Gophers reserve guard During the team’s end-of-summer softball game, Jackson Purcell had a moment he’ll never forget with his basketball teammates and coaches.
Purcell, a 6-5 redshirt freshman from Apple Valley, learned he’d be on scholarship for the 2023-24 season at an announcement before batting for Ben Johnson’s club.
Before he hit an inside-the-park home run in his first plate appearance, Gophers players and coaches came out to encircle and applaud him. Purcell received more applause.
An at bat he’ll never forget! 👏
Huge congratulations to @JacksonPurcell3! 〽️ pic.twitter.com/W4v9DSKU3R
— Minnesota Men's Basketball (@GopherMBB) August 9, 2023
Purcell was added as a walk-on out of Eastview for the 2021-22 season, however he missed that season due to an injury. He appeared in one game last season, making his Gophers debut in the opener against St. Francis Brooklyn.
Purcell, a finance major at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, was nominated to the Big Ten Academic Team this year.
For the second year in a row, Johnson gave a scholarship to a walk-on, after forward Will Ramberg won one for the 2022-23 season.
