Minnesota’s bats started hot over the weekend.

The Gophers tallied 39 hits and 40 runs in two games on a return trip to West Lafayette, Indiana to face Purdue. Minnesota won 22-7 in the first game and 18-8 in the second.

“We had contributions from everybody. I think that’s when you have a chance to score some significant runs,” head coach John Anderson said. “I thought we had a group that was prepared and focused and pretty determined.”

The two highest scoring games of the season came as two victories over the Boilermakers (15-15, 4-4 Big Ten) at their own Alexander Field. Minnesota (23-10, 7-1 Big Ten) beat Purdue on Friday 22-7 and on Saturday 18-8. The final game of the series, scheduled for Sunday morning, was cancelled due to field conditions and Minnesota needing to catch a flight home.

The scores for each game looked like football game scores. The team hit four total home runs in one game. Catcher Eli Wilson hit the first inside-the-park home run since 2012, and infielder Micah Coffey batted for 10 total RBI in two games. 

“It’s a good time,” Coffey said. “Guys are loose, guys are able to play a little bit freer, and the dugout’s always a good time when you’re scoring runs.”

Though the team couldn’t play the final game to complete a sweep, it won the series with their seventh straight victory on Saturday after an 18 hit, 18 run effort. 

Minnesota wins the second game

The Gophers got out to a quick lead of 11-1 after the top of the fourth inning. Freshman Patrick Fredrickson started on the mound for Minnesota. Fredrickson gave up three runs in the fourth inning, and junior Nick Lackney came in to secure the victory in an 18-8 rout for the Gophers.

Lackney had three strikeouts and gave up one earned run in 3 1/3 innings. He said his team’s batting allowed the pitchers to be more comfortable on the mound.

“It does take a little pressure off, especially when the offense is scoring that much,” Lackney said. “At the end of the day, our job is to get out of the inning.”

Minnesota hit four home runs on Saturday, a feat the team hadn’t accomplished since 2015. 

The first came from Coffey, a three run blast to right field in the first inning to get things started. Infielder Terrin Vavra hit another three-run homer in the second. Infielder/catcher Cole McDevitt hit a two-run home run in the third and infielder/outfielder Jordan Kozicky capped the scoring off with another three-run bomb in the eighth inning. 

Home runs accounted for 11 runs in the series-clinching game.

Gophers take game one

Friday’s game saw just one outside-the-park home run, but the Gophers managed 21 hits. 

“We are swinging the bats well, collectively, which is fun,” outfielder Alex Boxwell said. “I think a lot of it just came down to our approach, I think we all stuck to a pretty similar approach, and it worked for us.”

Catcher Eli Wilson hit an inside-the-park home run in the seventh inning, the first since 2012. Kozicky hit one over the fence for three runs in the eighth inning.

Pitcher Reggie Meyer got the start on Friday, but allowed six runs in 2 1/3 innings, letting the Boilermakers get up to a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the third. Brett Schulze relieved Meyer to record his seventh victory of the year by a score of 22-7. Schulze has zero losses this year.

The Gophers look to have their home opener at Siebert Field on Tuesday against South Dakota State, although weather conditions threaten to cancel yet another home game.

“There’s nothing we can do about it, as disappointing as it is,” Anderson said.