>> Eric: SPRINGTIME, THE SEASON OF RAIN, SLEET, SOMETIMES SNOW AND EVENTUALLY SUNNY, WARM DAYS THAT LEAD TO BUDDING TREES AND FLOWER.

IT'S ALSO A TIME WHEN MULTIPLE SPORTS CONVERGE.

OPENING WEEK FOR MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, WILD PUSHING FOR A PLAYOFF SPOT.

GOPHER WOMEN BASKETBALL TEAM PLAYING IN THE WEET 16 RIGHT NOW.

LARRY FITZGERALD IS BACK, WHEN HE'S NOT TALKING TO US YOU CAN CATCH HIM ON THE NATIONAL PROGRAMMING NETWORK.

UCLA, 34.

MINNESOTA, 29 AT THE HALF.

IN THE SWEET 16 GAME.

>> IT'S CLOSE.

>> Eric: WE'RE IN THE GAME HERE.

>> YEAH, UCLA IS VERY TALENTED.

AND OF COURSE THE GOPHERS ARE HAVING ONE OF THEIR BEST SEASONS EVER.

THEY'RE DEEP AND HAVE REALLY BEEN COMPETITIVE AND VERY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THIS YEAR AND I HOPE THEY CAN RALLY AND COME BACK TONIGHT AND GET A WIN.

WOULDN'T THAT BE SOMETHING?

>> Eric: THAT WOULD BE INCREDIBLE.

>> Cathy: ARE YOU SURPRISED WE'RE HERE?

>> IN THE TOURNAMENT?

>> Cathy: YEAH.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I MEAN, I THINK THEY HAD A NINE-GAME WINNING STREAK DURING THE BIG10 AND THEY START ESTABLISHING THAT THEY THEY, THIS IS NOT JUST THE SAME OLD GOPHER TEAM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD A GROUP THAT WAS WILLING TO WORK TOGETHER TO PLAY TOGETHER, TO COMMIT TO ONE ANOTHER.

AND THEY SHOWED IT DOWN THE STRETCH AND THAT'S WHY THEY'RE STILL PLAYING.

>> Eric: JOE RYAN LOOKED AWFUL SHARP AGAINST THE ORIOLES THE OTHER NIGHT.

>> HE PITCHED VERY, VERY WELL.

>> Eric: NO OFFENSE.

>> BYRON BUXTON HAD A TRIPLE AND OTHER THAN THAT, THEY JUST COULDN'T GET IT DONE AGAINST THE ORIOLES, WHO ARE ONE OF THE BEST TEAMS IN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST.

AND AT LEAST THEY WERE A COUPLE YEARS AGO.

AND OF COURSE THIS YEAR THEY'RE BATTLING THE YANKEES AND TORONTO AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE CLUBS OVER THERE.

AND SO WE'LL SEE.

I THINK THE TWINS, I HOPE, SURPRISE US.

BECAUSE I'VE BEEN REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE WAY THEY PUT THIS TEAM TOGETHER AND HOW THEY'VE PIECED IT TOGETHER BUT IN A COUPLE OF DAYS OR SO WE'RE GOING TO SEE HOW GOOD THEY REALLY ARE.

>> Cathy: FINGERS CROSSED, I GET.

TIMBERWOLVES I'M A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THEM, SHOULD I BE?

>> WELL BE YOU SHOULD BE BECAUSE ANTHONY EDWARDS HAS BEEN HURT, HE'S BEEN OUT A COUPLE OF WEEKS.

I HEARD SOMETHING TODAY THEY EXPECT TO GET HIM BACK REAL SOON.

THIS TEAM HAS A CHANCE TO DO SOMETHING THEY'VE RARELY DONE, WIN 50 GAMES IN A REGULAR SEASON.

THEY ONLY HAVE 7 OR 8 GAMES LEFT SO THEY CAN'T HAVE ANY SLIPUPS, BUT THIS MIGHT BE ONE OF THE DEEPEST TIMBERWOLVES TEAMS WE'VE SEEN IN QUITE SOME TIME.

I'M IMPRESSED THE WAY THEY'RE PULLING GUYS OFF THE BENCH, OFF THE STREET.

AND THEY'RE PLAYING WELL.

>> Eric: DOES HE WILD HAVE A CHANCE TO MAKE A DEEP RUN?

>> YEAH, BUT YOU KNOW THE NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE IS JUST SO -- IT'S SO MESSED UP FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE WESTERN CONFERENCE AND EASTERN CONFERENCE AND THE CENTRAL, AND THEY MAKE THE TEAMS, I JUST DON'T GET IT, HOW THEY CAN FORCE A TEAM AS GOOD AS DALLAS, WIND UP PLAYING THE WILD IN THE FIRST ROUND.

I MEAN, I SAY WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?

>> Eric: HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?

>> THEY JUST DECIDED THAT'S WHAT THAT HE WANTED.

THEY WANT THESE INTERRIVALRIES DURING THE REGULAR SEASON TO COME TO LIFE DURING PLAYOFFS AND SOME TEAMS CAN'T STAND UP TO IT IN THE PLAYOFFS.

>> Cathy: VIKINGS, COUNTILER MURRAY, THE NEW QUARTERBACK, DIDN'T LARRY JUNIOR PLAY WITH HIM?

>> HE DID, HE STARTED HIS CAREER.

>> Cathy: IS HE OKAY?

DID HE?

OKAY.

>> UNFORTUNATELY HE HASN'T BEEN A DOMINANT PLAYER, YOU KNOW, HE'S BEEN KIND OF A HEADACHE, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.

IN THE LOCKER ROOM.

AND THE ORGANIZATION SORT OF WENT ALONG WITH HIM AND HIS THINKING.

AND THEY LET IT GO TOO FAR, I THINK.

BUT NOW HE KNOWS WHAT THE DEAL IS.

HE'S ON THE, YOU KNOW, HE'S GOT TO PUT UP THIS YEAR OR WHO KNOWS.

AND HE'S A VERY TALENTED PLAYER BUT HE'S ONLY 5'7," 5'8".

>> Eric: HE'S THAT SHORT.

HOW DO YOU THROW IT OVER THE LINEMAN?

>> THAT'S GOING TO BE THE PROBLEM, HE'S GOT TO GET TO THE WIN, A LOT OF RUNNING LAYS, THAT TYPE OF THING, SET UP STUFF LIKE THAT.

BUT, HEY, DON'T FORGET JJ MCCARTHY STILL HERE.

NOW CARSON WENTZ IS BACK SO ONE OF THOSE THREE IS GOING TO BE THE BACK-UP.

>> Eric: YOU'RE BUSY THIS TIME OF Y