Gopher freshman ties 14-year-old softball home run record

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At 43-3, the 2017 Gopher softball season has already been a hit.

The team continues to shatter expectations and records, including a 14-year-old home run stat that was going, and going, but is now gone thanks to Minnesota freshman Kendyl Lindaman.

“I didn’t know what the record was until I was getting close to it,” Lindaman said. “I had no idea that it was 15.”

Lindaman’s 15 home runs match the mark for most in a Gophers season, and the outright record is within reach with eight more regular season games and the pending postseason still to go.

“I wasn’t really sure coming in what it would be like to actually get pitched to,” Lindaman said. “The coaches and my  teammates have really helped me through this and I have just been building confidence every game.”

Smashing softballs, and records, are nothing new for the Gophers newcomer. She was also doing that in her home state in high school.

“I finished with 71 career home runs, that’s the record in Iowa,” Lindaman said. “I have the single season record with 24.”

Even though she this is only her first year, Lindaman is well aware of the team goal. Of course, a fifth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament is up for grabs, but she’s also set her sights on a destination that this team has only dreamed of getting to. She says making it to the College World Series is her main objective this season.

“I don’t know what the future holds for me, but I would love to keep building this program,” she said.