Hawkeyes Back at Banks for 2 Mid-Week Games

April 8, 2013

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Iowa Game Notes

THE MATCH-UP
?Iowa hosts Kansas in a pair of mid-week games at Duane Banks Field on April 9-10. Opening pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. (CT) Tuesday and 4:05 p.m. (CT) Wednesday.

?It will be the Hawkeyes second and third mid-week games of the season. Iowa won its first mid-week match-up, downing Western Illinois, 10-6, on April 2.

?Duane Banks Field goes 395 feet to dead center, and plays 329 feet down the left and right field lines. Iowa is 2-5 at home this season, winning against Western Illinois (April 2) and Nebraska (April 7).

ON THE RADIO
Both games against Kansas 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.

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.

MID-WEEK PROMOTIONS
Hawkeye fans should make sure to get to Duane Banks Field early this week, as the first 100 fans at Tuesday and Wednesday’s games will receive an Iowa baseball trading card strip.

THE SERIES
Kansas has won 16 of the 24 meetings between the Jayhawks and Hawkeyes, including the last four contests. Iowa last played Kansas on April 12, 2011, falling 12-5 at Duane Banks Field. The Hawkeyes last defeated the Jayhawks on March 5, 2010, winning 5-3 in Lawrence.

SCOUTING KANSAS
Kansas owns an 18-12 record after taking 2-of-3 against No. 19 Oklahoma State this past weekend in Lawrence, Kan. The Jayhawks are 4-6 in away games, defeating 11th-ranked Oklahoma, 10-8, in their most recent road contest.

The Jayhawks are hitting at a .286 clip as a team, led by sophomore Michael Suiter’s .391 average. Suiter paces Kansas in hits (43), slugging percentage (.464), and total bases (51). Senior Alex DeLeon provides power at the clean-up spot, leading the team in home runs (2) and RBIs (22).

Sophomore Robert Kahana and senior Tanner Poppe, both righthanders, are expected to start on the mound for Kansas. Kahana will make his first start of the season Tuesday against the Hawkeyes. He has made 13 relief appearances, posting a 3-1 record with a 3.19 ERA over 17 innings. Poppe has made five appearances, including four starts. He is 1-2 with a 5.23 ERA in 20 2/3 innings.

The Jayhawks are coached by Ritch Price, who is in his 11th season.

IOWA TAKES SERIES FINALE VS. NEBRASKA
The Hawkeyes dropped 2-of-3 to Nebraska on April 5-7 at Duane Banks Field.

Iowa won the series finale, 6-5, after avoiding a ninth-inning Cornhusker rally. The Hawkeyes took a 6-3 lead into the top of the ninth inning, but Nebraska used a sacrifice fly and an RBI single to make the score 6-5 before senior Ricky Sandquist induced a 4-6-3 double play to end the game, earning his first save of the season. Senior Andrew Hanse earned the win, throwing a career-best 6 2/3 innings.

Junior Trevor Kenyon and sophomore Eric Toole led the offense over the three-game set, as they both went 6-for-13 (.462) a the plate.

SWINGING THE STICK
The Hawkeyes have been swinging the bats over the past week, recording 10 or more hits in four straight contests and in six of the last seven games. Iowa’s best output over the stretch came April 6 against Nebraska, tallying 14 hits. The 14 hits are the second-most in a game this season, falling one short of a season-high 15 hits recorded Feb. 16 at Austin Peay.

B1G WINS LEADER
Senior pitcher Matt Dermody is tied for first in the Big Ten with five wins. Dermody in 5-1 in eight 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 52 1/3 innings, the seventh-most among Big Ten pitchers, and leads the team with 34 strikeouts. His 34 strikeouts are tied for ninth 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 eight games in which Dermody has started, as he has allowed two runs or less in five of the eight 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 20 career Big Ten starts, including Big Ten Tournament play, ranking third among active Big Ten pitchers. Dermody trails Penn State’s Steven Hill and Illinois’ Kevin Johnson, who have both made 26 career Big Ten starts.

The Norwalk, Iowa, native has made three Big Ten starts in 2013 after starting eight Big Ten contests in 2011 and 2012.

CAN’T CATCH TOOLE
Sophomore Eric Toole is 13-of-15 in stolen base attempts this season. Toole’s 13 swipes are a team-best and are two off the Big Ten lead, placing him tied for third among Big Ten athletes. The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native has stolen six bases during Big Ten play (nine games), ranking second in the conference.

THRIVING AGAINST LEFTIES
Five of Iowa’s regulars thrive against left-handed pitching. Sophomore Taylor Kaufman leads the team with a .440 (11-of-25) average against southpaws, while Keith Brand (.417; 5-of-12), Kris Goodman (.370, 10-of-27), Eric Toole (.350, 7-of-20), and Jake Yacinich (.333, 9-of-27) hit above .333.

22 AND COUNTING
Sophomore Taylor Kaufman has reached base safely in 22 consecutive games, setting a new career best. The streak began Feb. 17 at Austin Peay during the opening weekend of the 2013 season. Kaufman’s streak in the longest since 2010 when Kurtis Muller and Mike McQuillan each ended the season with lengthy reached base streaks. Muller reached base in 27 straight games, while McQuillan reached safely in 23 consecutive games.

The Glenwood, Iowa has drawn a team-high 17 walks, placing him tied for ninth in the Big Ten.

KENYON PROVIDES POP
Junior Trevor Kenyon has provided a much-needed lift to the middle of the Iowa batting order over its last seven games. Kenyon is 14-for-31 with four doubles, a triple, and 10 RBIs over the stretch, raising his batting average by 210 points (.154 to .364). His .364 average is tops on the team.

Kenyon has delivered two hits in six of the last seven contests, including a season-best three hits April 6 against Nebraska.

Kenyon is hitting .414 (12-of-29) with eight RBIs in Big Ten play, ranking seventh in RBIs and 10th in bating average.

SANDQUIST RETURNS
Senior Ricky Sandquist has made two relief appearances over the last four games, his first action since suffering an arm injury over three weeks ago. It has been 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 1.73 ERA — the fifth best mark in the Big Ten. He has allowed two earned runs in seven relief appearances, holding opponents scoreless in six of the seven outings. Sandquist collected his first save April 7 against Nebraska, inducing a 4-6-3 double play to end the game. 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.

STARTING OFF WITH A BANG
Sophomore Eric Toole, the Hawkeyes lead-off hitter, has been on a tear as of late. The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native is hitting at a .381 (16-of-42) clip wih 10 runs and six stolen bases over the 10 games, collecting a hit in eight of the last 10 contests. The stretch includes six multi-hit games and two three-hit performances.

Toole has reached base in 21 of the Hawkeyes’ last 22 games, including the last seven games and a career-best 14 game streak from Feb. 16-March 23.

HEATING UP AT THE PLATE
Junior Keith Brand is currently on a career-best five game hitting streak. Brand is 6-of-18 (.333) with five runs scored and three RBIs during the streak. The streak includes a two-RBI performance April 6 against Nebraska — his team-best fourth multi-RBI game this season.

OUCH!
The Hawkeyes have been hit by 54 pitches this season, the most of any Big Ten team. Iowa leads second place Indiana by 14, as the Hoosiers have been plunked 40 times this season. 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 and conference-high 14 times. Zeutenhorst, Goodman, and Yacinich have all been hit seven 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.

THE HUMAN MAGNET
Junior Keith Brand has been prone to getting plunked by opposing pitchers this season. The Northbrook, Ill., native has been hit by 14 pitches this season, the most of any Big Ten athlete. The 14 hit-by-pitches is the sixth-highest season total in program history, tying Kurtis Muller (2008) and Kevin Hoef (2007). Hoef holds the single season and career hit-by-pitch record, as he was plunked 20 times in 2008 and 62 times over his Hawkeye career (2006-09).

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 fifth-most among Big Ten athletes.

GOOD(MAN) HITTING
Sophomore Kris Goodman has been one of the Hawkeyes top offensive threats this season, leading the team in hits (36), runs scored (19), and total bases (39). The 36 hits rank 11th in the Big Ten, while his .346 batting average ranks 10th in the conference. He has posted a team-best nine multi-hit games, including a career-best three hits on six different occasions.

BRINGING THEM HOME
Sophomore Jake Yacinich paces the Hawkeyes with 17 RBIs and is hitting a team-best .378 (14-of-37) with runners in scoring position.

Yacinich has 30 hits this season, ranking second on the team. He is tied for first on the team with classmate Kris Goodman with nine multi-hit games, which includes three career-best three-hit contests (W. Illinois, Omaha, Nebraska).

DON’T RUN ON SHEPPARD
Senior Dan Sheppard has caught six base runners attempting to steal this season. The mark is tied for seventh 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.

IOWA IS…
? 6-0 when leading after six, 7-0 after seven, and 10-0 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 7-11 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 127 one-run games. Iowa is 59-68 in such contests. The Hawkeyes are 2-2 in one-run games this season, defeating Northwestern, 2-1, on March 23, and Nebraska, 6-5, on April 7.

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 507 career victories, winning 283 games at Creighton from 1994-2003 and 224 games at Iowa, beginning in 2004. His 224 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 a three-game series against Kansas State on April 12-14. The first two games of the series will be played at Duane Banks Field, with action beginning at 6:05 p.m. (CT) Friday and 1:05 p.m. (CT) Saturday. The series finale will be played Sunday at Principal Park, home of the Iowa Cubs, the Chicago Cubs Triple-A affiliate. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. (CT).