The Big Ten Network will have coverage this weekend of Big Ten Conference spring games including the Gophers.
The Gophers game at TCF Bank Stadium offers free admission to fans and starts at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. The game will consist of four 12-minute (running time) quarters, plus a 15-minute halftime. The coaching staff and players will be available on the field following the game for a 30-minute fan autograph session.
Parking for $10 will be available from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in lots 33 and 37, and at the Maroon, Gold, Minnesota and Ski-U-Mah lots, and also the Fourth Street, University Avenue, Washington Avenue and Oak Street ramps. Stadium gates A, C and E will open at noon.
It won’t be surprising if the legislature reverses itself and allows the Gophers to sell alcohol in premium seating areas at TCF Bank Stadium, Williams Arena and Mariucci Arena for the coming school year.
Two former Twins pitchers have eye-catching stats so far. Livan Hernandez, pitching for Washington, is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA. Matt Garza, helping Tampa Bay to an 11-4 record, is 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA. Hernandez and Garza rank first and second in ERA among major league pitchers.
Michael Cuddyer, who drove in three runs for the Twins last night in a 6-0 win over Cleveland, is tied with several other players for third among American League RBI leaders at 13. He’s hitting .389 in his last nine games.
A mixed martial arts event promoted as the largest card in Minneapolis since 1987 starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Target Center. Travis Wiuff of Rochester fights Jeff Monson from Olympia, Washington in the main event. Highly ranked Yoko Takahahi from Japan will fight Shana Olsen, a native of Hibbing and graduate of Bemidji State who is a registered nurse at a St. Paul hospital.
Wild wing Pierre-Marc Bouchard missed 81 of 82 games last season because of concussion symptoms. Bouchard is still not recovered and hasn’t resumed a regular workout schedule. After Bouchard receives medical clearance, he will use this summer to get back in shape, not vacationing. He told Wild.com: “I rested enough this year. When I’m symptom free and able to get my heart rate pretty high, I’m going to start playing. As soon as I can, I’m going to start being on the ice.” https://wild.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=526167&navid=DL|MIN|home
St. Thomas assistant men’s hockey coach Jeff “Duke” Boeser has been named interim head coach for next season. Boeser has been on the Tommie coaching staff for 30 seasons, including the last 23 as coach Terry Skrypek’s top assistant. Skrypek announced his retirement in late March after winning 419 games and continuing the program’s streak of 28 consecutive winning seasons.