Iowa Heads to Wichita for 3-Game Series Against UNO

March 14, 2013

• Hawkeyes Set to Face UNO
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Game Notes — vs. Nebraska-Omaha

THE MATCHUP

• The Hawkeyes play Nebraska-Omaha in a three-game series at Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kan. The series was initially slated to take place at Duane Banks Field in Iowa City, but was moved because of weather and field conditions.
• Game times are set for 1 p.m. (CT) on Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. Monday.

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 are 4-1 all-time against Nebraska-Omaha. Iowa won the first four meetings between the teams before falling to the Mavericks, 3-1, last season at Duane Banks Field.

SCOUTING NEBRASKA-OMAHA
UNO brings a 2-7 overall record into the series after splitting a pair of games at Minnesota. The Mavs lost the opener, 6-1, before rallying for a 10-9 victory March 13. UNO started the season 0-6 before downing North Dakota, 13-2, for its first win March 9.

The Mavericks are batting .273 as a team with 18 extra base hits and 29 RBIs. Four UNO players are hitting above .300 with Clayton Taylor leading the team with a .600 batting average (9-of-15) with five runs and two RBIs. Caleb Palensky has a team-best six RBIs, but is batting just .125.

UNO’s pitching staff has a 5.01 ERA over 79 innings, allowing 46 runs (44 earned) on 78 hits. Tyler Fox is 1-0 with a 0.90 ERA in a pair of starts, allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. Steven Schoonover is 1-0 with a spotless ERA in two appearances. He was credited with the win over Minnesota on Wednesday night.

UNO is led by 14th-year head coach Bob Herold. He is the third coach in the 60-year history of the program and has 422 career victories.

CHANGE IN SCHEDULE
Due to the change in the Nebraska-Omaha series, the Hawkeyes will also move the date for its home opener against Coe College. Iowa and the Kohawks will meet March 20 at 4:05 p.m. (CT) at Duane Banks Field. The game was originally slated to take place on March 19.

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, currently has 503 career victories, winning 283 games at Creighton from 1994-2003 and 220 games at Iowa, beginning in 2004. His 220 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.

EXTRA-INNINGS NO PROBLEM
Iowa is 2-0 in extra-inning games. The Hawkeyes downed New Mexico, 6-2, in 10 innings on Feb. 23 and defeated West Virginia, 6-4, in 12 innings on March 10. The Hawkeyes went 2-2 in extra-inning games in 2012.

HAWKEYES SWEEP SNOWBIRD CLASSIC
The Hawkeyes posted a 3-0 record, defeating Maine, 9-2, on March 8, Georgetown, 7-2, on March 9, and West Virginia, 6-4, in 12 innings on Sunday. It is the first time Iowa has won three games at a three day tournament since sweeping three games at the Austin Peay Tournament in 2006.

Senior Matt Dermody and sophomores Sasha Kuebel and Nick Hibbing collected wins on the mound, while junior Taylor Zeutenhorst led the offense by hitting .556 (4-of-9) with a double, a triple, four runs, and three RBIs.

B1G WINS LEADER
Senior pitcher Matt Dermody is tied for the Big Ten lead with three wins. Dermody is tied with Michigan State’s David Garner. Dermody in 3-0 in four starts this season, picking up wins against Austin Peay (Feb. 16), Western Illinois (March 2), and Georgetown (March 9). The Norwalk, Iowa, native has thrown 26 innings, the seventh most among Big Ten pitchers, and ranks 12th in the conference with a 2.42 ERA.

TURNING 2
The Hawkeyes rank fourth nationally in double plays per game at 1.38. Iowa has turned 18 double plays in 13 games, which ranks 12th in the NCAA.

NOT ONE, BUT TWO
Sophomore Eric Toole in the midst of a career-best hitting and reached base streaks. Toole hit safely in six straight games, going 8-for-20 (.400) over the stretch. Toole has reached safely in nine consecutive games, starting the streak Feb. 16 at Austin Peay. Toole missed the Snowbird Classic due to illness.

10 AND COUNTING
Sophomore Taylor Kaufman has reached base in 10 straight games, setting a new career-best. The streak started Feb. 17 at Austin Peay, and included a career-high four game hitting streak.

FIGURING IT OUT
After struggling in his first seven games of the season, freshman Blake Hickman has started to figure out collegiate hitting in his last five games. Hickman batted .095 (2-for-21) in his first seven games, before going on a season-best five-game hitting streak in which he hit .389 (7-for-18) and raised his batting average by 136 points. The Chicago native has posted the first two RBIs, two multi-hit games, and two doubles of his Hawkeye career over the five games. Hickman’s biggest hit of the streak came in the top of the 12th inning against West Virginia on March 10, as he singled to score the game-winning run.

ZEUTENHORST STARS AT SNOWBIRD CLASSIC
Junior Taylor Zeutenhorst hit .556 (5-of-9) to go along with a .714 on-base percentage, a .889 slugging percentage and a 1.603 OPS at the Snowbird Classic on March 8-10. The outfielder also scored four runs and had three RBIs.

Zeutenhorst scored a run and had two walks and a hit-by-pitch in a 9-2 victory over Maine on March 8, before going 1-for-4 with one run, two RBIs and a steal against Georgetown on March 9.

Zeutenhorst closed out the weekend with a career-game in Iowa’s 6-4, 12-innning victory over West Virginia on March 10. He had a career-best four hits (4-of-4) while matching a career-high with two runs. Among his hits were a double and triple, and he had a walk and stolen base.

BRINGING THEM HOME
Sophomore Jake Yacinich paces the Hawkeyes with 11 RBIs and is hitting .400 (8-of-20) with runners in scoring position. Six of his 11 RBIs have come during a current four-game hit streak in which he is 6-of-17 (.353) at the plate.

Yacinich has tallied 18 hits this season, ranking second on the team. He has recorded six multi-hit games this season, including a career-best three hits against Western Illinois on March 2.

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

MANGLER MASHING
Sophomore Jake Mangler is one of the Hawkeyes hottest hitters. The Clinton, Iowa, native is riding a six-game hitting streak in which he is hitting at a .333 clip (9-for-27) with five RBIs. Mangler is 6-of-15 (.400) in his last three games, posting two hits in each of his contest. In addition, he has drove in a run in five of the his last six contests. Mangler’s hit streak is four shy of a career-best, as he ended 2012 by hitting safely in 10 games.

GOOD(MAN) HITTING
Sophomore Kris Goodman has been one of the Hawkeyes top offensive threats this season, leading the team in batting average (.389), hits (21), runs scored (10), and total bases (21). His 21 hits are tied for sixth in the Big Ten, while his .389 batting average ranks ninth in the conference. Goodman has been most effective against left-handed pitchers, hitting .533 (8-of-15) against southpaws. He has posted six multi-hit games, including a career-best three hits on four different occasions. The Apple Valley, Minn., native opened the year with a career-best eight-game hitting streak.

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 in a tie for seventh among Big Ten athletes. The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native stole seven bases in 2012, ranking fourth on the team.

“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 fourth in batters struck out looking (7) and is tied for ninth in total strikeouts (17). Both marks lead the team.

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

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 relief appearances, throwing 12.0 innings. The Fort Dodge, Iowa, native collected his first win of the season March 24 at Texas A&M Corpus Christi after tossing three innings. Sandquist has made one start this season, starting against West Virginia on March 10, throwing five innings and allowing three earned runs.

HIBBING WITH THE SAVE
Sophomore Nick Hibbing leads the Hawkeyes with two saves. Hibbing earned his first save of against Western Illinois on March 2, throwing two scoreless innings in relief of starter Matt Dermody. Hibbing’s second save came March 10 against West Virginia, as he pitched the 12th inning and induced a game-ending double play. The Lindenhurst, Ill., native has made four appearances the season, throwing five scoreless innings with five strikeouts.

OUCH!
The Hawkeyes have been hit by 29 pitches this season, the most of any Big Ten team. Senior Keith Brand has been plunked seven times, leading the team and the Big Ten and ranking 13th nationally. Brand has been hit three times in a game twice (UALR, Maine).

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.

SACRIFICING YOURSELF
Iowa has laid down a Big Ten-best 15 sacrifice bunts this season. Sophomore Eric Toole has delivered four of the sacrifices, leading the team and the conference. He also ranks 37th nationally. Toole’s 0.4 sacrifice bunts per game rank 13th in the country.

BULLPEN DOES ITS JOB
The Iowa bullpen has been stellar this year, allowing nine earned run in 48 innings and collecting three of the team’s six wins.

Three relievers — senior Rick Sandquist and sophomores Nick Hibbing and Ryan Rumpf — have not allowed an earned run out of the bullpen, while senior Andrew Hanse has allowed two run in 10.2 innings.

Hanse, Hibbing, sophomore Taylor Kaufman, and freshman Josh Martsching combined to allow one earned run in 10 innings at the Snowbird Classic (March 8-10). Hanse picked up the win in the Hawkeyes 6-4 victory over West Virginia (March 10).

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

Hanse, Sandquist, and 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, Martsching, and sophomore Andrew Hedrick combined to pitch 10.1 innings without allowing an earned run out of the bullpen against the Governors.

SHUTTING OPPONENTS DOWN
The Iowa pitching staff has 2.85 ERA this season, ranking third in the Big Ten behind Indiana (2.53) and Ohio State (2.59). The figure also ranks 37th in the country.

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 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.

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 will host Coe College in their home-opener March 20 at Duane Banks Field. First pitch is set for 4:05 p.m. (CT).