Gophers' Natalie DenHartog named candidate for national Freshman of Year in softball

Gophers left fielder Natalie DenHartog of Hopkins was named one of the 25 candidates for the Schutt Sports/NFCA Freshman of the Year on Thursday. The list will be narrowed to 10 on May 9.

She leads No. 18 Minnesota with a .773 slugging percentage and 43 RBI and is second on the team with a .373 average and 11 homers. She also has nine doubles and one triple.

The Gophers (29-10, 10-1 Big Ten) open a three-game series with Nebraska (15-24, 4-8) at 5:30 p.m. Friday in Lincoln.

• North Dakota released its 2019-20 schedule, and Gophers hockey fans will get to see the Fighting Hawks once again. North Dakota will visit Minnesota on Nov. 29-30 at 3M Arena at Mariucci. Last season, the former WCHA rivals played a single game in Las Vegas in late October, won 3-1 by UND.

• Eighth-grader Ava Lindsay, the left wing on Breck's second line, announced she has committed to the Gophers on Twitter. She had 11 goals and 28 assists for the Class 1A girls' hockey champions this past season.

• The Minnesota College Athletic Conference named four former coaches or athletes in the league to the MCAC Hall of Fame. They are Paul McDonald, Vermilion Community College (men's basketball coach); Emily Roelike, Ridgewater College (volleyball and softball player); Tom Yelle, Anoka-Ramsey Community College (baseball coach) and Val Swanson, Ridgewater College (volleyball and women's basketball coach and athletic director).

• The St. Paul Saints will hold their annual free open tryout May 2 at CHS Field. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at the front gate of the ballpark, the tryout at 10 a.m. Each person showing up should come baseball ready, in baseball attire, with cleats, a glove, and a wood bat for position players.

• The St. Thomas softball team (28-4) moved up seven spots to No. 4 in the NFCA top 25 poll this week. The Tommies are on a 13-game winning streak. St. Thomas pitcher Kierstin Anderson-Glass has seven shutouts — the fourth most among Division III pitchers.

• The Gophers volleyball team will scrimmage North Dakota State at 3 p.m. on April 27 at Williams Arena during a free event called the Spring Set.