Monday night at the Metrodome was a reunion of sorts for Minnesota baseball. The 13th annual Pro-Alumni game featured the current varsity baseball team against Minnesota alumni playing in the professional ranks.
Score one for the young guys, as the varsity squad pounded out 12 hits and scored eight runs to dump the pro-alumni 8-3.
The Gophers played “small ball” to take control of the game. Minnesota did not have any extra-base hits and was aggressive on the base paths swiping four bases in the game.
“We got some guys started and got some balls to fall in for us which is somewhat typical of the way we play,” Minnesota coach John Anderson said. “It was nice to get on the baseball field environment and we got to evaluate our team so it was definitely a lot accomplished.”
Junior Josh Krogman recorded the win for the Gophers. Krogman pitched three strong innings allowing only one hit and one walk while striking out one hitter.
It was the first action Krogman had seen since undergoing Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss the 2003 season.
Sophomore Tony Leseman provided the offensive spark and was named the game’s MVP for his efforts at the plate. Leseman was 3-for-3 with one run scored and one run batted in.
“Our number one goal was to get our work in and get our swings in,” Leseman said. “As an entire team we did well.”
Eleven different players got on base for Minnesota and seven different base runners scored.
The Pro-Alumni team was paced by Jason Kennedy who went 1-for-2 from the plate with one hit, a run scored and an RBI.
Nine pitchers were used in the game, all current members of the Minnesota squad. Sophomore left-hander Glenn Perkins started for the Pro-Alumni team and absorbed the loss. Senior hurler Jeff Moen picked up the save.
Though his current players came out on top, Anderson was not concerned with putting the game in the win column for the Gophers.
“Nobody loses tonight,”
Anderson said. “We’re out here to celebrate our tradition it’s a great evening to connect the past to the current.”
The Gophers open their regular season at the Florida Atlantic Tournament on Feb. 27-29.
