Hawkeyes, Hoosiers Set for Weekend Showdown

April 13, 2011

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Complete Release

THE SETTING:
Iowa continues Big Ten play Friday when it hosts Indiana in the first of a three-game set. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. It will be televised live on the Big Ten Network (HD). The Hawkeyes and Hoosiers will also play Saturday and Sunday at 1:05 p.m. each day. All games will be played at Duane Banks Field. Admission to all games is $3 for adults, and free for UI students and youths.

ON THE NET:
Iowa baseball fans can follow the Hawkeyes with live stats (Gametracker) on hawkeyesports.com. Click on the GT link found on both the front page and the baseball schedule page. Whistlin’ Ray Gilmore is in his 34th season with the Hawkeye baseball program and will be posting the stats.

ON THE TUBE:
Friday’s contest will be televised live by the Big Ten Network (HD). It is Iowa’s second of three scheduled regular-season Big Ten Network telecasts this year. Eric Collins and former Hawkeye Danan Hughes will call the action. Hughes was a two-sport athlete at Iowa, excelling in both baseball and football. Hughes was an all-Big Ten honoree in both, playing outfield and wide receiver. Hughes played in the Milwaukee Brewers organization before beginning a lengthy professional football career with the Kansas City Chiefs.

ON THE AIR:
Fans can catch this weekend’s three-game series online at hawkeyesports.com. The radio voice of the Iowa baseball team, Brent Balbinot, will call the action.

WEEKEND PROMOTIONS:
Fans of the Black and Gold can take advantage of special promotions during the Indiana series at Duane Banks Field. The baseball trading card strip #4 will be given out to fans in attendance on Friday. Sunday is Heroes Day. Fans are encouraged to show their “Hero” professional ID at the ticket office window to receive the $2 group rate along with any friends and family members. Pre-game activities include an emergency vehicle display. Trading card strip #5 will also be given out Sunday.

HAWKEYES STAY AT HOME:
Iowa is in the midst of a stretch where it is playing seven out of eight games at home. The Hawkeyes hosted Kansas Tuesday night, and will host Indiana this weekend (April 15-17) before hosting Michigan the following weekend (April 22-24). Iowa will play Western Illinois at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport next Wednesday before facing the Wolverines. The Hawkeyes are 3-6 at home. Last season, Iowa went 15-6 at home, including 8-4 in Big Ten contests. The Hawkeyes are 84-79 at home in the Jack Dahm era.

BLACK AND GOLD BATS HEATING UP:
The weather has started to heat up, and so have the Hawkeye bats. Iowa has averaged 9.2 runs per game over its last six. The Hawkeyes averaged 4.2 runs over the first 24 games.

IOWA FALLS TO KANSAS:
The Hawkeyes lost to Kansas Tuesday night at Duane Banks Field, 12-5. Two Hawkeyes recorded multi-hit games against the Jayhawks. Junior Kasey Carling went 2-for-3 with an RBI, tallying his second multi-hit contest of the year. Freshman Taylor Zeutenhorst notched his first career multi-hit contest, going 2-for-4. Sean Flanagan had two RBIs to lead the home team. Jeff Pacha took the loss for Iowa. The senior pitched four innings. He surrendered six runs (five earned) on six hits. He struck out one. Ben Bergman, Patrick Brennan, Steve Hague and Kevin Lee saw action out of the Hawkeye bullpen.

ILLINOIS SERIES RECAP:
The Hawkeyes continued Big Ten action last weekend at Illinois, playing on the road for the first time in conference play. Iowa dropped the first game of the series Friday night, 4-3. Iowa rebounded Saturday, downing Illinois 7-4. Four Hawkeyes (Zach McCool, Mike McQuillan, Chett Zeise, Kurt Lee) recorded multi-hit games as the team tallied 12 hits. Matt Dermody earned his third win of the year with a stellar outing, pitching seven strong innings. Tim Fangman pitched the final two innings for Iowa. The Hawkeyes fell in the rubber match Sunday, 11-7. In both losses to the Fighting Illini, Iowa held the lead in the eighth inning, but was unable to hold on for the victories.

NOBODY STOPPING DERMODY:
Matt Dermody led Iowa to a 7-4 victory Saturday at Illinois. The sophomore starter pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits. He struck out a career-high eight en route to his third win of the year. The Norwalk, Iowa, native is 3-3 on the season, having won his last three starts. As a freshman a year ago, Dermody went 3-2.

CIRCLING THE BASE PATHS:
Iowa tallied 19 runs April 3 in its win over Michigan State (19-7). The Hawkeyes recorded season highs in runs and hits (17). Iowa tallied 10 runs in the seventh inning, earning its first conference win of the year. The Hawkeyes’ previous high in runs this season was 11 and in hits was 16. The 19 runs mark the most the Hawkeyes have scored since defeating Illinois State in last year’s season opener, 19-11. It also marks the most runs Iowa has scored against a conference opponent since defeating Wisconsin in 1989, 22-3.

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION:
The Hawkeyes scored 33 runs and pounded out 32 hits in their back-to-back wins over Michigan State (April 3) and Coe College (April 6). The 33 runs mark the most Iowa has scored over two games since the 2009 season when it tallied 35 runs in back-to-back wins over Tennessee-Martin (25-6) and Austin Peay (10-3).

THE BIG INNING:
The Hawkeyes have scored runs in bunches over the last six games. Iowa has scored at least three runs in an inning 11 times over the last two games. During the span, the Black and Gold have tallied seven three-run innings, three four-run innings, and one 10-run inning. The last time the Hawkeyes scored 10 or more runs in an inning was 1997. Iowa tallied 11 runs in the second inning of an 18-0 win over Truman State.

PLAYING WITH THE BEST OF `EM:
The Hawkeyes’ strength of schedule is ranked 71st nationally by boydsworld.com. The number ranks second highest in the Big Ten, trailing only Minnesota (46th). The Hawkeyes are 3-6 as the home team, 4-5 as the visiting team and 5-7 at neutral sites. Iowa owns a 2-4 conference record.

SCOUTING INDIANA:
Indiana, led by sixth-year head coach Tracy Smith, is 20-11 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play. The Hoosiers, who are 9-2 on the road, hosts Indiana State today. The Hawkeyes and Indiana have each played Texas A&M-Corpus Christi this season. Iowa split two games with the Islanders on the campus of Texas Tech University, while the Hoosiers won one game at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

ALL-TIME SERIES:
Iowa and Indiana have met 132 times. The Hawkeyes own the all-time advantage, 74-58. The Black and Gold are 14-11 against the Hoosiers under Head Coach Jack Dahm.

2010 SERIES RECAP:
The Hawkeyes (12-18) entered last year’s series with nearly the same record as this season’s. Iowa was 13-16 entering the series a year ago. Indiana swept the three-game set in Bloomington last year.

THE BIG NIEDBALSKI:
Freshman Bryan Niedbalski, who stands at 6-3, leads the Hawkeye offense with a .315 average. The first baseman leads Iowa with 14 walks in 23 games played (18 starts). He has recorded five doubles and six RBIs. In Big Ten games only, Niedbalski leads the conference in on base percentage (.714) and walks (nine).

LEADING THE PACK:
The Hawkeye offense ranks near the top in a number of statistical categories, in Big Ten games only. Iowa leads seven offensive categories (batting average, slugging percentage, on base percentage, doubles, total bases, hit by pitch and sacrifice bunts). The Hawkeyes also rank second in hits and fourth in RBIs and runs.

NAIL-BITERS:
The Hawkeyes have enjoyed success in close games, losing just their third one-run game of the season Friday at Illinois (4-3). Iowa is 5-3 in one-run decisions thus far in 2011.

THE CYCLE:
Hawkeye catcher Tyson Blaser recorded his first career home run last season in the regular-season finale against Purdue on May 22. In Iowa’s 19-7 win over Michigan State April 3, the fifth-year senior tallied his first career triple, giving him a cycle for his career. The Taylor Ridge, Ill., native has 32 career doubles to go along with his home run and triple. Blaser leads Iowa with 11 doubles this season.

BIG HITTERS:
Eleven Hawkeyes, Mike McQuillan (12), Trevor Willis (eight), Chett Zeise (eight), Tyson Blaser (seven), Zach McCool (six), Andrew Ewing (six), Kurt Lee (six), Bryan Niedbalski (four), Phil Keppler (three), Kasey Carling (two) and Keith Brand (two) have recorded multiple multi-hit games this year. Eight have notched at least one game where they recorded three or more hits. Willis and Blaser have reached the four hit mark, with Willis accomplishing the feat twice.

SWING AWAY:
The Hawkeyes have enjoyed success this season when notching more hits than their opponents. The Black and Gold are 9-3 when outhitting their opponents.

STREAKERS:
Mike McQuillan and Tyson Blaser have enjoyed 10-game hitting streaks this year. McQuillan’s streak ended March 18 against Gonzaga. Blaser’s streak ended Tuesday night against Kansas.

BRAND MAKES HIS MARK:
Keith Brand did not see action in 2010. In 2011, the redshirt freshman is batting (.278). The walk-on has nine RBIs.

CLOSING IT OUT:
The Hawkeyes have enjoyed late-inning success this season. Iowa owns a 10-2 record when leading after six innings.

TRIPLE THREAT:
Trevor Willis has tallied five triples in 2011, exceeding his total of four from a year ago. The senior had recorded eight total entering this year. The five triples this season ranks seventh most nationally.

A LITTLE SMALL BALL:
Iowa has laid down 54 sacrifice bunts this season; the third most nationally and the most in the Big Ten. Zach McCool ranks eighth nationally with nine sacrifices.

START QUICK:
Iowa has enjoyed success this season when getting on the board early. The Hawkeyes are 5-2 when scoring in the first inning and are 12-6 when scoring first.

PATIENTLY WAITING:
Iowa has been patient at the plate in 2011. The Hawkeyes have walked 130 times, the second most in the Big Ten (Purdue, 135).

NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND:
Tyson Blaser is enjoying success behind the dish in 2011. The senior has thrown out 13 base runners. He gunned down 13 all of last year. Sophomore Keith Brand has thrown out six.

STEPPING UP WHEN CALLED UPON:
Iowa was shorthanded in relief March 29 when its game against South Dakota State went 14 innings. Senior Jeff Pacha and junior Phil Keppler stepped up and gave career best performances on the hill. Pacha threw a career-high four innings in the 14 inning contest, striking out four Jackrabbits. Keppler pitched a career-high three and two-thirds the following day, while striking out four.

BLASER NAMED TO WATCH LIST:
Senior Tyson Blaser has been named to the 2011 Coleman Company-Johnny Bench Award Watch List. The annual award is to honor those athletes that serve as a team’s starting catcher in at least 75% of the games. The watch list will be narrowed down to ten semifinalists May 19. The finalists will be announced June 6. A final vote among the national committee will occur during the College World Series. The winner will be announced at the 14th Annual Greater Wichita Sports Banquet on June 30, 2011, in Wichita, Kan.

BROWN EARNS WEEKLY HONOR:
Hawkeye pitcher Nick Brown was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week March 21. The junior earned Pitcher of the Week accolades for the first time in his career after leading Iowa to an 11-2 win over Notre Dame last March 18. The starter tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing just four hits without issuing a walk. The right-hander also struck out three en route to his second win of the season. Brown is Iowa’s first pitcher to earn the conference weekly honor since Brock Alberts on March 3, 2008.

LUCK OF THE IRISH:
The Hawkeyes beat Notre Dame March 17, 4-3, in ten innings in the first game of the Irish Classic. The win marked the first time a team defeated Notre Dame on St. Patrick’s Day in five years. The last team to top the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day was the Hawkeyes in 2006, also in San Antonio.

A PROGRAM FIRST:
Iowa won at Mississippi State March 4 (5-3) and March 5 (7-6). The two victories over Mississippi State marked the first time in the program’s history that the Hawkeyes collected two wins against an SEC opponent in the same year. The Bulldogs are 19-6.

DON’T SEE THAT EVERY DAY:
Zach Kenyon notched his first victory of the year in the 5-3 win over Mississippi State March 4. In the bottom of the sixth, Kenyon accomplished a rare feat. The senior righty struck out four batters. The third hitter struck out swinging, but reached on a wild pitch. Kenyon then got the next batter to strike out swinging. He recorded a career-high eight strikeouts in four innings.

WILLIS EARNS PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR:
Senior Trevor Willis was named Big Ten Player of the Week March 7 after recording three multi-hit games in four contests with Georgia State and Mississippi State. Willis posted back-to-back four-hit contests against the Bulldogs, leading Iowa to the series sweep. The four hits marked a career high for Willis. He also went 2-for-4 in the weekend finale, a 3-2 walk-off victory against the Panthers. The native of Lockport, Ill., scored six runs in four games, touching home twice in each of Iowa’s last three games, and drove in a run. The center fielder slugged a triple and went 3-for-4 on the base paths, including two steals in Sunday’s game and a swipe of home on Saturday. For the week, Willis batted .647, with a .667 on base percentage, and slugged at a .765 clip for an OPS of 1.432. The weekly honor is the first for Willis.

STEALING HOME:
In the 7-6 victory against Mississippi State March 5, the Hawkeyes added another rare feat. Senior Trevor Willis led off the fourth with a single to center. With two outs and Willis on third base, senior Tyson Blaser drew a walk. The senior duo then executed the perfect double steal, with Willis stealing home. The last time an Iowa player stole home was March 23, 2007. Jason White accomplished the feat in a 6-5 against North Dakota State.

THE UNITY COUNCIL:
Redshirt senior Tyson Blaser, senior Zach McCool, junior Andrew Ewing, and sophomores Patrick Brennan, Patrick Harshman and Ricky Sandquist comprise Iowa’s 2011 Unity Council.

HAWKEYES TABBED FOR FIFTH:
The Hawkeyes have been picked to finish fifth in the Big Ten by conference coaches and Perfect Game USA, an online baseball publication. Three Hawkeyes have been named to the `Players to Watch List’: SP Jarred Hippen, RP Kevin Lee and 3B Zach McCool.

IOWA FINISHED THIRD:
The Hawkeyes finished the 2010 Big Ten season tied for third with Northwestern (13-11). The third place finish marked the highest for Iowa, since 2005. In 2005, Iowa finished 19-13 in Big Ten play.

FIVE HAWKEYES DRAFTED:
Junior Kurtis Muller was selected in the Major League baseball 2010 First-Year Player Draft. Muller was chosen by the Cincinnati Reds in the 22nd round (667th pick). Senior Zach Robertson was picked by the Florida Marlins in the 30th round (917th pick), incoming recruit Patrick Lala was selected in the 29th round (891) by the Philadelphia Phillies, senior Patrick Schatz was picked by the Chicago White Sox in the 49th round (1,478th pick) and incoming recruit Taylor Zeutenhorst was selected in the 41st round by the Phillies (1,251st pick). Lala and Zeutenhorst did not sign professional contracts and are on Iowa’s 2011 roster. However, Muller did sign a contract and will forgo his senior year of eligibility. Under Jack Dahm, 22 Hawkeyes have been drafted. Sixteen players have been drafted in the past four years.

HEADSHOTS AVAILABLE:
Up-to-date head shots of all Iowa players and coaches are available on the internet at pics.hawkeyebaseball.com. Contact the Iowa Sports Information office if you are in need of additional photos.

BIG TEN DIAMOND REPORT:
Big Ten Network television coverage of 2011 Big Ten baseball and softball begins on Sunday with a doubleheader of action and the premiere of Big Ten Diamond Report, the network’s new weekly studio show. Big Ten Diamond Report will review the sports’ top headlines, preview upcoming matchups and look at national storylines affecting the Big Ten. Mike Hall and Rick Pizzo host the show along with former Hawkeye pitcher and major leaguer Cal Eldred and Tammy Williams. The show will air each Sunday during the spring through the end of the Big Ten baseball and softball seasons with expert analysis, player and coach interviews, features and exclusive access inside the diamond.

DUANE BANKS FIELD:
Every year the UI Athletics Department continues to upgrade Duane Banks Field. In 2010, the Hawkeyes added 500 chair back seats behind home plate. The chair backs allow Hawkeye fans to purchase season tickets. This past fall, Duane Banks Field underwent a facelift, with a complete resurfacing of the field. New sod, dirt and drainage system were installed. Additionally, new batting cages were put in place down the right field line. In 2009, the UI Recreation Building underwent a complete makeover. Improvements included: a new locker room, lounge, training room and weight room for the baseball program. Iowa boasted a 15-6 home record at Duane Banks Field in 2010.

HIPPEN GARNERS PRESEASON ATTENTION:
Jarred Hippen, who was named to the All-Big Ten Tournament team last year, was named College Baseball Daily’s preseason Big Ten Pitcher of the Year. He was also named to Perfect Game USA’s and Baseball America’s preseason all-conference teams. Hippen, a junior left-hander, started 15 games in 2010 en route to second team All-Big Ten honors.

HAWKEYES ON NATIONAL TELEVISION:
The Hawkeyes will appear on the Big Ten Network at least three times during the 2011 regular season. Iowa’s game at Illinois last Saturday was televised. In addition, two home games will be shown. The Hawkeyes’ game against Indiana on Friday will be televised, as well as their game versus Penn State on May 7 (2 p.m.). The Big Ten Network will also televise the Big Ten Tournament.

THE ASSISTANT COACHES:
Head Coach Jack Dahm is assisted by coach Ryan Brownlee and coach Chris Maliszewski, along with volunteer coach Zach Dillon. Over the past 10 seasons, 25 players coached or recruited by Brownlee have been drafted; two more signed free agent contracts. In the past two years, Kurtis Muller, Patrick Schatz, Steve Turnbull, Kyle Heim, Mike Schurz and recruits Matt Dermody, Dan Sheppard, Patrick Lala and Taylor Zeutenhorst were drafted by major league teams. In six years of coaching summer collegiate leagues, he has seen 33 of his players sign pro contracts, including Khalil Green and Joe Thatcher of the Padres, Kevin Cash of the Yankees, Dan Meyer of the Marlins and Luke Scott of the Astros. Last season, the hitting coach preached a `pitch-by-pitch’ approach at the plate that helped propel the Hawkeyes to 11 wins in their final 14 contests; the team eventually finished 30-28. Iowa finished third in the conference and ultimately placed second at the Big Ten Tournament. The tournament berth was the eighth in school history. The Hawkeyes won three games at the tournament, which was the first time an Iowa team had won any game since 1990. The runner up finish in the conference tournament tied the school’s highest finish, which was accomplished once before (1983).

Maliszewski is in his third season as the Hawkeye pitching coach. In addition to his role as pitching coach, Maliszewski is also responsible for the team’s travel arrangements and assists with the youth summer camps. In 2010, Maliszewski and his pitching staff helped propel Iowa to a third place finish in the conference, as well as earning the school’s eighth Big Ten Tournament appearance. The Hawkeyes finished as the runner-up in the tournament after winning three games — the first tournament wins for Iowa since 1990. Maliszewski mentored his young pitching staff to improved numbers in his second campaign. Under his tutelage, the Hawkeyes posted improved numbers in wins, ERA, saves, walks, wild pitches and opposing batting average. Iowa’s talented arms helped the Hawkeyes to a late surge, winning 11 of their last 14 games. Individually, pitcher Jarred Hippen was named to the all-tournament team, as well as garnering second team all-league accolades. In addition to Hippen’s accomplishments, closer Kevin Lee broke the school single-season record with 13 saves – nearly double the saves Iowa had as a team in 2009.

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT TICKETS:
All-Tournament passes and group tickets to the 2011 Big Ten Baseball Tournament to be held May 25-28 at Huntington Park, home of the Triple-A Columbus Clippers, will go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 15, the Big Ten Conference and the Greater Columbus Sports Commission announced today. All-Tournament passes are available for $100 each. Group tickets (minimum 20) are available for $7 per ticket. All tickets are available at www.ColumbusSports.org, www.bigten.org and www.ticketmaster.com. Information on individual game tickets will be announced in May. The Big Ten Conference, the Greater Columbus Sports Commission and Huntington Park will host the tournament for the third straight year as a neutral-site event. The tournament was held at Huntington Park in 2009, marking the conference’s first neutral-site baseball tournament since 1994 and returns after being held at Ohio State’s Bill Davis Stadium in 2010. The 2009 tournament drew more than 12,000 fans, marking the tournament’s largest total in at least the previous decade.

The tournament bracket is set to be announced on the evening of Saturday, May 21, which is the final scheduled day of regular-season competition. The Big Ten Baseball Tournament is a double-elimination event that awards byes to the top two teams. The Big Ten Champion is the team or teams that finish atop the regular-season standings, while the Big Ten Tournament Champion receives the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. Last year at the Big Ten Tournament, the Hawkeyes bounced Purdue from the six-team tournament with two victories over the Boilermakers and rallied from a seven-run deficit to stun second-seeded Michigan in the semifinals. Iowa reached the championship game for the first time since 1983. Iowa ultimately fell to the well-rested and top-seeded Minnesota team in the title game.

ON THE HORIZON:
Iowa will play one midweek game next week. The Hawkeyes will travel to Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport to play Western Illinois Wednesday. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. The Hawkeyes will then host Michigan next weekend in a three-game series at Duane Banks Field.