April 14, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format
THE SETTING: After a mid-week win, the Hawkeyes will travel this weekend to Bloomington, IN, to take on Indiana in a three-game series. After winning its first Big Ten series since 2008 against Illinois last week, Iowa looks to continue improving its conference standing this weekend. The Hawkeyes have notched nine wins in its last 13 games. The series starts Friday at 2:05 p.m. (CST) and will continue throughout the weekend.
ON THE NET: Iowa baseball fans can follow the Hawkeyes, as live stats will be available on hawkeyesports.com. Just click on the Gametracker link found on both the front page and the baseball schedule page. Whistlin’ Ray Gilmore enters his 33rd season with the Hawkeye baseball program and will be posting the stats.
ON THE RADIO: Hawkeye fans can catch this weekend’s games on AM-800 KXIC. The Voice of the Hawkeyes, Brent Balbinot, will handle the play-by-play. Ray Gilmore is slated to provide expert analysis. The three-game Indiana series will be broadcast on the radio and online.
SCOUTING INDIANA: The Hoosiers are 16-15, with a 5-3 home record. Indiana is coming off an 11-2 victory over Valparaiso Tuesday. Indiana’s offense is led by Jerrud Sabourin. and Alex Dickerson. The duo is hitting over .400, has compiled nearly 70 runs scored between them, as well as 20 doubles and home runs, and nearly 80 RBI. Dickerson has a whopping .815 slugging percentage. The Hoosier pitching staff is led by starter Drew Leininger. The southpaw boasts a Big Ten-best 1.38 ERA and a team-best five wins. He leads the team in innings pitched (52.1) and strikeouts (28). Closer Chris Squires has five saves with 16 appearances and a 3.20 ERA.
TOSSING A COMPLETE ONE: Southpaw Jarred Hippen went the extra mile last Friday against Michigan State. The starter tossed a complete game, the first of his career and earned the victory. Hippen allowed three runs off seven hits and striking out two. The last Hawkeye to throw a complete nine was Nate Johnson in 2004.
McCOOL DOMINATES BIG TEN: Zach McCool has had stellar performances in Big Ten play for Iowa, both at Michigan State and against Illinois. In conference play, the junior leads the league in batting average (.632) and on base percentage (.650). He also is second in slugging percentage (.842) and hits (12).
BLASER IS RED HOT: Redshirt junior Tyson Blaser has gone 7-for-14 in the past four games for the Hawkeyes. In those four games, he has a .571 slugging percentage and a .588 on base percentage. With a stolen base, two walks, a hit by pitch and a sacrifice bunt.
HAWKEYES ARE HOT IN THE FIRST: Iowa has scored runs in the first frame in five straight contests. After posting three in Tuesday’s win, Iowa has outscored opponents 33-13 in the first this season.
TAKING A SERIES: Iowa took two from Illinois last weekend at Duane Banks Field. The series win was the first for the Hawkeyes since 2008 (against Indiana). After dropping the Friday night game, 9-8, the Hawkeyes came back strong Saturday and Sunday to win 6-4 and 4-2, respectively.
SAVING TWO: Closer Kevin Lee picked up saves number five and six against the Illini. The righty appeared twice, pitching two innings allowing one run on two hits to seal the victories for Iowa. Lee leads the league with his six saves and is tied for first in conference saves, with two.
BROWN STARTS AND WINS: Sophomore Nick Brown got his second start of the year, first conference start, against Illinois Saturday. Brown went eight innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts. The `W’ was Brown’s second on the year.
SCHREIBER TOSSES GEM: Sophomore Phil Schreiber picked up is team-best third win Sunday. Despite a rough second inning, the righty bowed his neck and went a career-long eight innings. Allowing only two runs, one earned, on five hits and striking out three. Schreiber allowed only three base runners the final six innings he pitched.
SOLID OUTING BY Z-ROB: Senior hurler Zach Robertson had a great outing against Milwaukee Tuesday. The lefty went a scheduled five innings, allowing no runs on four hits with three strikeouts and no walks. Panthers were hitting just .222 off him. Robertson left the game with a 3-0 lead, but Milwaukee tied it up and he got a no decision.
HAWKEYE BULLPEN NOTE: In Iowa’s mid-week win, Patrick Schatz and Zach Kenyon had great outings. Schatz picked up his first win of the season, going two innings and allowing just one hit, no runs and striking out one. Kenyon went four innings, allowing one hit and striking out three.
STREAKING HAWKEYES: Zach McCool leads Iowa with a six-game hit streak intact going into the series against Indiana. Tyson Blaser currently has collected a hit in four consecutive contests. Muller and McQuillan lead Iowa with 12 multi-hit games and Durant has a team-best seven multi-RBI games.
WHERE THE HAWKEYES RANK: Kurtis Muller ranks sixth in on base percentage (.478) and fifth in stolen bases (17). Mike McQuillan ranks fourth in sac bunts (4) and Sean Flanagan ranks third in hit by pitches (6). Jarred Hippen ranks sixth in ERA (3.17)m second in innings pitched (54), eighth in batters struck out (39) and first in games started (8). Phil Schreiber ranks 10th in opposing batting average (.263) and first in games started (8). Kevin Lee is first in the league with six saves and ranks fifth in games finished (9). Muller is tied for first in fielding percentage (1.000) and Phil Keppler ranks ninth in put outs (136).