The Big Ten Network aired a one hour preview of the Gophers last Friday night.  Analyst Gerry DiNardo likes Brewster’s coaching staff but said Minnesota has the “most difficult” schedule among Big Ten teams.  Among the team’s newcomers he likes are junior college defensive back Christyn Lewis and redshirt freshman offensive tackle Ed Olson who he predicts one day will be all-conference.

Dave Mona, talking on WCCO Radio’s Sports Huddle, not only predicted a 6-6 record for the Gophers but also said backup quarterback MarQueis Gray could make all-Big Ten as a wide receiver this season.

Maturi said the possibility of the Big Ten expanding its conference games from eight to nine for each team has delayed a decision about replacing Texas on Minnesota’s schedule in 2015.  The Gophers have a BCS opponent to add but will wait until spring to learn what decision the Big Ten will make.

Former Minneapolis city council member and retired Air Force general Denny Schulstad gave a 45 minute speech on leadership and teamwork to the Gophers football team earlier this year.

Former Gophers national championship coach Murray Warmath, 97, has been a resident at Friendship Village in Bloomington for several years.  A new fitness center is being built there and plans are to name the facility after Warmath.  An area at the center will honor him, remembering his life.  A group of Warmath’s friends are raising money to help fund the fitness center and contributions are needed.  More details are available by contacting former Gophers assistant football coach Dick Larson at 651-842-0575, extension 203.

Roy Terwilliger, chairman of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, told Sports Headliners that a new Vikings stadium with a roof could be used for about 300 events per year and the playing field configuration will accommodate amateur baseball teams.

The Vikings probably have too much depth at linebacker for rookie Nate Triplett, the former Gopher, to make the final roster.

The Twins have acquired four impressive pitchers off waivers during the last two seasons: starter Carl Pavano, and relievers Jon Rauch, Brian Fuentes and Randy Flores.  The addition this season of Fuentes and Flores has added badly needed left- handed help.

The American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason top 25 rankings include MIAC schools St. Thomas at No. 8, St. Olaf at No. 19 and St. Mary’s No. 24.

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A torrid September by Joe Mauer could help the Twins catcher win his fourth American League batting title in five years.  To lead the league in hitting, Mauer will need a slumping September by Josh Hamilton, the Texas outfielder.

Mauer is hitting .327 while the league leading Hamilton is at .354.  Both players figure to play in 30-plus more games before the season ends in early October.  They could each have about 132 more at bats.

If Mauer has 52 hits in his last 132 plate appearances (.394 average) he will bat .343 for the season.  If Hamilton produced 38 hits in 132 at bats (.288 average) his final season number will be .340.

Mauer is hitting .388 in August so another jaw-dropping month could follow.  His season average has been climbing since July 24 when he was hitting .295.

Hamilton is batting .318 in August.  Mauer fans have to hope that Hamilton will finish the season like he began it.  In March-April Hamilton hit only .265.

The odds are against Mauer but his task of overtaking Hamilton is possible.  Twins pitchers can help Mauer out when the Rangers come to town September 3-6.  Both clubs face pretty much mediocre competition the rest of the season, although the Rangers do have a home series against the Yankees in September.  Hamilton must also keep his stamina in the Texas heat.

Jake Mauer told Sports Headliners he believes his grandson will overtake Hamilton.  Jake said: “I think he (Hamilton) will cool off in September.  The bat gets heavier.  He swings from his heels. …”

A fourth batting title in five years will place Mauer among the few players in major league history ever to accomplish that feat.  He would then be three batting titles behind Twins legend Rod Carew who won seven.

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The Twins have the highest average ticket price in major league baseball on the “secondary market,” according to Patrick Klinger.  The club’s vice president of marketing told Sports Headliners the average price of almost $80 charged by secondary sources such as StubHub.com exceeds even high demand for Yankees and Red Sox home game tickets.

The popularity of both the Twins and the new Target Field ballpark, returning outdoor baseball to this region for the first time since 1981, has resulted in sellouts for all but one home game.  The Central Division leading Twins are playing in a venue that ESPN The Magazine rated earlier this year as the best stadium experience in professional sports.

A Sports Headliners reader emailed that he paid $89 per ticket for a game earlier this month via StubHub.  The two upper level seats he purchased near the Budweiser Roof Deck cost $27 each if available and purchased through the Twins.

Klinger said the club didn’t anticipate demand for tickets would be so intense.  He said the Twins’ intent is to keep tickets affordable and evidence of that is not only pricing but capping season ticket sales at about 25,000 so that single game buyers can attend games.

Klinger said ticket demand and ongoing costs drove the decision to raise ticket prices for next season.  However, 40 percent of seats will be increased by only $1 or less, according to a club news release.  Thirty-one percent of seats will increase by $2, and 39 percent of seats will remain priced at $22 or less.

The club’s popularity has also been showing up in TV ratings.  The Twins are consistently generating double digit Fox Sports North ratings in August (an increase over earlier in the season) and had a 15.3 rating for a White Sox game at Target Field on August 18.  A rating point is a percentage of households watching a particular program.

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