Author: David Shama

Chris Hawthorne, the Gophers’ 19-year-old placekicking transfer from North Carolina State, will have one of the best holders in the Big Ten in backup quarterback Adam Lueck.  Hawthorne, who is from Raleigh, was a reserve at North Carolina State but did make five PAT’s and a 25-yard field goal against Wake Forest.

Gophers’ safety Nathan Tow-Arnett, who will be 29 in July, is the oldest player listed on the spring roster.  Defensive tackle Curran Delaney, a Marine Corps veteran who was a volunteer coach in 2009 at Holy Family High School, is 25.

Offensive tackle Jonathan Ragoo is listed at 6-7, 391 pounds.  Moses Alipate, 6-5, 285, has to be among the biggest quarterbacks in the nation.  Kill said on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle show last Sunday he wants both players to lose weight between now and practice resuming in August.

Plans for the dozen or so black spruce trees removed from Target Field’s center field area to provide batters a better view for hitting include sending most of them to state parks for replanting.  A contest for season ticket holders has fans explaining in a video why he or she should receive a tree.

Glen Perkins reportedly threw a 97 miles per hour fastball during a recent relief outing for the Twins, but radar guns can vary in accuracy by a few miles per hour. Gophers assistant baseball coach Rob Fornasiere said the fastest he ever saw Perkins throw was 93 miles per hour.  Perkins won games on 17 consecutive Fridays during 2003 and 2004 when he pitched for the Gophers during Big Ten championship seasons.

Perkins, who has been a starter for the Twins in past seasons, is trying to re-establish his big league career and he’s been impressive in relief this year.  He has pitched 9.1 innings, giving up six hits and has an ERA of 0.00.

Good outings could continue.  “He’s a kid who traditionally has pitched better later in the season,” Fornasiere said.

The Gophers have been victims of inclement weather and Fornasiere said Minnesota’s 29 games played ranks among the lowest major college totals in the country.  Minnesota has played the fewest games in the Big Ten.  “We only have two guys (A.J. Pettersen and Justin Gominsky) with over 100 at bats,” Fornasiere said.

Head coach John Anderson’s team has 16 games remaining on the regular season schedule and unless they advance deep into the playoffs Minnesota will finish far behind the typical 60 games played.

MarQueis Gray told Sports Headliners after Saturday’s spring game he didn’t know who the Gophers’ No. 1 quarterback is, but a few minutes later offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover said the job is Gray’s.

Limegrover and head coach Jerry Kill have become acquainted with the junior quarterback in meetings and practices during the last few months including spring drills that ended on Saturday.  “He (Gray) did a great job,” Limegrover said.  “I think he’s a guy who has proven that not only is he a wonderful athlete, but he’s got the mental makeup to be an outstanding quarterback.

“He makes mistakes but the great thing is he’ll be the first kid in on Monday watching this film (from the spring game) and he’ll be hard on himself.  He’ll know he missed checks.  He’ll know he missed some throws.  His grasp of the offense isn’t where it needs to be but it’s a lot further along than what you’d almost expect.  So we’re pretty excited about the overall package…the work that he’s put in.”

Limegrover didn’t hesitate when asked about Gray being the No. 1 quarterback.  “He’s our No. 1,” Limegrover answered. “ Things always change but he’s earned that because of what he did prior to spring ball−as much as what he did during spring ball−with his preparation.”

Limegrover said Gray is an example of success for Minnesota’s backup quarterbacks, redshirt freshman Tom Parish and redshirt sophomore Moses Alipate.  Joining the quarterback roster in the summer will be Max Shortell, among the more highly anticipated players in Kill’s first freshman class.

There’s been media speculation that Alipate, a big quarterback at 6-5, 285 pounds, might switch to another position.  Asked about that after the spring game, Alipate said he isn’t aware of a change coming but if a switch will help the team he’s willing.

Limegrover, who is part of a new 2011 coaching staff headed by Kill, was asked about a change.  “You’d have to talk to coach (Kill) about that,” he said.  “He kind of keeps that part of it close to the vest.  We’ll meet on every kid here before too long, probably some time this week.  He’ll meet with them (all the players).  He’s not a guy who kind of has that knee jerk reaction to anything.  It will be a process to make sure it’s the right thing (changing anyone’s position) all the way around.”

Limegrover said the Gophers showed about 40 percent of the playbook in Saturday’s spring game that was actually a controlled scrimmage with no score kept.  Defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys said his unit used about 25 percent of its playbook.

College football teams typically hold back in spring games, reluctant to show opening game opponents too much of their tendencies.

Student tickets for the Gophers’ seven game home schedule went on sale Saturday. Students purchasing tickets prior to May 6 will be entered in a drawing for an all expense paid trip for two to the season-opener against USC in Los Angeles. Student tickets are priced at $84 with a $7 handling fee.

The Gophers athletic department will send out 53,000 emails to students this week promoting football tickets.

The rescheduled and free Gopher Football Youth Clinic will be Saturday at TCF Bank Stadium.  Registration will be from 1 to 1:30 p.m., then drills and skills work with the Gopher football players and coaches from 1:30-2:30.  The clinic ends with an autograph session from 2:30 to 3 p.m.

Next up on the Twins parade of creative TV commercials is one with manager Tom Kelly and his successor, Ron Gardenhire.  Twins vice president of marketing Patrick Klinger said the commercial is amusing and will be released in the “next couple of weeks.”

Ticket availability for Twins games may be better than many fans believe, Klinger said.  Tickets that were on hold from sources such as players can become available, so his advice is for fans to keep “checking back” on inventory.

Matt Capps earned the save yesterday in the Twins’ 4-3 win over Cleveland, Minnesota’s third straight victory.  Capps has made good on each of his four save opportunities this season, allowing three hits in four innings.

Gardenhire said during his post-game news conference on Fox Sports North that shortstop Alexi Casilla didn’t run hard enough on a play where Casilla was out at home plate.