Tom Windle of Maple Grove Throws U of M's First 9-Inning No-Hitter Since 1931

It's been 72 years since a University of Minnesota pitcher did what Tom Windle of Maple Grove did on March 8: throw a nine-inning no-hitter. (See YouTube highlights video above.)

In a Q & A interview, Windle, who played baseball for Osseo High School, told gophersports.com about opting to for a nearby college, battling a sophomore slump and how he and his twin brother Sam support each other's athletic endeavors:

Q: Tell us all about your recruitment process and the decision to come pitch for Minnesota?

A. Coming out of high school and being from here I obviously wanted to be a Gopher. Growing up and coming to games when I was in high school helped that. The program here is really strong and ultimately when I had a chance to commit here, I decided that this would be the right place. I like the fact that it is close to home and my parents can come to games. I also thought I could develop the most here as a player. During the actual recruiting process the coaches reached out to me. Kevin Kray was a high school teammate and he had been recruited the year before me so he kind of helped me through the process. Plus, the coaches were pretty comfortable coming to games at Osseo High School. So they reached out to me and when I pitched pretty well they must have seen something in me that they wanted to become a part of this program. ...

Q: Some people may not know that you have an identical twin brother, Sam. Explain the relationship you have with him and how supportive he is of your Minnesota baseball career?

A: He has not come to a game yet this year obviously because he is playing hockey at Bemidji State. He came to a couple games this summer when my family made a trip down to the Cape [Cod, where Tom Windle played summer league baseball]. If he could come to every game he would. We support each other pretty well, whether it is coming to each other’s games or just texting each other and talking about it. It is cool too because since he is playing hockey and I played hockey my whole life I can kind of live that experience through him. At the same time he can live the life of a pitcher through me since playing baseball as a Gopher was something I could have never passed up.

Read the full interview at gophersports.com.