Iowa Hosts No. 13 Purdue in Season Finale

May 16, 2012

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Complete Release

THE SETTING:
Iowa closes the regular season when it hosts No. 13 Purdue in a three-game set beginning Thursday at Duane Banks Field. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. The Hawkeyes (21-26, 8-13) and Boilermakers (40-10, 16-5), the regular season Big Ten champions, will also play at 6:35 p.m. on Friday and at 1:05 p.m. on Saturday. Friday’s game will be televised live by BTN.

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.

ON THE AIR:
Fans can catch this weekend’s three-game series against Purdue online at hawkeyesports.com and on the radio at AM-800 KXIC (Friday and Sunday) and AM-1360 KMJM (Friday and Saturday). The radio voice of the Iowa baseball team, Brent Balbinot, will call the action.

ON THE TUBE:
Friday’s contest (6:35 p.m.) will be televised live by BTN. Eric Collins and Jerry Kindall will call the action.

SCOUTING THE BOILERMAKERS:
Purdue is coached by Doug Schreiber. Schreiber has been at the helm of the program since 1998. The Boilermakers are 40-10 overall and 16-5 in Big Ten action. Purdue has already clinched at least a share of the regular season conference championship, and needs one more win to claim the title outright. The Boilermakers, who hold a three-game lead in the conference race, won their 40th game of the season Tuesday with a 2-1 win over Indiana State in 10 innings. Purdue enters the weekend as one of six teams nationally who have reached 40 wins. In addition, the Boilermakers own the best winning percentage in the country (.800). Purdue owns an RPI of ninth nationally.

SERIES HISTORY:
Purdue and Iowa are meeting to conclude the regular season for the third-straight season. In 2010, the Hawkeyes swept the Boilermakers in Iowa City, propelling Iowa to the Big Ten Tournament championship game. The Hawkeyes defeated the Boilermakers twice in the conference tournament. Last year, Purdue returned the favor, sweeping Iowa in West Lafayette. The Hawkeyes are 86-65-1 all-time against the Boilermakers. The two programs first met in 1902.

THANKS SENIORS:
The Hawkeyes will honor 12 seniors Saturday in the series finale against Purdue. Patrick Brennan, Nick Brown, Kasey Carling, Andrew Ewing, Tim Fangman, Sean Flanagan, Jarred Hippen, Andrew Host, Phil Keppler, Patrick Lala, Mike McQuillan and Chett Zeise will be honored before the start of Saturday’s game. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

TOPPING THE CHARTS:
A pair of Hawkeye seniors, Mike McQuillan and Jarred Hippen, are moving up the Iowa baseball career ranking lists. McQuillan ranks first all-time in singles (191) in program history. The infielder also ranks third all-time in hits with 234. McQuillan is three hits away from tying Craig Conti, who ranks second with 237. Hippen owns the Iowa record for innings pitched (344) and ranks second in strikeouts behind Allen Rath with 239. Rath recorded 246 from 1987-90. Hippen is seventh all-time in appearances (57).

IOWA QUICK HITS:
– Iowa is 12-3 when scoring six or more runs.
– The Hawkeyes are 15-3 when leading after eight innings.
– Iowa’s pitching staff has yielded two or fewer runs 12 times this year (10-2).
– The Hawkeyes are 14-4 when out-hitting their opponent.
– Senior Nick Brown has six career saves, all coming this season. The former starter ranks seventh in the Big Ten in saves.
– Iowa is 10-4 when playing errorless baseball.

DAHM EARNS WIN NO. 200:
Iowa won at Indiana on March 31, 4-0, giving head coach Jack Dahm his 200th win at the helm of the Hawkeye program. He ranks third all-time in victories at Iowa behind Duane Banks and Otto Vogel with 211 career wins.

IOWA RALLIES TO WIN AT CREIGHTON:
Iowa earned a 5-4 come-from-behind victory at Creighton Tuesday in its final road game. The Hawkeyes trailed 4-0 entering the top of the seventh before scoring five runs over the final three frames to earn the one-run win. In the top of the ninth, pinch hitter Bryan Niedbalski drove home Torres with a sacrifice fly to right for the game winner. Three Hawkeyes, freshman Jake Mangler, senior Phil Keppler, and freshman Anthony Torres, recorded multiple-hit games to lead the Iowa offense. Mangler finished 2-for-4 with a run scored, securing his ninth multi-hit game of the season. Keppler went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, tallying his fourth three-hit game of the year. He has 13 multiple-hit contests this season. Torres finished 2-for-2 with a run scored, registering his first career multi-hit contest. Senior Chett Zeise notched two RBI. Nick Brown earned the win (2-2). The senior tossed the final two innings, allowing no runs on one hit. He struck out three Bluejays.

THE LAST TIME VS. RANKED FOE:
The Hawkeyes last faced a ranked team in 2009. Iowa won 1-of-3 at No. 25 Louisville. The Hawkeyes upset No. 7 Vanderbilt on March 1 of 2008, 6-3.

BIG HITS:
Iowa out-hit Creighton Tuesday, 10-7. The Hawkeyes are 14-4 when out-hitting their opponent. Additionally, Iowa is 7-3 when scoring 6-9 runs and undefeated (5-0) when tallying 10 or more runs.

PLUNK:
Iowa has been hit-by-pitch 69 times, marking the most of any Big Ten team, and 46th-most nationally. Michigan State is second with 64. Senior Sean Flanagan ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 10 HBPs. The Hawkeyes have been hit six times in one game twice (March 2 vs. Akron and March 4 vs. Youngstown State).

ROAD VS. HOME:
The Hawkeyes have played 47 games this season, 31 away from Duane Banks Field. Iowa’s first 16 games to start the season were away from Iowa City. Iowa is 7-8 this season in neutral site games, 5-11 in true road games, and 9-7 at Duane Banks Field.

CLOSE CALLS:
The Hawkeyes are 4-0 in their last four one-run decisions and four of their last five victories have been decided be one run. Iowa is 9-7 in one-run decisions, 4-3 in two-run games and 2-2 in extra innings. The Hawkeyes are 15-3 when leading after eight innings.

STRIKING FIRST:
Iowa has scored first 22 times this season (11-11). In addition, the Hawkeyes are 6-6 when scoring in the first inning. Iowa opponents have scored in their first at-bat 15 times (5-10).

A LITTLE SMALL BALL:
The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten, and rank 30th nationally, with 61 sacrifice bunts. Minnesota is second with 46. Jake Yacinich ranks first in the league with 14 sacrifices.

IN THE RANKINGS:
Freshman Jake Yacinich leads the Big Ten with 14 sacrifice bunts. He ranks 20th nationally in sacrifices per game. Senior Mike McQuillan owns an on base percentage of .465, which ranks first in the league and 77th nationally. McQuillan ranks third in the Big Ten in walks (37). He ranks 35th nationally in walks per game.

STEALING HOME:
Mike McQuillan stole home on April 3 in the win over South Dakota State as Iowa executed a double steal. It marked the first time a Hawkeye stole home since Trevor Willis accomplished the feat at Mississippi State on March 25 of last year. McQuillan leads Iowa with 13 stolen bases this season. He has 17 attempts. Freshman Jake Yacinich ranks second with nine steals.

THE SECOND FRAME:
The best inning this season for the Black and Gold in terms of run differential has been the second. The Hawkeyes have scored 30 runs in the second inning, while limiting opponents to 20 runs.

ONE THOUSAND:
Iowa’s first game of the season against Pittsburgh, a 7-5 victory, marked the 1,000th career game for head coach Jack Dahm. He is 494-550-2 all-time (286-278-2 at Creighton, 211-274 at Iowa).

STREAKERS:
Mike McQuillan enjoyed a 14-game hitting streak and earlier this season, marking the longest for Iowa this year. Ryan Rumpf enjoyed a 10-game streak earlier this season and Phil Keppler is currently riding a 10-game streak. McQuillan and Jake Yacinich lead the Black and Gold with 15 multi-hit games. Chett Zeise and Keppler have each recorded 13. Yacinich leads the team with six multiple-RBI contests. McQuillan reached base in 18-straight games earlier this year.

FRESH STARTS:
Eleven Hawkeye freshmen have seen action. Andrew Hedrick, Nick Hibbing, Taylor Kaufman and Sasha Kuebel have seen action on the mound, and Jake Yacinich, Ryan Rumpf, Jake Mangler, Kris Goodman, Anthony Torres, Nick Day and Eric Toole have seen action in the field.

NEWCOMER ON THE MOUND:
Freshman LHP Sasha Kuebel is the second starter in the Hawkeye rotation, joining Jarred Hippen and Matt Dermody. The St. Louis native was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 31st round of the 2011 MLB Draft. He was the Missouri State Pitcher of the Year as a senior. Kuebel was named Big Ten co-Freshman of the Week on Feb. 27. The left-handed starter garnered his first career weekly honor. Kuebel (6-1, 200) started and took a no-decision despite a stellar outing against Virginia Tech on Feb. 26 in the Caravelle Resort Baseball at the Beach Tournament. In his second career start, the rookie pitched seven and a third, allowing one run on three hits. He struck out three Hokies. Kuebel has made 12 appearances, all starts. He is undefeated and leads the team with five victories (5-0). Kuebel, who holds an ERA of 2.86, ranks fifth in the Big Ten in walks allowed (13), ninth in opposing batting average (.241) and ninth in ERA. He recorded his first career complete game in the win over Michigan on May 5.

IF IT’S FAIR, IT’S GONE:
Sean Flanagan became the second Iowa player this season to launch two home runs in a single game in the 20-1 win over Grand View on March 21. The senior finished 2-for-2 with five RBI and two runs. Classmate Chett Zeise also recorded two long balls in a 17-3 win over Akron on March 2. Zeise added his third last Saturday at Minnesota. Sophomore Taylor Zeutenhorst registered his first career home run in the win over Grand View as well.

KEPPLER EARNS BIG TEN WEEKLY HONOR:
Phil Keppler was named Big Ten Player of the Week on April 9. It marked the senior’s first career weekly honor. The Manchester, Iowa, native collected 11 hits in 15 at-bats (.733) over five games against South Dakota State and Nebraska from April 3-8, while driving in seven runs and scoring five. He notched his first triple and home run of the season. In addition, Keppler registered three walks and a sacrifice fly while posting an on-base percentage of .778 and a slugging percentage of 1.067.

GOOD START OUT OF THE GATE:
The Hawkeyes took 2-of-3 from Northwestern from March 23-25 at Duane Banks Field in their Big Ten opening series. It marked the first time Iowa won a conference opening series since 1998 when it took three-of-four from Michigan State.

HIPPEN GARNERS PRESEASON ATTENTION:
Jarred Hippen, a senior left-hander, is a two-time second team All-Big Ten honoree and a 2010 All-Big Ten Tournament team selection. He was one of three pitchers named to the 2012 Big Ten Preseason All-Conference First Team by College Sports Madness. Hippen has been Iowa’s ace since his freshman campaign. He ranks eighth in the Big Ten this season with 84.2 innings pitched and holds a record of 3-7 in 12 starts. A year ago, Hippen started 14 games. He tossed four complete games and one complete game shutout. Hippen nearly threw a perfect game, allowing only one hit at Minnesota (Apr. 29). The outing marked Iowa’s first one-hitter since Troy Wulf one-hit Southwest Missouri State on March 14, 1998. Hippen tossed 94.2 innings and recorded an ERA of 3.14, finishing with a 4-6 record.

`Q’:
Mike McQuillan, known as `Q’ by his teammates and coaches, is leading the Iowa offense again in 2012. The Evergreen Park, Ill., native has hit over .329 in each of his first three seasons in the Black and Gold. McQuillan, who has started 180 career games, has tallied 234 career hits and 111 RBI. His career average stands at .339. He is batting .327 this season and leads the team with 55 hits. McQuillan, who has started all 47 games, registered a team-leading 14-game hit streak earlier this season. He is hitting .325 in conference play.

RUMPF GARNERS ACCOLADE:
College Sports Madness named Ryan Rumpf its Big Ten Baseball Player of the Week on March 6 for his efforts in the Austin Peay Tournament. The freshman went 7-for-17 with two runs, two triples, a double, six RBI and 12 total bases in the three games. In addition, Rumpf earned the win for Iowa on March 4 against Youngstown State. He opened the game as the Hawkeyes’ designated hitter before moving to the mound in the 10th. Rumpf pitched two-thirds of an inning and allowed no hits. He struck out two while recording his first career victory.

DUANE BANKS FIELD:
In 2010, the Hawkeyes added 500 chair back seats behind home plate of Duane Banks Field. The chair backs allow Hawkeye fans to purchase season tickets. Last year, 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.

THE ASSISTANT COACHES:
Head Coach Jack Dahm is assisted by coach Ryan Brownlee and pitching coach Chris Maliszewski, along with volunteer assistant coach Brian Miller and undergraduate assistant coach Dusty Napoleon. Brownlee is in his ninth season at Iowa. Over the past 11 seasons, Brownlee has had 28 players he coached or recruited drafted; two more signed free agent contracts. In the past three years, Kurtis Muller, Patrick Schatz, Steve Turnbull, Kyle Heim, Mike Schurz and recruits Matt Dermody, Dan Sheppard, Patrick Lala, Taylor Zeutenhorst, Derrick Loveless, Sasha Kuebel and Nick Hibbing 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 of the Padres and Kevin Cash of the Yankees, Joe Thatcher of the Padres, Dan Meyer of the Marlins and Luke Scott of the Astros. Last season, Brownlee coached Trevor Willis and Tyson Blaser to third team all-conference honors and helped freshman outfielder Taylor Zeutenhorst earn Big Ten All-Freshman accolades. Blaser led the Hawkeyes and tied for second in the Big Ten with 18 doubles, which ties for the fourth most in a single season in Iowa history. Additionally, Willis led the league and ranked second nationally with a career-high nine triples, which established a new school single-season record.

Maliszewski is in his fourth 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 2011, Maliszewski guided his pitching staff to one of the best seasons on the mound in Hawkeye history. Iowa registered an ERA of 4.22, the lowest since 1980 (4.14). Starting lefty Jarred Hippen earned second team all-conference laurels for the second consecutive year. Starting LHP Matt Dermody and Hippen, ranked first and third in the Big Ten, respectively, in strikeouts during the regular season. Hippen, who has thrown eight complete games in the last two seasons under Maliszewski’s tutelage, nearly threw a perfect game against Minnesota, allowing only one hit. In addition, Maliszewski helped guide newcomers Tim Fangman and Patrick Lala to successful first years in the Black and Gold. Fangman finished in the top ten in the Big Ten in numerous categories, including ERA, opposing batting average, games finished, hits allowed, runs allowed and walks allowed. Maliszewski had three players he coached or recruited drafted in 2011. Junior starting left-handed pitcher Matt Dermody was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 29th round (888th pick) and incoming recruits Sasha Kuebel and Nick Hibbing were also selected. Kuebel was picked by the Oakland Athletics in the 31st round (946) and Hibbing was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 42nd round (1262).

Miller and Napoleon are each in their first seasons on the Hawkeye staff. Miller has worked as a baseball coach since 1992, including serving as the head baseball coach at Mid-Prairie High School from 2000 to 2010. He served as the Kirkwood Community College pitching coach from 2006 to 2011. Miller also coached the Iowa City High School sophomore baseball team from 1993 to 1999 and was an assistant baseball coach at Iowa City Regina High School in 1992. Napoleon played at Iowa from 2006-07 before being drafted by Oakland in the 19th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. He played at all four minor league levels from 2007-2010 and made it to the Triple A level in 2010. As a Hawkeye, Napoleon appeared in 105 games and made 100 starts. The former catcher and first baseman led the team with 34 RBIs and tied for the team lead with two home runs in 2006 as a freshman. In 2007, Napoleon ranked third on the team with a .354 batting average. He ranked first on the team in RBI (56), walks (50), on-base percentage (.506) and was second with 12 doubles, 44 runs scored and 62 hits.

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 Athletic Communications office if you are in need of additional photos.