Iowa Baseball Sweeps Top 25 Ranked Illinois
- Thread starter Harbinger273
- Start date
Wow. Outhit the last two games and they still won.
Resiliency and capitalizing on the chances that are there.
Did we recruit some 3 star athletes over the weekend?
That is Hellerball. BAU
After the 0-3 start we will take this. 3-3 gets Iowa right back into the chase in the conference. RPI went from like 102 to 50 which is nuts. Still believe that not getting any in Indiana limits our ceiling in the RPI.
Is that Hellerball though? Is there a precedence for that? Is that what he's been doing to win games since he became Iowa's coach?.............
Resilient. Taking advantage of mistakes. Sometimes taking risks to create offense.
Coach Heller has been doing that since his days at Upper Iowa. It has always been a part of his style. I've had the pleasure to know and watch him (both on and off the field) for nearly 20 years. He is a tactician. When he took over the Iowa program, he had to teach many of the players to think beyond their position.
It doesn't mean every risk pays off. He will be the first to tell you, sometimes the players don't execute to plan. Sometimes he even makes a mistake! But I have never seen an athlete (provided he buys in to what he's being taught) who hasn't improved under his coaching.
Most baseball games aren't won or lost on tactics. It's more about attitude and preparation. What Heller is great at is getting a team to stick to competing, and staying with the plan even when things don't go well. Holding Illinois to 6 runs in 3 games was quite a feat. Yes, the weather played a factor, but the Iowa pitchers and fielders did a great job over the weekend. Hopefully they can go on a little run here and get some separation above .500 in the league. Anyone heard how long Padgett will be out? One more big bat would help out a lot.
Having played under and worked along side several coaches (some good and some not so good) one of the first things I learned is how important tactics are. They are part of competing and preparation.
In game adjustments happen more often than the casual fan realizes. Some games require more. Some games require less.
I've seen games completely turn on just one call/adjustment over 9 innings.
Yeah I probably didn't word that correctly. Of course tactics are important, but only in the context of how they team performs overall. One of the biggest plays of Sunday's game was the decision to bunt after Iowa got first and second with no one out. Successful bunt, then two-run single gets 2 runs in a game that only 4 runs are scored total. If Whelan doesn't bunt successfully, the tactic itself is still sound, it just didn't work out. That happens all the time in baseball.
My only point is that Iowa doesn't win by doing things completely different than the opponents in game. They do gain an advantage (my opinion) with improvement in the off-season based on their high usage of technology and analytics to drive mechanical improvements in throwing and hitting. They also compete like crazy, they just don't give up. Another huge play in Sunday's game was the double play that came off the fly ball to right field with the bases loaded and one out. Norman makes a perfect low throw that can be handled to home, meanwhile the guy on second mistakenly tags up thinking the runner on third was going to try and score. Once Iowa got the runner in a rundown, they handled it perfectly and nailed the runner from third trying to score. There was no "play call" or tactic involved, it was great preparation and execution by the Iowa team. If Norman sails the throw high, the baserunning blunder by the Illinois runner at second doesn't cost them.
I just find it refreshing to follow an Iowa baseball team that is so well prepared. They don't win every game (no team does) but his teams are always so prepared and generally ready to play.
