As Minnesota athletes from many sports begin summer training, a couple of Gophers Athletics alums have been finding success in their pro careers.
Trevor Mbakwe victorious with Brose Baskets—June 22
Former Gophers power forward Trevor Mbakwe helped lead Brose Baskets Bamberg to a championship title on June 20.
In an 88-84 victory over Bayern Munich, Brose Baskets Bamberg became the Beko BBL champions for the seventh time.
Mbakwe made quite an impact in the final game, scoring 20 points. Mbakwe also served as the captain for the Baskets this season.
Following the victory, the Brose Baskets clinched a spot in next season’s EuroLeague. Mbakwe is likely to be highly sought after by many teams throughout the European league after his standout season.
Seth Rosin makes MLB debut—June 22
The Philadelphia Phillies called up right-handed pitcher and Gophers alum Seth Rosin for their matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 20.
Rosin allowed seven hits and five runs through two innings. The Phillies fell to the Cardinals 10-1.
Rosin played with Triple A club the Lehigh Valley IronPigs this past season, pitching 26 games with a 2.65 ERA. Rosin had 28 strikeouts and 10 walks on the season.
Rosin was originally called up for one game with the Phillies, but may see more action in the near future as the club faces difficulties with their bullpen.
Gophers freshmen prepare for draft—June 26-27
Two Minnesota freshmen could seal the deal to eventually become professional players this week.
The NHL Entry Draft takes place on June 26 and 27 in Sunrise, Florida. The draft consists of 7 rounds.
Incoming freshmen Tom Novak and Jack Sadek are likely to be taken early in the draft process.
Novak, a forward, is currently ranked 28th in prospects by the NHL, a possible first round pick.
Defenseman Sadek is ranked 79th, which would set him up to be chosen in the third round.
At least one member of the Gophers has been selected in the draft for the past 40 events, 2001 being the only exception. The Gophers currently have nine draft picks on the roster.
The first round of the draft will be televised on Friday at 6 p.m. CST and the following five rounds will be aired starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
