Snowbird Classic Awaits Hawkeyes in Florida

March 6, 2013

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Iowa Game Notes

THE MATCHUP
?The Hawkeyes travel to Port Charlotte, Fla., to play in the Snowbird Classic on March 8-10.

?Iowa opens the weekend at 10 a.m. on Friday against Maine (6-7), before playing Georgetown (5-4) at 2 p.m. on Saturday, and West Virginia (5-6) at 10 a.m. on Sunday. All times are Central.

?All three games will be played at North Charlotte Regional Park.

?This weekend will mark the Hawkeyes first trip to Florida this season. Iowa played 10 games in the state in 2012, playing seven games in Winter Haven, two in St. Petersburg, and one in Clearwater.

ON THE WEB
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.

THE SERIES
The Hawkeyes have faced Maine, Georgetown, and West Virginia previously in program history. Iowa’s last meeting against all three clubs took place in the state of Florida.

?Iowa is 3-7 all-time against Maine. The Hawkeyes and Black Bears last met in 2004, playing two games in DeLand, Fla., on March 13-14. The two teams split the contests, with the Hawkeyes winning the first game 5-3.

?The Hawkeyes have played Georgetown twice in program history, meeting both times in Florida. Iowa defeated the Hoyas, 4-2, on Feb. 22, 2009, in St. Petersburg, Fla., at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge in the first meeting, while Georgetown won the second meeting, 6-1, last season at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational hosted in Winter Haven, Fla.

?Iowa played West Virginia for the first time in program history last season, falling 4-3 in the final game of the Big Ten/Big East Challenge in St. Petersburg, Fla. West Virginia is now a member of the Big 12 Conference.

SCOUTING MAINE
Maine is currently 6-7 on the season, winning six of its last eight games.

Troy Black, Michael Fransoso, and Colin Gay spearhead the Black Bears’ offense. Black leads the team with a .395 batting average, while Fransoso and Gay share the team lead with 18 hits. Fransoso also paces the team in RBIs (13).

Eighth-year head coach Steve Trimper and Maine will take on Western Michigan on Wednesday and Georgetown on Thursday before facing the Hawkeyes.

SCOUTING GEORGETOWN
Georgetown owns a 5-4 record, playing all nine games away from home.

The Hoyas feature five players that are hitting at a .300 clip or better this season. Justin Leeson leads Georgetown with a .448 batting average and 13 hits.

Georgetown is coached by Pete Wilk, who is in his 14th season as head coach. The Hoyas are scheduled to play three more games prior to playing Iowa on Saturday.

SCOUTING WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia is 5-6 this season, playing all 11 games away from home.

The Mountaineers have three players that hit .409 or better — Jacob Rice (.424), Ryan Tuntland (.414), and Bobby Boyd (.404). Rice has driven in a team-best eight runs and is tied with Boyd for the team-lead in hits (18).

Senior Dan Dierdorff will start for West Virginia on Sunday. The righthander is 1-2 with a 7.43 ERA in three starts this season.

Head coach Randy Mazey is in his first season at the helm of the WVU program. Manzey and the Mountaineers play Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in Florida.

DAHM COLLECTS 500TH WIN
Iowa head coach Jack Dahm won his 500th career game as a collegiate coach in the Hawkeyes 7-3 triumph over Western Illinois on March 2.

Dahm, who is in his 20th season as a head coach, won 283 games at Creighton from 1994-2003 and has won 217 games at Iowa, beginning in 2004. His 217 wins at Iowa rank third in program history, trailing Duane Banks (810 wins) and Otto Vogel (440 wins).

1-RUN GAMES UNDER DAHM
During Jack Dahm’s 10-year tenure at Iowa, the Hawkeyes have played 123 one-run games. Iowa is 57-66 in such contests. The Hawkeyes went 10-7 in one-run games in 2012, winning their final five.

HAWKEYES PLAY 4 IN ARKANSAS
The Hawkeyes went 1-3 last weekend in Little Rock, Ark. Iowa opened the weekend against UALR, suffering a 5-2 setback on March 1. The Hawkeyes bounced back to defeat Western Illinois, 7-3, in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader, but fell in the second game, losing 9-3 in a rematch with UALR. The Hawkeyes closed the weekend Sunday against Wichita State, falling 5-3.

TOOLE THE THIEF
Sophomore Eric Toole is a perfect 6-of-6 in stolen base attempts this season. Toole’s six swipes are a team-best, and place him tied for second among Big Ten athletes. The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native stole seven bases in 2012, ranking fourth on the team.

ACTIVE STREAKS
Sophomores Eric Toole and Taylor Kaufman are both currently riding career-best reached base streaks. Toole has reached base safely in nine straight games, while Kaufman’s streak sits at eight games.

In addition, Toole has hit safely in six straight games, which is also a career-high.

B1G WINS LEADER
Senior Matt Dermody is one of 11 Big Ten pitchers tied for the conference lead with two wins. Dermody in 2-0 in three starts this season, picking up wins against Western Illinois (March 2) and Austin Peay (Feb. 16). The Norwalk, Iowa, native owns a 3.00 ERA over 18 innings.

“K”UEBEL
Sophomore pitcher Sasha Kuebel is one of the Big Ten’s best strikeout pitchers, ranking in the top-10 in the Big Ten in two categories. The St. Louis native is tied for first in batters struck out looking (7) and ranks ninth in total strikeouts (13). Both marks lead the team.

SANDQUIST SHINES OUT OF BULLPEN
Senior Ricky Sandquist has been the Hawkeyes most consistent pitcher out of the bullpen this season. Sandquist has not allowed an earned run in four appearances, throwing 12.0 innings. The Fort Dodge, Iowa, native made two appearances during the Hawkeyes’ recent four-game trip to Little Rock, Ark., throwing seven innings without allowing an earned run. Sandquist collected his first win of the season March 24 at Texas A&M Corpus Christi after tossing three innings.

THE CLOSER
Senior Andrew Hanse has finished four games on the mound this season, ranking tied for second in the Big Ten. Hanse has tossed 7.1 innings in four appearances, posting a 1.23 ERA and five strikeouts. The Marion, Iowa, native picked up his first save after throwing a perfect ninth inning on Feb. 24 against Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

HIBBING WITH THE SAVE
Sophomore Nick Hibbing earned his first save of the season against Western Illinois on March 2, throwing two scoreless innings in relief of starter Matt Dermody. The Lindenhurst, Ill., native has made two appearances the season, throwing three scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

GOOD(MAN) HITTING
Sophomore Kris Goodman has been one of the Hawkeyes top offensive threats this season, leading the team in batting average (.400), slugging percentage (.400), hits (14), runs scored (7), and total bases (16). His 14 hits are tied for fourth in the Big Ten, while his .400 batting average ranks sixth in the conference. The Apple Valley, Minn., native opened the year with a career-best eight-game hitting streak.

YACINICH AT THE PLATE
Sophomore Jake Yacinich has recorded a team-best five multi-hit games this season, including a career-best three hits against Western Illinois on March 2. Yacinich has tallied 14 hits, ranking second on the team and tied for seventh in the Big Ten.

The West Des Moines, Iowa, native has delivered a team-best six RBIs, hitting in the No. 2 spot three times and the No. 3 hole seven times.

Yacinich hit safely in the Hawkeyes first five games this season, tying a career-best hitting streak.

OUCH!
The Hawkeyes have been hit by 22 pitches this season, the most of any Big Ten team. Senior Keith Brand and sophomore Jake Yacinich have both been plunked four times, leading the team and ranking second in the Big Ten.

Iowa was hit by a pitch seven times March 1 against Arkansas-Little Rock, the most a Big Ten club has been hit in a game this season. Brand accounted for three of the seven hit by pitches.

SACRIFICING YOURSELF
Iowa has laid down a Big Ten-best 10 sacrifice bunts this season. Sophomore Eric Toole has delivered four of the sacrifices, leading the team and the conference.

DON’T RUN ON SHEPPARD
Senior Dan Sheppard has caught five baserunners attempting to steal this season. The mark is second in the conference. Sheppard threw out four baserunners in Iowa’s season-opening series at Austin Peay (Feb. 15-17).

BULLPEN DOES ITS JOB
The Iowa bullpen has been stellar this year, allowing eight earned run in 38 innings and collecting two of the team’s four wins.

Three relievers — senior Rick Sandquist and sophomores Nick Hibbing and Ryan Rumpf — have not allowed an earned run this season, while senior Andrew Hanse has allowed one run in 7.1 innings.

The Hawkeye bullpen allowed seven runs in 18.2 innings during Hawkeyes’ recent four-game trip to Little Rock, Ark.

Hanse, Sandquist, and sophomore Taylor Kaufman allowed one earned run in nine innings at the Kleberg Bank College Classic on Feb. 22-24, as Kaufman (New Mexico) and Sandquist (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) both picked up wins.

The bullpen did not allow an earned run in the Hawkeyes’ three-game series at Austin Peay on Feb. 15-17. Hanse, Sandquist, Kaufman, Hibbing, sophomore Andrew Hedrick, and freshman Josh Martsching combined to pitch 10.1 innings without allowing an earned run out of the bullpen against the Governors.

STINGY PITCHING STAFF
The Iowa pitching staff has been among the best in the Big Ten so far this season, ranking in the top-five in six statistical categories. The Hawkeyes rank third in ERA (3.00), earned runs allowed (29), and opposing batting average (.255), fourth in runs allowed (40) and walks allowed (34), and fifth in hits allowed (84).

HAWKEYE DEBUTS
Seven Hawkeye newcomers made their Iowa debuts this season.

Five newcomers made their debut during a three-game series at Austin Peay. Freshman Blake Hickman made his collegiate debut Feb. 15,. Junior Trevor Kenyon, a junior college transfer, and freshmen Nick Roscetti and Josh Martsching saw their first action as a Hawkeye on Feb. 16. Freshman Calvin Mathews made his debut on Feb. 17, starting on the mound.

Freshmen Devin Pickett and Jimmy Frankos made their debuts March 2 at Arkansas-Little Rock, entering the contest off the bench.

KLEBERG CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Three Hawkeyes — sophomores Taylor Kaufman, Kris Goodman and Sasha Kuebel — were named to the Kleberg Bank College Classic All-Tournament team. Kaufman hit .545 with six hits and two RBIs, Goodman had six hits and an RBI, and Kuebel limited Oklahoma to two runs on eight hits over eight innings in the opener.

BRAND STEPS UP IN 1ST START
Junior Keith Brand earned his first start of the season Feb. 24 at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, serving as the Hawkeyes’ designated hitter. Brand responded by delivering a double in the top of the eighth that plated the game-winning run.

A PAIR OF FIRSTS
Sophomore Nick Day has notched the first home run and multi-hit game of his collegiate career this season.

Day’s posted his first multi-hit game Feb. 23 against New Mexico, going 2-for-4 against the Lobos.

Day hit his first home run Feb. 17 at Austin Peay. The Solon, Iowa, native led off the fourth inning by hitting a solo blast over the left field fence.

SHEPPARD OPENS SEASON IN STYLE
Senior Dan Sheppard was impressive in the Hawkeyes season-opening series against Austin Peay on Feb. 15-17. Sheppard hit .364 (4-of-11) and batted in a team-best four runs in the three-game set, including a 3-of-4, four RBI game on Feb. 16. Sheppard’s three hits in a game tied a career-best, while his four RBIs set a new career-high. His four RBIs were the most by any Big Ten athlete during the opening weekend of play.

A LINEUP FULL OF YOUTH
Nine of the 10 positional players, including the designated hitter, in Iowa’s opening day on Feb. 15 against Austin Peay were underclassmen.

Sophomore Sasha Kuebel opened the contest on the mound for the Hawkeyes.

Freshman Blake Hickman started at first base, while sophomores Jake Mangler, Nick Day, and Jake Yacinich started at second base, third base, and shortstop.

In the outfield, sophomores Kris Goodman, Eric Toole, and Taylor Kaufman started from left to right, while sophomore Ryan Rumpf was Iowa’s designated hitter.

Senior Dan Sheppard, who started at catcher, was the lone upperclassman in the lineup.

PRESEASON AWARDS
Two Hawkeyes earned preseason All-Big Ten honors. Sophomore Sasha Kuebel was a Preseason All-Big Ten pick by College Sports Madness and Perfect Game. Fellow sophomore Jake Yacinich joined Kuebel on College Sports Madness’ Preseason All-Big Ten list.

Kuebel, Yacinich and senior Dan Sheppard were named to the Big Ten Watch List.

NO STRANGER TO THE BIG TEN
Senior Matt Dermody has made 17 career Big Ten starts, including Big Ten Tournament play, ranking third among active Big Ten pitchers. Dermody trails Illinois’ Kevin Johnson and Penn State’s Steven Hill, who have both started 24 career Big Ten games. The Norwalk, Iowa, native has made eight Big Ten starts in each of the last two seasons.

BREAKDOWN OF THE 2013 SCHEDULE
?The Hawkeyes will play 52 regular season games in 2013, including 24 home games.

?Iowa will play its first 13 games away from Iowa City.

?Iowa’s first five games will be against 2012 NCAA Tournament teams, as it opens the season with a three game series against NCAA qualifier Austin Peay before facing Oklahoma, a NCAA Super Regional squad, and New Mexico, who played in the NCAA Regionals, at the Kleberg Bank College Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas.

?The schedule includes a 12-game home stand from March 27-April 13.

?The Hawkeyes open Big Ten play March 22-24 in Evanston, Ill., against Northwestern.

?During Big Ten play, Iowa hosts Indiana, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Michigan State at Duane Banks Field. The Hawkeyes go on the road to face Northwestern, Penn State, Michigan and Purdue. The top six teams will advance to the 2013 Big Ten Tournament at Target Field in Minneapolis.

ROSTER BREAKDOWN
?Of the 33-man roster, 24 are underclassmen. The Hawkeyes roster features 11 true freshmen, one redshirt freshman, 10 true sophomores, and two redshirt sophomores. Iowa has four juniors and five seniors.

?The Hawkeyes have 15 Iowa natives on its roster, the most of any state. Illinois is second with 10.

?Iowa boasts two sets of high school teammates. Senior Ben Bergman and sophomore Nick Day both prepped at Solon High School in Solon, Iowa, while freshmen Josh Martsching and Calvin Mathews both attended Davis County High School in Bloomfield, Iowa.

?The Hawkeyes return 19 letterwinners, seven starters, and six pitchers from their 2012 team.

NEWCOMERS
Iowa has 12 newcomers to its roster — 11 freshmen and one junior college transfer. Junior Trevor Kenyon (6-0, 200, 1B/C, Davenport, Iowa) joins the Hawkeyes after spending two years at Black Hawk College . Freshmen new to the roster include: John Barrett (6-3, 180, UTIL, Moline, Ill.), Quinten Conrad (6-3, 190, C/RHP, Elkhorn, Neb.), Jimmy Frankos (5-11, 200, C/UTIL, Park Ridge, Ill.), Blake Hickman (6-5, 210, C/1B, Chicago, Ill.), Jared Mandel (5-10, 150, LHP, Mundelin, Ill.), Josh Martsching (6-2, 185, SS/RHP, Bloomfield, Iowa), Calvin Mathews (6-4, 200, RHP, Bloomfield, Iowa), Devin Pickett (6-2, 190, IF, Flossmoor, Ill.), Jackson Raimo (6-4, 170, RHP, Albany, N.Y.), Jack Richmond (6-4, 189, LHP, Evanston, Ill.), and Nick Roscetti (6-3, 175, IF, Sherman, Ill.).

NEW LOOK COACHING STAFF
For only the second time in University of Iowa head coach Jack Dahm’s tenure, there has been a shake-up in the Hawkeye coaching staff. Iowa will have a new hitting and pitching coach in 2013.

Zach Dillon will be the team’s hitting coach. Dillon joins the Hawkeyes as a full-time assistant after serving the 2012 season as a volunteer assistant at his alma mater Baylor. The former West Des Moines Dowling standout served as a volunteer assistant at Iowa in 2010 and 2011.

Veteran head coach Jim Brownlee joins the Hawkeyes as the interim pitching coach, returning to the college game after retiring at Illinois State in 2009. During his 30 years as a head coach, Brownlee won 854 games.

Former Hawkeye Brian Furlong is also new to the program, as he enters his first season as Iowa’s director of baseball operations. In the newly-created role, Furlong will serve as the director of the Iowa Baseball Academy, while serving as the team’s video and travel coordinator and assisting with on-campus recruiting.

Brian Miller returns for his second season in the Hawkeye dugout, serving as a volunteer assistant coach.

DRAFTED PLAYERS ON THE 2013 ROSTER
Six current Hawkeyes have been drafted by in Major League Baseball’s First-Year Play Draft. The following players have been drafted:

Matt Dermody

• 2009 – Pittsburgh Pirates, 26th round (775th pick)
• 2011 – Colorado Rockies, 29th round (888th pick)
• 2012 – Arizona Diamondbacks, 23rd round (723rd pick)

Nick Hibbing

• 2011 – Pittsburgh Pirates, 42nd round (1,262nd pick)

Blake Hickman

• 2012 – Chicago Cubs, 20th round (614th pick)

Sasha Kuebel

• 2011 – Oakland Athletics, 31st round (946th pick)

Dan Sheppard

• 2009 – Chicago Cubs, 30th round (920th pick)

Taylor Zeutenhorst

• 2010 – Philadelphia Phillies, 41st round (1,251st pick)

HAWKEYES SIGN 5 FOR 2014 SEASON
Head coach Jack Dahm signed a five-player recruiting class on Dec. 13. The five player class consists of Zach Burdi (6-3, 195, RHP, Downers Grove, Ill.), Kendall Coleman (6-4, 195, OF, Rockwall, Texas), Will Kenny (6-3, 190, LHP, Fort Dodge, Iowa/Iowa Central CC), Jake Reinhardt (6-2, 180, RHP, West Des Moines, Iowa), and Juan Carlos (JC) Pena (6-1, 185, SS, Syracuse, N.Y.) will join the UI program prior to the 2013-14 season. Burdi, Coleman, Reinhardt, and Pena are all considered top 500 players in the country by Perfect Game.

UNITY COUNCIL
The Unity Council for the 2013 season consists of senior Ricky Sandquist, redshirt junior Keith Brand, redshirt sophomore Jake Mangler, sophomores Jake Yacinich and Kris Goodman and freshman Devin Pickett. Yacinich and Goodman are also members of Iowa’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

SEASON TICKETS AVAILABLE
Hawkeye fans can purchase 2013 Iowa baseball season tickets now. Fans can reserve their own chair backs for the 2013 season by calling the UI Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-IA-HAWKS. Reserved chair back season tickets are available for $25, while general admission season tickets are $15.

IOWA BASEBALL ACADEMY
The Iowa baseball program has expanded its camps and clinics through the offerings of the newly-created Iowa Baseball Academy.

The year-round training programs, camps and instruction will now be available to youth players ages 5-18. The academy will operate at Duane Banks Field and the Iowa athletic indoor facilities.

The Iowa Baseball Academy will strive to provide exceptional training programs to enhance player skills while teaching valuable lessons that strengthen the player’s lives. Year-round training programs provide an opportunity for players to build and develop baseball skills, while giving the Iowa baseball program a vehicle to add value to community programs and grow interest in the Hawkeyes.

For details about Iowa Baseball Academy, visit www.IowaBaseballAcademy.com.

THE HAWKEYES ON BTN
The University of Iowa baseball team will make 18 appearances on the Big Ten Network or BTN.com during the 2013 season.

The Hawkeyes will make their debut March 27 on BTN.com when they host Creighton at 6:05 p.m. (CT) at Duane Banks Field. Iowa’s three-game series against Indiana (March 29-31) will also be streamed on BTN.com.

Nonconference games against Western Illinois (April 2), Kansas (April 9-10), Kansas State (April 12-13) and Northern Illinois (April 24) will also be available online at BTN.com. Iowa will make its lone scheduled appearance on the BTN on April 26 beginning at 6:05 p.m.

In the month of May, seven games will be available on BTN.com, including games against Nebraska-Omaha (May 7), Michigan State (May 10-12), and at Purdue (May 16-18) to close out the regular season.

FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
Iowa baseball fans can follow the Hawkeyes on Facebook by going to facebook.com/iowabaseball. Fans can also follow on Twitter @UIBaseball.

UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes play at home for the first time this season March 15-17, hosting a three-game series against Nebraska-Omaha at Duane Banks Field.