Game Notes -- at Nebraska (April 14-16)

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THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa baseball team is on the road for a second straight Big Ten series, traveling to Lincoln for a three-game set against Nebraska at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.  Friday’s series opener is set for 6:35 p.m. (CT), Saturday is 6:05 p.m., and Sunday’s finale is 2 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.  
• Select games will be available on AM-800 KXIC in Iowa City and all three contests will be on WDBQ in Dubuque; Sunday’s games will also be on KKFD in Fairfield.  
• Friday and Saturday’s games will be streamed via HuskerNSide on huskers.com. 
• Sunday’s game will be televised live to a national audience on BTN and be available online via BTN2Go.  Kevin Kugler and Danan Hughes will be on the call.
• Live statistics will be available at www.hawkeyesports.com and fans can follow the action via Twitter/UIBaseball.

LEADING OFF
• The Hawkeyes are 9-2 over their last 11 games, which included a season-best eight-game winning streak from March 25-April 7.  It was the second-longest winning streak of the Rick Heller era at Iowa. 
• Iowa has won three of its last four Big Ten series dating back to the 2016 season.  The Hawkeyes dropped 2-of-3 games last weekend at Northwestern, snapping a streak of three straight series victories.
• Iowa ranks in the top half of the Big Ten in hitting, fielding, and pitching.  The Hawkeyes rank third in team batting average (.285) and fielding percentage (.981), and sixth in team ERA (4.10).  
• Offensively, Iowa ranks in the top four in the Big Ten in eight different statistical categories.  The Hawkeyes are second in slugging percentage (.433), third in batting average (.285), hits (296), RBIs (179), total bases (450), and on-base percentage (.381), and fourth in runs (190) and doubles (60).  Iowa is also fifth in home runs (28).
• Iowa is 11-1 at Duane Banks Field this season and 9-10 in games played away from Iowa City.  Iowa is 3-7 in true road contests. 
• Hawkeyes are leading the Big Ten in runs and doubles (Mason McCoy), home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, and total bases (Jake Adams), and wins (Zach Daniels).  
• In Big Ten play, Iowa is leading the conference in hitting (.330) and fielding percentage (.991), and fourth in ERA (3.12).
• Sophomore Zach Daniels is the Big Ten wins leader and ranks fourth nationally with six victories in 2017.  He is 6-2 with a 4.08 ERA in 13 relief appearances.
• Junior Jake Adams is leading the Big Ten and ranks fourth nationally with 13 home runs. He is the third Hawkeye since 2000 to hit 10 or more home runs in a season.  The 13 blasts are the most by an Iowa player since 2002.
• Adams is also in the top 16 nationally in RBIs and total bases.  His 43 RBIs lead Big Ten and rank eighth in the NCAA, while his 87 total bases rank 16th. 
• 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 19 consecutive games dating back to the 2015 season with a 4-1 victory over Western Illinois on Tuesday.  Iowa won the final four midweek games in 2015, went 9-0 in 2016, and is 6-0 this season.
• Iowa will use the same rotation for a fourth straight weekend with Nick Gallagher taking the ball Friday, Ryan Erickson on Saturday, and Cole McDonald on Sunday.  
• Jake Adams hit .462 with two home runs and six RBIs in the three-game series at Northwestern.  
• The Hawkeyes have overcome deficits in 10 of their 20 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 28 home runs as a team, which are the fifth-most in the Big Ten.
• The Hawkeyes have had 10 or more hits in 15 games this season and have scored 10 or more runs in six contests.  Iowa has scored seven or more runs in 13 games.  
• Iowa won its first 13 games when finishing with 10 or more hits before dropping back-to-back such games at Northwestern.  

NEBRASKA NOTABLES
• The Huskers are 10-1-1 in their last 12 games to move to 20-11-1 on the season.  Nebraska is 4-1-1 in Big Ten play with series victories at Indiana and over No. 24 Maryland.
• Nebraska is hitting .269 as a team to rank fifth in the Big Ten and it has two regulars hitting over .300. Scott Schreiber has a .306 average with eight doubles, three home runs, and 24 RBIs, while Angelo Altavilla is hitting .306 with nine doubles. Jake Meyers is 11-for-11 in steal attempts.
• On the mound, Nebraska is second in the league with a 3.19 team ERA.  The Huskers have two shutouts, and Luis Alvarado and Chad Luensmann have five saves apiece.
• The Huskers will start RHP Jake Hohensee (4-2, 2.16 ERA) — the reigning Big Ten Pitcher of the Week — on Friday, Muscatine, Iowa, native RHP Derek Burkamper (2-2, 3.64 ERA) on Saturday, and lefty Jake Meyers (5-1, 2.25 ERA) on Sunday.  
• In 2015, Iowa defeated Burkamper in the series finale at Banks Field.  The Hawkeyes roughed him up to the tune of five runs (four earned) on 10 hits over 4 1/3 innings in a 5-1 Iowa victory.

SERIES RECORD
• The Huskers lead the all-time series over Iowa, 15-13.  The two teams did not meet during the 2016 season.
• The Hawkeyes have won the last two series over Nebraska, taking 2-of-3 games in 2014 and sweeping the three game series in 2015.  Both series were played in Iowa City.
• Iowa last played in Lincoln in 2012 with the Huskers taking 2-of-3 games.  The Hawkeyes have won six of the last seven games against Nebraska.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Iowa is out-scoring its opponents, 31-12, in the first inning this season.  The Hawkeyes are 12-4 when scoring first.
• Over the first three innings, Iowa is out-scoring its opposition, 80-41.
• The Hawkeyes are 15-0 when scoring six or more runs this season.  Iowa is 5-11 when scoring five runs or less.
• Iowa is 11-5 when hitting a home run this season.  The team is 7-2 when hitting two or more long balls.
• The Hawkeyes are 16-2 when leading after six innings, 16-1 after seven innings, and 17-1 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 fifth in the Big Ten with 28 home runs this season. Nine different players have hit at least one home run.
• The 28 home runs are the most for the team in the Rick Heller era and the most for the Hawkeyes since 2010.  Iowa hit 40 home runs in 2009.
• Iowa had 26 home runs in 56 games during the 2016 season.

GOING, GOING…
Junior Jake Adams is leading the Big Ten with 13 home runs this season. Adams hit his 12th and 13th blasts in consecutive games at Northwestern.  It was the second time this season Adams homered in two straight contests.  
• The South Dakota native is tied for fourth nationally with 13 home runs. Eastern Kentucky’s Ben Fisher is the national leader with 17 blasts.
• Adams’ 13 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 9-2 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.

MORE THAN A HOME RUN HITTER
Sure, Jake Adams has a Big Ten-best 13 home runs, but he’s more than a home run hitter for the Hawkeyes.  Adams has hit safely in 24 games, reached safely in 27 contests, and posted 15 multi-hit games.  He ranks 11th in the Big Ten with a .341 batting average and 11th with a .421 on-base percentage.

DEFENSE WINS
The Hawkeyes are 17th nationally with a .981 team fielding percentage.  Iowa has turned 32 double plays this season to rank 31st nationally.  Junior Matt Hoeg hasn’t committed an error in 57 chances at third base and Robert Neustrom has a 1.000 fielding percentage in right field.  Senior shortstop Mason McCoy has three errors in 178 chances to anchor Iowa’s infield.

COMEBACK KIDS
The Hawkeyes have 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 one 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 is 9-2 since making the switch.
• Adams is hitting .372 with five home runs, 13 runs, and 15 RBIs since moving to the three hole.  Neustrom has a .304 average as Iowa’s cleanup hitter with eight 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 43 RBIs; he has driven in at least one run in 20 games.  Neustrom is third with 31 RBIs; he had the game-winning RBI double in Iowa’s 4-3 win over South Dakota State on April 4.
• 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 eighth nationally in RBIs.
• Iowa is 16-4 when Adams has at least one RBI.  
• Adams is on pace for 73 RBIs this season, which would be the sixth-most in a single-season in program history.
• Adams’ 43 RBIs surpass last season’s leader; Nick Roscetti had 39 RBIs to pace the team.  
• 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 (27-of-31 games).  The outfielder opened the year with a career-best 11-game hitting streak. 
• Neustrom’s 46 hits are third-most in the Big Ten and he is tied for the team lead with 15 multi-hit games.  His .351 average is sixth in the conference and he has 18 runs and 31 RBIs. He has six games this season with two or more RBIs and has driven in at least one run in 17 games.  Iowa is 13-4 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
After being Iowa’s primary third baseman as a junior, Mason McCoy is back at his natural position at shortstop in 2017; he’s comfortable and producing.  The Illinois native ranks in the top seven in the Big Ten in seven offensive categories, including leading the conference in runs (32) and doubles (12).
• His 12 doubles match his 2016 production.
• McCoy has 14 multi-hit games this season and has hit safely in 24 contests.  He has scored at least one run in 20 games.  
• He is seventh in the conference with a .347 batting average, ranks ninth in on-base percentage, and 13th in slugging percentage (.512).   His 42 hits are tied for sixth-most in the Big Ten.
• McCoy was an Northwest League All-Star selection in both 2015 and 2016, playing for the La Crosse Loggers.
• McCoy is one of the top all-around shortstops in the Big Ten.  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
As Iowa’s every day center fielder, freshman Ben Norman is tied for 12th in the Big Ten with a .333 batting average.  The Des Moines, Iowa, native has 10 multi-hit games and has seven doubles. 
• Norman is Iowa’s top base-stealing threat, swiping 10 bags in 12 chances this season.  He is tied for eighth in the Big Ten.
• 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.  

OFFENSIVE TIDBITS
• Junior Tyler Cropley has hit safely in six straight games and seven of the last eight contests.  He has a .310 average during the stretch with nine hits, eight runs, and seven RBIs.  Cropley has four doubles and two home runs during the eight games. He hit home runs in consecutive games at Northwestern on April  8-9.
• Junior Chris Whelan is hitting .305 with 20 runs, 11 RBIs and 10 multi-hit games. As Iowa’s leadoff hitter, Whelan is hitting .342 with 27 hits and 13 runs scored.  
• Sophomore Luke Farley is hitting .556 (5-of-9) 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 .477 (21-of-44) clip, Ben Norman has a .407 (11-of-27) average, and Adams is hitting .404 (21-of-52).
• Adams has 14 two-out RBIs; Neustrom has 13.

BALLS & STRIKES
• The Hawkeyes are sixth in the Big Ten with a 4.10 team ERA. Iowa’s staff ranks third in the league with 260 strikeouts, averaging 8.4 per game.  
• Senior Ryan Erickson will make his fifth consecutive start this weekend at Nebraska. The southpaw is looking to regroup after lasting just three innings at Northwestern. Erickson is 0-1 with a 3.15 ERA since joining the starting rotation March 17 at Kansas State. He has allowed 21 hits over 20 innings and fanned 12.  
• Senior Josh Martsching didn’t allow a hit or run in a four-appearance, six-inning stretch from March 24-April 4. Martsching is 0-0 with a 2.25 ERA in 12 appearances and is tied for the team lead with three saves.
• Sophomore Shane Ritter has allowed one run over his last eight appearances, spanning 9 2/3 innings. He has allowed six hits during the stretch and fanned 12. Ritter picked up his third save against Western Illinois on April 11.

MISSING HAWKEYES
The Hawkeyes have dealt with adversity on the mound for much of the 2017 season. Left-handed pitchers Kole Kampen and Nick Allgeyer have missed the entire season following Tommy John surgery, and junior C.J. Eldred had season-ending surgery for a partial repair of the UCL on March 15 after making just one start in 2017.
• Sophomore Derek Lieurance also hasn’t logged an inning because of a season-ending injury.
• Iowa will be without redshirt freshman Kyle Shimp for  at least four weeks after he was diagnosed with mono on April 11.  The southpaw is one of the team’s top bullpen arms; he is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA this season.

JUNIOR NICK GALLAGHER…
• is 12-4 with a 2.36 ERA in 30 career appearances, including 16 starts.  He has 117 strikeouts against 37 walks in 129 2/3 innings.
• is 4-1 with a 2.15 ERA in 2017 — his ERA ranks fourth in the Big Ten.  He has 41 strikeouts to rank eighth and his 46 innings are seventh despite him missing his March 17 start at Kansas State.
• in three starts since, Gallagher is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He has allowed 11 hits over 19 innings against Purdue, UNLV, and Northwestern with 15 strikeouts to four walks.
• has five quality starts in 2017 in games against South Florida, Alabama State, Hawai’i, UNLV, and Northwestern.  He has logged at least seven innings in five of his seven 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.

#HELLERBALL
• UI head coach Rick Heller is one of nine coaches all-time (one of four active) to lead three different NCAA Division I teams to regional play.  
• Heller recorded his 800th career win against Lehigh on March 12 at the Snowbird Classic in Florida.
• Iowa ended the 2016 season with a 30-26 record, reaching the 30-win plateau for a third straight season — a first for the program since 1983-85.
• Heller is the winningest coach in his first three seasons in program history, winning 101 games.
• Iowa has advanced to the Big Ten Tournament in three straight years for the first time in program history.
• Heller has coached at least one first-team All-Big Ten selection each season, and has 11 Major League Baseball Draft picks in three seasons — the most in a three-year stretch since 1991-93.
• Iowa had a school-record six All-Big Ten selections in 2015.  The Hawkeyes have had 13 All-Big Ten honorees in three seasons under Heller.  
• Iowa has posted winning streaks of nine games (in 2015) and seven games (in 2014) — the longest streaks for the program since 2012.

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.