Hawkeyes and Cornhuskers Set for Weekend Matchup

April 3, 2013

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Iowa Game Notes

THE MATCH-UP
?Iowa hosts a Big Ten-foe at Duane Banks Field for a second straight weekend, as Nebraska comes to Iowa City on April 5-7. The Hawkeyes and Cornhuskers will play a three-game series, beginning Friday at 6:05 p.m. (CT). The teams will close the series by playing at 1:05 p.m. (CT) Saturday and Sunday.

?This weekend marks the first time that the Hawkeyes and Cornhuskers will play in Iowa City as Big Ten opponents.

?Duane Banks Field goes 395 feet to dead center, and plays 329 feet down the left and right field lines. Iowa is 1-3 at home this season, winning their last game at Duane Banks Field, 10-6, against Western Illinois on April 2.

ON THE RADIO
This weekend’s three-game series will be broadcast on the radio on AM-800 KXIC and AM-1360 KMJM. Brent Balbinot will handle the play-by-play, while Jeff Duncan will provide color commentary Friday and Saturday.

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.

WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
Hawkeye fans will have the chance to enjoy a trio of promotions this weekend at Duane Banks Field. Fans that attend Friday’s game against Nebraska will have the opportunity to play baseball movie trivia for a prize. A Hawks Nest Tailgate will be hosted Saturday, featuring pizza, pop, and prizes for UI students. The weekend will conclude with a giveaway, as the first 150 kids in a youth team jersey on Sunday will receive a baseball Herky bobblehead.

THE SERIES
Nebraska leads the all-time series between the Hawkeyes and Cornhuskers, 14-10. Nebraska took 2-of-3 from Iowa last season in Lincoln, winning the final two games of a three-game set. Jared Hippen collected the Hawkeye win, throwing 7 1/3 innings and allowing three runs on eight hits. Jake Mangler led the Iowa offense, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. This weekend will be the first time the two teams have met at Duane Banks Field as Big Ten opponents. Nebraska last visited Iowa City on April 27, 2010, falling 5-2 to the Hawkeyes.

SCOUTING NEBRASKA
Nebraska travels to Iowa City with an 11-16 record, winning four of its last six contests. The Cornhuskers have played a competitive schedule, playing 10 games against ranked opponents. Nebraska is currently second in the Big Ten with a 5-1 mark, taking 2-of-3 at Illinois and sweeping a three-game home series against Northwestern.

The Cornhuskers are averaging eight runs per game in six game Big Ten contests, hitting at a .350 clip. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native Chad Christensen spearheads the Nebraska offensive attack with .352 average, ranking ninth in the Big Ten. Pat Kelly paces the team with 39 hits, while Austin Darby has driven in a team-best 16 runs.

Nebraska has struggled pitching in 2013, ranking 10th in the Big Ten with a 5.04 ERA. Dylan Vogt has made a team-high 13 appearances, all in relief, registering a 2.01 ERA in 22 1/3 innings. The pitching staff has been aided by a Big Ten-best .979 fielding percentage.

The Cornhuskers are coached by former Major Leaguer Darin Erstad, who is in his second season.

HAWKEYES PICK UP MID-WEEK WIN
The Hawkeyes won its first mid-week game of the season, downing Western Illinois 10-6 at Duane Banks Field on April 2. Iowa put five runs on the board in the bottom of the first and fourth innings en route to its first home win of the season. Calvin Mathews started and earned the first win of his collegiate career, allowing two runs and striking out five in five innings. Junior Trevor Kenyon, and sophomores Taylor Kaufman and Eric Toole all posted multi-hit performances. Kenyon went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, two runs scored, and two RBIs, Kaufman went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, and Toole went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

IOWA FINALLY HOSTS HOME OPENER
Iowa finally hosted its home opener on March 30 after its first three attempts were cancelled or postponed due to sitting snow and poor field conditions at Duane Banks Field. The Hawkeyes hosted No. 19 Indiana in a three-game series, playing one game March 30 and a doubleheader March 31. The Hoosiers won all three games.

B1G WINS LEADER
Senior pitcher Matt Dermody is tied for first in the Big Ten and 28th nationally with five wins. Dermody in 5-1 in seven starts this season, picking up wins against Austin Peay (Feb. 16), Western Illinois (March 2), Georgetown (March 9), Nebraska-Omaha (March 17), and Northwestern (March 23). The Norwalk, Iowa, native has thrown 47 1/3 innings, the fifth-most among Big Ten pitchers, and leads the team with 32 strikouts. His 32 strikeouts are tied for eighth in the conference.

Dermody’s five wins set a career-high, besting the four wins he recorded during his sophomore season. Iowa has won six of the seven games in which Dermody has started, as he has allowed two runs or less in five of the seven starts.

Dermody recorded his third career complete game March 23 against Northwestern. The 6-foot-5 lefthander allowed one unearned run and struck out five, scattering seven hits.

NO STRANGER TO THE BIG TEN
Senior Matt Dermody has made 19 career Big Ten starts, including Big Ten Tournament play, ranking third among active Big Ten pitchers. Dermody trails Penn State’s Steven Hill (26 career starts) and Illinois’ Kevin Johnson (25 career starts). The Norwalk, Iowa, native has made two Big Ten starts in 2013 after starting eight Big Ten contests in 2011 and 2012.

CAN’T CATCH TOOLE
Sophomore Eric Toole is 12-of-13 in stolen base attempts this season. Toole’s 12 swipes are a team-best and are one off the Big Ten lead, placing him tied for second in the conference. The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native stole seven bases in 2012, ranking fourth on the team.

TURNING 2
The Hawkeyes have turned 26 double plays in 23 games this season, the second-most among Big Ten teams. Iowa ranks 13th in the country in double plays per game, averaging 1.13 double plays.

KUEBEL UNBLEMISHED IN B1G
Sophomore Sasha Kuebel is unblemished in eight career Big Ten starts. The southpaw went 4-0 with a 2.83 ERA in conference starts as a freshman en route to second team All-Big Ten honors. Kuebel is expected to make his first Big Ten start of the season Friday against Nebraska.

THRIVING AGAINST LEFTIES
Five of Iowa’s regulars thrive against left-handed pitching. Sophomore Taylor Kaufman leads the team with a .409 (9-of-22) average against southpaws, while Kris Goodman (.400, 10-of-25), Eric Toole (.368, 7-of-19), Keith Brand (.364; 4-of-11) and Jake Yacinich (.320, 8-of-25) hit above .320.

KAUFMAN DOES IT ALL
Sophomore Taylor Kaufman has been an integral part of both the Hawkeye batting order and pitching staff this season.

Kaufman ranks fourth on the team with a .293 average that includes seven multi-hit games. The Glenwood, Iowa, native has tallied a career-best three hits in a game on three occasions, most recently in the Hawkeyes last game against Western Illinois on April 2. Kaufman also tied career-highs in RBIs (2) and runs scored (1) during the 10-6 triumph over the Leathernecks.

Kaufman has reached base safely in 19 consecutive games, setting a new career best. The streak began during the opening weekend of the 2013 season. Kaufman recorded a career-best six game hitting streak from March 18-31, going 8-for-24 (.333) over the stretch. He has drawn a team-high 14 walks, tied for seventh-best in the Big Ten.

On the mound, Kaufman ranks second on the team and 12th in the conference with a 2.30 ERA. He has made eight relief appearances, tossing 27 1/3 innings. In his last outing against Indiana on March 31, Kaufman set new career-high in innings pitched (5) and tied his a career-best in strikeouts (4).

KENYON PROVIDES POP
Sophomore Trevor Kenyon has provided a much-needed lift to the middle of the Iowa batting order over its last four games. Kenyon is 8-for-18 with three doubles, a triple, and six RBIs over the stretch, delivering two hits in each contest and raising his batting average by .169 points (.154 to .323).

Kenyon went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, two runs scored, and two RBIs against Western Illinois on April 2. The performance followed a 6-of-14 (.429), four RBIs effort in the Hawkeyes’ three-game series with Indiana on March 30-31. The Davenport, Iowa, native tallied the first two extra-base hits (both doubles) of his Hawkeye career, and drove in three runs during the second game of the series March 31.

Kenyon started at first base and hit fourth in all four contests, his first start since Feb. 23 against New Mexico.

SANDQUIST RETURNS
Senior Ricky Sandquist pitched a perfect sixth inning April 2 against Western Illinois, his first appearance since suffering an arm injury over two weeks ago. It was a big lift to the Hawkeye bullpen, as the Fort Dodge, Iowa, native has been spectacular this season After making an adjustment to his pitching mechanics, going to a 3/4 arm slot.

Sandquist is 1-0 with a 1.14 ERA — the fourth best mark in the Big Ten. He has allowed zero earned runs in all six of his relief appearances. He tallied his first win March 24 after tossing three innings against Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Sandquist has also made two starts, posting a 3.12 ERA over 8 2/3 innings.

HOT AT THE TOP
The Hawkeyes one and two hitters — sophomores Eric Toole and Kris Goodman — have been consistently getting on base over the past four games. The duo has reached base safely in first inning in three of the last four contests, and both own reached base streak of four or more.

Toole is 7-for-16 (.438) with four stolen bases from the lead-off spot over the past four games. The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native has scored a team-high five runs over the stretch. Toole has reached base in 18 of the Hawkeyes’ last 19 games, including the last four games and a career-best 14 game streak from Feb. 16-March 23.

Goodman is 5-of-13 (.286) during the last four games, and has reached base safely in eight straight games. Goodman collected the first triple his collegiate career during the stretch, hitting a three-bagger against Indiana on March 30.

MONKEY OFF MATHEWS’ BACK
Freshman Calvin Mathews collected the first win of his collegiate career April 2 against Western Illinois. Mathews threw five solid innings, allowing two runs and five hits in five innings. The effort was the best of his young Hawkeye career, as he set season-bests in innings pitched and strikeouts (5).

3-FOR-4
Three Hawkeyes — juniors Taylor Zeutenhorst and Trevor Kenyon and sophomore Kris Goodman — are riding four game hitting streaks.

Zeutenhorst is 4-of-14 (.286) with three RBIs over the stretch. It is the second-longest streak of the season for Zeutenhorst, as he tallied a five-game hit streak from March 9-18.

Kenyon is 8-of-18 (.444) over his streak, which sets a new career-best.

Goodman is 5-of-18 (.286) during the four games, including his eighth multi-hit game of the season March 31 against Indiana. Goodman opened the season with a career-high eight game hitting streak.

LEGGING OUT TRIPLES
Junior Taylor Zeutenhorst has his a team-high two triples this season, tallying three-baggers against West Virginia (March 10) and Nebraska-Omaha (March 18). The two triples are tied for the third-most among Big Ten athletes.

WELCOME TO THE LINEUP
Freshman Nick Roscetti has started the last seven games for the Hawkeyes, opening four games at third base and three at shortstop. Roscetti is 6-of-23 (.261) at the plate since entering the lineup, collecting back-to-back multi-hits games against Northwestern (March 23) and Indiana (March 30).

GOOD(MAN) HITTING
Sophomore Kris Goodman has been one of the Hawkeyes top offensive threats this season, leading the team in batting average (.344), hits (32), runs scored (16), and total bases (35). His 32 hits rank 10th in the Big Ten and his .344 batting average both ranks 12th in the conference. He has posted a team-best eight multi-hit games, including a career-best three hits on five different occasions.

BRINGING THEM HOME
Sophomore Jake Yacinich paces the Hawkeyes with 16 RBIs and is hitting .394 (13-of-33) with runners in scoring position. Seven of his 13 RBIs came during a career-long seven game hitting streak March 3-18. Yacinich missed the Hawkeyes three-game series with Northwestern due to a concussion.

Yacinich has 25 hits this season, ranking second on the team. He is tied for second on the team with seven multi-hit games, which includes a pair of career-best three-hit contests (W. Illinois, Omaha).

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

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.

OUCH!
The Hawkeyes have been hit by 45 pitches this season, the most of any Big Ten team and the 23rd most in the nation. Four Hawkeyes — senior Keith Brand, junior Taylor Zeutenhorst and sophomores Kris Goodman and Jake Yacinich — rank in the top-seven in the Big Ten in hit-by-pitches. Brand has been hit three times in a game three times (UALR, Maine, UNO), getting plunked a team-high 12 times — the most in the conference and seventh-most in the country. Zeutenhorst, Goodman, and Yacinich have all been hit six times, placing them tied for seventh 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.

IOWA IS…
– 5-0 when leading after six, 6-0 after seven, and 9-0 after eight innings.
– 7-2 when out-hitting its opponent.
– 2-0 when committing zero errors.
– 2-0 when scoring 10 or more runs.
– 4-4 against left-handed starters and 6-9 against righties.

IOWA IN EXTRA-INNINGS
Iowa is 2-1 in extra-inning games. The Hawkeyes won their first two contests that went into extras, downing New Mexico, 6-2, in 10 innings on Feb. 23 and defeating West Virginia, 6-4, in 12 innings on March 10. Iowa fell to Northwestern, 2-1, in 13 innings on March 22. The Hawkeyes have outscored opponents 6-1 in extra-innings.

1-RUN GAMES UNDER DAHM
During Jack Dahm’s 10-year tenure at Iowa, the Hawkeyes have played 126 one-run games. Iowa is 58-68 in such contests. The Hawkeyes are 1-2 in one-run games this season, defeating Northwestern, 2-1, on March 23.

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 506 career victories, winning 283 games at Creighton from 1994-2003 and 223 games at Iowa, beginning in 2004. His 223 wins at Iowa rank third in program history, trailing Duane Banks (810 wins) and Otto Vogel (440 wins).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Nonconference games against 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 two mid-week games against Kansas, hosting the Jayhawks at Duane Banks Field on April 9-10. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. (CT) on Tuesday and 4:05 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday.