Hawkeyes Set for Weekend Series in Ann Arbor

May 1, 2013

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Iowa Game Notes

THE MATCH-UP
? Iowa travels to Ann Arbor, Mich., to play a three-game series against Michigan on May 3-5. The series opens Friday at 5:05 p.m. (CT) and concludes with a 3:05 p.m. (CT) Saturday contest and a 12:05 p.m. (CT) Sunday match-up.

? The Hawkeyes are 4-6 in away games, winning at Austin Peay (Feb. 16), Texas A&M Corpus Christi (Feb. 24), Nebraska-Omaha (April 16), and Penn State (April 20). Michigan is 9-5 at home and has won its last seven games at the Wilpon Complex.

? Iowa owns a 4-11 Big Ten record, while Michigan is 8-7 in conference play.

? The Wilpon Complex stretches 330 feet down both lines, and 400 feet to center field.

ON THE RADIO
The Hawkeyes three-game series against Michigan will be broadcast on the radio on AM-800 KXIC and AM-1360 KMJM. Brent Balbinot will handle the play-by-play, while 34-year Iowa baseball veteran Whistlin’ Ray Gilmore will provide color commentary.

ON THE WEB
Hawkeye baseball fans can follow every game 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
? Iowa and Michigan have met 150 times previously, with Michigan holding a 104-46 advantage in the all-time series.

? The Wolverines won 2-of-3 games last season in Iowa City, taking the first two games of the three-game set. The Hawkeyes won the series finale, 7-2, after Sasha Kuebel tossed a complete game, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits. Jake Mangler paced the Hawkeyes offensively, going 3-of-5 with a run and an RBI.

? The Hawkeyes took 2-of-3 games the last time they visited in Ann Arbor in 2010.

SCOUTING MICHIGAN
Michigan is 22-20 overall, and 8-7 in Big Ten play. The Wolverines are 9-5 at home, winning seven straight and eight of their last nine.

The Wolverines hit .276 as a team, boasting four players that hit at a .310 clip or better. Michael O’Neill paces the team with a .347 batting average and 61 hits, while Jacob Cronenworth has driven in a team-best 29 runs.

Michigan’s pitching has tightened during Big Ten play, registering a 2.84 ERA over 15 conference games to rank second in the Big Ten. The Wolverines will start a trio of lefties this weekend in sophomore Trent Szkutnik (Friday), freshman Evan Hill (Saturday), and junior Logan McAnallen (Sunday). Szkutnik is 3-6 in 12 appearances, including nine starts, and owns a 4.72 ERA, Hill is 7-2 with a 2.58 ERA in 11 starts, and McAnallen is 2-2 with a 2.74 ERA is 14 appearances, starting eight games.

The Wolverines are led by first-year head coach Eric Bakich.

HAWKEYES DROP MID-WEEK MATCH-UP
The Hawkeyes fell to Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 10-3, on Tuesday at Duane Banks Field. Milwaukee, the Horizon League leaders, belted out 15 hits in the game, including five extra base hits in the contest. Every starter tallied at least one hit. The Hawkeyes dropped into a 10-0 hole over the first five innings, and were hitless over the first 4 1/3 innings. Six different Hawkeyes tallied a hit in the game, while sophomores Nick Day, Jake Mangler, and Anthony Torres accounted for the three RBIs

OUCH!
The Hawkeyes have been hit by 79 pitches this season, the most of any Big Ten team. Iowa leads second place Indiana by 23, as the Hoosiers have been plunked 56 times this season.

Four Hawkeyes — juniors Keith Brand and Taylor Zeutenhorst and sophomores Kris Goodman and Jake Yacinich — rank in the top-nine in the Big Ten in hit-by-pitches. Brand has been hit three times in a game on three occasions (UALR, Maine, UNO) en route to getting plunked a team-high 19 times, ranking first in the conference. Zeutenhorst has been plunked 10 times to rank sixth in the conference, while Goodman and Yacinich have been hit nine times, putting them in a tie for ninth 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.

TURNING DP’S
The Hawkeyes have turned 47 double plays in 39 games this season, ranking second in the Big Ten and 31st nationally.

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 19 pitches, the most of any Big Ten athlete.

The 19 hit-by-pitches is the second-highest season total in program history, tying Kevin Hoef (2009). 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).

THE THIEF
Sophomore Eric Toole is 18-of-22 in stolen base attempts this season. Toole’s 18 swipes lead the team and are tied for the Big Ten lead. The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native has stolen eight bases during Big Ten play (12 games), ranking tied for second in the conference.

WINNING ON THE MOUND
Senior pitcher Matt Dermody is tied for fourth in the Big Ten with six wins, falling one win shy of the conference lead. Dermody is 6-1 in 11 starts this season, picking up wins against Austin Peay (Feb. 16), Western Illinois (March 2), Georgetown (March 9), Nebraska-Omaha (March 17), Northwestern (March 23), and Kansas State (April 12). The Norwalk, Iowa, native has thrown 70 1/3 innings, the fourth-most among Big Ten pitchers, and leads the team with 46 strikeouts. His 46 strikeouts are tied for eighth in the conference.

Dermody’s six wins set a career high, besting the four wins he recorded during his sophomore season. Iowa has won eight of the 11 games in which Dermody has started .

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 22 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 28 career Big Ten starts. The Norwalk, Iowa, native has made five Big Ten starts in 2013 after starting eight Big Ten contests in 2011 and 2012.

THOU SHALT NOT STEAL
Junior catcher Keith Brand has caught 11 baserunners stealing this season, which ties for fourth in Big Ten. As a team, the Hawkeyes have caught 23 baserunners trying to steal, the second-most among Big Ten teams.

ACTIVE REACHED BASE STREAKS
Five Hawkeyes have reached base in five or more straight games.

?Freshman Nick Roscetti has reached base in 14-straight games, setting a season-best.

?Sophomore Jake Yacinich is riding a seven-game reached base streak, his longest streak of the season.

?Junior Keith Brand and sophomore Eric Toole has each reached base in six-straight games.

?Freshman Blake Hickman has reached base in five straight games, falling two short of a season-best seven-game streak.

THE SPARKPLUG TOOLE
Sophomore Eric Toole, Iowa’s leadoff hitter, has been a spark for the offense this season, hitting at a .509 (29-of-57) clip when leading off an inning. Toole ranks second on the squad in batting average (.307), slugging percentage (.350), on-base percentage (.350), hits (43), runs scored (25), total bases (49), and walks (18). The Council Bluffs, Iowa native has reached base in six-straight games, going 12-of-25 (.480) at the plate over the stretch and tallying four multi-hit efforts. He leads the team with 12 multi-hit games. Toole is hitting .373 during Big Ten play to lead the team and rank ninth in the Big Ten.

NOT GOOD, BUT GRAND
Sophomore Kris Goodman blasted an eighth inning grand slam over the left field fence of Duane Banks Field in Iowa’s 10-9 come-from-behind win over Minnesota on April 26. The home run was the first of Goodman’s collegiate career, and the second home run by a Hawkeye this season. The bases-clearing bomb was the first grand slam by a Hawkeye since Feb. 20, 2010, when Mike McQuillan hit a grand slam in a 19-11 win over Illinois State.

ROSCETTI ROLLING
Freshman Nick Roscetti has reached base in 14 consecutive games, the longest active streak by a Hawkeye. The 14-game stretch included an eight-game hitting streak from April 6-20. Roscetti’s batted 13-of-27 (.481) over the hitting streak, posting three-hit efforts against Kansas on April 9 and Penn State on April 20.

SOPHOMORES DRIVING IN RUNS
Sophomores have accounted for 57.6 (90/156) of the Iowa’s RBIs this season. The top four run producers are sophomores, as Jake Yacinich, Kris Goodman, Jake Mangler, and Taylor Kaufman rank No. 1-4 on the team in RBIs.

Yacinich and Goodman share the team lead with 19 RBIs. Yacinich is hitting a team-best .415 (17-41) with runners in scoring position, while Goodman has driven in six runs over the last four games.

Mangler has accounted for 18 RBIs to rank third on the club. The Clinton, Iowa, native has driven in a run in four of the last five games.

Kaufman has 17 RBIs this year, placing him fourth on the team. The Glenwood, Iowa, native has registered a team-high five multi-RBI games.

SOPHOMORES SAVING
Sophomores Nick Hibbing and Taylor Kaufman share the team-lead with three saves. The three saves place Hibbing and Kaufman in a 10th-place tie in the Big Ten rankings. Hibbing and Kaufman have accounted for two-thirds of the team’s saves (6-of-9).

THE IRON MAN
Sophomore Kris Goodman is the only Hawkeye to start all 39 games this season, starting 22 games in right field, 14 in left field, and three in center field. Goodman made 22 starts as a freshman, starting 14 games in center field and seven in left. Classmate Jake Mangler has started 37 contests at second base, the second-most on the team.

PROVIDING HELP IN THE FIELD
Sophomore Jake Mangler totaled eight fielding assists April 13 against Kansas State. Mangler became the first Hawkeye since Jason White on May 18, 2007, to record eight or more assists in a contest. Mangler leads the team with 125 assists this season.

SANDQUIST CONTINUES TO SHINE
Senior Ricky Sandquist 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 2.02 ERA and two saves. His 2.02 ERA is first among Iowa pitchers.

The Fort Dodge, Iowa, native has allowed five earned runs in 11 relief appearances, holding opponents scoreless in nine of the 11 outings.

Sandquist threw three scoreless innings to notch his second save April 20 at Penn State. The righty surrendered a pair of hits and had two strikeouts. 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.

LEGGING OUT TRIPLES
Junior Taylor Zeutenhorst has 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 ninth-most among Big Ten athletes.

IOWA IS…
? 10-1 when leading after six, 11-1 after seven, and 14-1 after eight innings.
? 11-1 when holding opponents to less than two runs.
? 10-2 when out-hitting its opponent.
? 3-1 when committing zero errors.
? 3-0 when scoring 10 or more runs.
? 8-6 against left-handed starters and 8-17 against righties.

IOWA IN EXTRA-INNINGS
Iowa is 3-1 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, before downing Minnesota, 10-9, in 10 innings April 26. The Hawkeyes have outscored opponents 7-1 in extra-innings.

1-RUN GAMES UNDER DAHM
During Jack Dahm’s 10-year tenure at Iowa, the Hawkeyes have played 130 one-run games. Iowa is 61-69 in such contests. The Hawkeyes are 4-3 in one-run games this season, defeating Northwestern, 2-1, on March 23, Nebraska, 6-5, on April 7, and Northern Illinois, 3-2, on April 24, and Minnesota, 10-9, on April 26.

KENYON’S NINE-GAME HIT STREAK
Junior Trevor Kenyon recorded a nine-game hitting streak from March 30-April 12, the longest streak by a Hawkeye this season. Kenyon hit .421 (16-of-38) over the stretch with five doubles, a triple, and 10 RBIs. The Davenport, Iowa, native posted two or more hits in six of the nine contests, including a season-high three hits April 6 against Nebraska.

KAUFMAN REACHES BASE IN 22 STRAIGHT
Sophomore Taylor Kaufman 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 and ended April 9 against Kansas. Kaufman’s streak was the longest by a Hawkeye since 2010 when Mike McQuillan ended the season with a 23-game reached base streak.

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 512 career victories, winning 283 games at Creighton from 1994-2003 and 229 games at Iowa, beginning in 2004. His 229 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.

RESEASON 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 has a new hitting and pitching coach in 2013.

Zach Dillon is 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.

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.

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 play their final mid-week game of the regular season May 7, hosting Nebraska-Omaha at Duane Banks Field. The game is slated to start at 6:05 p.m. (CT), and will be broadcast online on BTN.com.