FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
The University of Minnesota baseball program will feature 39 home games during the 2012 season announced today by head coach John Anderson. Minnesota will play 38 games in the Metrodome, while the May 5 game against Penn State is scheduled for Target Field.
“I think all of us, players and coaches alike, are happy that we’ll be able to play at home this year,” Anderson said. “It’s a significant home stand and I know it’s the longest consecutive home stand in the history of this program as we play 27 home games in a row. I’ve always felt that the first month or the first five weeks of the season is really critical to forming your team. This year, we get to play at home, we know we’re going to play every game and we’re going to get our work in every single day. We’re playing a competitive schedule that will give us a chance to develop our team and hopefully put us in a position to compete for a Big Ten Championship.”
Minnesota kicks off the 2012 campaign with the 18th annual Pro & Legends Alumni Game at the Metrodome on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. Minnesota then travels to Florida to participate in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge, Feb. 17-19 in Clearwater and St. Petersburg, Fla., where it faces Louisville (Feb. 17), St. John’s (Feb. 18) and South Florida (Feb. 19).
Minnesota is then home for the next 27 games of its schedule, beginning with four games against Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Feb. 24-26) and a one-game matchup with New Mexico State (March 1). The 28th annual Dairy Queen Classic returns to the Metrodome as the Maroon and Gold host Nebraska, New Mexico State and West Virginia, March 2-4. Followed by a game against Hamline on March 7, the Gophers then host the Metrodome Tournament, March 9-10, as Kansas and Stony Brook come to town. Minnesota continues the homestand with contests against Kansas State (March 13-14), Cal-Poly (March 17-19), North Dakota State (March 20-21), The Citadel (March 23-25) and South Dakota State (March 28).
The Gophers open the Big Ten Conference season at home against Michigan, March 30-31 and April 1. After a home game against Augsburg on April 3, the Gophers are on the road at Ohio State (April 6-8) and at South Dakota State (April 11) before returning home against Northwestern (April 13-15) and Nebraska-Omaha (April 17-18). After a road trip to Michigan State (April 20-22) and NDSU (April 25), Minnesota closes out its home season hosting Iowa (April 27-29), St. Thomas (May 1) and Penn State (May 4-6). Minnesota concludes the regular season at Nebraska (May 11-13) and Illinois (May 17-19).
The last home series will feature a matchup with Penn State, May 5 game at Target Field. The game, scheduled for 2:05 p.m., continues to mark a standing partnership with the Minnesota Twins and their support of Golden Gopher baseball.
The 2012 season marks the third-straight year the University of Minnesota baseball team will play at the Minnesota Twins’ Target Field. The Gophers played in the first-ever baseball game at Target Field on March 27, 2010 against Louisiana Tech in front of 36,056 fans, the second-largest crowd to ever witness a collegiate baseball game. Last year as the Metrodome roof was being restructured, the Twins and Target Field opened its doors to the Gophers and played 12 Big Ten Conference games against Purdue, Northwestern, Iowa and Ohio State.
Tickets are now on sale through the Gopher ticket office. Fans can access tickets by calling 1-800-U-Gopher (612-624-8080 locally) or through mygophersports.com. Ticket information for the Target Field game will be announced at a later date.
