...against (newly-acquired by UI) AIB. Hawks win 7-1, using nine pitchers, but the real story was the impact of the new artificial surface along with other renovations, and the great weather. 60-70 degree temps in Iowa in mid-March aren't anything new, but having a playing surface ready for action this time of year is unprecedented. It is believed to be the earliest home opener ever for the program, and it could be a harbinger of things to come. When all you have to do is essentially sweep any snow off the field in order to get it ready (assuming the air temperature is OK), you can play a lot of games early that you wouldn't otherwise. In the past, it seems like Iowa would cancel many mid-week games due to weather and work hard to get the weekend conference games in. The early extra work outdoors (they practiced on the surface a number of times in January) should make a big difference in the program's fortunes, especially against warmer-weather teams, which won't have quite the advantage they did before.
This post was edited on 3/11 9:03 PM by cruhawk
This post was edited on 3/11 9:03 PM by cruhawk
