Game Notes -- at Northwestern (April 7-9)

Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2016-17 | Hawk Talk Monthly — April 2017 | Game Notes — at Northwestern (PDF)

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa baseball team, winners of seven straight, travel to Evanston, Illinois, for a three-game Big Ten series at Northwestern from April 7-9 at Rocky and Berenice Miller Park.  Friday’s opener is set for 3:30 p.m. (CT), Saturday is a 2 p.m. start, and Sunday’s finale is 1 p.m.

GAME COVERAGE
• All three games will be carried on select stations around the state via the Hawkeye Radio Network and be streamed online via Hawkeye All-Access with Zach Mackey on the call.  
• The series will be available on AM-800 KXIC in Iowa City and WDBQ in Dubuque; Sunday’s games will also be on KKFD in Fairfield.  
• All three games of the series will be carried via nusports.com. It is a subscription-based stream.
• Live statistics will be available at www.hawkeyesports.com and fans can follow the action via Twitter/UIBaseball.

LEADING OFF
• Iowa is riding a season-long seven-game winning streak to move to a season-best nine games over .500.  It is the Hawkeyes’ longest winning streak since winning nine straight early in the 2015 season.
• The Hawkeyes went 8-1 during their last home stand.  Iowa now plays seven of its next eight games on the road.
• Iowa has won its last three Big Ten series dating back to last season.  The Hawkeyes won 2-of-3 games at home against Michigan State and a road series at Penn State to close out the 2016 season.  Iowa opened Big Ten play by winning 2-of-3 games over Purdue from March 24-26.
• Iowa has rallied from late-inning deficits to win each of its last three games.  The Hawkeyes have overcome deficits to win 10 games in 2017. 
• Iowa’s pitching staff posted a 2.00 ERA during the nine-game home stand.  The Hawkeyes surrendered three runs or fewer in six of the nine games and had 78 strikeouts during the stretch.
• Sophomore Zach Daniels is tied for the national lead with six victories in 2017.  He is 6-1 with a 3.48 ERA in 12 relief appearances.  He is one of 12 players in the country with six wins.
• Junior Jake Adams is tied for the Big Ten Conference lead and ranks fifth nationally with 11 home runs. He is the third Hawkeye since 2000 to hit 10 or more home runs in a season.  The 11 blasts are the most by an Iowa player since 2002.
• Adams is also in the top 21 nationally in RBIs and total bases.  His 37 RBIs are leading the Big Ten and rank 11th in the NCAA, while his 74 total bases rank 21st. 
• UI head coach Rick Heller joined the 800 career win club March 12 when the Hawkeyes won a doubleheader against Lehigh at the Snowbird Classic.  
• Iowa ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 28th nationally with a .979 team fielding percentage.  
• Follow the Hawkeyes on social media via Facebook/iowa baseball, Twitter/UIBaseball, and Instagram/UIBaseball.

IOWA TIDBITS
• The Hawkeyes ran their midweek winning streak to 18 consecutive games dating back to the 2015 season with a 4-3 victory over South Dakota State on Tuesday.  Iowa won the final four midweek games in 2015, went 9-0 in 2016, and is 5-0 this season.
• Iowa will use the same rotation for a third straight weekend with Nick Gallagher taking the ball Friday, Ryan Erickson on Saturday, and Cole McDonald on Sunday.  
• Four of Iowa’s last five games have been one-run contests.  The Hawkeyes are 6-2 in one-run games and 8-3 in games decided by two runs or less.
• The Hawkeyes are 9-1 in their last 10 games. The Iowa pitching staff has a 2.87 ERA during the stretch with 87 strikeouts to 33 walks.
• Junior Jake Adams is hitting .405 with six home runs, 17 RBIs, and 15 runs over the last 10 games.  He has an astounding .973 slugging percentage.
• The Hawkeyes have overcome deficits in 10 of their 18 victories this season.  
• Iowa hit two grand slams — one from Tyler Cropley and one from Robert Neustrom — in a 12-1 midweek victory over Bradley on March 22.  It was the team’s third grand slam of the season.  The Hawkeyes have 23 home runs as a team, which are tied for fifth in the Big Ten.
• The Hawkeyes have had 10 or more hits in 12 games this season and have scored 10 or more runs in five contests.  Iowa has scored seven or more runs in 12 games.  

NORTHWESTERN NOTABLES
• The Wildcats are 8-19 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten.  Northwestern took 2-of-3 games from Air Force last weekend in Evanston before dropping a 3-0 decision at UIC on Tuesday.  
• Northwestern opened Big Ten play getting swept by Indiana on March 24-26 at home.  Indiana won 13-9, 6-5, and 10-9 in an offensive-minded series.
• The Wildcats are hitting just .247 as a team and are averaging 4.2 runs per game.  Alex Erro is one of two NU players hitting over .300; he is sitting at .327.  Matt Hopfner is hitting .318 with 21 runs and 12 RBIs, Joe Hoscheit has a team-high 15 RBIs.
• Northwestern has a 5.62 team ERA, allowing 269 hits over 230 2/3 innings.  The Wildcats have 185 strikeouts against 115 walks and have given up 160 runs (144 earned).
• The Wildcats will start junior RHP Tommy Bordignon (0-2, 9.95 ERA) on Friday, freshman RHP Hank Christie (1-4, 5.79 ERA) on Saturday, and freshman LHP Matt Gannon (0-2, 4.22 ERA) on Sunday.
• Northwestern head coach Spencer Allen is in his second season in Evanston.  Allen was Iowa’s volunteer assistant coach during the 2004 season under Jack Dahm.

SERIES RECORD
• Iowa leads the all-time series over Northwestern, 135-101-2.  The two teams did not meet during the 2016 season.
• The Hawkeyes have won the last two series over Northwestern, taking 2-of-3 games in Evanston in 2014 and 2-of-3 in Iowa City in 2015.

ARMS STEP UP
Iowa’s pitching staff has posted its best two weekend ERAs over the past two series.  The Hawkeyes had a season-best 1.67 ERA in its Big Ten series win over Purdue, allowing five runs in three games.  Last weekend, Iowa posted a 2.00 staff ERA in the series sweep of UNLV.  The Hawkeyes have 50 strikeouts to 20 walks in the six games.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Iowa is out-scoring its opponents, 29-12, in the first inning this season.  The Hawkeyes are 9-2 when scoring first.
• Over the first three innings, Iowa is out-scoring its opposition, 70-36.
• The Hawkeyes are 14-0 when scoring six or more runs this season.  Iowa is 4-9 when scoring five runs or less.
• Iowa is 10-3 when hitting a home run this season.  The team is 7-0 when hitting two or more long balls.
• The Hawkeyes are 14-2 when leading after six innings, 14-1 after seven innings, and 15-1 after eight innings this season.

HELLER WINS NO. 800
UI head coach Rick Heller won the 800th game of his collegiate coaching career when the Hawkeyes swept a March 12 doubleheader over Lehigh at the Snowbird Baseball Classic. 

#SWINGFASTER
The Hawkeyes are tied for fifth in the Big Ten with 23 home runs this season. Nine different players have hit at least one home run.
• Iowa had 26 home runs in 56 games during the 2016 season.

GOING, GOING…
Junior Jake Adams is tied for the Big Ten lead with Illinois’  Pat McInerney with 11 home runs this season. Adams hit his 11th blast in Iowa’s 4-3 victory over South Dakota State on April 4.    
• The South Dakota native is tied for sixth nationally with 11 home runs. Eastern Kentucky’s Ben Fisher is the national leader with 15 blasts.
• Adams’ 11 home runs are the most by a Hawkeye since Brad Carlson hit 16 in 2002.  Just three Iowa players have reached 10 home runs since 2002.
• Iowa is 9-0 when Adams hits a home run this season.
• Adams hit three home runs (and had seven RBIs) in Iowa’s 12-11, 10-inning victory at Kansas State on March 19.  Adams is the first Hawkeye since Jason White in 2007 to hit three home runs in the same game.
• Adams is one of five Big Ten players to hit three home runs in a game this season.
• Iowa’s single-season home run record is 22, set by John Knapp in 1986.  
• Adams hit a school-record 25 home runs last year during his All-America season at DMACC.  In two junior-college seasons, Adams hit 42 career home runs — a school record.

COMEBACK KIDS
The Hawkeyes have used late-inning rallies to win their last three games.  Iowa has overcome deficits in 12 contests (10-2 record).
• Iowa used a three-run bottom of the ninth to rally to defeat UNLV, 6-5, on April 1 in game 1 of a doubleheader.  Chris Whelan had the game-winning RBI single.
• The Hawkeyes scored three runs in the eighth to come-from-behind to beat UNLV in game two April 1.  Mitchell Boe had a two-run double to tie the game and scored the game-winning run on a Mason McCoy ground ball.
• Iowa trailed South Dakota State, 3-2, in the seventh before Robert Neustrom had a two-run double to give the Hawkeyes a 4-3 lead.

FLIP-FLOP
Jake Adams and Robert Neustrom flip-flopped spots in Iowa’s batting order after Purdue pitched around Adams in the March 24 series opener.  Iowa has reeled off seven straight victories since making the move.
• Adams is hitting .385 with three home runs, 10 runs, and nine RBIs since moving to the three hole.  Neustrom has a .333 average as Iowa’s cleanup hitter with seven RBIs.

RBI KINGS
Junior Jake Adams and sophomore Robert Neustrom both rank in the top three in the Big Ten in RBIs.  Adams is the league leader with 37 RBIs; he has driven in at least one run in 17 games.  Neustrom is third with 30 RBIs; he had the game-winning RBI double in Iowa’s 4-3 win over South Dakota State.
• Adams drove in seven runs (on three home runs) in Iowa’s 12-11 victory over Kansas State on March 19.  It was Adams’ second game with six or more RBIs this season. He ranks 12th nationally in RBIs.
• Iowa is 15-2 when Adams has at least one RBI.  
• Adams is on pace for 72 RBIs this season, which would be the sixth-most in a single-season in program history.
• Neustrom had a career-best four hits and five RBIs to complete Iowa’s doubleheader sweep of Lehigh on March 12.  Neustrom has five games with three or more RBIs.

CONSISTENT SOPHOMORE
Sophomore Robert Neustrom has hit safely in all but four games this season (23-of-27 games).  The outfielder opened the year with a career-best 11-game hitting streak. 
• Neustrom’s 41 hits are second-most in the Big Ten and he has team-high 14 multi-hit games.  His .366 average is third in the conference and he has 16 runs and 30 RBIs. He has six games this season with two or more RBIs and has driven in at least one run in 16 games.  Iowa is 12-4 when Neustrom has at least one RBI.
• He tallied his first career four-hit game against Lehigh, finishing 4-for-5 with a career-best five RBIs.  
• The Sioux City, Iowa native, has a career-best three home runs, including a three-run shot in Iowa’s road loss at Minnesota and a grand slam against Bradley.
• Neustrom had 12 multi-hit games the entire 2016 season — a season where he hit .307 as a true freshman.

MCCOY: THE SHORTSTOP
Senior Mason McCoy is back at his natural position at shortstop; he’s comfortable and producing.  The Illinois native has 11 multi-hit games, hit safely in 20 games, and scored at least one run in 17 contests.
• McCoy is second in the Big Ten with 27 runs and ranks 14th in batting average.
• McCoy was an Northwest League All-Star selection in both 2015 and 2016, playing for the La Crosse Loggers.
• Iowa has had an all-conference selection at shortstop in each of Rick Heller’s first three seasons.  (Jake Yacinich, first-team, 2014; Nick Roscetti, third-team, 2015, first-team, 2016).

IMPRESSIVE FRESHMAN
Freshman Ben Norman is Iowa’s every day center fielder who ranks eighth in the Big Ten with a .344 average.  The Des Moines, Iowa, native has nine multi-hit games and has seven doubles., which are tied for 14th in the league.
• Norman went 4-for-6 with two runs and two RBIs at Kansas State, which included a game-winning RBI double in the 10th inning of Iowa’s 12-11 extra inning win at Kansas State.  
• Norman is also Iowa’s top base-stealing threat with eight steals in nine chances.   

OFFENSIVE TIDBITS
• Junior Jake Adams has hit safely in seven straight games and in 21-of-27 games this season, including posting 12 multi-hit games.  
• Sophomore Mitchell Boe has a team-leading .462 average (6-of-13) over his last four games with three doubles and a triple.  He had two late-inning, game-tying doubles in Iowa’s doubleheader sweep of UNLV on April 1. 
• Junior Chris Whelan is hitting .319 with 19 runs, nine RBIs and nine multi-hit games. As Iowa’s leadoff hitter, Whelan is hitting .369 with 24 hits and 12 runs scored.  
• Sophomore Luke Farley is hitting .714 (5-of-7) as a pinch-hitter. 
• Iowa’s 3-4-5 hitters are all hitting over .400 with runners in scoring position.  Neustrom has a team-best .525 (21-of-40) clip, Ben Norman has a .455 (10-of-22)) average, and Adams is hitting .404 (19-of-47).

BALLS & STRIKES
• The Hawkeyes are seventh in the Big Ten with a 4.15 team ERA. Iowa’s staff ranks third in the league with 233 strikeouts, averaging 8.9 per game. 
• Zach Daniels is 4-0 with a 1.98 ERA over his last five appearances, striking out 17 over 13 2/3 innings.  He has allowed three runs on seven hits during the stretch. 
• Senior Ryan Erickson will make his four consecutive start this weekend against Northwestern.  The southpaw is 0-1 with a 2.12 ERA since joining the starting rotation March 17 at Kansas State. He has allowed 18 hits over 17 innings and fanned 11.  
• Senior Josh Martsching hasn’t allowed a hit or run in his last four appearances, spanning six innings. He has nine strikeouts during the stretch.  He picked up his second and third saves against UNLV and South Dakota State. He is 0-0 with a 1.80 ERA with three saves this season with 18 strikeouts to four walks.
• Sophomore Shane Ritter hasn’t allowed a run over his last six appearances, spanning 5 2/3 innings. He has allowed four hits during the stretch and fanned nine. Ritter is second on the team with two saves.
• Redshirt freshman Kyle Shimp is 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA this season.  He pitched two shutout innings, allowing a single hit en route to his third win against South Dakota State.

ELDRED TO MISS REMAINDER OF SEASON
Junior C.J. Eldred will miss the remainder of the 2017 season after undergoing a partial repair surgery of the UCL on March 15 in St. Louis.  Eldred was 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA this season.

JUNIOR NICK GALLAGHER…
• is 11-4 with a 2.49 ERA in 29 career appearances, including 15 starts.  He has 112 strikeouts against 35 walks in 122 2/3 innings.
• is 3-1 with a 2.54 ERA in 2017 — his ERA ranks seventh in the Big Ten.  He has 36 strikeouts to rank ninth and his 39 innings are 11th.
• in two starts since missing his scheduled start March 17 at Kansas State, Gallagher is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He has allowed eight hits over 12 innings in starts against Purdue and UNLV with 10 strikeouts to two walks.
• has four quality starts in 2017 in games against South Florida, Alabama State, Hawai’i, and UNLV.  He has logged at least seven innings in 4-of-6 starts.
• went a career-high eight innings in Iowa’s 7-6 victory over Hawai’i at the DQ Classic. He had a season-high eight strikeouts (without walking a batter) in the game.
• tied for second in the Big Ten with eight victories as a sophomore, which were the sixth-most in a single-season in program history.
• was named to the 2016 Big Ten All-Tournament team after allowing one hit over six innings and fanning a career-high nine in a victory over Maryland.

FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
Iowa baseball fans can follow the Hawkeyes on Facebook/iowabaseball, Twitter: @UIBaseball, and Instagram/UIBaseball in addition to coverage on 
hawkeyesports.com.