Neels Sets a Career HBP Record as Gophers Rout North Dakota State 12-3

MINNEAPOLIS — Weber Neels got hit twice on Tuesday night and walked away with a record. Minnesota's first baseman took two hit-by-pitches against North Dakota State, pushing his career total to 43, the most in Golden Gophers history. The rest of the Gophers got in on the fun, too. Four home runs, 12 hits, five stolen bases and a 12-3 win over the Bison at Siebert Field made it a night that rarely looked in doubt.

It was a Tuesday midweek game, first pitch at 6 p.m., between Minnesota (23-17, 5-13 Big Ten) and a North Dakota State team (6-24, 3-8 Summit League) that has had a long spring. The result was a Gophers romp.

Spanier Opens With a Bang

The scoring started on the first swing. Jack Spanier led off the bottom of the first with a home run, and Easton Richter followed with a sacrifice fly to put Minnesota up 2-0. According to the Minnesota recap, the Gophers held that lead for the rest of the night and never gave it back.

North Dakota State got one back in the second on a two-out RBI double from Tyman Long, cutting it to 2-1.

Sutherland and Neels Blow It Open

What happened next was the game. In the bottom of the second, Minnesota scored four runs on three hits, including a three-run home run from Charlie Sutherland and a solo shot from Neels. The score went from 2-1 to 6-1 in a blink. The Gophers added another run in the third on a double-steal play with runners on first and third, stretching it to 7-1.

Sutherland finished 2-for-4 with a home run, two walks, three RBIs and three runs scored. Neels went 2-for-3 with a homer and an RBI. For the Bison, it was a rough inning in a rough night: starter Garrett Shupe, who took the loss, was out after 1.1 innings, and NDSU would use eight pitchers before it was over.

The Bison Answer, Briefly

North Dakota State did not simply fold. Diego Trujillo hit a two-run home run to deep center field in the fourth, his first of the season, to cut the deficit to 7-3. He finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. It was the Bison's best swing of the night.

That was as close as it got. Minnesota's pitching shut the door. Caden Capomaccio, who came out of the bullpen to pick up the win, threw two shutout, hitless innings with two strikeouts, and Josh Kirchhoff added two scoreless, hitless innings of his own. Logan Winkelman struck out seven Bison hitters.

Allen Adds Insurance, Hunt Slams the Door

The Gophers did not coast. In the sixth, Ty Allen singled in two runs to make it 9-3. Allen finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs on the night. In the eighth, Sam Hunt blasted a three-run home run, his second extra-base hit of the game after an earlier double, to make it 12-3. Hunt went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored.

Every Minnesota starter reached base. Four Gophers had multiple hits, and eight different players crossed the plate. Minnesota stole five bases, with Richter, Hamilton, Allen, Hunt and Akin each taking one, and drew seven walks. The staff struck out 14 Bison and held NDSU to 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. The Gophers outhit North Dakota State 12-4.

The Neels Record

Then there was the record. Neels was hit by two pitches Tuesday, bringing his career total to 43 and breaking the Minnesota school mark. It is the kind of accomplishment that does not make highlight reels, but it is a record. Neels also hit a home run, had two hits in three trips to the plate and scored twice.

The Gophers put up some other hit-by-pitch numbers too. Spanier, Davis Hamilton, Jackson Akin and Jack Mosh were each hit once, bringing the team total to six on the night.

What It Means

Midweek games rarely change a season, but they can change a mood. Minnesota's 23-17 overall record is respectable. Its 5-13 Big Ten mark is not. A decisive win, with contributions from up and down the lineup, is a useful reminder of what the Gophers can do when the power shows up.

For North Dakota State, it was another hard night in a difficult season. The Bison fell to 6-24 overall and 3-8 in Summit League play. They have a doubleheader at Oral Roberts on Friday, including a game rescheduled from March 29, and they will try to take what they can learn from the fourth inning, in which they briefly made it a game.

The Close

The Gophers return to Siebert Field this weekend for a three-game Big Ten series against Northwestern, starting Friday at 5:30 p.m. There are only 13 games left in the season after Tuesday's win, and Minnesota will need every one of them. A night like this one, full of home runs and contributions from the whole lineup, is the kind of night they will want to repeat.

Photo Credit: Ariana Golemis/Undrafted