Baseball

Minnesota head baseball coach John Anderson agreed to terms on a contract that will keep him in place as head coach through the 2016 season, athletics director Joel Maturi announced Tuesday.

The deal will keep Anderson, currently in his 31st year at the helm of Gophers baseball, around for another four years beyond this season.

Anderson has a career record of 1,080-715-3. He’s been named Big Ten Coach of the Year six times and has helped lead the Gophers to 17 NCAA Tournament appearances. His 1,080 coaching victories are the most in Big Ten history.

For Gophers pitcher DJ Snelten, it was never a question of physical talent.

Scouts were drawn to the southpaw’s 6-foot-6, 215-pound frame and his dominant fastball. Representatives of college and professional teams lined fences to watch him throw during his high school career.

“We knew he had the physical ability. That’s why we recruited him,” Gophers head coach John Anderson said. “That’s the price for admission here.”

The Gophers ended their 27-game homestand Tuesday in style, though, and extended their winning streak to eight games by beating down Division III Augsburg, 7-1.

Minnesota catcher Kurt Schlangen had a pair of hits, including a three-run triple. Second baseman Matt Puhl was 2-for-3 and scored two runs.

“We’re starting to get into a groove where guys have become more regular,” Puhl said. “Guys are confident in themselves as well as in each guy that’s going out there.”

Minnesota has already played more home games this season than it did the entire 2011 season.

There are still 13 more on the docket for 2012, but the team’s 27-game early-season homestand will conclude Tuesday against cross-town counterpart Augsburg.

“I hoped through this homestand that we would get better,” Gophers head coach John Anderson said Sunday, “and we have gotten better.”

Minnesota (16-13) has averaged 5.4 runs per game in its last seven contests, all wins.

Minnesota swept Michigan in its first weekend of conference play with blowout wins Friday and Saturday and a walk-off, 4-3 win Sunday at the Metrodome.

The Gophers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead Sunday, and the Wolverines struggled to muster any offense for much of the afternoon. Late in the game, however, they battled back, tied the game and forced extra innings.

If the Big Ten season started today, the Gophers would rank near the bottom in almost all major offensive categories.

You wouldn’t have known that on Wednesday.

A season-high 16 hits helped Minnesota defeat South Dakota State 9-3.

“We were able to put together more good consecutive at-bats,” Gophers head coach John Anderson said. “It was good to see.”

The Gophers (13-13) will ride a four-game winning streak into their conference opener Friday against Michigan.

Minnesota’s proverbial spring training is almost over.

The Gophers will conclude the nonconference portion of their schedule Wednesday against South Dakota State University.

The first half of the season was full of ups and downs, but it served as a fantastic learning experience for a relatively young roster.

“It wasn’t a normal stretch by any means,” head coach John Anderson said, “but you try and control the controllable.”