Great job Hawkeyes! I know Minnesota isn’t a powerhouse but Iowa had quite a few injuries, sickness, etc. to overcome. Starting pitchers were solid. Bullpen was outstanding all weekend. Hitters scrapped together hits when needed. Iowa started every game behind and still swept series. Tough Bradley team comes here Tuesday and then big one at Rutgers! I hope they don’t look past Bradley though. They gave them all they could handle last time.
Baseball - Minnesota at Iowa - Make or Break weekend
- Thread starter AuroraHawk
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It is hard to sweep in Big Ten play. Big comeback win.
Sneaky tough game at home vs Bradley, before what is probably the biggest series since 2019.
Sneaky tough game at home vs Bradley, before what is probably the biggest series since 2019.
FWIW, Rutgers has been impressive but Iowa is likely the best team that they’ve faced this year. Certainly the toughest series they’ve had this season.
EDiT: Rutgers has played exactly one game against a RPI Q1 opponent (W - Penn). They’ve played exactly one game against a RPI Q2 opponent (L - Coastal Carolina).
Iowa comes in more battle tested.
Just checked weather. 60s and 70s in Piscataway next weekend.
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They are good. But see Aurora's post after yours. They have played 1 Quad 1 team and 1 Quad 2 team. Still very impressive what they've done. But Iowa's pitching gives it a shot at winning the series.
Losing any game to Minnesota would have been a ranking nightmare.
Rutgers is definitely Iowa's last chance for any semblance of "statement" win(s). After that, any loss to teams ranked 127 or worse will likely undo any good achieved by beating those teams. Win 2/3 against Purdue and Indiana at home and Iowa will have negative RPI points for the weekend. Win 2/3 on road against Nebraska and MSU . . . same story.
If Iowa can finish 17-7 in the B1G and have 5 of those 7 losses come against Rutgers (if Iowa loses 2), Illinois (2 losses) and Michigan (1 loss), they'd have a good faith argument to make to get a regional bid so long as Michigan, Illinois and Rutgers finish in top 4. They'd probably need a strong tournament effort to bolster it.
Win 2 of 3 this weekend and some cushion is provided but I don't think that they can afford to drop any other series and likely need to sweep at least one, if not two.
If Iowa is going to lose a game outside of Rutgers then it needs to be on the road.
I agree but it didn't "make" Iowa's season, it could only have ruined it. Sweeping Minnesota kept Iowa on life support for an at large. Now winning 2 of 3 or sweeping Rutgers would turn Iowa's season around in a hurry.
Pretty much. With the uneven season that has happened they really can't ask for anything more than the opportunity to put themselves in a good position at Rutgers this weekend. Just did not play good baseball early in season, had a bunch of new guys and Fullard getting hurt was big. Just crushing losses to the Illini when the bullpen imploded late. Easily could have been a sweep for Iowa, or 2 of 3 at the very least.
Iowa's pitching should give them a shot I would think. Rutgers has been nails in close games.
Iowa's starting pitching gives them a chance in any game. That's why it sucks to not consistently have a couple bullpen guys that can shut it down.
I felt like the bullpen did a lot better this weekend. Plus you get the game against Bradley to use some of those arms again before the big weekend against Rutgers.
Also speaking on Rutgers. Hot team, but they have only played 2 combined Q1/2 games, so Iowa is their toughest series by far this season.
Also speaking on Rutgers. Hot team, but they have only played 2 combined Q1/2 games, so Iowa is their toughest series by far this season.
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