So far this season, Saints reliever Ryan Jensen has looked very much like a pitcher worthy of being a first-round draft choice in 2019. The fact that he is playing for his fourth organization in less than a year suggests that there have been a few trials and tribulations since he left Fresno State.

But make no mistake, the Twins think they have something in the 26-year-old right-hander they picked up off of waivers in January. Just as the Chicago Cubs did when they drafted him. Just as the Seattle Mariners did when they claimed him off waivers last summer. Just as the Miami Marlins did when the claimed him off waivers after the season.

Jensen has a major-league arm. Finding a way to harness that talent in the form of consistently throwing strikes will determine if his potential will be met.

“It speaks highly of the stuff, where that many teams are interested and want to strike gold,” Saints pitching coach Pete Larson said prior to the Saints’ 5-2 win over the Iowa Cubs on Thursday night at CHS Field. “There’s that thought, that we can be that team to help turn it around.

“We saw him last year (against) Iowa and saw an explosive arm. If he can attack the zone well he has a shot, because the stuff is exceptional, and its high-end.”

Jensen (2-0) has made three appearances for the Saints this season and has yet to allow a run.

He has given up three hits in four innings while striking out seven. He’d like to think his control problems — and vagabond days — are behind him.

“It was definitely a whirlwind,” Jensen said of the past few months. “It made me reconnect with who I am, so it was almost a blessing in disguise. It led to me focusing on myself and what I need to accomplish, and not focus on what teams had in mind for me.”

A converted starter, Jensen has cut down on the number of different pitches he throws, with the goal of gaining more command. His fastball has reached 96 miles per hour this season, and Jensen said he has reached triple digits in the past.

“We saw 99 in spring training, which is extremely exciting,” Larson. “He has a power slider and a change-up, which is a little hard. It’s funny to say hard change-up, but it’s got really good depth and run to it.”

Larson’s work between outings this season has been all about honing his control. Among other things, the Saints have turned to something as simple as changing the spot Jensen makes contact with the pitching rubber.

“Some of his misses where down on the glove side,” Larson said. “Shift you over and throw the same way, and those misses are now more over the plate. That’s how we’re going to attack it initially, and so far the results have been there.”

Jensen faced Iowa, the former team he has the most history with, on Wednesday night, coming on in the ninth inning and striking out three while allowing a single.

“It was probably the most butterflies I’ve had in a while,’ Jensen said. “Just because they’re all my friends, so competing against them almost means more than some random person.”

Briefly

The Saints got a three-run home run from Diego Castillo and a solo shot by DaShawn Keirsey Jr.

David Festa, the No. 5 prospect in the Twins organization according to MBL Pipeline, started for the Saints but lasted only 2 2/3 innings. Festa allowed one run on three hits, striking out four while walking four.

Twins reliever Caleb Thielbar made his second rehab appearance with the Saints. He struck out four in two innings of work while giving up a home run.

Related Articles

Aaron Rozek relishing opportunity with Saints, who lost 4-1 to Iowa Cubs on Wednesday

Despite Camargo’s efforts, Saints can’t battle back

Nashville holds Saints to 4 hits, wins game in 10th

Injury-plagued Saints open season with victory over Columbus

‘Ozempig’ remains Saints’ mascot despite uproar that name is form of fat-shaming

The Gophers football program missed out on defensive end Jaxon Howard, the top in-state recruit in the 2023 class, when the Robbinsdale Cooper product committed to LSU in July 2022.

The U now might get a second chance.

After one season in the SEC, Howard is expected to enter the NCAA transfer portal when it opens on Monday.

The Pioneer Press understands the Gophers will seek adding at least one defensive lineman via the portal, and the U will likely see if Howard’s desires and the U’s opportunities align this time around.

Howard, the son of former Stanford and Vikings lineman Willie Howard, had two tackles in five games last season, including one stop against Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

The Gophers had success in re-recruiting Quinn Carroll, the Edina offensive lineman who initially went to Notre Dame before coming back to Minnesota in 2022. He was the top player in the state in the 2019 class and has been a mainstay on the Gophers’ offensive line for the last two seasons.

The transfer portal will remain open until April 30. The U’s needs will shift considering which players on the current roster might leave.

“I don’t know,” head coach P.J. Fleck said about specific roster objectives. “It depends on what happens with if we lose players or things like that.”

Less than passing grade

It’s still spring ball, but the Gophers passing game looked in need of a lot of work during its open-to-fans practice Thursday.

New quarterback Max Brosmer is three weeks into the learning curve from FCS-level New Hampshire to the speed and size that comes within a Big Ten program.

“There is just small nuances,” Fleck said about Brosmer’s need to adjust. “Lineman are bigger, windows close faster, shape of the ball matters more.”

Brosmer didn’t have enough zip on one pass and it was intercepted during a team section of practice. Another red zone throw from Brosmer should have been picked off, but a defender dropped it.

“On the field, it’s feeling space,” Brosmer said about his adjustment. “It’s learning how to lead new people in that same environment while being under the pressure of the situation.”

With all-Big Ten receiver Daniel Jackson sidelined in spring, there is a drop off to Elijah Spencer and Le’Meke Brockington and a slew of very inexperienced reserves. Spencer, in particular, had a tough Thursday with multiple dropped passes, and the second-year transfer from Charlotte chatted with Fleck after one of them.

Meanwhile, true freshman backup QB Drake Lindsay had a handful of impressive throws Thursday against the second-team defense, connecting on a deep ball to third-year wideout Kristen Hoskins for a big gain and followed it up with a fade-route touchdown to Donielle Hayes.

Fleck was asked about offensive playmakers stepping up so far in spring ball, and he mentioned Ohio transfer running back Sieh Bangura, Hayes and tight end Pierce Walsh, who had a nice over-the-middle catch on a ball from Lindsey.

Depth at corner

Last spring, the Gophers had only four scholarship cornerbacks. This year, it’s more than double that amount.

“There is competitive depth,” cornerbacks coach Nick Monroe said Monday. “I think last year during the spring game we were flipping guys back and forth between the maroon and the gold team. It’s a totally different — totally different — deal right now.”

The most-important addition is senior transfer Ethan Robinson, who played 31 games across three seasons at Bucknell.

“Everything he has shown so far is, the guy is a professional in every way,” Monroe said. “He comes to work. He comes to get better. … He is a winner. He is a playmaker. He’s athletic. I cannot say anything bad about Ethan. He’s got experience, too.”

Robinson came away with the interception of Brosmer on Thursday.

Related Articles

Gophers add tall Ohio tight end Cross Nimmo to 2025 recruiting class

Gophers assistant football coach draws laughter during NBC game show appearance

Gophers add California quarterback Jackson Kollock to 2025 recruiting class

Gophers snag Badgers football commitment in Wisconsin defensive lineman Torin Pettaway

Gophers season ends in NIT second-round loss to Indiana State

Tristan Broz did it again for Denver.

Broz scored off a rush on a shot that beat Boston University goalie Mathieu Caron low to the stick side at 11:09 of overtime to send the Pioneers to the national championship game. Denver beat BU 2-1 Thursday at Xcel Energy Center.

“I think that’s what every kid dreams of, to do something like that for your team,” said Broz, a 21-year-old forward from Bloomington.

The Pioneers (31-9-3) will play the winner between Boston College (33-5-1) and Michigan (23-14-3) for the national title at 5 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2) at Xcel. Boston University finishes its season 28-10-2 and loses for the second straight year in the national semifinals. Denver will be trying to win an NCAA record 10th title.

The game-winning play started in the Denver defensive zone. Junior defenseman Sean Behrens got to a loose puck at the faceoff dot to the left of goalie Matt Davis. Behrens hit Broz, a Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick and transfer from Minnesota, with a pass in the neutral zone. He skated into the offensive zone and shot it in from the slot for the game-winner.

“I just remember back-checking and I kind of got turned over to Behrens at the left faceoff dot,” Broz said. “He made a nice pass to me in the middle. I knew it was a kind of 2-on-1. (Massimo Rizzo) had a little bit of a step on the guy. We ran that drill yesterday doing 2-on-1s and few times I scored. Just kind of no-look, trying to shoot 5-hole. And just kind of blacked out in that moment and happened to go in.”

Broz also scored the game-winner in a 2-1 double overtime win over Massachusetts in the Springfield Regional semifinals.

Denver had a good opportunity to end the game in regulation. BU’s Dylan Peterson was called for boarding at 18:47 of the third period to give Denver its fourth power play of the game.

But the Terriers did not allow a goal to send the game into overtime. Denver was 0-for-4 on the power play in the game.

“I thought it was excellent from the goalie on out,” Terriers head coach Jay Pandolfo said of his team’s penalty kill. “They were sacrificing. We were pretty confident that they were going to get the job done. And then the one save that Caron made was incredible.”

The Pioneers tied the game at 1-1 when they took advantage of a turnover below the Terriers goal line. Boston University All-American defenseman Lane Hutson threw a behind the back pass that was intercepted by Denver freshman right wing Miko Matikka. Matikka, an Arizona Coyotes draft pick, quickly got it to Tristan Lemyre, who shot it past Caron on the Pioneers’ ninth shot of the game at 15:21 of the second period.

It was the second goal of the season for Lemyre, a sophomore wing listed as the 13th forward on Denver’s roster in the game.

“He comes in tonight as our 13th forward,” Denver coach David Carle said of Lemyre, who scored his second goal of the season. “He’s been a big part of why we went 12-1-1 without Rizzo in the lineup. He’s been really good for us. He’s been fighting through an injury of his own, putting his body on the line for the guys and for the team.

“And really happy for him that he was able to get rewarded, scoring that goal. He’s done everything right. This year, he hasn’t always had the most opportunity, but a total team-first guy. And, again, couldn’t be happier for him.”

Denver nearly took the lead with 23.4 seconds left in the second period. Aidan Thompson came across the low slot, made a move that put Caron on the ice. Thompson got the puck to his backhand, but Caron was able to sprawl to make a glove save to keep it 1-1.

Boston University took a 1-0 lead with a short-handed goal. Denver’s Jack Devine could not handle a puck off the wall in the offensive zone and BU’s Luke Tuch picked up the puck in the neutral zone and went in and scored on a breakaway at 7:45 of the first period. It was the 10th goal of the season for Tuch, a senior from Baldwinsville, N.Y., and a Montreal Canadiens draft pick.

But goalie Matt Davis did not allow a goal the rest of the game. Davis, the MVP of Denver’s regional championship, stopped 33 of the 34 shots he faced to win his third straight 2-1 NCAA tournament game.

“We were 100% battle tested,” said Davis, a junior from Calgary. “(The Terriers) had a tough regional as well, but we were just confident in all aspects of our game coming in.

“We had to win in different ways throughout the regional. And today we were able to showcase a little bit more skill than we were in Springfield. So we’re just extremely confident and feel battle tested.”

Caron, a junior from Abbotsford, British Columbia, and a transfer from Brown, made 27 saves and took the loss.

“I thought both goaltenders were the teams’ two best players tonight,” Carle said. “Our guy happened to make one more save than theirs. That’s these games this time of year sometimes.”