Gophers baseball team opens 2024 season with 22 games away from Minnesota

With U.S. Bank Stadium unavailable in 2024, the Gophers baseball team announced a schedule for coach John Anderson's final season on Friday that begins with 22 games in February and March away from Minnesota.

U.S. Bank Stadium will be renovating its turf after the Vikings' season is completed. The Gophers' first home game is scheduled for April 2 against South Dakota State at Siebert Field.

"The 2024 schedule will be especially challenging due to the disappointing news that U.S. Bank Stadium will not be available to play any home games in March," Anderson said in a statement. "... We will embrace this challenge."

That challenge begins with the College Baseball Classic Feb. 16-19 in Surprise, Ariz., where the Gophers will face Oregon State twice, Cal State-Bakersfield and New Mexico. The Gophers then head to Fort Myers, Fla., for a Feb. 23 exhibition against the Twins followed by two games against Northeastern.

They will open March with four games in northern California against Pacific and Sacramento State, and the rest of the month will include series at Gonzaga (Spokane, Wash.), Elon (N.C.), San Francisco and then finally a Big Ten series at Iowa on March 29-31.

Minnesota is set for their home opener April 2 against South Dakota State before welcoming Illinois to Siebert Field in their first home series April 5-7.

The Gophers, who went 18-34 overall and 10-14 in the Big Ten in 2023, are scheduled to play 24 nonconference games and a 24-game Big Ten schedule.

It's the 43rd and final season for Anderson, who with 1,365 victories is the winningest coach in Big Ten history. He ranks third in victories among active Division I baseball coaches.