B1G Tourney Preview -- vs. Maryland

May 28, 2016

• Read the May issue of Hawk Talk Monthly
• 2016 Iowa Baseball Media Guide
• Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone/iPad app!
• Download your Iowa Hawkeye Android app!
• Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
• 24 Hawkeyes to Watch

SATURDAY’S GAME
The University of Iowa baseball team faces sixth-seeded Maryland at 9 a.m. (CT) in a Big Ten Tournament semifinal game at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha. The Hawkeyes need one win to advance to Sunday’s championship game and two wins from the program’s first Big Ten Tournament title.

GAME COVERAGE
? The game will be televised on BTN with Kevin Kugler, Scott Pose, and Danan Hughes on the call.
? The game will also be broadcast on AM-800 KXIC with Brent Balbinot and Steve Duncan on the call. The game will also be available on Hawkeye All-Access on hawkeyesports.com.
? Fans can also follow every game with live stats on hawkeyesports.com and live updates are also available on Twitter: @UIBaseball.

PITCHING MATCHUP
? Iowa will start senior RHP Calvin Mathews or freshman RHP Shane Ritter. Mathews, who is 0-4 with a 6.29 ERA this season, hasn’t gone more than four innings in any start this season, but his best start came in his last outing on Senior Day against Michigan State. He retired the first 11 batters he faced, allowing one hit in 3 2/3 innings. Ritter is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 12 appearances with one start (April 6 vs. Milwaukee).
? Maryland will start RHP Hunter Parsons, who is 2-2 with a 3.06 ERA in 14 appearances (four starts). He has allowed 12 runs (11 earned) over 32 1/3 innings with 27 strikeouts.

MARYLAND-IOWA SERIES
Iowa won 2-of-3 games from Maryland — its second straight series win over the Terps — in the opening Big Ten series of the season, March 25-27 at Duane Banks Field.
? The Hawkeyes won the first two games, 8-1 and 4-1, before dropping the series finale, 4-1. Iowa had a 2.00 team ERA in the series, holding Maryland to six runs on 21 hits with 23 strikeouts to seven walks. The Terps hit .221 as a team.
? Freshman Robert Neustrom led the team with a .667 (6-of-9) average with two RBIs and a run scored. It led to Neustrom being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.
? It is the first meeting between Iowa and Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament.

NEVER SAY DIE HAWKEYES
Iowa rallied from a 4-0, ninth-inning deficit to defeat Ohio State, 5-4, on May 27. It was the team’s 13th come-from-behind victory this season and its third walk-off win.
? The Hawkeyes are now 2-23 when trailing after eight innings this season.
? Redshirt junior Devin Pickett had his first career RBI to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs.

B1G TOURNEY NOTES
? Iowa has won two games in the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2010 when it advanced to the title game as a No. 4 seed. The Hawkeyes lost to Minnesota, 15-5.
? With one more victory, Iowa will have won 30 games in three straight seasons for the first time since 1983-85.
? The Hawkeyes have won at least one game in each of the last three Big Ten Tournaments.
? Friday’s win was the 100th of Rick Heller’s career as Iowa’s head coach.
? It was Iowa’s 11th Big Ten Tournament victory all-time. The Hawkeyes are making their third straight Big Ten Tournament appearance — a first in program history.
? Iowa is hitting .351 in two Big Ten Tournament games with eight different Hawkeyes tallying at least one hit. Joel Booker (.667), Tyler Peyton (.600), Austin Guzzo (.571), and Daniel Aaron Moriel (.429) are hitting over .400.
? Junior Mason McCoy extended his career-long hitting streak to 11 games with a two-hit game against Ohio State. He had the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning. Booker’s on-base streak was extended to 13 straight contests.
? Iowa’s top four hitters (Tyler Peyton, Nick Roscetti, Joel Booker, and Mason McCoy) are hitting .474 (18-of-38) with 10 runs and eight RBIs.

ARMS LOADED
Iowa’s bullpen is armed and loaded for today’s semifinal game against Maryland. The Hawkeyes have long-inning relievers RHP Nick Gallagher and LHP Ryan Erickson available.
? Gallagher is 3-0 with a 0.51 ERA over his last three relief appearances. Erickson is 2-0 with a 0.53 ERA in his last four relief outings.
? Iowa also has freshman reliever Zach Daniels (1-1, 1.53 ERA), senior Tyler Radtke (1-1, 2.63 ERA), and sophomore Nick Allgeyer (0-0, 3.06 ERA) available.