The Gophers played the first 35 seasons with John Anderson as head coach without a single starting player who came from the Minneapolis City Conference.
Now the Gophers have one, and as Anderson said, "He's been a lifesaver."
Jordan Kozicky, a redshirt freshman from Minneapolis Southwest, leads the team's regulars with a .356 batting average and .473 on-base percentage.
A super-utility player who has patched holes caused by injuries at several positions, Kozicky has reached base in 22 consecutive games.
"He brings a smile to your face," said Anderson, whose team plays host to Georgia State on Tuesday night.
Kozicky came through the Minneapolis youth baseball system and sharpened his development with offseason training at the Hit Dawg Academy in Chaska.
When it came time for high school, Kozicky said his first and only choice was Southwest.
"I never even really considered going anywhere else," he said. "I had friends that for other sports did that. They would go to private schools or even sometimes suburban schools, but Southwest is a great school. They have the best baseball team in Minneapolis, so I was proud to go there."