No break for IU; defending Big Ten champs next up

Minnesota's and IU's baseball teams are spiraling in different directions.\nThe Golden Gophers (13-11), last year's regular-season Big Ten champions, have won four of their last five games by an average of 11 runs. The Hoosiers (15-10-1) have lost three of their last five games, including a 7-5 loss to IU-Purdue University at Indianapolis (4-13), which scored five runs in the ninth inning Tuesday.\nThe Hoosiers, who finished last in the Big Ten in 2000 (9-19), meet the Gophers for a four-game series at Sembower Field this weekend. The first of the series begins at 3 p.m. today. A doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, and a single game at 1 p.m. will wrap up the series Sunday.\nWith an injury-depleted pitching staff and struggling offense, the Hoosiers seem mismatched with a potent offensive team.\n"On paper, I think they were preseason favorites by all the coaches," coach Bob Morgan said. "They have a lot of their returning players back from last year, and they were very good last year. They're a really good offensive team, so it's going to be a real challenge for us."\nThe Hoosiers also face a challenge within their own staff. No. 3 starting pitcher Matt Rice is out indefinitely with tendonitis, and No. 4 starter Chris Behrens, a freshman, missed Tuesday's start against IUPUI because of an illness. \nWith the loss of Rice, a junior, Morgan does not have a definite starter for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. He said freshman Adam Pegg, who gave up five earned runs to take the loss against IUPUI, or sophomore Nick Vitielliss could get the nod. Senior Nick Otte, who leads IU with five wins and is second with an ERA at 3.29, will start Friday's series opener. Otte pitched the Hoosiers' only win against Penn State last weekend, allowing three earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. \n "We're hoping for the same type of game -- keep the walks down, and we'll be successful against Minnesota," Otte said. "Their baserunning might put more pressure on us than we've seen. They're a little more powerful than Penn State, but it should be a similar team we're pitching against."\n Junior pitcher Brad Edwards will start Saturday's first game. In his last outing, Edwards allowed six earned runs in four innings against Penn State March 23. Edwards has struggled while recovering from tendonitis, going 1-4 with a 6.87 earned-run average this season.\n"Each time, he's getting a little better," Morgan said. "He's still not where we want him or need him to be. He can be a very effective pitcher for us. He needs that breakout performance to get him over the hump so in the end we can be successful."\nBesides needing solid pitching, the Hoosiers also want to limit their strikeouts and not strand baserunners, Morgan said. He looks for sophomore third baseman Vasili Spanos, senior outfielder Blake St. Clair and senior second baseman Dan Haegele to lead the team on offense this weekend.\nLast year in Minneapolis, Minnesota swept all four games against IU. The Gophers return several players from that team, including 2000 All-Big Ten selections Jack Hannahan and Josh Holthaus.\nHannahan leads the team with nine doubles and four home runs while Holthaus has 21 RBIs. Pitcher Jay Gagner is 1-2 with a 2.70 earned-run average to lead Minnesota, while Mike Kobow is 3-1 with a 4.76 earned-run average and two complete games. The Gophers boast a 66-25 all-time series lead over the Hoosiers.\n"They'll always be a good team," Edwards said. "They always keep over a lot of guys, a lot of fifth-year guys and seniors, so they don't miss a lot of guys with the draft. They'll be a tough team, but if we do our job, it doesn't really matter who we play. We should do alright"