Gophers' Anderson gives eloquent statement on late assistant coach

After his team was eliminated from the Big Ten Baseball Tournament, Minnesota Gophers baseball coach John Anderson spoke with the media about the passing of Gophers pitching baseball coach Todd Oakes, who died Thursday after battle with leukemia. Anderson gave an eloquent statement about Oakes and followed it with more perspective on Thursday's baseball game loss. Watch the video above.

"He's made our program better. He's made me a better person, better coach, better husband, better father," Anderson said. "He'll be missed."

Oakes joined Minnesota in 1998 and had 26 of his pitchers drafted into Major League Baseball during his 18 years with the program. Oakes was was 55 years old. Read more about him and his career at GopherSports.com.

News of Oakes death broke during Thursday's game on BTN. Here's that moment.

Our condolences to the family of @GopherBaseball pitching coach Todd Oakes, who died after a battle with leukemia. https://t.co/REiSQejZZG

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) May 26, 2016