It has been a rough stretch for Gopher baseball over the past six seasons. The 2018 team won the Big Ten regular season title (their 24th), won the Big Ten tournament (for the 9th time), won their NCAA Regional, advanced to the Super Regional and finished with a 41-13 overall record. Since that team, this storied and proud program has had five straight seasons with a losing Big Ten record and a 126-189 overall record (0.400 win%).
Legendary coach John Anderson retired after the 2024 season and Ty
McDevitt took over last season. Now in his second season, McDevitt is trying to return the Gophers to the top of the Big Ten. Last year, they finished 24-28 (10-20) and placed 16th in the Big Ten. Can they make a jump back into the Big Ten’s top half in year two?
Believe it or not, but baseball has started and the Gophers have jumped out to a 2-0 record. They are down in Florida to start the season with three games against host Stetson, St. Johns and Ball State. The Gophers took down Stetson, a preseason Atlantic Sun favorite, 11-5 in the season opener. And they followed that up with an 8-0 win over the Red Storm.
This year’s team is a solid mix of valuable returners and some new additions. It is mostly a veteran roster and the hope is to get back to the Big Ten Tournament in 2026.
THE LINEUP
C – Weber Neels – SR
Neels has been a multi-year starter for the Gophers with 134 starts coming into his senior season. D1Baseball.com rated Neels as the top catcher in the Big Ten after finishing on the 2nd team All-Big Ten team last year. Typcially, Neels will bat in the middle of the lineup and if Minnesota vaults up the Big Ten standings this season, Neels will be a big reason why.
1B – Jack Bello – SR
Bello is a senior transfer from Butler. Last year, he hit .361 and had seven home runs for the Bulldogs.
2B – Jack Mosh – SR / Jameson Martin – SO
Mosh was on the Gopher roster last year but appeared in just seven games. This year, he started the first game at second base and went 1/4 with three runs scored.
Martin made 37 starts as a freshman last year and looks to be sharing time at second with Mosh (perhaps a lefty/righty platoon). In his start against St. John’s, Martin was 2/4 with a double and an RBI.
3B – Davis Hamilton – SR
Hamilton transferred to the Gophers this offseason after spending his first three seasons playing for North Dakota State. Last season he was one of the top hitters for the Bison, starting all 54 games, leading the team in slugging percentage, doubles and RBIs.
SS – Jack Spanier – JR
Now in his third season with the Gophers, Spanier has taken shortstop and the leadoff role for McDevitt. The former Rocori standout started 27 games as a freshman, 31 games as a sophomore and is expected to be penciled into the lineup every day. Another key returner who is expected to be a significant contributor. Through the first two games, Spanier is 4/8 from the plate with a HR, two RBIs, three walks and two stolen bases.
LF – Michael Lippe – SR
Lippe spent his first three collegiate seasons playing for Louisville. He transferred to Minnesota for his senior season and may have two years left to play. He made 72 appearances for the Cardinals over the last two seasons with 26 starts. Lippe is a big kid at 6’3”, 220 lbs but also was 7/9 stealing bases last year.
CF – Easton Richter – SR
A Rosemount native who spent his first two years playing for the Saint Louis Billikens before transferring to Minnesota last year. Richter started 47 games for the Gophers last year, finishing with 12 home runs and hitting .278. He is locked in at the starting center fielder and looks like he’ll bat second in the order, just in front of Neels. Through two games, Richter is 7/11 with six RBIs, two doubles and a home run.
RF – Ty Allen – SR
Allen is a junior transfer from Belmont, where he made 60 starts for the Bruins last year. He is currently batting fifth in the order and hit a triple in each of the team’s first two games.
DH – Charlie Sutherland – JR
Last but certainly not least is Sutherland, who has been HOT to start the season. Sutherland is from Duluth East and started 35 games last year, often at first base. In Minnesota’s opening win over Stetson, Sutherland belted two home runs and was 3/6 with four RBIs.
BENCH – Brayden Hellum
Hellum made 16 starts for the Gophers last year and returns for his junior year as a key outfield reserve, hitting from the left side of the plate.
BENCH – Jake Elbeery
Last year, Elbeery started 27 games for Minnesota after transferring into the program from Richmond. Elbeery hits left-handed and should be a key infield reserve
THE PITCHING STAFF
SP – Cole Selvig – JR
The righty started nine games for the Gophers last year and took the mound to open the season against Stetson. Selvig was ranked by D1Baseball.com as one of the top 200 pitchers in baseball. Selvig missed the second half of last season with a back injury.
SP – Isaac Morton – JR
Morton is a transfer from Texas A&M where he appeared in 13 games in his first two seasons. He got the start against St. John’s and got the W going six innings without giving up a run and notching six Ks.
RHP – Joe Sperry – SR
Sperry earned the win over Stetson when he came in as relief for Selvig. He is a sernior from Rochester who made five starts and 20 appearances last year.
RHP – Ben Gregory – SR
A transfer from Maryville who started 38 games in his three seasons with the Saints. Gregory got the three-inning save, coming into the St. John’s game in the 7th with a 4-0 lead and shut down the Red Storm with three Ks, giving up only one hit.
LHP – Will Whelan – JR
A lefty from Centennial who is in his third season with the program. Whelan had a great summer season playing in the prestigious Cape Cod League and earned himself a spot on the Cape Cod All-Start team.
RHP – Brandon Jaenke – SR
Named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List, Jaenke is going to be a key arm known for striking a lot of batters out. Jaenke is a Viterbo transfer, where he started 30 games and holds the Viterbo single-season and career strikeouts records.
THE SCHEDULE
Minnesota will finish up their opening Florida weekend with a game against Ball State. Then they will have four games between Wednesday and Sunday in Fort Myers, including an exhibition game against the Twins.
After this initial Florida trip, Minnesota hosts Kansas for a four-game stand at US Bank Stadium. This should be a good test as the Jayhawks are projected to be 5th in the Big 12.
Those four games kick off an 11-game homestand at US Bank. They’ll face Kansas, Milwaukee, UNLV, South Dakota State, Omaha and Gonzaga. And then the Big Ten season kicks into high gear.
Staying healthy and leaning into their experience will be key for this Gopher team. I think improvement is likely, but how good can they be this year?
