Game Notes -- at Rutgers

May 12, 2015

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No. 13 Iowa (37-12, 18-3) at Rutgers (17-34, 5-16)
Dates	May 14-16, 2015
Location	Piscataway, N.J. | Bainton Field
Game Notes	Iowa
Statistics	IOWA | Rutgers

THIS WEEK
The 13th-ranked University of Iowa baseball team heads east to close out the regular season, facing Rutgers for a three-game series from May 14-16 at Bainton Field in Piscataway, N.J. Thursday’s series opener will begin at 2 p.m. (CT), Friday is at 12 p.m., and Saturday is at 10 a.m.

GAME COVERAGE
? All three games will be streamed live on BTN Plus on BTN2Go.
? The series will be broadcast on AM-1360 KMJM on Thursday and Friday, and 1360-AM and AM-800 KXIC on Saturday with Brent Balbinot and Steve Duncan on the call. All three games will also be available via the subscription-based service Hawkeye All-Access on hawkeyesports.com.
? Fans can also follow every game with live stats (GameTracker) on hawkeyesports.com and live updates are also available on Twitter: @UIBaseball.

LEADING OFF
? The Hawkeyes are ranked for the seventh straight week, coming in No. 13 by Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game, 14th by D1Baseball.com and Baseball America, 17th in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll, and 18th by the NCBWA. Iowa has an RPI of 21 through the games May 11.
? Iowa has clinched at least the No. 2 seed and runner-up finish heading into this weekend’s three-game series at Rutgers. The Hawkeyes need to sweep the series and have Nebraska win 2-of-3 games at Illinois to win the league title.
? The Hawkeyes have 18 wins (18-3) in Big Ten play — the most since 1990 when the team won 22 games en route to the regular season title. This is Iowa’s highest finish since 1990, giving the program four top-four Big Ten finishes in the last 25 years.
? Iowa went 17-3 at Duane Banks Field during the regular season — the most home victories since 1996 (25-22).
? The Hawkeyes has won eight straight Big Ten series dating back to the 2014 season — the longest stretch for the program in school history. The Hawkeyes haven’t had a losing weekend in 2015; they went 2-2 at Houston Baptist.
? Iowa registered its 30th victory of the season in game two of an April 26 doubleheader against Nebraska, giving Iowa back-to-back 30 win seasons for the first time since 1989 and 1990. The team’s 37 wins are the most since 1990 (38); Iowa hasn’t won 40 games in a season since 1985 (40-20). The program has three 40 win seasons in school history.
? UI head coach Rick Heller is the winningest coach in Iowa history in his first two seasons, winning 67 games.
? Senior Eric Toole became the school record holder for career singles May 8 against Minnesota. His next single is No. 200. He also ranks fourth all-time in hits (229) and steals (69).
? Junior Blake Hickman is tied for the Big Ten lead with six wins, going 6-0 with a 2.74 ERA in seven starts. The right-hander has eight victories this season — the most by a Hawkeye since 2010 and tied for the fifth-most in a single season in school history.
? The Hawkeyes rank eighth nationally in team fielding percentage (.979), ninth in team ERA (2.84), and 11th in hits allowed per nine innings (7.53).
? Iowa baseball fans can follow the Hawkeyes via social media at: facebook.com/iowabaseball and Twitter – @UIBaseball.

QUICK HITTERS
? The Hawkeyes have won 11-straight series this season, including four three-game sweeps. Iowa hasn’t had a losing weekend in 2015. It went 2-2 during a four-game series at Houston Baptist.
? The Hawkeyes are in the top four in the Big Ten in defense (second, .979) and pitching (second, 2.84), and seventh in team batting average (.275). In league play, Iowa second in pitching (2.87) and defense (.978) and fourth in hitting (.295).
? Seniors Eric Toole (181), Jake Mangler (171), Kris Goodman (163), and Nick Day (123) have combined to start 638 games the last four years as Hawkeyes. Mangler has started 86 consecutive games at second base.
? Toole is 26-of-32 in stolen base attempts this season, the second-most in the Big Ten and the 11th-most in a single school in school history.
? Twenty games have been decided by two runs or less. Iowa is 15-5 in such contests.
? Iowa is 17-4 when playing error-free baseball and 30-8 when committing one or fewer errors. Iowa is 7-4 when committing two or more errors.
? The Hawkeyes are 28-1 when out-hitting their opponents and 27-4 when scoring first. Conversely, Iowa is 10-8 when the opponent scores first.
? Iowa has out scored opponents 35-12 in the first inning, and 85-41 over the first three innings.

SCOUTING RUTGERS
? The Scarlet Knights bring a 17-34-1 overall and 5-16 Big Ten record into its final series of the season. Rutgers has been swept in its last four Big Ten series since taking 2-of-3 against Minnesota in early April. RU won its first ever Big Ten series, taking 2-of-3 games against Purdue and won one game against Ohio State.
? Eleven of Rutgers’ 17 wins have come at home.
? Rutgers is hitting .258 as a team and average 4.9 runs per game. Tom Marcinczyk leads the team with a .330 batting average, 34 runs, and 30 RBIs. He also has a team-best seven home runs, .508 slugging and .417 on-base percentage.
? The Scarlet Knights have struggled on the mound, posting a 6.42 team ERA, allowing 379 runs on 577 hits over 448 1/3 innings.

THE SERIES
? This weekend is the first meeting between Iowa and Rutgers as conference foes. The Hawkeyes are 4-2 against the Scarlet Knights all-time.
? Iowa most recently met Rutgers in 2010, dropping a 9-5 decision in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Hawkeyes won 2-of-3 games against the Scarlet Knights during the 2008 season in DeLand, Florida.

BEST OF THE RUNNERS-UP
The Hawkeyes are 18-3 in the Big Ten, have clinched at least the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, and sit 1 1/2 games behind first-place Illinois (19-1). Iowa has a .857 conference winning percentage. Since the Big Ten Conference returned to single division play in 1988, no second-place team has finished with a winning-percentage better than .750. Since 1988, the only other Big Ten team to finish the season with six or fewer conference losses and not win the regular season was Nebraska in 2014 (18-6). The 2014 Cornhuskers (18-6, .750), 1994 Golden Gophers (21-7, .750), and 1999 Golden Gophers (21-7, .750) have the best winning percentage among second place teams since 1988.

HIBBING EARNS WEEKLY HONOR
Senior Nick Hibbing was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on May 12 after throwing four shutout innings to pick up the save in Iowa’s 7-1 win over Minnesota. Hibbing has six saves overall and a league-leading five in Big Ten play this season.

TOOLE MAKES HISTORY
Senior Eric Toole broke the school record for career singles in the series opener against Minnesota on May 8. The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native had a single in the third to tie Mike McQuillan’s school record and a two-run single in the sixth to make history. Toole’s next base hit will give him 200 for his Hawkeye career. He also ranks fourth all-time in career hits with 229.

WIN TOTAL CLIMBING
? Iowa has won 37 games in 2015, reaching the 30-win plateau in two straight seasons for the first time since 1989 and 1990.
? The 37 victories are the most for the program since winning 38 games in 1990.
? Iowa hasn’t won 40 games since 1985 (40-20), and the program has only three 40-win seasons in its history.

PEYTON NAMED TO OLERUD WATCH LIST
Junior Tyler Peyton has been named to the 2015 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Watch List. The award is presented to the nation’s top player both on the mound and at the plate. The Grimes, Iowa, native is 6-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 13 starts as Iowa’s Friday starter and is leading the team with a .355 batting average — fifth-best in the Big Ten — while also ranking in the top three on the team in runs (28) and RBIs (27).

EARNING HIS KEEP ON FRIDAYS
Since Big Ten play commenced, junior Tyler Peyton has been hitting and pitching for himself on Friday nights… and quite well. Peyton is 3-1 with a 3.10 ERA in six conference starts playing both ways, allowing 17 runs (14 earned) on 34 hits over 40 2/3 innings. He opened Big Ten play with 14 1/3 innings of shutout ball. Offensively, Peyton is hitting .263 with four runs and two RBIs when playing both ways. He drove in the go-head run against No. 17 Indiana and went 3-for-5 in the opener at Purdue.

GOOD PITCHING… GOOD DEFENSE
The Hawkeyes have relied on their pitching and defense all season. Iowa ranks in the top-10 nationally in both team fielding percentage (.979) and ERA (2.84). The team has committed 41 errors in 49 games — tied for the fewest in the Big Ten — and Iowa has 39 double plays.

ROSCETTI BLOSSOMS IN APRIL
After hitting .210 and driving in six runs over the first 1 1/2 months (21 games) of the season, junior Nick Roscetti’s game blossomed in April.
? The shortstop hit .378 with 11 runs, and 11 RBIs in April. He had 10 multi-hit games during the month, including a 3-for-4, three-run, three-RBI performance at Purdue on April 3.
? Roscetti, who has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games, is fifth in the Big Ten with a .392 average, 31 hits, 15 runs, and 15 RBIs. He drove in a career-high four runs in a 13-7 win at Michigan on May 1.
? He had a career-long nine game hitting streak from April 25 to May 8.

A “GOOD” STREAK
Since seeing his average dip to a season-low .213 on April 11, senior Kris Goodman has been on a tear. The Minnesota native is leading the team with a .387 average in the 16 games since.
? Goodman is riding a career-best 10-game hitting streak dating back to April 26, where he is hitting .357 (15-of-42) with eight runs and seven RBIs.
? He is hitting .312 in Big Ten play with eight extra base hits,14 runs, and 12 RBIs. He has been Iowa’s cleanup hitter in each of the past eight games.
? Goodman has a team-high five triples to rank third in the Big Ten. They are the most triples by a Hawkeye since 2011.

IOWA PITCHING SHINES
? The Hawkeyes have allowed two earned runs or fewer in 29 games this season, including 14 in Big Ten play.
? Iowa has used the same weekend rotation for the duration of the season. Tyler Peyton, Blake Hickman, and Calvin Mathews are a combined 19-5 with a 2.58 ERA with 144 strikeouts to 79 walks.
? Iowa’s pitching staff has three shutouts this season (vs. Cincinnati (13 innings), vs. Indiana, at Michigan) — the most for the program since 2007 (four shutouts).
? Peyton and Hickman combined to hold Indiana scoreless through the first 16 innings of its three-game series from March 27-29. The Hoosiers scored three earned runs in three games.
? Iowa’s pitching staff held No. 16 Maryland to two runs on 10 hits over the final 18 innings of the three-game series on April 10-11 in College Park. The Hawkeyes held the Terrapins to 18 hits and had 22 strikeouts in three games.
? The Hawkeyes limited Nebraska to six runs (five earned) on 21 hits over 28 innings, fanning 21 to 12 walks.
? Iowa posted a 1.00 ERA in the three-game sweep of against Minnesota, allowing three earned runs over 27 innings.
? Iowa is second in the Big Ten in ERA (2.84), first in opposing batting average (.229), and second in saves (17). The Hawkeyes have allowed the fewest hits (376) and second-fewest runs (166) in the conference.
? The Hawkeyes’ starting pitchers are 19-5 with a 2.75 in 49 starts.

IN RELIEF
? The UI bullpen is 18-7 with a 2.95 ERA with a school record 17 saves, which are the second-most in the Big Ten. Iowa’s relievers are holding batters to a .229 average and have 154 strikeouts.
? Senior Nick Hibbing is 2-0 with a 0.87 ERA and five saves in nine Big Ten appearances with 18 strikeouts against zero walks. Hibbing hasn’t walked a batter in his last 33 innings pitched — since his first outing of the season against Kansas State. He has 28 strikeouts to two walks this season. Hibbing hasn’t allowed a run over his last 14 2/3 innings, scattering seven hits during the stretch.
? Junior Luke Vandermaten didn’t allow a run in his first 10 appearances and has only allowed three runs in 18 appearances. The right-hander has allowed 22 hits over 31 innings, fanning 18. Vandermaten is 2-0 with a 0.87 ERA and has four saves. Where it stands, Vandermaten’s ERA would be second all-time at Iowa.
? Junior southpaw Ryan Erickson is 4-0 with a 2.18 ERA with one save and has 25 strikeouts to 16 walks. Erickson threw a career-high 5 2/3 innings at Michigan to tally his fourth win.
? Iowa’s relief corps have converted 17-of-18 save opportunities this season. The Hawkeyes are 29-2 when leading after six, 30-1 leading after seven, and 31-1 leading after eight.
? The Hawkeyes currently have a 2.84 team ERA over 49 games. Iowa’s school record is 3.63, set in 1971.

OFFENSIVE TIDBITS
? Six Hawkeyes are hitting over .300 over the last 10 games.
? Junior Joel Booker is hitting .429 (6-for-14) with five runs scored over last five games, hitting safely in 4-of-5 contests. The outfielder is hitting .297 over his last 10 games.
? Senior Day Potempa has hits in four of his last seven games, including three multi-hit performances. The designated hitter went 4-for-6 with three RBIs in series opener at Michigan and 3-for-4 with four RBIs in game two against Minnesota. It was Potempa’s fourth career four-RBI game. He has nine RBIs over his last five games.
? Senior Eric Toole has tied a career-high with a team-leading 67 hits. The outfielder has reached base safely in 47-of-49 games and leads the team with 37 runs scored.
? Two Hawkeyes rank in the top-seven in the Big Ten in batting average in league games — Nick Roscetti (.392, fifth) and Tyler Peyton (.382, seventh). Iowa is the fourth-best hitting team in league games with a .295 average, and the team has the third-best on-base percentage (.383), fourth most hits (205), and is fifth in runs (120) and RBIs (111).

IN-SEASON HONORS
? Junior Jimmy Frankos was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on April 27 after hitting .545 (6-for-11) with three RBIs and two runs in leading Iowa to a 4-0 week. Frankos had a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning in the Hawkeyes’ win over Nebraska.
? Senior Eric Toole was selected as the Big Ten Player of the Week — his first career honor — on March 31 after hitting .500 and posting a .529 on-base and .563 slugging percentage in a 3-1 week. Toole scored four runs and had two RBIs.
? Junior Tyler Peyton was tabbed as the Big Ten Player of the Week by College Sports Madness on March 31 after tossing a complete game shutout in Iowa’s 2-0 victory over No. 19 Indiana. Peyton also hit .353 with three RBIs and scored twice in four games. Peyton was also named a CB360 Week 7 Primetime Performer.
? Freshman Austin Guzzo was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Feb. 16 after having a strong collegiate debut in Iowa’s 4-1 win over George Mason. The Canadian went 2-for-4 with a run and RBI and caught a pitching staff that limited the Patriots to four hits. He is the first Hawkeye to earn the honor since Sasha Kuebel in 2012.

MOVING UP THE RECORD BOOKS
? Junior Eric Toole has 69 career steals, which are the fourth-most in program history.
? Toole is the school record holder in career singles (199) and ranks fourth in career hits (229). Senior Jake Mangler is fourth with 174 career singles and 10th with 206 career hits.
? Junior Nick Hibbing has made 76 career appearances as a Hawkeye — tied for the second most in school history. He is also fourth all-time with 15 career saves.
? Toole and Kris Goodman both rank among the top 10 in games played. Toole is tied for eighth with 190 games, while Goodman is tied for 10th with 184.

#HELLERBALL
? The Hawkeyes debuted in the national rankings on March 30, coming in at No. 24 by Collegiate Baseball. It was Iowa’s first ranking since 1990. Iowa has been ranked seven-straight weeks.
? Iowa has clinched at least a runner-up finish in Big Ten play, winning 18 games during the regular season — the most for the program since 1990.
? UI head coach Rick Heller is the winningest coach in his first two seasons in program history, winning 67 games. Iowa has posted back-to-back 30 win seasons for the first time since 1989 and 1990.
? Iowa climbed to as high as No. 13 — its highest ranking since 1990 — on May 12 by Collegiate Baseball and was ranked in six polls.
? Iowa posted its first victory over a ranked opponent since 2012 and swept a ranked opponent (No. 19 Indiana) for the first time since 1990. The Hawkeyes also swept No. 25 Nebraska, winning its second straight series over the Huskers.
? Iowa won 2-of-3 games at Michigan — its first series win over the Wolverines since 2010. The Hawkeyes have won a school record eight straight Big Ten series.
? The Hawkeyes opened Big Ten play with consecutive sweeps, starting 6-0 for the first time in school history. Iowa is 8-1 in Big Ten play for first time since 1990.
? Iowa won 30 games in UI head coach Rick Heller‘s first season in 2014 — the most wins by a first-year head coach in program history and the third 30-win campaign since 1993.
? The Hawkeyes advanced to and won a game in the Big Ten Tournament in 2014 — the program’s first tournament victory since 2010.
? Iowa has posted winning streaks of nine games (in 2015) and seven games (in 2014) — the longest streaks for the program since 2012.
? Under Heller, Duane Banks Field has been undergoing a transformation with AstroTurf installed in the infield and outfield, new outfield fences and the addition of a new video scoreboard.
? Iowa had five All-Big Ten selections, including the first first-team honoree since 2009. The Hawkeyes also had two first-team all-region selections.

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 travel to Minneapolis for the 2015 Big Ten Tournament from May 20-24 at Target Field. Iowa is guaranteed to be one of the top two seeds.