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From Rick D Heller - 4/25/2014

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GolfHacker1

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Heller, Rick D <XXXXXXXXXX>


To: Heller, Rick D <Rick-Heller@IowaBaseball.com>

Wed 2/14/2024 11:12 AM

Hi Everyone,

The 2024 Hawkeye baseball season starts this Friday!! We leave this afternoon for Charleston, SC, and our opening games of the 2024 season. We will play Seton Hall, Ball State and Lehigh at the Swig and Swine College Classic at the Shipyard Park in Charleston. You can listen to all three games on the radio here or stream the games here (a seven-day pass is $19.99).

The weather has given us more days outside this year than ever before. With 20 inches of snow and -20 temps when the guys arrived back on campus. It looked like we had zero chance at getting outside, even one time! When the warmup began our awesome grounds crew were able to move the snow off the turf for us. We have been outside every day in February!

We had our media day yesterday, followed by one more full practice. The guys lifted this morning early and will get their baseball work in between classes, with the bus leaving for the airport at 1:30. Thursday we will practice at the facility in Charleston and be ready to go on Friday.

Brody Brecht (Jr., Ankeny, Iowa) will take the ball in game one vs Seton Hall. With Brody having a full year to focus on baseball he is in great shape and has looked sharp in his early live sets. Marcus Morgan (Jr., Iowa City, Iowa) will start on Saturday and is coming off his best performance of the early training this past Saturday. Marcus is also in great shape and ready to go. Cade Obermueller (Fr., Iowa City, Iowa) will start game three on Sunday and has pitched great his last two scrimmages. All three of these guys have had a tremendous off season.

Jack Whitlock (Jr., Cumming, Georgia) will likely be the guy who takes the ball after Brecht on Friday. Jack is coming off an outstanding year and with the work he’s put in this off season, is in an even better place right now. On Saturday Anthony Watts (So., Clive, Iowa) will likely be the guy who comes in after Morgan. Anthony has pitched well since the fall. He has good stuff and has been tough to hit. Reece Beuter (R-Jr., Cedar Falls, Iowa) will take the mound after Obermueller on Sunday. Reece has been sharp since arriving here in the fall and is bulldog on the mound.

After that, we have a deep and talented bullpen that will feature Sam Hart (Jr., Highlands Ranch, Colorado), Zach Voelker (R-Jr., Granite Bay, California), Jack Young (Sr., LeClaire, Iowa), Elliott Cadieux-Lanoue (Fr., Saint-Pie, Quebec, Ontario), Benjamin DeTaeye (R-Sr., Clive, Iowa), Ganon Archer (So., Adel, Iowa), Brant Hogue (Sr., Sioux City, Iowa), Justin Hackett (So., Winterset, Iowa), Aaron Savary (So., Dubuque, Iowa), Drew Deremer (Fr., Omaha, Nebraska), Caleb Strack (R-Sr., Little Falls, Minnesota), Chas Wheatley (Jr., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada), and Rowan Donels (Fr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa).

The starting lineup will have a wealth of experience with three of the four starters up the middle returning. Cade Moss (Sr., Johnston, Iowa) is back at catcher after having an outstanding 2023 season. Cade will be out the first three to four weeks with a broken hamate bone in his hand. He had surgery last Wednesday. Michael Seegers (Sr., Oconomowoc, Wisconsin) is back at shortstop. Mike is one of the best defenders at SS in the country and our leadoff man in the lineup. Kyle Huckstorf (R-Sr., Waterford, Wisconsin) is back in centerfield and like Seegers, is one of the top defenders in the country. Kyle has pop in his bat and will steal a lot of bases for us this year.

Sam Petersen (Jr., Huxley, Iowa) will be in left or right field and is coming off a fantastic 2023 season and a championship in the Cape Cod league this summer. With Sam, we will have two centerfielders in the outfield and has tremendous speed. We look for Sam to provide a lot of offense for us this year. Raider Tello (R-Jr., El Monte, California) had a great year for us last season at third base. Raider will hit in the middle of the line up and is an outstanding defensive third baseman. Ben Wilmes (Jr., Johnston, Iowa) had a solid 2023 season and has played well this fall and early spring. Ben will float between corner outfield, occasional infield and is also our emergency catcher.

Blake Guerin (So., Shoreview, Minnesota) will take over at first base. Blake saw limited action last year playing behind Brennen Dorighi and Keaton Anthony but is ready to go after a solid off season. Blake will provide power in the middle of the lineup and is solid defender at first. Gable Mitchell (So., Iowa City, Iowa) and Andy Nelson (Sr., Winfield, Illinois) will both see time at second base. Gable saw some action last year as a freshman and has played well this fall and early spring. He is an excellent defensive player who switch hits. Andy missed last year with and elbow injury. He brings a lot of experience from the two previous seasons. Andy has great speed and like Wilmes, can play several positions. You will see Andy in the outfield and at times second base. Davis Cop (Sr., Valencia, California) will be a big part of this team both with his bat and his defense. Davis will catch when Cade is out and has done a nice job with our pitching staff so far. He will also be a middle of the line up bat we can count of to produce runs. Davis will likely see time at 1B and DH as well this year.

Connor Hennings (Jr., Morgan Hill, California) is an outfielder with outstand speed and power at the plate and will be in the mix in the outfield. Reese Moore (So., Van Meter, Iowa) has taken a big step forward with his catching and his bat. Reese is in the mix at catcher and DH and gives us an option for a left-handed hitting bat with power. Will Mulflur (Sr., Mercer Island, Washington), Ben Swails (So., Tiffin, Iowa), Kellen Strohmeyer (So., Dubuque, Iowa), Joe Connolly (Fr., Omaha, Nebraska), Merrick Mathews (Jr., Centerville, Iowa) Ryan Brosius (Fr., Dubuque, Iowa) and Ty Plummer (Fr., West Des Moines, Iowa) will give us our depth with the position players. We will be without Max Burt (Fr., Mason City, Iowa) for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. He was having a strong freshman year, and we all feel terrible for Max.

As I said in my last letter, we have a great group of men on this team. The leadership and character are strong. All good things as we head into the season with a lot of expectations. We have prepared as best we could and will attack each day with the intent of being in control of ourselves. If we can do this for 56 games, we should have a great season!

Some news before I go. We will play our final series with Florida International at Principal Park in Des Moines. With us having the bye in Big Ten play the final weekend, it’s a chance to hopefully have a big crowd as it seats 11,000. If the season goes well, it will be a great trial run on grass and in front of a bunch of people! With the Big Ten Tournament the next week and hopefully regional play the week after, it could be helpful. Thanks to the I Cubs GM, and Iowa Alum, Sam Bernabe for making this happen. Sam is a great baseball man and has been a friend to our program long before I arrived at Iowa.

With moving the final series to Des Moines, May 3-5 vs Northwestern will be our final home series at Duane Banks field. We will have our annual Iowa Baseball golf outing Friday, May 3 at 9:00 a.m. at Finkbine and our team will play NW at 6:05 that night. That Sunday, May 5 will be our senior-parents day at the ballpark.

I’m sure most of you have heard about this but for those who haven’t, we have a had a set back with the stadium renovation. A snag with a key donor right before the board meeting in November has delayed things a little. Though it was a tough blow, we still have a significant amount of money to start the project. We have regrouped and are currently planning for what we can do this summer and fall, while we go out and fundraise for the rest of the money to finish the project. We will be starting the project this summer, but it may be in phases.

Thanks to everyone on this newsletter who has helped with the stadium!! We will get it finished. Starting the project this summer will be a big step in moving forward. With us having to prioritize and re do the plans, we must work our way through the board meetings this spring for approval and get going from there!

We will have some fun and challenging early season games down south!! I hope to see a bunch of Hawk fans on the road with us!! If you can’t make it to an early series, I hope to see you here at home when we return.

As always, send me any names and emails of friends and teammates who want to be on the list.

Here’s to a great 2024!!

Go Hawks!!!
 
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Strange as it may sound, really glad to read that Moss had surgery on the broken hamate. From what I've previously read on the subject, trying to allow the injury to heal on its own is a dicey proposition and, if that approach is unsuccessful, he'd be looking at missing the majority of the season.

However, if he had the surgery on 2/7, the 3-4 week window for him returning may be a tad optimistic. I've generally seen the window being 6-8 weeks post-surgery. Thus, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't return to game action until the end of March. I hope I'm wrong and we see him sooner.
 
AuroraHawk said:
Strange as it may sound, really glad to read that Moss had surgery on the broken hamate. From what I've previously read on the subject, trying to allow the injury to heal on its own is a dicey proposition and, if that approach is unsuccessful, he'd be looking at missing the majority of the season.

However, if he had the surgery on 2/7, the 3-4 week window for him returning may be a tad optimistic. I've generally seen the window being 6-8 weeks post-surgery. Thus, I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't return to game action until the end of March. I hope I'm wrong and we see him sooner.
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I thought the comment was Mississippi State series at the latest?
 
T
GolfHacker1 said:
I thought the comment was Mississippi State series at the latest?
Click to expand...
That would be great but I'm really skeptical of hamate bone fractures. Hopeful for a return to the field against Ole Miss in early March (that would just past 3 weeks post-surgery) but "gut" tells me that end of March - B1G opener against Purdue - may be more realistic.

FWIW (note that article is 10+ years old): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ar... are exposed to,may not identify the fracture.
 
AuroraHawk said:
T

That would be great but I'm really skeptical of hamate bone fractures. Hopeful for a return to the field against Ole Miss in early March (that would just past 3 weeks post-surgery) but "gut" tells me that end of March - B1G opener against Purdue - may be more realistic.

FWIW (note that article is 10+ years old): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3745239/#:~:text=Baseball batters are exposed to,may not identify the fracture.
Click to expand...
I looked it up. Kyle spoke to Marty and the comment was hoping by Mississippi State series, and if not, by the time Iowa travels to Jacksonville State. That would be the weekend of March 8th.

Hope for the best. No one really knows, but have to assume Marty gave Kyle the best information he had at the time. It was either yesterday, or the day before. Maybe Kyle Tweeted it, not sure.

Anyway, we're playing baseball Friday, and if you're there the 27th, we can speak. We have a lot to catch up on. You know I kind of went rogue / independent as I needed to push some issues, and thought it best I go down that path alone. That's over now, and we're legit. Not larger than US Steel, but legit. I was on an island alone for a while until it all came together.
 
GolfHacker1 said:
I looked it up. Kyle spoke to Marty and the comment was hoping by Mississippi State series, and if not, by the time Iowa travels to Jacksonville State. That would be the weekend of March 8th.

Hope for the best. No one really knows, but have to assume Marty gave Kyle the best information he had at the time. It was either yesterday, or the day before. Maybe Kyle Tweeted it, not sure.

Anyway, we're playing baseball Friday, and if you're there the 27th, we can speak. We have a lot to catch up on. You know I kind of went rogue / independent as I needed to push some issues, and thought it best I go down that path alone. That's over now, and we're legit. Not larger than US Steel, but legit. I was on an island alone for a while until it all came together.
Click to expand...

Definitely hoping for the earliest possible return . . . tough injury; particularly for catchers. One foul tip or awkward catch of a pitch can wreak further havoc.

2/27 is going to be a bit challenging as I have early depositions on 2/28 in DM and then depositions all day in CR on 2/29. That's a fair amount of back-and-forth but hoping I can work it out.
 
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GolfHacker1 said:
I’m sure most of you have heard about this but for those who haven’t, we have a had a set back with the stadium renovation. A snag with a key donor right before the board meeting in November has delayed things a little. Though it was a tough blow, we still have a significant amount of money to start the project.
Click to expand...
What's up with this?
 
Hi Everyone,



Week one is in the books. We will play Loras today at 3:30in the home opener before we leave Wednesday for Jacksonville, Fl for the Jax College Classic. We return home with a 2-1 record with lots of positives and a good-sized list of things to work before next weekend. Out of the 27 innings played over the weekend we only had a few you wish you had back.



In game one vs. Seton Hall, Brody Brecht (Jr., Ankeny, Iowa) went 4.1 innings in his debut. Brody fanned 11 and gave up one run on one hit. He had a shaky first and fifth, but Brody was dominant in the middle of his outing. He struck out eight in a row during that stretch. Jake Whitlock (Jr., Cumming, Georgia) came into a bases loaded jam with one out in the fifth and struck out two to get us out of it. Jack was outstanding in his first appearance of the season going 3.2 innings and picking up his first win. Zach Voelker (R-Jr., Granite Bay, California) recorded the last two outs of the game and got us out of another jam. With the tying run at first and the winning run at the plate, Zach was clutch, striking out two to pick up his first save of the season. The game wasn’t as clean as we would have liked with too many free bases, but the staff worked out of some pressure filled jams with clutch pitching. The defense was excellent as well and was key in the win over a good Seton Hall team.



On offense Sam Petersen (Jr., Huxley, Iowa) and Raider Tello (R-Jr., El Monte, California) carried the load for us with three hits apiece and six of our eight hits. Sam homered to deep left field on the first pitch he saw of the 2024 season to give us an early lead. He also had a double, stole two bases, and scored three runs. Raider had three clutch RBIs on the night. Gable Mitchell (So., Iowa City, Iowa) drove in a run with a safety squeeze and Davis Cop (Sr., Valencia, California) doubled for his first hit as a Hawkeye. Other than that, we really struggled with the Pirates pitching staff. We struck out 16 times as a team. This is not something we expected. Luckily the five runs were enough, and we escaped with a 5-2 win.



Game two was a quick turnaround from the Friday night game to a noon start on Saturday vs. Ball State and a 5-0 winner. Marcus Morgan (Jr., Iowa City, Iowa) took the hill and was outstanding in his 24’ debut. Marcus went 5.2 innings, fanned nine and only allowed two baserunners, picking up his first win of the year. Marcus was in total control of this one and didn’t give up a run vs a good hitting Ball State team. Anthony Watts (So., Clive, Iowa) made his Hawkeye debut one to remember with 3.1 innings of work to close this one out and earn his first save of the season. Anthony fanned six, only waked one and didn’t give up a run or a hit. A two-hit shutout by Morgan and Watts was exactly what we needed after too many freebies the night before. We played great defense again Saturday. As a team we only allowed four free bases on the day.



The team offense was better vs. Ball State. Petersen and Tello both continued hitting the baseball hard with two hits and two RBI’s a piece. Reese Moore (R-Fr., Van Meter, Iowa) had a pinch hit double for his first hit as a Hawkeye.



Game three was an early 10:00 am start and a cold front came through late Saturday. Cade Obermueller (So., Iowa City, Iowa) got the ball vs Lehigh on Sunday giving us a great start and pitched well. Cade went four innings, struck out seven, walked two and didn’t allow a run. It was a solid game one for Cade and he exited with a one run lead. We had a rough 5th inning, giving up six runs, all with two outs. A mix of hits, walks and some bad luck put us behind 6-1. We answered with three runs of our own in the bottom half and 6-3 was a close as we could get. Brant Hogue (Sr., Sioux City, Iowa) pitched a scoreless inning in his first game as a Hawk. Voelker pitched well for the second time going the final 2.1 innings, fanning three and gave up one run on two hits.



Offensively, we battled but couldn’t get the hit to break this one open. The wind was blowing in, and we hit a lot of balls hard with nothing to show. Petersen, Tello and Cop had another good day at the plate. Cop had two hits and two RBI’s. Petersen had two hits while Tello hit a two-run homer and hit several balls hard. Moore hit a double and squared three other balls up that were caught. Kellen Strohmeyer (R-Fr., Dubuque, Iowa) had a hit in his first at bat as a Hawkeye. We outhit Lehigh 10-8 and only struck out three times on the day. Not getting a leadoff man really limited our ability to put any pressure on Lehigh. Combine that with the wind knocking at least three home runs down was the downfall. Lehigh played and pitched well making some great defensive plays and only allowed one walk and four total free bases.



It was a tough loss and came with a valuable lesson that our guys know well. You often hear me talk about free bases, the race to six and avoiding the big inning. Here are some numbers as to why. Getting to six runs first, avoiding the big inning and limiting free bases dictate the outcome in virtually every game we play. In the last 10 years when we were the first team to six runs, our record is 193-15. When we win the free base war and avoid the big inning, we have won over 80% of the time. The other focal point for our pitching staff is the pitch count war. When we win the pitch count war (less pitches than the opposition in six or more innings) we have won 90% of our games. 100% in 2023.



This will be a short week for us with a game Tuesday at home. With the airlines changing our flight about six weeks ago we leave on Wednesday for Jacksonville. This will force us to get a lot of our work in on the road to be ready for a big challenge this weekend.

Some may wonder why we would play a D3 team mid-week. There are several reasons. The biggest and most important reason is to get as many pitchers as possible, who didn’t get to throw this weekend, out on the mound. They need to see a hitter with a different colored jersey on. It’s also good for our position players and will hopefully get some of the guys that are off to a slow start going in the right direction. With the way the RPI works it makes sense to play some non D1 games. If you win or lose, it doesn’t affect your RPI. You are allowed four games vs. non D1 per year, if you choose to use them. When you get a nice day on February 20th, you need to play somebody! We don’t have any D1 teams close and several of the ones we do play will hurt us, win, or lose with the RPI.



We will face some stiff competition in the Jax College Classic this weekend. Friday we will play Auburn, Saturday-Virginia, and Sunday-Wichita State. We are in the process of getting our scouting reports ready but it’s safe to say all are very good teams. A tournament like this is exactly what we need to gauge where we are and what we need to do to improve on before Big Ten play opens in a month or so. The atmosphere at these tournaments is like an NCAA Regional and is great for our guys if we do end up qualifying in June.



Tuesday’s game will be on B1G+ (subscription required)here. You can watch all of the weekend games onD1Baseball.com (subscription required) and listen to the radio broadcast of each gamehere.



We had a great following in Charleston and will have an even bigger group of Hawks in Jacksonville. We appreciate the support!!



GO HAWKS!!







Hawkeye Links

Hawkeyes Win Season Opener in South Carolina

https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2024/02/16/hawkeyes-win-season-opener-in-south-carolina/



Hawkeyes Shutout Cardinals

https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2024/02/17/hawkeyes-shutout-cardinals-5-0/



Hawkeyes Drop Weekend Finale

https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2024/02/18/hawkeyes-drop-weekend-finale/



Hawkeyes hold off Seton Hall for a season-opening victory

https://www.on3.com/teams/iowa-hawkeyes/news/hawkeyes-hold-off-seton-hall-season-opening-victory/



No. 20 Iowa baseball topples Seton Hall to kick off 2024 season

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/s...2024-season-brody-brecht-college/72631985007/



Marcus Morgan dazzles on the mound, Hawkeye’s defeat Ball State

https://www.on3.com/teams/iowa-hawkeyes/news/marcus-morgan-dazzles-hawkeyes-defeat-ball-state/



Hawkeyes fall to Lehigh in the Swig & Swine Classic finale

https://www.on3.com/teams/iowa-hawkeyes/news/hawkeyes-fall-lehigh-swig-swine-classic-finale/



No. 20 Iowa Goes 2-1 at Swig and Swine College Classic

https://iowa.rivals.com/news/no-20-iowa-goes-2-1-at-swig-and-swine-college-classic



Iowa baseball takes two of three in the Shipyard Tournament

https://dailyiowan.com/2024/02/19/iowa-baseball-takes-two-of-three-in-the-shipyard-tournament/









 
From Rick Heller:

Hi Everyone,

Week two started with a home win vs Loras on Tuesday and was followed by three losses in the Jacksonville Tournament this past weekend. We blew leads in the 6th or later in all three games making the losses extra painful. The team played well in all three games with solid starting pitching in two of the three. The offense took a big step in the right direction over the weekend, and we played great defense in all three games. Our effort and energy were outstanding as well. We’ve gone to work on getting the bullpen straightened out and will be faced with another big challenge as we head to Ole Miss this weekend. Our record sits at 4-4. Here is a quick rundown of the last week.

Tuesday afternoon we beat Northern Illinois 12-6. The offense was clicking from the start. We scored early and were consistently putting pressure on NIU throughout the game. The pitching was a mixed bag with several quality outings and some rough ones. Jack Young (Sr., LeClaire, Iowa) came into a dirty inning in the first and pitched well. He worked out of a jam and was credited with the win. Chas Wheatley (Jr., Edmonton, Alberta) was able to overcome a double play ball that was kicked as he pitched a clean inning. Caleb Strack (R-Sr., Little Falls, Minnesota) bailed us out of another jam, pitching well in the 3rd. Aaron Savary (So., Dubuque, Iowa) was dominant in his inning of work fanning two of the three hitters he faced. Gannon Archer (So., Adel, Iowa) and Brant Hogue (Sr., Sioux City, Iowa) both threw well with Hogue closing it out.

On offense we jumped on them early when the weather was still warm! Sam Petersen (Jr., Huxley, Iowa) and Davis Cop (Sr., Valencia, California) hit two run homers and Cop had four RBI’s. Reese Moore (R-Fr., Van Meter, Iowa) had three hits and his 6th double of the season. Raider Tello (R-Jr., El Monte, California) and Blake Guerin (So., Shoreview, Minnesota) had two hits with Guerin hitting two doubles. We were sloppy on defense with two errors on the infield.

Last Friday we were up on Auburn 3-2 in the 6th inning behind the great pitching of Brody Brecht. Brecht went six innings, fanning 11 and only giving up two hits. One was a two out single that scored a run in the 3rd and another two out hit scored one in the 6th. We gave up three in the 7th and two in the 8th. Sam Petersen hit a two-run homer in the 9th, but it wasn’t enough as we lost 7-5.

We outhit Auburn 9-8 on the night. Michael Seegers (Sr., Oconomowoc, Wisconsin) and Kyle Huckstorf (R-Sr., Waterford, Wisconsin) had two hits apiece. Kyle tripled. We had a lot of traffic on the bases early but didn’t get the knockout blow when we had our chances. Auburn’s bullpen slowed us down after we chased the starter, until Petersen’s homer in the 9th. We played well on defense.

Saturday, we put up 6 runs on Virginia’s starter in the first inning. Marcus Morgan (Jr., Iowa City, Iowa) had put a zero up in the top half of the first inning and things looked good for us. Marcus didn’t have his best command on this night and Virginia got back in the game with two in the third and five in the fourth. Anthony Watts (So., Clive, Iowa) logged 4.1 innings, and after a tough start, settled in and pitched well. He struck out 9. Virginia kept adding on with one in the 7th and 8th and three in the 9th. Our offense scored three more times but fell short 12-9.

We had five hitters with multi-hit nights. Ben Wilmes (Jr., Johnston, Iowa) had three hits and was a HR short of the cycle. Seegers, Petersen, Tello and Cop each had two hits. Huckstorf hit a three-run homer. Tello tripled. Gable Mitchell (So., Iowa City, Iowa) and Petersen doubled. It was great night offensively. We played another solid game on defense.

Sunday, we came out hot again vs. Wichita State scoring four in the second. Cade Obermueller (So., Iowa City, Iowa) gave us a great start pitching well in his five innings of work. Cade fanned six and only gave up three hits and no runs. Things went downhill from there as the Shockers put up crooked numbers in the 6th, 7th, and 8th to put us away 12-6. The bull pen struggled for the third straight day as five guys took the mound without much success after Obermueller left the game.

On offense we didn’t do much after the four run second. We scratched one in the 5th and 7th, but that was it. It was the only game on the weekend we were outhit, and no one had a multi-hit game. Tello doubled for our only extra base hit. With the staff we have, six runs are usually enough, but this was a strange weekend. We played good defense, and the effort was outstanding in all three games.

It’s easy to get down losing the way we did, but we have a tough group of guys who will keep improving. A weekend like this can be a wakeup call. Closing games out the last 6-7 years is something the Hawkeyes have done extremely well. It was shock when it happened as we weren’t used to this happening to us. Everyone on our team knows that we should have won all three games with the leads we had. We will learn and get better from it.

Regardless of expectations, or what happened last year, or how well we trained, or how many returners are back or how much talent we have, it’s a totally different team. Each year that team must learn how to win, play for the right reasons, accept, and embrace their roles and come together as team. Some years take longer than others. This group will get it figured out and the guys will step up!

This week we head to Oxford, Mississippi to play Ole Miss in one of the best college baseball venues in the country. It will be another big challenge for us and a chance to play a great team on the road. I’m anxious to see how our guys bounce back and handle the environment we will be playing in.

All the games can be seen on SEC Network+ here or you can listen to the Hawkeye Radio Network here.

Thanks to all of you who traveled to Jacksonville and supported us. We appreciate it!! I know we will have a big bunch of Hawk fans in Oxford this weekend.

GO HAWKS!!
 
Coach Heller is a really good writer, wonder what his major was in school. Thanks for sharing these on here, gives good insight to the ups and downs they go through. He's definitely an optimistic, half glass full kind of coach!
 
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Hi Everyone,



This past week we went 1-2 at Ole Miss and beat St. Thomas Tuesday night at home. A 2-2 week has our record at 6-6 heading to Jacksonville State for three games this weekend and one at Georgia on Tuesday before we head home for our first home series. Week four on the road for our guys is always a challenge. Travel and sleeping in hotels for four weeks can take its toll! We are still dealing with the same free base issue that I wrote about last week. I do feel that we were better on Tuesday and heading in the right direction.



Last Friday’s game vs Ole Miss was a 13-7 winner. Brody Brecht (Jr., Ankeny, Iowa) gave us a great start going five innings with 11 strike outs, five hits and two runs. After Brody left the game things got messy as the bullpen walked 11 in the final four innings. We had a 7-2 lead in the 8th and gave Ole Miss five runs on free bases. What happened next was a one of the best answer backs by a team that I’ve ever seen. Losing the lead like we did most teams would have packed it in. We came back in the top of the 9th with six runs of our own to take a 13-7 lead and the win. Jack Whitlock (Jr., Cumming, Georgia) threw a scoreless bottom of the 9th to finish it.



We outhit Ole Miss 10-8 and had four players with multi-hit games. Ben Wilmes (Jr., Johnston, Iowa), Kyle Huckstorf (R-Sr., Waterford, Wisconsin), Raider Tello (R-Jr., El Monte, California) and Davis Cop (Sr., Valencia, California) each had two hits. Cop had a huge two out bases loaded double that cleared the bases and Tello slugged a clutch two run homer. Huckstorf, Wilmes and Reese Moore (R-Fr., Van Meter, Iowa) each had two RBI’s. It was a great night for the offense and the defense was stellar, too.



Saturday was a disappointing 12-5 loss where we jumped out to 5-2 lead in the 3rd. Ole Miss scored in six different innings and put up five runs in the 8th to finish us off. The offense didn’t score after the 3rd. Marcus Morgan (Jr., Iowa City, Iowa) went 4.1 innings fanning five, walking four. Our bullpen struggled to keep the game close with six different guys taking the mound. Chas Wheatley (Jr., Edmonton, Alberta) and Caleb Strack (R-Sr., Little Falls, Minnesota) both threw well.



Both teams had 11 hits on the day. The difference was that the Ole Miss pitchers only gave us three free bases. All their hits came after we gave them free bases. Tello and Andy Nelson (Sr., Winfield, Illinois) both had a big day at the plate. Tello had three hits, one a double and Nelson had two hits, a double and a two-run homer. We played an error free game.



Sunday’s game was an 8-3 loss. Cade Obermueller (So., Iowa City, Iowa) went four innings, fanning four and walking five. Zach Voelker (R-Jr., Granite Bay, California), Jack Young (Sr., LeClaire, Iowa) and Drew Deremer (Fr. Omaha, Nebraska), all threw well out of the pen. We continued to make it easy for the Rebels with free bases throughout this game and the defense had a couple costly mistakes as well.



We didn’t do much on offense in this one but did have the bases loaded with no one out early in the game. Michael Seegers (Sr., Oconomowoc, Wisconsin) smoked a ball right at the 3B who fell on the bag for an inning ending double play. That was the kind of day it was. Nelson continued swinging a hot bat with three hits and Moore had two. Huckstorf hit a three-run homer in the 8th inning to get us within striking distance.



We played hard all weekend and never quit. Hopefully, this is the week we put it all together and get things rolling like we know we can. I thought surviving and coming back the way we did on Friday was going to be what did it for us. Unfortunately, that was not the case. We are all excited to get back on the field at Jacksonville State tomorrow.



After a long trip home and getting back at 3:00 am after Sunday’s game, this was a short week and a quick turnaround for our game with St. Thomas on Tuesday. The guys responded with a solid effort and lots of positives on the mound. Elliott Cadieux-Lanoue (Fr., Saint-Pie, Quebec) went the first two innings and was credited with his third win of the season. He fanned two and didn’t give up a hit. Reece Beuter (R-Jr., Cedar Falls, Iowa) threw a scoreless and hitless inning. Young pitched great. Jack had a nice bail out inning and another scoreless solid inning after that. Strack, Anthony Watts (So., Clive, Iowa), Sam Hart (Jr., Highlands Ranch, Colorado), and Aaron Savary (So., Dubuque, Iowa) all threw scoreless innings. As a staff we held a good hitting St. Thomas team to three hits on the day. It was a step in the right direction!



On offense Seegers lead the way breaking out with three hits, three RBI’s and his first home run of the season. Blake Guerin (So., Shoreview, Minnesota) had a big two out, two RBI single. We only had seven hits on the night but won a bunch of 3-2 counts and ran the bases well with five stolen bases. We played a great game defensively.



We flew to Atlanta early this morning and then drove over to Jacksonville, AL for the weekend series with the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. The Gamecocks are coached by former Missouri head coach, Steve Beiser who is in his first year at Jax State. They have a nice new stadium and have turf for a playing surface. Since we are on spring break we will stay and play Georgia on Tuesday in Athens. We will fly back to Iowa City early on Wednesday and play Western Illinois on Friday at home.



All of the games can heard here and games one and three can be watched on ESPN+.



Remember to mark your calendars for the Iowa Baseball Golf Outing on Friday, May 3 at Finkbine. The sign-up information will be sent out soon.



Thanks to everyone who has traveled to see us so far! We’ve had great crowds each weekend on the road this year. We appreciate the support!!



GO HAWKS!





HAWKEYE LINKS

Hawkeyes Rally Past Ole Miss

https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2024/03/02/hawkeyes-rally-past-ole-miss/



Hawkeyes outlast Ole Miss in a high-scoring series opener in Oxford

https://www.on3.com/teams/iowa-hawkeyes/news/hawkeyes-outlast-ole-miss-high-scoring-series-opener/



Hawkeyes Fall to Ole Miss

https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2024/03/02/hawkeyes-fall-to-ole-miss-2/



Bullpen struggles continue, Hawkeyes fall to Ole Miss

https://www.on3.com/teams/iowa-hawkeyes/news/bullpen-struggles-continue-hawkeyes-fall-to-ole-miss/



Hawkeyes Drop Series Finale to Ole Miss

https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2024/03/03/hawkeyes-drop-series-finale-to-ole-miss/



Three takeaways | Iowa baseballs series loss to Ole Miss

https://dailyiowan.com/2024/03/03/three-takeaways-from-iowa-baseballs-series-loss-to-ole-miss/



Hawkeyes Down Tommies, 9-3

https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2024/03/05/hawkeyes-down-tommies-9-3/



Hawkeyes take down St Thomas in midweek action

https://www.on3.com/teams/iowa-hawkeyes/news/hawkeyes-take-down-st-thomas-midweek-action/



Three takeaways | Solid pitching and timely hitting gets Iowa baseball back on track

https://dailyiowan.com/2024/03/05/t...ely-hitting-gets-iowa-baseball-back-on-track/
 
Our last pre–Big Ten road trip didn’t go well from a results standpoint. We went 1-3 and now sit at 7-9 as we prepare to take on Western Illinois this afternoon at 4:05. There were some positives and I feel like we improved in the bullpen. We aren’t where we need to be yet, but it was better. After 20 of 26 days on the road, it’s good to be home.

Game one last Friday was moved up to a noon start in hopes of getting it in before the rain hit. Several Jax State pitching changes and an unexpected lighting delay cut this day shorter than we had hoped. Brody Brecht (Jr., Ankeny, Iowa) went four innings with nine strikeouts, only one hit and no runs. We had a four-run lead when the rain hit. When we resumed the game on Saturday Anthony Watts (So., Clive, Iowa) took mound and went two innings allowing one run on three hits and four strikeouts. Aaron Savary (So., Dubuque, Iowa) went two innings with four strikeouts, no walks and gave up one run. We took a 4-2 lead to the bottom of the 9th inning. A leadoff single, strikeout, catchers’ interference, and a pinch hit, walk off three-run homerun was how it ended. A painful 5-4 loss to start the series and one we wish we had back.

Offensively, we scored three times in the first five innings but when the game resumed on Saturday our bats went cold. We had the bases loaded in the 6th but didn’t score and that was the last time we threatened in this game. We only had two hits in the final four innings and as it turned out we could have used some insurance. Gable Mitchell (So., Iowa City, Iowa) and Andy Nelson (Sr., Winfield, Illinois) each had two hits. We didn’t have an extra base hit.

Game two started 40 minutes after the walk off loss and our guys responded in a big way. We won game two 20-1 on 19 hits. Cade Obermueller (So., Iowa City, Iowa) pitched a great game taking a no hitter into the 6th inning. Cade struck out nine, gave up two hits and didn’t allow a run. He was the Big Ten Pitcher of the week for his outstanding performance. Cade setting the tone from the start of this game was exactly what we needed. Jack Young (Sr., LeClaire, Iowa), Chas Wheatley (Jr. Edmonton, Alberta), Reece Beuter (R-Jr., Cedar Falls, Iowa) and Gannon Archer (Fr., Adel, Iowa) all pitched well to finish this one off.

It was an impressive offense display to say the least! We scored in eight of the nine innings with nine players getting hits. Kyle Huckstorf (R-Sr., Waterford, Wisconsin) was 5-5 with five runs scored and five RBI’s! Kyle had two home runs and a triple. Sam Petersen (Jr., Huxley, Iowa) had three hits with a home run and a double. Blake Guerin (So., Shoreview, Minnesota) and Michael Seegers (Sr., Oconomowoc, Wisconsin) each had three hits and double. Reese Moore (R-Fr., Van Meter, Iowa), Ben Wilmes (Jr., Johnston, Iowa) and Merick Mathews (Jr., Centerville, Iowa) all homered. It was Merick’s first homer as a Hawkeye. Nelson doubled. We played a great game defensively as well.

I wished we could have bottled up a few of the hits for Sunday’s game. We lost game three 6-1 and only managed three hits on the day. A combination of great pitching by Jax State starter Austin Cornelius. He didn’t allow a leadoff hitter on until the 9th and pounded the corners all day long. When we did hit the ball hard it was right at them. We hit seven balls over a 100 mph and five 105 mph or better and didn’t have a hit show for any of them. The Gamecocks didn’t give us a free base in the first eight innings and ended the game with only three. We finally got the leadoff man on in the 9th and ended up loading the bases and chasing Cornelius. It looked like we were going to come back but a bad luck line drive by Huckstorf was caught and their closer finished us off.

Marcus Morgan (Jr., Iowa City, Iowa) went 3.1 innings allowing four runs on four hits. Zach Voelker (R-Jr., Granite Bay, California) went two innings giving up two runs on two hits with four K’s. Jack Whitlock (Jr., Cumming, Georgia) threw great the final 2.2 innings only allowing one hit, no runs and five K’s with no walks. We didn’t pitch bad but the free bases we did give them hurt. The Gamecocks did damage with extra base hits after we gave them base runners and four of the six runs, they scored came via the walk or hit by pitch.

Sometimes the opponent plays and pitches better than you. Today was one of those days. The results don’t show it but over the weekend series we cleaned up a lot of the free bases we’ve been giving away. There were still too many if we expect to be a great team, but at least a step in the right direction. We did play great baseball at times. Defensively we only had one error in the three games.

Tuesday night we lost to Georgia 10-5 in Athens, in front of a big crowd. The Bulldogs jumped on us early with five runs in the first two innings and three solo home runs. As a staff we gave up 12 hits, walked seven and hit four. Ten pitchers threw with Young, Wheatley and Whitlock throwing well. We cut the lead to 7-5 in the 6th but couldn’t hold them down as they scored three in the final two innings to pull away.

Offensively, Davis Cop (Sr., Valencia, California) hit a solo home run in the second and had two hits on the night. Petersen doubled. We only had six hits but fought the entire game to get back in it, scoring in the second, fourth, sixth and seventh innings. Georgia is off to a 17-1 start, and we caught them at the wrong time.

All of us are looking forward to playing at home this weekend. If you can’t make it to the games this you can watch on B1G+ here or listen here. With the forecast for Sunday looking like a real feel of 30 and high winds, we are going to play a doubleheader starting at noon on Saturday. We will play Grandview next Wednesday at 4:05 before we hit the road again to take on Purdue, and the start of the Big Ten season.

You can sign up for the Iowa Baseball Golf outing on May 3 by clicking on this link.

Thanks to everyone for all the support!!


Hawkeye Links
Hawkeyes Split with Gamecocks on Saturday

Hawkeyes Split with Gamecocks on Saturday

hawkeyesports.com hawkeyesports.com

Hawkeyes Fall to Gamecocks, 6-1

Hawkeyes Fall to Gamecocks, 6-1

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Hawkeyes Fall to Georgia In Midweek Contest

Hawkeyes Fall to Georgia in Midweek Contest

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Hi Everyone,

This past week we went 4-0, sweeping Western Illinois and beating Grand View on Tuesday afternoon. Our bullpen pitched much better and cut down the free bases significantly this week. The offense scored a bunch of runs in all four games. As we head to West Lafayette this afternoon and enter Big Ten play at Purdue this weekend, our record stands at 11-9. It looks like it will be a chilly, wind blowing in weekend vs. the Boilermakers.

Game one Friday was an 11-1 winner. Brody Brecht (Jr., Ankeny, Iowa) went four innings, fanning eight but walked six, gave up four hits and one run. With a 3-1 lead in the 5th inning, Jack Young (Sr., LeClair, Iowa) worked out of a bases loaded, no body out jam to change the course of this game. We scored four in the bottom half of the inning and cruised after that. Jack picked up his first win of the season and pitched great. Chas Wheatley (Jr., Edmonton, Canada), Gannon Archer (So., Adel, Iowa) and Ben DeTaeye (R-Sr., Clive, Iowa) all threw well to close this one out. The bullpen didn’t allow a free base in the game!

Our hitters were led by Gable Mitchell (So., Iowa City, Iowa) who had four hits, a double and five RBI’s. Reese Moore (R-Fr., Van Meter, Iowa) had two hits. Sam Petersen (Jr., Huxley, Iowa), Kyle Huckstorf (R-Sr., Waterford, Wisconsin) and Michael Seegers (Sr., Oconomowoc, Wisconsin) all doubled. We scored in five different innings.

With cold weather coming in on Sunday we played two games on Saturday in windy conditions. In game one of the doubleheader, we won 17-7 and pounded out 19 hits on the day. Cade Obermueller (So., Iowa City, Iowa) went 4.1 innings fanning five, walking four and gave up five runs on three hits. Cade pitched great through four but struggled in the fifth. With a 4-0 lead, WIU scored six runs in the 5th inning to take a 6-4 lead. It was the only negative in this game as we played and pitched well in every other inning of this game. The offense covered up the shaky 5th scoring in the next four innings. Aaron Savary (So., Dubuque, Iowa) pitched well the final three innings to pick up the win.

On offense we had six hitters with multi-hit games. Raider Tello (R-Jr., El Monte, California) had a big game with four hits and scored four times to lead the way. Andy Nelson (Sr., Winfield, Illinois), Moore, and Davis Cop (Sr., Valencia, California) all had three hits. Petersen and Huckstorf each had two hits. Cop homered and had six RBI’s! Petersen had a home run, a triple and five RBIs in the game. Seegers also homered. Nelson, Tello, Moore, and Huckstorf all doubled. The offense was dialed in all weekend. We scored in seven of the eight innings in game one.

After an offensive output like we had in game one, you worry about a letdown in game two. After a great first inning scoring four run, the bats slowed until the 6th. The guys responded with 19 runs on 16 hits to put WIU away 19-9 to get the series sweep. WIU jumped on us right away scoring in four of the first five innings and took a 9-4 lead into the 6th. Marcus Morgan (Jr., Iowa City, Iowa) had a rough start going 2.2 innings, giving up five runs on seven hits. Jack Whitlock (Jr., Cumming, Georgia) pitched a clean inning then gave up four runs on five hits in his second inning. Zach Voelker (R-Jr., Granite Bay, California) pitched well and calmed things down. Zach went 1.2 innings picking up the win. Elliott Cadieux-Lanoue (Fr., Saint-Pie, Quebec) went the final two innings pitching well. He fanned two and didn’t allow a hit.

Offensively, the four run first inning was a nice answer back from the run WIU scored in the top half. After that we didn’t score or threaten for four innings. When WIU took a five-run lead into the bottom of the 6th things looked grim. Thankfully, our bats came back to life with eight runs in the bottom of the 6th and then another six runs in the 7th to pull away.
I thought we showed a lot of fight and toughness in game two. Tello followed up game one’s outstanding performance with five more hits, three RBI’s, three runs scored and a double. 9 for 11 with 7 runs scored is a heck of day!!! Raider was 10 for 14 in the series. Petersen had three hits, a triple and scored four runs. Cop had two knocks and hit his 4th home run of the season, driving in three. Moore had two hits and Seegers hit a three RBI double. We played great defense and had several outstanding plays on the infield in the series, including five key double plays.

The game with Grand View was moved to Tuesday with the cold and wind predicted for Wednesday. We won 25-3 and played about as well as you can play in all facets of the game. Nine different pitchers held a strong hitting Grand View team to eight hits and struck out 14 with only one walk. We only had four free bases on the day! The Vikings were hitting .345 as a team and had hit 42 home runs so far this season. Anthony Watts (So., Clive, Iowa) gave us a great start with a 1-2-3 first inning. Archer, Caleb Strack (Sr., Little Falls, Minnesota), Reece Beuter (R-Jr, Cedar Falls, Iowa), Wheatley, Sam Hart (Jr. Highlands Ranch, Colorado), DeTaeye, Justin Hackett (So., Winterset, Iowa) and Drew Deremer (Fr., Omaha, Nebraska) all threw well. DeTaeye and Hackett combined to fan six in a row in the 7th and 8th inning.

The offense scored in seven of the eight innings. It was great to see quality at bat after quality at bat all game long. The Vikings only walked us six times and it was hits up and down the line up that caused the damage. In the 5th inning we had eight hits in a row and nine out of ten at bats with hits. It was an inning unlike any I’ve ever seen! We had 14 hits in the inning and the 15 runs tied the school record. 27 hits on the night also tied the school record. 21 singles in the game sets a new school record beating the old one of 19 vs Quincy in 1989.

Nelson had a big game with four hits, a home run and scored five times. Mitchell and Huckstorf each had four hits. Mitchell had three RBI’s and Huckstorf scored three times. Tello stayed hot from the weekend with three more hits, a double and six RBI’s. Petersen, Blake Guerin (So., Shoreview, Minnesota) and Seegers all had two hits. Petersen doubled. Cop hit a three-run home run and Will Mulflur (Sr., Mercer Island, Washington) hit a double. We played an error free game to top it off.

We will open Big Ten play this Friday at Purdue. The Boilermakers are off to a great start and have a 15-6 record. They are hitting .304 as a team and have stolen 36 bases on the year. They’re pitching staff has done a great job so far with a 4.50 era, 174 strikeouts and only 64 walks in the first 21 games. Starters haven’t been announced yet, but it looks two of the three starters will be lefties. They played UIC last night and the game went 14 innings. Hopefully, they used more weekend pitchers than they had planned!

You can watch all the games on B1G+ or listen to John Leo and John Evans all three games here.

Here is the link to sign up for the Iowa Baseball Golf Outing that will be held May 3 at Finkbine. If anyone can help with auction items, let me know.

For all the Iowa Baseball Alums, the series with Northwestern May 3-5 is also Alumni Appreciation Weekend. The golf outing Friday morning kicks it off, but if you can’t make it to the golf outing, hopefully you can get together with some teammates and make it to one of the games that weekend. There will be an alumni tent and all alums and families will be admitted for free all weekend long.

Moving forward it would be awesome if our Iowa Baseball Alumni on this list would talk with teammates and help organize a team reunion every few years. We would love to see you! Our Iowa Foundation will help you organize the reunion if you give them enough notice. We’ve also investigated trying to do an alumni reunion in the fall, as well. I’ll keep you updated as we try and find a date and event that will work. With the football schedule, fall games and recruiting it’s proved a challenge finding a date, but I’m hoping we can produce something fun for those who can’t make it to Iowa City in the spring.

On a sad note, we lost a great Hawkeye and one of our most notable former major leaguers last week in Jim McAndrew. Jim pitched in the big leagues from 1968-1974. He was a member of the 1969 “Miracle Mets” World Series Champs and the 1973 Mets National League Championship teams. Jim finished his career with the San Diego Padres. Thoughts and prayers to Jim’s family, friends, and teammates. We were able to do a nice tribute on the video board before Wednesday’s game and moment of silence.

Please give to the SWARM BASEBALL if you can!! With NIL making a huge impact in baseball and most of our competition having financial support from their respective collectives, we need as much help as we can get to stay competitive. I’ll go into more detail about this in another report, but wanted everyone to know that you can give directly to Iowa Baseball’s NIL efforts through the SWARM collective at any time.

Our crowds this past weekend were fantastic!! All of us appreciate the tremendous support you give our team!

Thanks to everyone for the support and keep the names coming that want added to the mailing list!

GO HAWKS!
 
Hi Everyone,



This past weekend we took two of three from Purdue on the road to start Big Ten play. We are 13-10 overall and 2-1 in league play. Our mid-week game at Illinois State was cancelled due to cold and rain. We will face Minnesota this weekend as we start a two-weekend home stand.



In game one last Friday the Boilermakers came out swinging. They plated three runs in the first and another three runs in the fourth. It was 10-3 loss. Brody Brecht (Jr., Ankeny, Iowa) went five innings fanning three. Caleb Strack (R-Sr., Little Falls, Minnesota), Chas Wheatley (Jr., Edmonton, Alberta), Drew Deremer (Fr., Omaha, Nebraska) and Justin Hackett (So., Winterset, Iowa) all threw in this one. It was a sloppy game with 12 free bases on the mound and four errors on defense. Combine that with a well-played game by Purdue and we never really threatened game one.



Purdue starter Jordan Morales pitched well and kept us off stride all day. He went seven innings fanning nine, walking two and only giving up four hits. The offense only had six hits on the day with Davis Cop (Sr., Valencia, California) having two and an RBI. Andy Nelson (Sr., Winfield, Illinois) hit a two-run homer in the 8th while Raider Tello (R-Jr., El Monte, California) and Gable Mitchell (So., Iowa City, Iowa) doubled.



After a rough start Friday night, we came out and played a great game on Saturday. It was tight 4-3 winner with Cade Obermueller (So., Iowa City, Iowa) going five innings, fanning four, walking four and giving up four runs. Both teams scored two in the first and we were tied 3-3 in the 7th. We plated one in the 7th and our bullpen and defense shut the Boilermakers down the rest of the way for the win. Aaron Savary (So., Dubuque, Iowa) went 2.1 innings before running into trouble in the 7th. Jack Young (Sr., LeClaire, Iowa) pitched great coming into the inning and working out of a bases loaded jam. Ben DeTaeye (R-Sr., Clive, Iowa) picked up his first save of the season with a 1, 2, 3 ninth pitching well. Kyle Huckstorf (R-Sr., Waterford, Wisconsin) made an incredible over the shoulder catch in centerfield to record the first out of the 9th which was big.



On offense we outhit Purdue 14 to five but had trouble scoring. We didn’t execute well with runners in scoring position and it about cost us. Cop had another great day with three hits and three RBI’s. Nelson also stayed hot with three hits. Sam Petersen (Jr., Huxley, Iowa) had two hits and a double. Sam had our only extra base hit on the day. It was a cold and windy weekend, and the wind was a factor on Saturday. We bounced back with an errorless game.



Game three on Sunday was another cold and windy day but it was blowing out to left field for the first time in the last 10 games. We played our best Sunday game of the year, and it was a 9-6 winner. Marcus Morgan (Jr., Iowa City, Iowa) went 4.2 innings with three strikeouts, four walks but only allowed two hits. Jack Whitlock (Jr., Cumming, Georgia) pitched well out of the pen and got us out of a bases loaded jam in the 5th. Anthony Watts (So., Clive, Iowa) went 1.2 innings but had some control trouble. Young came in out of the pen in a tough spot for the second time on the weekend and delivered another outstanding performance. He went the final 1.1 innings fanning three with no walks and no hits to pick up the save.



This one shouldn’t have been as close as it was. We had 15 hits while Purdue only had four, but they were able to take advantage of the free bases on the mound and the hits did damage. Nelson had a big game and a fantastic weekend with two hits, five RBI’s, a double and a home run. Cop finished off a great weekend with two more hits and three RBI’s. Petersen, Tello, Connor Hennings (Jr., Morgan Hill, California), Ben Wilmes (Jr., Johnston, Iowa) and Michael Seegers (Sr., Oconomowoc, Wisconsin) all had two hits. Tello, Seeger, and Reese Moore (R-Fr., Van Meter, Iowa) all doubled. We played well defensively. It was important to get the series and I was proud of how our guys bounced back after a tough start Friday.



This weekend we will face a good Minnesota team. They have played a tough non-conference schedule and competed well. Friday we will face a tall lanky left hander in Tucker Novotny. He picked up the win against us last year in Minneapolis. RHP Will Semb will start on Saturday and LHP Connor Wietgrefe on Sunday. All three have great stuff and the Gophers also have some good arms in their bullpen. Minnesota’s position players are experienced, and we will face several tough outs in the lineup.



It will legendary Gopher Head Coach, John Anderson’s last trip to Iowa City as he is retiring after the season. John has been the head coach at Minnesota for the last 43 years. He has been a part of the program as a player, student assistant, full time assistant and head coach since 1974. John has 1,375 wins, 11 Big Ten titles, 10 Big Ten tournament titles and 19 regional appearances. All numbers that will never be seen again in the Big Ten.



Games one and three of the series can be seen on BTN+ here and Saturdays game will be on BTN. You can also listen to the Hawkeye Radio Network here. The Hawkeye Women’s Basketball game will be at 2:30 on Saturday. Make sure to switch the channels back forth with our game!!



The temperatures look good on Friday and Saturday with some rain forecasted for our Easter Sunday series finale and possibly late in the game on Friday. Hopefully, we can play all three as scheduled, but if the forecast has the rain getting here early in the day Sunday, it could be doubleheader Saturday. Come out and see us this weekend if you can!!



Thanks to everyone for all the support!!



GO HAWKS!
 
I didn't have "Brecht giving up 7 runs in T3" after Iowa jumped to a 7-0 lead in B2 on my Bingo card.
 
GolfHacker1 said:
After throwing nothing but sliders? Me either.
Click to expand...

So many lost opportunities this year. So, so many. If you had told me before the season that the Iowa pitching staff would struggle as it has - without several key injuries, I would have filed a petition to have you committed.

Probably would have moved into the low 60s RPI with a sweep. Up 7-0 in Game 1 with the a first round MLB draft prospect on the mound against a team he should dominate. Pure implosion.

Sitting at 96. That one loss probably cost this team 32-34 RPI spots. Ugh.
 
AuroraHawk said:
So many lost opportunities this year. So, so many. If you had told me before the season that the Iowa pitching staff would struggle as it has - without several key injuries, I would have filed a petition to have you committed.

Probably would have moved into the low 60s RPI with a sweep. Up 7-0 in Game 1 with the a first round MLB draft prospect on the mound against a team he should dominate. Pure implosion.

Sitting at 96. That one loss probably cost this team 32-34 RPI spots. Ugh.
Click to expand...
Way too much spin from the starters. High velo guys already have spin. At this point one, maybe all, are good enough to just throw heat and win games. A lot of sliders, and I guess splitters. Right now do whatever it takes, and in my view, that's throw heat if you're good enough to do that, and these guys are.

The good news is the last game was the most complete game I've seen in a while. We stranded a bunch of baserunners. Andy got injured unfortunately, but it looked better in all phases of the game, including the mental part.

Blake needs to step up in Andy's absence. Blake is a vocal leader, and nothing would be better than if he got on track and continued to be loud. The other team leaders are more soft spoken. I think we need some loud in addition to soft. I'm hearing Blake has been loud even while not playing, so that's a good sign.

The bull pen looked better. A couple of younger pitchers I think should be given a chance, and I think they've earned it.

That's my 2 cents, which is probably worth less than 2 cents.

I'll see you this weekend.
 
pistachio1999 said:
Quite the fraudster.
Click to expand...
I'm not ready to say this yet. I don't think he's been charged with fraud, not has he been convicted. My understadning is contempt of court at this point. Not saying it can't or won't change, I'm just saying let it play out to the end.
 
Hi Everyone,



Last weekend we took two of three from Minnesota and were rained out at Bradley on Tuesday. It was the second week in a row with no midweek game. We are 15-11 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play with Michigan coming to town this weekend. With Michigan’s travel situation and Sunday’s forecast, we will be playing a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.



Game one Friday vs the Gophers was a 16-9 loss. We came out and executed our plan offensively vs. the Minnesota starter about as well we could have. He only lasted 1 2/3 innings as our hitters jumped on them for seven runs in the first two innings. It looked like it would be a blowout winner for us, but things changed dramatically in the 3rd inning. Minnesota scored seven in the 3rd with four hits and seven RBI’s, all with two outs. After that we didn’t pitch well out of the bullpen and the Gophers scored three in the 4th, one in the 5th and another five in the 6th to put us away. Ganon Archer (So., Adel, Iowa) and Chas Wheatley (Jr., Edmonton, Alberta) both threw well the last three innings. We ended up using seven different pitchers on a Friday.



On offense, Davis Cop (Sr., Valencia, California) and Kyle Huckstorf (R-Sr., Waterford, Wisconsin) each had three hits. Raider Tello (R-Jr., El Monte, California) had two hits, a double, and four RBI’s. Sam Petersen (Jr., Huxley, Iowa) had two hits, a double and two RBI’s. Andy Nelson (Sr., Winfield, Illinois) and Gable Mitchell (So., Iowa City, Iowa) each had two hits. We out hit Minnesota 14 to 11. 14 hits and nine runs need to be enough on a Friday night. We played an errorless game on defense.



In game two Saturday the guys rebounded with a 14-6 win. Cade Obermueller (So., Iowa City, Iowa) picked up his second win of the season going five innings, allowing three runs on two hits and fanning three. Aaron Savary (So., Dubuque, Iowa) pitched well with three innings of relief, striking out four and only allowing two hits.



The hitters hammered 12 more hits in game two. Nelson stayed hot with three hits, a homer and three RBIs to lead the way. Huckstorf doubled and tripled. Tello and Ben Wilmes (Jr., Johnston, Iowa) each had two hits and two RBI’s.



Sunday, we secured the series with a 10-4 win. It was a tight, 5-4 ball game after five. We scored two in the 7th and three in the 8th to for some insurance and the bull pen did the rest. Marcus Morgan (Jr., Iowa City, Iowa) started and went 4.2 innings, allowing five hits and four runs with six strikeouts. Ben DeTaeye (R-Sr., Clive, Iowa) pitched great in his 2.1 inning of relief to pick up his first win of the season. Ben fanned four and only gave up one hit. Anthony Watts (So., Clive, Iowa) pitched a clean 8th and Jack Young (Sr., LeClaire, Iowa) closed it out in the 9th. Those guys did a fantastic job holding the Gophers scoreless in the final four innings.



Michael Seegers (Sr., Oconomowoc, Wisconsin) had two hits and four RBI’s. Tello and Cop both finished off a great weekend with two more hits and a double each. Mitchell doubled and had three big RBI’s. We played a clean game on defense.



This weekend we host Michigan who has been playing good baseball of late. They are coming off a series win over last year’s champion, Maryland. Michigan would have swept the Terrapins but blew an 8-6 lead in the 9th on Friday. They are 4-2 in league play and tied with us in the standings. The Wolverines are 12-17 overall, but their record doesn’t tell the whole story with how good they are. A tough schedule early that included Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Arkansas, USC, UCLA, UC Irvine, Coastal Carolina, and San Diego tells you more of the story. We will have to play well this weekend, for sure.



Unfortunately, will be without two important pieces of the lineup and our defense this weekend. Leadoff hitter, Andy Nelson (.408, 517 OB% and 5 HR’s) will be out with a hamstring pull and our two-hole hitter, Sam Petersen (.363, .481 OB%, 10 2B, 5 HR’s, 41 runs and 16 SB’s) with a lower leg injury. Those two guys have been putting up big numbers this year and will be sorely missed. It sounds “hopeful” to have both back in some capacity next week vs. Ohio State, or the week after. We will be implementing the “next man up” mentality vs. the Wolverines!



Friday’s game will be televised on BTN and was moved up to 2 p.m. start. This was done so that we can all cheer on the Iowa Women’s Basketball team vs. UConn at 8 p.m. in the Final Four. The Saturday’s doubleheader can be seen on BTN+ here or you can listen to John Leo and John Evans on the call here.



Make sure and get signed up for the Iowa Baseball Golf Outing May 3 here.



Our crowds this past weekend were outstanding!



Thanks to everyone for all your support!



GO HAWKS!
 
Hi Everyone,

This past week we went 2-2, dropping the series to Michigan and winning our midweek game with St. Thomas on Wednesday. Our overall record sits at 17-13 and 5-4 in Big Ten play. We are back on the road this weekend at Ohio State.

In game one last Friday vs Michigan we had an exciting extra innings walk off win, 3-2. Cade Obermueller (So., Iowa City, Iowa) had his first Friday start of the year and went 4.2 innings. Cade pitched well allowing two runs on two hits with six strikeouts and five walks. Jack Young (Sr., LeClaire, Iowa), Aaron Savary (So., Dubuque, Iowa), and Ben DeTaeye (R-Sr., Clive, Iowa) all thew well out of the bullpen. Aaron went 3.1 innings fanning five and didn’t allow a run. Benjamine went the final 1.2 innings picking up the win.

Offensively, Reese Moore (R-Fr., Van Meter, Iowa) and Will Mulflur (Sr., Mercer Island, Washington) had two hits each. Moore doubled and Mulflur drove in a run. Merrick Mathews (Jr., Centerville, Iowa) came through with a pinch hit, bases loaded single to give us the win. We played well defensively.

Saturday, we played a doubleheader due to Sundays forecast and Michigan’s travel situation. It didn’t turn out to be a good day for us. Game one was another tight one with us losing 4-3. We squandered several opportunities to score and had a rough start on the mound. Marcus Morgan (Jr., Iowa City, Iowa) only lasted 2.2 innings, giving up three runs. Ganon Archer (So., Adel, Iowa), Anthony Watts (So., Clive, Iowa) and Young all threw great out of the pen and only allowed one run in the final six innings. Watts struck out six and only allowed one hit. Those guys gave us a chance to win.

We out hit the Wolverines 9-6, but our failure to execute on numerous occasions cost us the game. Some bad luck figured in as well when Moore hit what would have been a grand slam into the wind. Davis Cop (Sr., Valencia, California) hit one in the same spot that would have been a three-run homer. The Michigan right fielder made a great catch at the top of the wall on both. Gable Mitchell (So., Iowa City, Iowa) had a great game with a double, a triple and three hits. Raider Tello (R-Jr., El Monte, California) had two hits. We played errorless baseball. This one hurt and wish we had it back.

Game two Saturday was a 10-6 loss. We didn’t pitch well in this one. After taking a 6-5 lead through seven we gave up five runs in the top of the 8th and didn’t recover. Brody Brecht (Jr., Ankeny, Iowa) went 5.2 innings and pitched well at times. Brody gave up five runs on six hits, fanned 11 and only walked two. After having to go to the bullpen for 12 innings in the first two games, it caught up with us in the rubber match. It took six pitchers to finish the final 3.1 innings.

Michigan out hit us 13-11 in this one. Kyle Huckstorf (R-Sr. Waterford, Wisconsin) had a good game with three hits and a double. Connor Hennings (Jr., Morgan Hill, California) and Moore had two hits while Blake Guerin (So., Shoreview, Minnesota) had a two RBI double. We had chances to break this one open early but more missed opportunities, poor execution and bad luck with balls hit hard into the wind cost us. A missed fly ball in the twilight and two errors didn’t help, either.

We all felt that Friday’s walk off win was exactly what we needed to get on good roll. Especially with the starters we were missing out of the lineup. It was not the case. Two tough losses on Saturday where we didn’t play our best baseball was tough to swallow. It is just one bad day, but when it’s a doubleheader day, it cost us big in the standings.

Wednesday, we played our first midweek game in three weeks under sunny skies and 70-degree temps. No wind, either!! After a rough first inning where we gave up five runs, the guys bounced back with a 17-11 win. 12 pitchers threw vs. the Tommie’s with Reece Beuter (R-Jr., Cedar Falls, Iowa), Brant Hogue (Sr., Sioux City, Iowa), Watts, Savary and DeTaeye all throwing well. Unfortunately, there were a few rough innings mixed in. Thanks to the guys mentioned above we were able to survive.

It was great to see our hitters not hit the panic button after falling behind 5-0. We put a big inning of our own on the board with a six-run 3rd. St. Thomas answered back with three more runs in the top of the 4th taking an 8-6 lead. We answered with one in the 4th, six in the 6th and two runs each in the 7th and 8th to pull away.

Sometimes you just have to outscore em’! Huckstorf had a great game and led the way with four hits, three RBIs and a double. After a solid weekend, Hennings stayed hot with three hits and a triple. Mitchell swung it well with two hits, three RBIs, a double, and the first home run of his career. Cop had two hits, three big RBIs and a double. Ben Wilmes (Jr., Johnston, Iowa) had two hits. Tello had three clutch RBIs and Michael Seegers (Sr., Oconomowoc, Wisconsin) scored four times. We played great defensively. It felt good to get a win before the Ohio State series.

Tonight, we will start a three-game series with a talented Ohio State team. We will face one of the top pitchers in the league tonight in lefty Landon Beidelschies. He has great stuff and has fanned 54 in his 44.2 innings with a 3.63 era. The OSU weekend rotation will go left, left, right. The Buckeyes are athletic on offense stealing 48 bases so far and will have 4-5 lefties in the lineup. Like Michigan last week, Ohio State played a tough schedule in the first five weeks. They are 15-14 overall and 3-3 in Big Ten play. We will be without Sam Petersen (Jr., Huxley, Iowa) again this week. Andy Nelson (Sr., Winfield, Illinois) will be back in the mix and a game time decision on what role he will have. Tonight, we will be dealing some rain and high winds with real feel temps in the low 40’s. First pitch has been moved back to 7:00 pm eastern. Saturday and Sunday look like better days.

You can watch on BTN+ here or listen to John Leo and John Evans here.

Thanks for all the support and to those who came out and supported us this past weekend!

GO HAWKS!

Hawkeye Links
 
Hi Everyone,



Last weekend we went 1-2 at Ohio State and won our Wednesday night game vs Bradley. Our overall record is 19-15 and we are 6-6 in Big Ten play. We host Rutgers this weekend starting tonight at 6:05. UW Milwaukee next Tuesdaywill end our five-game home stand. This puts us at the halfway point in the Big Ten Schedule.



Game one Friday in Columbus was pushed back to a 7:00 p.m. start due to rain during the day. The winds at game time were over 40 mph and the real feel was 40 degrees! OSU beat us in the opener 8-5. After falling behind 4-0 through three, we cut the lead to 4-3 in the top of the fifth. We didn’t get the shutdown in the bottom half of the inning as OSU scored two runs. The Buckeye’s scored one in the sixth and another in the eighth. Our guys fought back with one in the 6th and another in the 9th, but we couldn’t get the clutch hit to give us the big inning we needed. Cade Obermueller (So., Iowa City, Iowa) went four innings giving up six hits, six runs, with six K’s and three walks. Aaron Savary (So., Dubuque, Iowa) went 2 1/3 innings allowing one run on two hits. Jack Young (Sr., LeClaire, Iowa) threw the final 1 2/3 innings with two strikeouts, no walks, two hits and a run.



The Buckeyes out hit us 12-7 and OSU’s lefty starter Landon Beidelscheis was as talented as advertised. He had his good stuff and was up to 97 mph in the first two innings. I thought our hitters battled him. We did a good job scoring four runs, plus we had him up to 100 pitches and out of the game in the 6th. This was a game we needed to win, 5-3, but too many mistakes and free bases cost us that opportunity. OSU has the most team speed I’ve seen since being in the league. That speed impacted this game with seven stolen bases, and they put pressure on us for nine innings.



Davis Cop (Sr., Valencia, California) had two singles and was the only hitter with multiple hits. Raider Tello (R-Jr., El Monte, California) hit a two-run homer and Andy Nelson (Sr., Winfield, Illinois) doubled with two RBIs. It was good to have Andy back in the lineup even if he’s not quite 100%. We played and competed hard on Friday, but Ohio State played better and cleaner.



Saturday was a better day with sun and mid 50’s but the wind was still blowing over 30 mph from left to right. Marcus Morgan (Jr., Iowa City, Iowa) stepped up with his best outing of the year and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Marcus went 6 innings with six strikeouts, three walks. He only gave up three hits and one run. The bullpen followed suit as Anthony Watts (So., Clive, Iowa) and Ben DeTaeye (R-Sr., Clive, Iowa) went the final three innings allowing one run on two hits. DeTaeye picked up his second save. The 9th didn’t go the way you would draw it up, but it worked out none the less! The inning started with two free bases. This put the tying runs at 3rd and the winning run at 2nd with one out and the top of the order coming up. It didn’t look good. We caught a break when the leadoff hitter lined out hard to 2B Gable Mitchell (So., Iowa City, Iowa) the second out and DeTaeye recorded the final out with a pop up to third base. It was a big win for us!



On offense we outhit OSU 8-5, on a day when both teams pitched well. Mitchell had a good game with three hits and scored two runs. Nelson, Cop and Kyle Huckstorf (R-Sr., Waterford, Wisconsin) each drove in a run. Our hitters executed when they had opportunities and we scored “just enough” to get the win. We didn’t have an extra base hit on the day while both Buckeye runs came on solo home runs to right. The defense was solid, and we cut the free bases down significantly from the night before.



Sunday was a disappointing 11-1 loss. We came out and scored one in the first and had a chance for more, but it was a good start none the less. In the 2nd we had runners at second and third with one out but didn’t score and had the same situation in the fifth. Bad at bats at the wrong time and failure to execute in those two innings cost us a chance to jump on them early.



Brody Brecht (Jr., Ankeny, Iowa) went 3 1/3 innings allowing three runs on three hits. Our bullpen struggled as five guys failed to keep the Buckeye’s down after they scored five runs in the fifth. I mentioned in the last report that OSU had several lefties in the line-up. OSU had eight left-handed hitters in the line up on Sunday and were able to take advantage of some bad match ups, out hitting us 10-5. The wind was blowing straight out, and six of the 10 Buckeye hits went for extra bases. Four home runs and two doubles. For the second straight day we didn’t have an extra base hit.



Cop had two hits. Only five hits on the day and 18 ground ball outs with the wind blowing out wasn’t what we had hoped for.



On another windy Wednesday night but back at home, we beat Bradley 11-6. 10 pitchers threw for us with Ganon Archer (So., Van Meter, Iowa), Reece Beuter (R-Jr., Cedar Falls, Iowa), Brant Hogue (Sr., Sioux City, Iowa), Drew Deremer (Fr., Omaha, Nebraska), Sam Hart (Jr., Highland Ranch, Colorado), Watts, and DeTaeye all throwing well. Our staff only allowed six hits on the night. We had a rough 4th inning and it cost us four runs. Three free bases to start the inning and a three-run homer. They ended up with four runs and only one ball left the infield. The other eight innings were solid with Bradley’s three-hole hitter, Tim O’ Brien hitting two solo homers for the other two Braves runs.



Offensively, we had 11 hits and scored runs in the final three inning to pull away after being tied in the 5th. Reese Moore (R-Fr., Van Meter, Iowa) had a big night with three hits, three runs scored and a double. Tello had two hits and a double. Nelson drove in three runs. Huckstorf doubled, and Ben Wilmes (Jr., Johnston, Iowa) tripled. We had a two-out rally for three runs in the sixth and another two-out rally for two more runs in the seventh. This was good to see. The defense played great with Tello making a couple web gems. It was a nice team win heading into the weekend!



This weekend we will be hosting Rutgers in a three-game series. The Scarlet Knights are 23-13 overall but got off to a slow start in Big Ten play at 3-6. They took 2 of 3 from first place # 24 Nebraska last weekend to get back in the race. They lead the league in hitting at .326 and have nine guys over .300. Like Ohio State, they have great speed to complement the bats. Rutgers leads the Big Ten in stolen bases with 68. They are second in the league in fielding at .978%.



Their pitching staff has been solid except for a few blips at the beginning of conference play. Their staff ranks third in the league. Rutgers will feature one of the best players in the Big Ten and country in SS Josh Kuroda-Grauer. Josh leads the league in hitting at .455 with an amazing 71 hits in 36 games, He also leads the league in doubles with 16 and is second in stolen bases with 19. Friday night starter LHP, Justin Sinibaldi is third in the league in ERA at 2.67 and is second in innings pitched at 60.2. We should have Nelson and possibly Sam Petersen (Jr, Huxley, Iowa) back in the lineup this weekend.



  • All the games can be watched on BTN+ or you can listen to the radio feed here.


  • If you haven’t signed up for the Iowa Baseball Golf Outing on May 3, it will be here before we know it!! You can sign up here.




STADIUM RENOVATION UPDATE​

A press release went out this week detailing our stadium renovations for the summer that many of you may have read. I want to make sure everyone understands the scope and timing of the project. What you read about in the release were all the renovations that are possible to do this summer from a logistics standpoint. This portion of the renovation is NOT all that we are doing. The rest of the renovations (press box, seating, restrooms, and concessions) are being phased in and are currently in the re-planning stages. As some of you may know, it came to light (two days before the board meeting in November) that one of the primary donors wasn’t going to be able to honor their commitment. This was a tough blow (10 million tough) that sent us back to the drawing board. With this setback there just wasn’t enough time to get this portion of the renovation started and finished before the 2025 season.



We needed to get the project started as planned this summer. The renovations mentioned in the release can be started and finished before the 2025 season. I just wanted to make sure that everyone knows we are moving forward with the rest of the project, just in a little different way. More fundraising will be needed for sure, but we still have a significant amount of money pledged for the project. The new plans will be restructured soon. I’m confident that we can make significant improvements with the funds we have. The top priorities are still the press box, fan seating and fan amenities. It is my hope and belief that we will be starting this phase in the summer of 2025. Hoping this clarifies the situation for everyone.



It should be an exciting series with two good teams battling this weekend. Come out and see us play if you can!!



We appreciate and need your support!!



GO HAWKS!!
 
Hi everyone!

Before we get started with last week’s action, the Iowa Baseball Golf Outing will be held Friday, May 3, 9:00 am at Finkbine. We need a few more foursomes to sign up!! Here is the link. If you have any problems signing up online, call Joyce Rossie at 319-330-4841. Joyce will get you signed up!

Last week we went 4-0 sweeping Rutgers in Big Ten play and beating Milwaukee on Tuesday night here at home. Our overall season record is 23-15, while our Big Ten record is 9-6. You can see the full Big Ten standing’s here.

It was a chilly, windy game one vs. Rutgers on Friday. We won it 8-1. Cade Obermueller (So., Iowa City, Iowa) picked up his third win going 6 1/3 innings, fanning six and only allowing one run on five hits. It was a great a start by Cade and exactly what we needed to kick off the series. Anthony Watts (So., Clive, Iowa) and Jack Young (Senior, LeClaire, Iowa) both continued to pitch well out of the bullpen. Those two finished this one off with no free bases in the final three innings.

This game was a tight 2-1 pitcher’s duel heading into the 8th. Our guys broke it open with six runs in the bottom half of the inning. We only had six hits on the night. Fortunately, we made the most of them and took advantage of some RU free bases. Our hitters executed well when we had opportunities and we stole four bases. Michael Seegers had two hits and an RBI while Davis Cop (Sr., Valencia, California) added two RBI’s. We made some great plays on defense.

Game two Saturday was an even windier and colder day. The real feel temperature was 34 the entire game. The offense had two big innings with four in the second and eight in the fourth to give us a nice lead. Marcus Morgan (Jr., Iowa City, Iowa) started but didn’t have his command. He went 4 1/3 innings before Reece Beuter (R-Jr., Cedar Falls, Iowa) came in and did a nice job for 2 2/3 innings, fanning three and not giving up a run. Jack Whitlock (Jr., Cumming, Georgia) threw two perfect innings to finish this one out. It was good to see Jack back to himself again!

Even with the 40 mph winds blowing in, our hitters broke out with 15 runs on 14 hits. We knocked the RU starter out of the game in the second inning and did damage against the Rutgers bullpen. Cop, Sam Petersen (Jr., Huxley, Iowa), Reese Moore (R-Fr., Van Meter, Iowa), Gable Mitchell (So., Iowa City, Iowa), Michael Seegers (R-Sr., Oconomowoc, Wisconsin) and Cade Moss (Sr., Johnston Iowa) all had two hits. Petersen and Moore doubled. Kyle Huckstorf (Sr., Waterford, Wisconsin) hit a grand slam, the fourth of his career! Raider Tello (R-Jr., El Monte, California) hit a double and had 3 RBI’s. We played great defense with Huckstorf and Tello making big defensive plays.

Game three Sunday was sunny and warmer, but the winds just wouldn’t give us a break!! This was an interesting game to say the least. You don’t see a line score like this one very often. Hawks win 5-1 with only two hits and Rutgers had only had one hit! Brody Brecht (Jr., Ankeny, Iowa) picked up the win with his best start of the season. Brody took us into the 8th, fanning 12 and only gave up one run on one hit. It was another “exactly what we needed” start and a “much-needed” series sweep! Ben DeTaeye (R-Sr., Clive, Iowa) went the final 1 1/3 innings, fanning two and not allowing a hit. Ben has been pitching great.

Our offense didn’t do much and the Rutgers pitching staff struck us out 16 times on the day. Their starter was mowing us down until we got him in the stretch in the 3rd. He lost his command and gave us three free bases that inning. Tello made him pay with a three-run triple to give us a 3-0 lead. A similar 5th inning gave us our final two runs. A lead-off walk, sacrifice bunt and another walk brought Tello to the plate and he delivered again with a two-run double. Raider had both our hits, drove in all the runs, and saved the day! We made some errors that could have proved costly late in the game, but DeTaeye covered them on the mound up to close it out.

Tuesday was warmer but the winds were still blowing over 40 mph once again for our mid-week match up with UW Milwaukee. We won an at times sloppy game, 12-6. Nine pitchers threw for us with Aaron Savary (So., Dubuque, Iowa) being credited with his fourth win of the season. The staff walked seven and hit three but didn’t allow the big inning. They worked out of several self-inflicted jams as Milwaukee scored single runs in four inning and two in another.

Our hitters jumped on UWM early scoring four in the first, one in the second and two more in the third. We had a lapse in the 4th, 5th and 6th as Milwaukee tried to fight back. It was great to see us wake back up and score two in the 7th and three in the 8th to put the game away. Andy Nelson (Sr., Winfield, Illinois) had two hits. Mitchell doubled, and Seegers tripled. Blake Guerin (So., Shoreview, Minnesota) smashed a three-run homer into the wind.

We will take a season best five game winning stretch to Nebraska this weekend. As you would expect this time of year the weather will be a factor with rain, storms, and wind all in the forecast. The Huskers are 25-13 on the season and are 8-4 in Big Ten play. They boast the league’s best pitching staff and Friday night starter in RHP Brett Sears. Sears is 7-0 with a 1.58 ERA, 68 strikeouts and only 12 walks. He’s only given up 37 hits in 68 innings. As a team the Huskers lead the league in ERA, WHIP, SAVES, RUNS ALLOWED, WALKS PER 9 INN. and LEAST TOTAL. Offensively NU hits .292 as a team and have stolen 65 bases. They are a solid defensive team with a .974 fielding %. We will need to play and pitch well this weekend and are looking forward to the challenge!

Next Tuesday, April 30th starts a four game homestand when Illinois State comes to town. Wednesday, May 1st we will face North Dakota State. It will be our first double mid-week challenge of the season. Both games start at 6:05. Northwestern will be in town May 3-5. Sunday, May 5th we will honor our seniors. I hope you can come out and see us next week!

The games this weekend vs Nebraska can be seen on BTN+ (Game 1 and 3) and BTN (Game 2). You can listen to John and John on the radio here. With the weekends forecast check the website or social media for more information on delays or game changes.

Thanks to everyone who came out and supported us this past weekend! We had big crowds in bad weather all three games! Thanks so much for braving the cold and wind. You guys are the best and we all appreciate the awesome support!

GO HAWKS!
 
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