Game Notes -- Big Ten Tournament (May 24-28)

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THIS WEEK
The fifth-seeded University of Iowa baseball team opens Big Ten Tournament play Wednesday against fourth-seeded Maryland at 7:30 p.m. (CT).  The double elimination tournament will be held May 24-28 at Bart Kaufman Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.
    
GAME COVERAGE
• The duration of the Big Ten Tournament 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.  
• The entire Big Ten Tournament will be televised on BTN and be available on BTN2Go.  Kevin Kugler and Scott Pose will call the Iowa-Maryland game.
• Live statistics will be available at www.hawkeyesports.com and fans can follow the action via Twitter/UIBaseball.

IOWA B1G TOURNAMENT HISTORY
The Hawkeyes are making their fourth straight Big Ten Tournament appearance — a program record — and the 12th in school history.  Iowa is 12-21 in the tournament, advancing to the championship game in 1983, 2010, and 2016.  
• Iowa has won at least one tournament game in each of the past three seasons, including advancing through the winner’s bracket to the title game last season.  Ohio State edged the eighth-seeded Hawkeyes, 8-7, to win the title.

IOWA VS. B1G FIELD
Iowa is 5-5 against the Big Ten field in 2017, taking series over top-seeded Nebraska and eighth-seeded Purdue.  The Hawkeyes lost 2-of-3 games at Northwestern and dropped a nonconference matchup against Minnesota. Iowa did not face Michigan, Maryland, or Indiana during the regular season.

LEADING OFF
• Junior Jake Adams was selected as the unanimous Big Ten Player of the Year — the first Hawkeye since 1992 and just the second all-time to earn the distinction.  Adams was also the lone unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection at first base, while Tyler Cropley (C), Nick Gallagher (SP), Mason McCoy (SS), and Robert Neustrom (OF) earned second-team All-Big Ten honors.
• The Hawkeyes won their final four Big Ten Conference series to finish 15-9 overall and tie for fourth in the regular season.  The 15 wins are the second-most since 2008 and the program’s fourth top-four finish since 2000. Iowa has advanced to the Big Ten Tournament in a record four straight seasons.  
• The Hawkeyes have won 30 or more games in four straight seasons for the first time since winning 30 or more games in seven consecutive seasons from 1979-85.  The 34 victories are the seventh-most in a single season in program history.
• Iowa won eight of its last 10 Big Ten series dating back to the 2016 season.  The Hawkeyes won four straight league series to close out the regular season and six of eight series this season.
• Iowa finished with a 19-4 record at Duane Banks Field in 2017 — the most home wins since 1989 (19-2).  The Hawkeyes are 52-14 at home dating back to the 2015 season. Iowa won eight straight home games from March 24-April 21.
• Junior Jake Adams has hit eight home runs over his last seven games (since May 12), giving him a school record 24 blasts this season. The South Dakota native has three multi-home run games, including a two home run game in the regular-season finale to break Iowa’s single-season school record that had stood since 1986.
• All-America candidate?!  Adams is second in the NCAA with 24 home runs (one behind Eastern Kentucky’s Ben Fisher, whose season is over), fourth in total bases (159) and slugging percentage (.750), and 11th in RBIs (65).
• Adams was tabbed as the Big Ten Player of the Week for a second straight week and third time this season on May 22.  He was also named a National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball on May 22.
• Junior Nick Gallagher, who was the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on May 1, is 6-0 with a 2.08 ERA over his last nine starts.  In Big Ten play, Gallagher is 5-0 with a 2.37 ERA, posting a quality start in five of his eight starts.
• Iowa had players finish 1-2-3 in the Big Ten in hits during the regular season.  Robert Neustrom and Jake Adams tied for the league lead with 73 hits, while Mason McCoy was tied for third with 72.
• The Hawkeyes rank in the top five in the Big Ten in eight different offensive categories; it is first in slugging percentage (.446), second in RBIs (303), home runs (58) and on-base percentage (.378), third in batting average (.285), runs (329), and doubles (101), and fourth in hits (516).
• Iowa is 12th nationally with 56 double plays this season and the team ranks 27th with a .978 team fielding percentage.   
• In Big Ten play, Iowa was second in team batting average (.297), third in team fielding percentage (.979), and seventh in ERA (4.25). Mason McCoy lead the league in runs (26), Jake Adams paced the conference in home runs (10) and doubles (10), and Nick Gallagher tied for the lead in wins (5).
• Follow the Hawkeyes on social media via Facebook/iowa baseball, Twitter/UIBaseball, and Instagram/UIBaseball.

IOWA TIDBITS
• The Hawkeyes have hit at least one home run in seven straight games and the team has 16 home runs during the seven-game stretch.  Iowa went back-to-back-to-back in the second inning at Illinois on May 18 with Mason McCoy, Jake Adams, and Robert Neustrom hitting blasts.
• Iowa has scored six or more runs in each of its last eight games and have 10 or more hits in six of the eight contests.  The Hawkeyes are hitting .318 during the stretch and are averaging 8.4 runs per game. Iowa had an 11-run outburst May 14 against Ohio State, the most runs scored since April 7 (14 at Northwestern).
• The Hawkeyes posted Big Ten series victories against Purdue, at Nebraska, Penn State, at Michigan State, Ohio State, and at Illinois. The road series win in Lincoln was the first in program history.
• Iowa has won 20 of its last 22 midweek games dating back to the 2015 season.  The Hawkeyes closed out midweek play with a 9-8 victory over Omaha on May 16 in Iowa City. Iowa went 8-2 in midweek contests in 2017.
• 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 had 10 or more hits in 29 games this season and have scored 10 or more runs in seven contests.  Iowa has scored seven or more runs in 23 games.  
• Iowa won its first 13 games when finishing with 10 or more hits. The team is 22-7 when reaching the 10-hit mark.

MARYLAND NOTABLES
• The Terrapins finished the regular season with a 34-19 overall record and went 15-9 in Big Ten play.  Maryland has gone 9-14 on the road and 5-2 in neutral site games in 2017.
• Maryland is hitting .275 as a team and average 6.0 runs per game.  Four regulars hit over .300 with first-team All-Big Ten selection Marty Costes leading the way with a .336 average with nine home runs, 39 RBIs, and 38 runs.  Third-team All-Big Ten selection A.J. Lee is hitting .323 with seven home runs and 31 RBIs.
• Brian Shaffer, the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, will start for the Terrapins.  Shaffer is 7-3 with a Big Ten-best 1.67 ERA.  He has two complete games and has 98 strikeouts against 17 walks.
• The Terrapins have a 3.79 team ERA; Ryan Selmer has a team-best seven saves and is 2-1 with a 2.41 ERA.

SERIES RECORD
• Iowa is 5-2 all-time against Maryland, including an 11-0 victory in last season’s Big Ten Tournament semifinal matchup.  
• The Hawkeyes won 2-of-3 games from the Terrapins in Iowa City during the 2016 season and won 2-of-3 games in College Park in 2015.

GALLS VS. SHAFF
• In two appearances against Maryland last season, Nick Gallagher went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA, allowing three hits over 10 innings with 13 strikeouts to two walks. The right-hander allowed one hit over six innings in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament and had nine strikeouts to one walk to pitch the Hawkeyes to the title game.
• Brian Shaffer pitched Maryland to the lone win last season against Iowa, tossing a complete game five-hitter in Iowa City.  He allowed one earned run, had seven strikeouts (to zero walks) and only needed 89 pitches.

ADAMS IS UNANIMOUS PLAYER OF YEAR
Junior Jake Adams was voted as the unanimous Big Ten Player of the Year.  Adams is the first Hawkeye since 1992 and just the second player in school history to be named the league’s top player.  Brett Backlund, an infielder/pitcher, shared the honor with Mike Smith of Indiana in 1992.
• Adams is head coach Rick Heller’s fifth league Player of the Year.  He had three MVPs at Northern Iowa and one at Indiana State.

5 HAWKEYES EARN ALL-BIG TEN HONORS
• Junior Jake Adams was named first-team All-Big Ten at first base after leading the conference in home runs (24), RBIs (65), hits (73), slugging percentage (.750), and total bases (159).  Adams is the first Hawkeye first baseman to earn first-team honors since 1980.
• Juniors Tyler Cropley (C) and Nick Gallagher (SP), senior Mason McCoy (SS), and sophomore Robert Neustrom (OF) were all named second- team All-Big Ten.
• Cropley earned his first career All-Big Ten honor after hitting .302 in Big Ten play and by throwing out a league-best 17 would-be base stealers.  He is the first Hawkeye catcher since 2011 to earn All-Big Ten honors.
• Gallagher earned his first career accolade after tying for the league lead in wins (8) during the regular season. He is the third starting pitcher under Heller to earn all-league honors.
• McCoy continued Iowa’s All-Big Ten run at shortstop after tying for third in the league in hits and leading the league in runs.  Iowa has had a shortstop earn all-conference honors in four straight seasons.
• Neustrom garnered his first career honor after ranking third in the Big Ten in RBIs and tying for the league lead in hits.  The Hawkeyes have had an outfielder earn All-Big Ten honors in three straight seasons.
 
30 X 4
Iowa secured its fourth straight 30-win season with its 9-5 series-opening victory over Ohio State on May 12 in Iowa City.  The program hasn’t enjoyed a better stretch since posting seven consecutive 30 win campaigns from 1979-85.
• The 34 victories are the seventh most in a single season in program history.  Two of those win totals have come under UI head coach Rick Heller’s watch.
• The Hawkeyes won 30 games in Heller’s first season, 41 in 2015 en route to the program’s first NCAA Regional appearance since 1990 before winning 30 games last season in a run to the Big Ten Tournament title game.  

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• Iowa is out-scoring its opponents, 41-30, in the first inning this season.  The Hawkeyes are 18-6 when scoring first.
• Over the first three innings, Iowa is out-scoring its opposition, 119-84.
• The Hawkeyes are 25-3 when scoring six or more runs this season.  Iowa is 9-16 when scoring five runs or less.
• Iowa is 22-10 when hitting a home run this season.  The team is 14-4 when hitting two or more long balls.
• The Hawkeyes are 25-4 when leading after six innings, 26-2 after seven innings, and 26-1 after eight innings this season.
• Twenty-six games have been decided by two runs or less this season; Iowa is 16-10.

GOING, GOING…
Junior Jake Adams is leading the Big Ten with 24 home runs this season, tied for the most in conference play since Illinois’ Alex Dickerson’s 24 in 2010.  The single-season Big Ten home run record is 27 by Indiana’s Mike Smith in 1992.
• The South Dakota native was the Big Ten home run champion, connecting on 10 long balls during league action. He is the first Hawkeye since Jason White in 2008 (eight home runs) to win the home run crown.
• Adams has hit eight home runs in his last seven games (since May 12).  He hit a home run in five straight contests (believed to be the first in school history to accomplish the feat), including two two-home run games.  
• Adams has the new standard in the Big Ten in the BBCOR era.  Indiana’s Kyle Schwarber belted 18 home runs in 2013.  
• Adams is second nationally with 24 home runs — one off the NCAA lead, held by Eastern Kentucky’s Ben Fisher.  Fisher has 25 home runs in 59 games; his season is over.
• Adams broke the Iowa school record when he hit two home runs in the regular season finale at Illinois to break John Knapp’s school record of 22, which had stood since 1986.  
• Iowa is 17-3 when Adams hits a home run this season.  
• Adams has three multi-homer games this season. He hit three home runs (and had seven RBIs) in Iowa’s 12-11, 10-inning victory at Kansas State on March 19, becoming the first Hawkeye since Jason White in 2007 to hit three home runs in the same game.  Adams hit two solo home runs in Iowa’s 9-8 victory over Omaha on May 16 and two solo blasts in the regular season finale at Illinois (5/19).
• In his three collegiate seasons, Adams has 66 home runs. He hit a school-record 25 home runs last year during his All-America season at DMACC and 42 in his two-year junior college career — a school record.

MORE THAN A HOME RUN HITTER
Sure, Jake Adams has a Big Ten-best 24 home runs, but he’s more than a home run hitter.  Adams has hit safely in 41 games, reached safely in 47 contests, and posted 25 multi-hit games.  He is tied for fourth in the Big Ten with a .344 batting average.
• Adams also leads the Big Ten in RBIs (65), hits (73), slugging percentage (.750), and total bases (159), while ranking second in runs (48), eighth in doubles, and ninth in on-base percentage (.427).

BANKS MAGIC
• Iowa finished 19-4 at home this season running its record to 52-14 at Banks Field since the start of the 2015 season.   The 19 wins are the most by the team since winning 1989 (19-2).
• 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 10 walk-off victories at Duane Banks Field since the start of 2015.

COMEBACK KIDS
The Hawkeyes have overcome deficits in 19 of their 34 victories this season.  Iowa has posted walk-off victories in four games this season.
• The Hawkeyes have 11 wins this year when either trailing or being tied entering or through seven innings.  Seven wins have come in their final at-bat.
• Chris Whelan had the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning in Iowa’s 6-5 victory over UNLV on April 1.
• Mason McCoy had the game-winning RBI single in the Hawkeyes’ 4-3 victory over Milwaukee on April 25.
• Robert Neustrom had a walk-off two-run home run — a ball that traveled 446-feet over the batter’s eye in center field at Banks Field — to give Iowa an 11-10 win over Ohio State on May 14.
• McCoy hit a laser at the Maverick shortstop in the ninth inning May 16, allowing Corbin Woods to score the game-winning run in a 9-8 victory in the home finale.

NO DEFICIT IS TOO BIG
Iowa rallied from a 9-2, sixth-inning deficit in the 11-10 come-from-behind win over Ohio State on May 14.  It was the largest deficit the Hawkeyes have overcome since rallying from an 8-1 hole to defeat second-seeded Michigan, 11-8, in the semifinals of the 2010 Big Ten Tournament.
• The Hawkeyes rallied from an 8-3, sixth-inning deficit in their 9-8 victory over Omaha on May 16.

DEFENSE DOES IT
• Freshman Justin Jenkins entered in the ninth inning as a defensive replacement May 18 at Illinois.  With two outs and the game-tying run at third, Jenkins made a diving catch in the right center field gap to save the Hawkeyes’ victory. 
• Iowa ranks in the top 12th nationally with 56 double plays this season and the team ranks 27th with a .978 team fielding percentage.   

IOWA SETS SINGLE-SEASON K RECORD
The Iowa pitching staff has set the single-season strikeout record for a second straight season in 2017.  Iowa has 416 strikeouts in 53 games, averaging 7.8 punch outs per contest.  The squad has shattered the previous record of 382 strikeouts set in 2016.

BIG BLAST BOB
Sophomore Robert Neustrom hit a walk-off 446-foot, two-run home run over the batter’s eye in center field in Iowa’s 11-10 victory over Ohio State on May 14.  It was Neustrom’s first career walk-off home run and the first by a Hawkeye since Nick Day’s blast in the opening round of the 2015 Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis (which also downed Ohio State). It was Iowa’s first walk-off home run at Banks Field since Jason White in 2007 (against Illinois).

#SWINGFASTER
The Hawkeyes are tied for second in the Big Ten with 58 home runs this season. Ten different players have hit at least one home run.
• The 58 home runs are the most for the team in the Rick Heller era and the most for the Hawkeyes since 1999 when the team had 73 blasts.
• Iowa had 26 home runs in 56 games during the 2016 season.

RBI KINGS
Junior Jake Adams and sophomore Robert Neustrom are first and third in the Big Ten in RBIs.  Adams is leading the league with 65 RBIs — the most by a Hawkeye since 2008. Adams has driven in at least one run in 33 games.  Neustrom is fourth with 53 RBIs; he had the game-winning RBI double in Iowa’s 4-3 win over South Dakota State on April 4 and a walk-off two-run home run in Iowa’s 11-10 victory over Ohio 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 is tied for 11th nationally in RBIs.
• Iowa is 28-6 when Adams has at least one RBI.  
• Adams is on pace for 67 RBIs this season, which would tie for 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 seven games with three or more RBIs.

CONSISTENT SOPHOMORE
Sophomore Robert Neustrom has hit safely in 44 games this season and the outfielder had a career-best 14-game hitting streak from April 4-28.  He has two 10-plus game hitting streaks, as he opened the year with an 11-game hitting streak.
• Neustrom’s 73 hits are tied for the Big Ten lead and he  is tied for fifth in the conference with 15 doubles, and has 24 multi-hit games. He has 12 games this season with two or more RBIs and has driven in at least one run in 31 games.  Iowa is 22-9 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 eight home runs, including four in the last five games.  He hit two home runs May 18 in Iowa’s 6-5 victory at Illinois.

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. The Illinois native leads the Big Ten in runs (49), is tied for second in doubles (16), and tied for third in hits (72), while ranking 14th in the league with a .329 batting average.
• McCoy tied a career-high with a 15-game hitting streak from April 4-28.  He reached base safely in a career-best 26 straight games — the longest streak by a Hawkeye since Eric Toole’s 31-game reached base streak in 2015 — from April 4-May 19.
• McCoy has 23 multi-hit games this season and has hit safely in 44 contests.  He has scored at least one run in 33 games.  He tied a career-high, scoring four runs in Iowa’s 9-4 series-clinching victory at Michigan State and he had a solo home run — his third of the year — in game two.
• McCoy went 2-for-5 with two RBIs in the series opener at Illinois, which included his fourth home run, leading off Iowa’s back-to-back-to-back jack performance.
• 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. He has just Iowa has just eight errors in a Big Ten-leading 299 chances this season. 

WAY TO GO WHELAN
Sophomore Chris Whelan is hitting .318 with 33 runs and 20 RBIs.  He also has five home runs and nine doubles.  He is third in the Big Ten with a .434 on-base percentage.
• Whelan connected on a leadoff home run in Iowa’s 9-8 victory over Omaha on May 16.  It was the Hawkeyes’ first leadoff home run since Eric Toole at the 2015 Big Ten Tournament.
• Whelan hit two home runs in Iowa’s 5-3 loss to Rutgers on April 22.
• Whelan has 19 multi-hit games this season and he reached base safely in a career-best 14 straight games from April 1-23.

IMPRESSIVE FRESHMAN
As Iowa’s every day center fielder, freshman Ben Norman is hitting  .292 with 15 multi-hit games.  He has scored 31 runs and has 14 RBIs and nine doubles, one triple, and one home run.
• Norman is Iowa’s top base-stealing threat, swiping 14 bags in 18 chances this season.  He is tied for 10th 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.  

CROP HEATS UP
Junior Tyler Cropley was hitting as low as .105 midway through March before clawing himself out of his early-season hole.  Cropley started April with a .203 average.
• Cropley hit .308 with four home runs and four doubles in April, while driving in 12 runs and scoring 15 times. Since the UNLV series (March 31-April-1), Cropley is hitting a .302 average with eight doubles and four home runs. He has 10 multi-hit games during the stretch and has 22 RBIs.
• Cropley had the game-winning RBI single in the top of the ninth in the series opener at Michigan State before tying a career-high with four RBIs in the series-clinching victory in East Lansing.
• Defensively, Cropley has gunned out 17 base runners to lead the Big Ten.  He has started 48 games behind the plate.

AROUND, AROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH
Iowa has batted around the lineup eight times during the 2017 season.  The Hawkeyes batted around twice in an April 7, 14-2 victory at Northwestern.  Iowa is 6-1 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
• April 29 – Penn State – 10 batters – 8th – 5 runs
• May 7 – at Michigan St. – 9 batters – 9th – 4 runs

OFFENSIVE TIDBITS
• Senior Corbin Woods hit a game-tying, three-run home run in the eighth inning of Iowa’s 11-10 victory over Ohio State on Senior Day on May 14.  It was Woods’ third hit and first three RBIs of the season.  It was his second career home run.  The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native also scored the game-winning run in Iowa’s walk-off win over Omaha on May 16.
• Sophomore Mitchell Boe has three two-hit games over his last four contests, hitting a team-best .400 with two doubles and three RBIs.  Boe has 10 multi-hit games this season.
• Junior Matt Hoeg had a career-high four hits, finishing 4-for-5 with two doubles and four runs in game two at Illinois.  Hoeg has 13 multi-hit games this season.

BALLS & STRIKES
• The Hawkeyes are sixth in the Big Ten with a 4.40 team ERA. Iowa’s staff ranks fifth in the league with 416 strikeouts, averaging 7.8 per game.   
• Iowa’s pitching staff has had 10 or more strikeouts in a game 15 times this season.
• Senior Josh Martsching factored into both victories at Michigan State, earning the win in the series opener and the save in the series finale.  He is 3-0 with a 2.88 ERA this season with 38 strikeouts (to eight walks) over 34 1/3 innings and leads the team with six saves.  Martsching has made two weekend appearances seven times during the 2017 season.
• Martsching’s 69 career appearances are the fourth-most in school history and his 11 career saves are seventh all-time.
• Sophomore Zach Daniels is tied for seventh in the Big Ten with seven victories.  He is 7-3 with a 3.57 ERA in 21 relief appearances.  Daniels went a career long 4 2/3 innings against Ohio State on May 16. He finished with a career-best eight strikeouts.
• Redshirt freshman Kyle Shimp made his return May 2 at Western Illinois after missing three weeks with mono. Shimp hasn’t allowed a run in eight of his 14 appearances, where he is 5-1 with a 3.54 ERA.  Opponents are hitting .181 against the southpaw this season and he has surrendered more than one hit just three times in 14 appearances.
• Junior Elijah Wood has his best appearance as a Hawkeye, notching a quality start in a May 19 win at Illinois.  After surrendering three first-inning runs, Wood tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his first career win.  He allowed three runs on 10 hits and had three strikeouts without issuing a walk.  Wood is 1-0 with a 4.38 ERA in 14 appearances, including six starts. 

JUNIOR NICK GALLAGHER…
• is 16-4 with a 2.53 ERA in 36 career appearances, including 22 starts.  He has 153 strikeouts against 50 walks in 167 innings.
• is 8-1 with a 2.59 ERA in 2017 — the win total is tied for the league lead, while the ERA ranks sixth.  He has 77 strikeouts to rank sixth and his 83 1/3 innings are fifth despite missing his March 17 start at Kansas State.
• The eight wins are tied for the sixth-most in a single-season in program history.  Gallagher also had eight victories in 2016.
• In Big Ten play, Gallagher tied for the Big Ten wins lead, going 5-0 with a 2.37 ERA — fifth-best in the league. He had 45 strikeouts over 49 1/3 innings and limited batters to a .249 average. He had a quality start in five of his eight Big Ten starts.
• is 6-0 with a 2.08 ERA over his last nine starts. He has allowed 48 hits and fanned 51 over 56 1/3 innings.
• has nine quality starts in 2017 and has logged at least seven innings in eight of his 13 starts.  Gallagher has five games with seven or more strikeouts this season.
• was the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on May 1 after scattering three hits over eight innings and fanning a career-high 10 batters (without issuing a walk) against Penn State on April 28. It was his sixth win. He struck out eight of the first 10 batters he faced.  He is the first Hawkeye since 2014 to strike out 10 in a game.
• punched out nine batters (to one walk) in his seventh win — a 9-5 victory over Ohio State — on May 12.
• went eight innings in Iowa’s 7-6 victory over Hawai’i at the DQ Classic where he had 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.

SENIOR RYAN ERICKSON…
• is 2-3 with a 3.09 ERA since joining the starting rotation March 17 at Kansas State.  He is 2-3 with a 3.32 ERA this season; ERA is ninth in the Big Ten.  In league games, Erickson is 2-2 with a 3.32 ERA — tied for the 11th-best ERA in the conference.
• has allowed 64 hits over 62 1/3 innings and fanned 41.  He is 8-5 in his career with a 3.43 ERA, fanning 93 batters over 152 innings.
• Has three quality starts on the season, including two in back-to-back games against Penn State and Michigan State.
• 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.
• went a career-long 7 1/3 innings in a victory over Penn State on April 28.  He tied a career-high with five strikeouts.

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.  Freshman Kyle Shimp missed three weeks in April with mono.

IOWA’S BACKBONE
The Hawkeyes have been built on pitching and defense under UI head coach Rick Heller.  
• Iowa has ranked in the top 14 nationally in the nation in team fielding percentage in each of the past two years.   The Hawkeyes have been in the top four in the Big Ten throughout Heller’s tenure.
• Iowa has posted team ERA records in each of the past two seasons (2.95 in 2015, 3.56 in 2016). The Hawkeyes ranked in the top four in the conference in both seasons.

TEAM CAPTAINS
Iowa’s team captains for the 2017 season are seniors Josh Martsching, Mason McCoy, and Corbin Woods, and junior C.J. Eldred.

#HELLERBALL
• UI head coach Rick Heller is one of nine coaches all-time 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.
• The Hawkeyes have won 30 or more games in each of Heller’s four seasons as the helm of the program.  It’s a first for the team since winning 30 or more in seven straight seasons from 1979-85.
• 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 four 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 and five in 2017.  The Hawkeyes have had 18 All-Big Ten honorees in four 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.