Four players on the Gophers softball roster will be much closer to home when the team opens NCAA regional play Friday in Seattle.
Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Autumn Pease is a California native. So are All-Big Ten first teamers Jess Oakland and Kayla Chavez and team steals leader Amani Bradley.
In the last two seasons combined, the Gophers have had eight players from California. The last time U softball didn't have at least one Californian on the roster was in 2017.
The current Golden State foursome's impact in Seattle could be a determining factor, as Minnesota tries to advance to its first Super Regional since the World Series run in 2019.
"This team is very family-oriented and when I was getting recruited, that's what it felt like," Oakland said. "When I saw they had a lot of California kids, I was like, they must be doing something right if they're coming all the way out here and loving it."
Minnesota plays McNeese at 5:30 p.m. Friday. The game will be on ESPN+.
The Gophers (37-17) were riding a 12-game win streak before falling to second-seeded Indiana in the Big Ten tournament semifinals last weekend. A big part of Minnesota's success came from balancing Pease's brilliance in the circle with some scoring punch at the plate.
Oakland, a freshman shortstop from San Jose, bounced back strong from a 10-game hitless stretch earlier in the season to record a hit in 17 of her last 18 games. She's batting .327 and ranks second on the team in home runs (13), runs (39) and RBI (44).