Gophers baseball begins transition to new field

The Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball team began practicing at the school's recently renovated Siebert Field last weekend, as Andrew Krammer and Nickalas Tabbert of Minnesota Daily report. Beginning next season, the facility will replace the Metrodome as the team's primary home field.

Speaking with reporters on Saturday, Gophers head coach John Anderson expressed his pleasure with the move:

"It's an amazing feeling. A longtime coming. From day one, [the priority] was to get the field ready first so we could practice on it."

In June, the university approved renovations to Siebert Field, which still aren't entirely completed yet. The field, which is made of synthetic turf similar to what's used at TCF Bank Stadium, is playable to the point where practices are being held, but areas surrounding the field (such as the bleachers and dugouts) haven't been finished yet.

Like the team's coach, players were similarly excited about the move, with many noting the benefits of moving the home field closer to the school's campus. In three to four weeks, players will likely need to be moved indoors due to the increasingly chilly weather, but this is certainly a positive development for Minnesota's baseball program.