Game Notes -- Rutgers (April 21-23)

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THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa baseball team hosts Rutgers for a three-game Big Ten series from April 21-23 at Duane Banks Field.  Friday and Saturday’s games are set for 6:05 p.m. (CT), while Sunday is a 12:05 p.m. start.

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 and Steve Duncan 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’s game will be streamed on Hawkeye All-Access and Sunday’s game will be on BTN Plus on BTN2Go.
• Saturday’s game will be televised live to a national audience on BTN and be available online via BTN2Go. Brandon Gaudin 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.

WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
• Free #Hellerball T-shirts will be distributed to the first 200 fans on Friday
• Fans can enter to win an Iowa Price Pack on Saturday; it’s also “Have a Catch Saturday’ where adults and children can play catch in the outfield for 30 minutes at the conclusion of the game.
• Fans can enter to win an Iowa Prize Pack on Sunday; it’s also “Sunday Runday” where children can run the bases following the game.

IOWA TIDBITS
• Iowa’s midweek winning streak came to a halt at 19 games following a 6-4 road loss at Bradley on Wednesday.  
• Junior Jake Adams has hit .440 or better in each of Iowa’s first three Big Ten series.  The first baseman hit .444 (4-of-9) against Purdue, .462 with two home runs and six RBIs at Northwestern, and .500 (7-of-14) with seven hits, four doubles, one home run, and three RBIs at Nebraska.  
• The Hawkeyes have overcome deficits in 12 of their 23 victories this season.  
• The Hawkeyes are 19th nationally with a .979 team fielding percentage.  Iowa has turned 36 double plays this season to rank 26th nationally. 
• 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 10 or more hits in four straight and eight of their last 10 games.  Iowa has had 10 or more hits in 19 games this season and have scored 10 or more runs in six contests.  Iowa has scored seven or more runs in 14 games.  
• Iowa won its first 13 games when finishing with 10 or more hits. The team is 15-4 when reaching the 10-hit mark.

RUTGERS NOTABLES
• The Scarlet Knights bring a 13-21 overall and a 2-4 Big Ten record into Iowa City. Rutgers dropped a home-and-home midweek series against Seton Hall on Tuesday and Wednesday following its Big Ten series win over Purdue last weekend in Piscataway.
• Rutgers is 1-8 against ranked opponents this season. The Scarlet Knights won at No. 17 Miami, 17-6, during the opening weekend of the season.
• Rutgers is hitting .274 as a team and averaging 5.8 runs per game. Mike Carter leads the Big Ten in hitting with a .397 average and he has a team-best 25 RBIs.  Jawuan Harris is hitting .311 with seven home runs, six doubles, and two triples. He has scored 31 runs and stolen 19 bases.
• Rutgers has a 6.17 team ERA — the worst in the Big Ten — allowing 241 runs over 294 2/3 innings. The Scarlet Knights have committed 60 errors in 34 games for a .953 team fielding percentage.
• RHP Gaby Rosa (3-3, 5.86 ERA) will start the series opener, RHP Serafino Brito (2-6, 5.21 ERA) will take the mound Saturday, and RHP John O’Reilly (3-5, 5.13 ERA) will start the finale.  
• Iowa roughed up O’Reilly in 2015 in Piscataway, scoring six runs on eight hits over 1 2/3 innings in a 10-3 victory.

SERIES RECORD
• Iowa leads the all-time series over Rutgers, 5-4.  The Scarlet Knights won the lone Big Ten series matchup between the two teams, taking 2-of-3 games in 2015 in Piscataway in the final series of the regular season.  
• This weekend’s series is Rutger’s first trip to Iowa City.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Iowa is out-scoring its opponents, 32-14, in the first inning this season.  The Hawkeyes are 13-4 when scoring first.
• Over the first three innings, Iowa is out-scoring its opposition, 83-47.
• The Hawkeyes are 16-1 when scoring six or more runs this season.  Iowa is 6-12 when scoring five runs or less.
• Iowa is 12-5 when hitting a home run this season.  The team is 8-2 when hitting two or more long balls.
• The Hawkeyes are 16-3 when leading after six innings, 17-2 after seven innings, and 18-1 after eight innings this season.
• Seventeen games have been decided by two runs or less this season; Iowa is 10-7.

BANKS MAGIC
• Iowa is 11-1 at home this season running its record to 44-11 at Banks Field since the start of the 2015 season.  
• The Hawkeyes went 17-3 in 2015 — the most home victories since 1996 — and followed it up with 16 home wins in 2016.  Iowa has seven walk-off victories at Duane Banks Field since the start of 2015.
• Iowa has a 2.33 staff ERA in 12 home games; Nick Gallagher is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in two starts, allowing eight hits over 12 innings and fanning 10.
• The Hawkeyes have a .295 team batting average at home and average 6.2 runs per game. Only six of the team’s 31 home runs have come at Banks Field.

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 31 home runs this season. Nine different players have hit at least one home run.
• The 31 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 14 home runs this season. He hit his 14th blast — a solo shot — in game one of the weekend series at Nebraska. Adams hit his 12th and 13th jacks 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 fifth nationally with 14 home runs. Eastern Kentucky’s Ben Fisher is the national leader with 18 blasts.
• Adams’ 14 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 10-2 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 is currently on pace to hit 21 home runs in 2017.
• 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 14 home runs, but he’s more than a home run hitter.  Adams has hit safely in 28 games, reached safely in 31 contests, and posted 18 multi-hit games.  He ranks sixth in the Big Ten with a .352 batting average and 11th with a .425 on-base percentage.
• He leads the Big Ten in slugging percentage (.718), is second in RBIs (46), and fifth in hits (50).

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 11-4 since making the switch.
• Adams is hitting .387 with six home runs, 18 runs, and 18 RBIs since moving to the three hole.  Neustrom has a .333 average as Iowa’s cleanup hitter with seven doubles and 11 RBIs.

RBI KINGS
Junior Jake Adams and sophomore Robert Neustrom both rank in the top five in the Big Ten in RBIs.  Adams is second with 46 RBIs; he has driven in at least one run in 22 games.  Neustrom is fifth with 34 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 15th nationally in RBIs.
• Iowa is 18-4 when Adams has at least one RBI.  
• Adams is on pace for 69 RBIs this season, which would be the sixth-most in a single-season in program history.
• Adams’ 46 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 (31-of-35 games).  The outfielder opened the year with a career-best 11-game hitting streak and he is currently riding a nine-game hitting streak, which includes four straight two-hit games.
• Neustrom’s 54 hits are tied for the Big Ten lead and he has a team-best 19 multi-hit games.  His .358 average is fourth in the conference and he has 21 runs and 34 RBIs. He has seven games this season with two or more RBIs and has driven in at least one run in 19 games.  Iowa is 14-5 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 is leading the Big Ten in doubles (13) and is tied for fourth with 33 runs.
• McCoy is currently riding a season-long nine-game hitting streak.  His 13 doubles are a career season-high.
• McCoy has 14 multi-hit games this season and has hit safely in 28 contests.  He has scored at least one run in 21 games.  
• He is tied for 14th in the conference with a .329 batting average and his 46 hits hits are tied for ninth-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 hitting  .311 with 10 multi-hit games.  He has seven doubles — tied for third-most on the team.  The Des Moines, Iowa, native has reached safely in 10 straight games.
• Norman is Iowa’s top base-stealing threat, swiping 12 bags in 14 chances this season.  He is tied for sixth 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.  

AROUND, AROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH
Iowa has batted around the lineup six times during the 2017 season.  The Hawkeyes batted around twice in an April 7, 14-2 victory at Northwestern.  Iowa is 4-1 in such games.
• Feb. 24 – vs. Alabama St. – 9 batters – 3rd – 3 runs
• Feb. 26 – vs. Morehead St. – 10 batters – 2nd – 6 runs
• March 7 – N. Illinois – 10 batters – 1st – 5 runs 
• April 7 – at N’western – 9 batters – 2nd – 5 runs
• April 7 – at N’western – 13 batters – 8th – 7 runs
• April 9 – at N’western – 9 batters – 4th – 3 runs

OFFENSIVE TIDBITS
• Sophomore Mitchell Boe has hit safely in 10 of the last 12 games; he’s hitting .325 during the stretch with eight runs and eight RBIs.  Boe had the game-winning RBI single in the 10th inning in Iowa’s 7-6 victory at Nebraska on April 14.  It was his third late-inning game-tying or go-ahead hit since April 1.
• Junior Tyler Cropley has hit safely in 10 of the last 12 contests with 11 RBIs and nine extra base hits.  Cropley has a .289 average during the stretch collecting 13 hits and scoring 11 runs. He hit home runs in consecutive games at Northwestern on April  8-9.
• Junior Chris Whelan is hitting .309 with 23 runs, 14 RBIs, and 12 multi-hit games. He has reached base safely in 11 straight games. As Iowa’s leadoff hitter, Whelan is hitting .340 with 33 hits and 16 runs scored.  
• Sophomore Luke Farley is hitting .556 (5-of-9) as a pinch-hitter. 
• Iowa’s 3-4-5 hitters are all hitting above .350 with runners in scoring position.  Neustrom has a team-best .490 (25-of-51) clip, Jake Adams is hitting .393 (22-of-56), and Ben Norman has a .355 (11-of-31) average.
• Adams has 17 two-out RBIs; Neustrom has 16.

BALLS & STRIKES
• The Hawkeyes are sixth in the Big Ten with a 4.16 team ERA. Iowa’s staff ranks third in the league with 288 strikeouts, averaging 8.2 per game.  
• Senior Ryan Erickson will make his sixth consecutive start this weekend against Rutgers. The southpaw is 1-1 with a 3.12 ERA since joining the starting rotation March 17 at Kansas State. He has allowed 27 hits over 26 innings and fanned 17.  Erickson earned his first career victory as a starter at Nebraska on April 15, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits over six innings.  It was his first career quality start.
• Senior Josh Martsching didn’t allow a hit or run in a four-appearance, six-inning stretch from March 24-April 4. Martsching is 1-0 with a 2.41 ERA in 14 appearances and is second on the team with three saves.
• Sophomore Shane Ritter has allowed one run over his last 10 appearances, spanning 13 1/3 innings. He has allowed 10 hits during the stretch and fanned 15. Ritter notched his team-leading fourth save at Nebraska via his first career three-inning save.  He scattered three hits over three shutout innings April 15.

JUNIOR NICK GALLAGHER…
• is 12-4 with a 2.50 ERA in 31 career appearances, including 17 starts.  He has 119 strikeouts against 42 walks in 133 innings.
• is 4-1 with a 2.55 ERA in 2017 — his ERA ranks sixth in the Big Ten.  He has 43 strikeouts to rank 10th and his 49 1/3 innings are 10th despite him missing his March 17 start at Kansas State.
• in four starts since, Gallagher is 2-0 with a 1.21 ERA. He has allowed 15 hits over 22 1/3 innings against Purdue, UNLV, Northwestern, and Nebraska with 17 strikeouts.
• 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 eight 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.

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.