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Anyone else mildly surprised with the postseason success of the Gopher baseball team? Coach John Anderson is phenomenal with the consistent results he's produced over his long career. However, this year's team has been phenomenal!
Gophers just went 3-0 while hosting their first regional in decades. Two of those wins came against #18 UCLA. They will now travel to Corvallis, Oregon to face perennial powerhouse Oregon State. Coach Anderson has built his program differently than most top programs in D1 baseball. He did it recognizing that as a northern team with an outside stadium, that they would have to do things differently. I think it proves the power of having a plan and executing it. It's a nice blueprint for others to follow.
The roster is made up with players from the Midwest.
He focuses on the process he's implemented for many years, much like Stig has done with our football program. Focusing one game at a time and keeping the culture on an even keel. Recruiting players that have a respect for the culture and on being student athletes. Having his coaches recruit key areas on a regular basis to build up a relationship with the coaches and schools. I do like how he's not afraid to use youth in key positions. His top starter and closer are both true freshmen. His catcher is a sophomore he played significantly as a freshmen. That catcher's dad played for the Gophers and the Twins/Mariners during his playing days. His All-American shortstop is an under recruited player from Wisconsin who's dad was the batting coach for the Twins. His coaches found this young men who had a culture that dovetailed with Minnesota. SDSU can't compete with the history of Anderson and the attraction of Minneapolis and the Twins, there is a talent pool in the Midwest who understand the culture of baseball played in the region.
While it will be monumental for the Gophers to win 2 out of 3 from the #2 ranked Beavers, kudos to Anderson and the Gophers for accomplishing what they've done this year.
Gophers just went 3-0 while hosting their first regional in decades. Two of those wins came against #18 UCLA. They will now travel to Corvallis, Oregon to face perennial powerhouse Oregon State. Coach Anderson has built his program differently than most top programs in D1 baseball. He did it recognizing that as a northern team with an outside stadium, that they would have to do things differently. I think it proves the power of having a plan and executing it. It's a nice blueprint for others to follow.
The roster is made up with players from the Midwest.
- 20 players from Minnesota
- 5 players from regional states of Wisconsin, Nebraska and South Dakota
- 3 players from Illinois and 1 from Michigan
- 3 players from the rest of the country (Washington and Oklahoma)
He focuses on the process he's implemented for many years, much like Stig has done with our football program. Focusing one game at a time and keeping the culture on an even keel. Recruiting players that have a respect for the culture and on being student athletes. Having his coaches recruit key areas on a regular basis to build up a relationship with the coaches and schools. I do like how he's not afraid to use youth in key positions. His top starter and closer are both true freshmen. His catcher is a sophomore he played significantly as a freshmen. That catcher's dad played for the Gophers and the Twins/Mariners during his playing days. His All-American shortstop is an under recruited player from Wisconsin who's dad was the batting coach for the Twins. His coaches found this young men who had a culture that dovetailed with Minnesota. SDSU can't compete with the history of Anderson and the attraction of Minneapolis and the Twins, there is a talent pool in the Midwest who understand the culture of baseball played in the region.
While it will be monumental for the Gophers to win 2 out of 3 from the #2 ranked Beavers, kudos to Anderson and the Gophers for accomplishing what they've done this year.
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