

We are going full speed ahead into April and the Minesota Golden Gophers spring sports seasons are in full bore. We still have a few winter sports championships to be played, but this week the focus is right where it belongs on the spring sports...except for one fall sport turned spring sport that is. Here is your weekend preview and how you can try and catch some of the action!

Friday April 9th

Women’s Tennis @ Ohio State 11AM

The Gopher women’s tennis team is in their final full weekend of competition this weekend with a 3-10 record thus far. It won’t get any easier on Friday when they head to Columbus to take on the #5 Buckeyes. The match begins at 11 AM and can be streamed live on the OSU website HERE.

Track and Field @ Big Ten Indiana Invitational #2—Bloomington, Indiana, 2 PM

The Gopher track and field team will head to Bloomington Indiana for the Big Ten Indiana Invitational #2 this weekend. The meet was moved from a two-day split due to weather and now will be contested solely on Friday. This weekend will mark the debut of the Gopher distance runners in the outdoor track season, and the women especially will be fun to watch coming off of an amazing performance at the Big Ten indoor Tack and Field Championships, and a 5th place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Meet. Amira Young has stepped right into action in the 200 meters and has two meet championships and a new school record already this season after winning the indoor Big Ten Championship in the 200 meters.

There will be no streaming coverage of he meet but live results will be available here.

Softball @ Northwestern, 3 PM —ESPNU

The Gopher softball opened home action last weekend with a 3-1 series win over Purdue at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium and now hits the road for a series at #21 Northwestern. The Gophers along with Northwestern and Michigan were thought to be the three top teams in the conference this season but Minnesota has struggled to a 15-5 record, three games back of the Wildcats who sit atop the Big Ten with an 18-2 record. Gopher ace Amber Fiser has looked human this season and enters the weekend series with a 5-3 record and a 1.84 ERA. Autumn Pease has been the ace of the pitching staff for Minnesota this season and she is 6-1 with a 1.01 ERA and is averaging one strikeout per inning. Friday’s game will air live on ESPNU and can be streamed on WatchESPN.

Baseball @ Iowa—6:30 PM BTN.

It’s been a struggle for the Gopher baseball team this season. They head to Iowa City this weekend with just a 4-14 record after going 1-2 at Siebert Field last weekend against Michigan State. The Hawkeyes are 9-9 and are coming off of a 2-1 series win at Purdue last weekend. Friday night’s game first pitch is 6:30 and it will air live on BTN and stream on the fox sports app.

Saturday April 10th

Men’s Golf—Boilermaker Invitational, West Lafayette

The Gopher men’s golf team will tee it up in a 36 hole tournament hosted by Purdue at their home course this weekend. Minnesota finished sixth out of nine teams last weekend at a tournament hosted by Indiana. Live scoring of the tournament can be found HERE.

Softball @ Northwestern—Noon/2:30

The Gophers and Wildcats will play games two and three of their series in a doubleheader Saturday afternoon. Both games will stream on BTN+.

Baseball @ Iowa—2:05 PM

Game two of the three game set between the Gophers and Hawkeyes will be a Saturday matinee in Iowa City. The game will stream on BTN+.

Sunday April 11th:

Everything is nice and early giving you plenty of time to watch the end of the Masters...

Men’s Golf—Boilermaker Invitational, West Lafayette

Round 2 of the Boilermaker Invitational tee’s off Sunday. Live scoring of the tournament can be found HERE.

Women’s Tennis @ Penn State 9AM

It will be an early morning for the Gopher women’s tennis team as they complete their eastern road trip with a match against the Nittany Lions at 9 AM on Sunday. No stream, but live results will be here.

Softball @ Northwestern—11 AM—BTN

The Gophers and Wildcats complete their four game series with a Sunday brunch special at 11 AM. The game will air live on BTN.

Men’s Tennis @ Wisconsin—Noon

The Gopher men’s tennis team will play their tentatively final ever border battle match against Wisconsin Sunday at Noon. Minnesota is 7-6 on the season including a 5-2 win over the Badgers in Minneapolis back in March. The match can be streamed for free on Wisconsin’s website HERE.

Women’s Soccer—Big Ten Playoffs 2nd Round vs Iowa @ Illinois—Noon

The #3 seeded Minnesota soccer team will play #7 seed Iowa in the Second Round of the Big Ten Tournament in Champaign, Illinois on Sunday at Noon. The winner advanced to the Final Four of the Big Ten Tournament next weekend at the highest remaining seed.

Minnesota advanced to the West Region semifinal (the west and east regions are based on the football divisions) when their game against #6 Nebraska on Thursday was ruled a No Contest due to a positive COVID test in the Nebraska team’s party. Iowa pulled off an upset of the host Illini 2-1 in overtime on Thursday night to advance.

The Gophers and Hawkeyes faced off earlier this season in Iowa City with Minnesota earning a 1-0 win. The Gopher/Iowa match will stream live on BTN+.

Baseball @ Iowa—1:05 PM

Minnesota closes out their three game series against Iowa at 1:05 Sunday afternoon. The game will stream on BTN+.