NCAA Regional Preview -- No. 15 Houston

Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2016-17 | Hawk Talk Monthly — May 2017

THIS WEEK
The fourth-seeded University of Iowa baseball team opens NCAA Regional play Friday, facing top-seeded and 15th-ranked Houston at 7:04 p.m. (CT) at Schroeder Park in Houston, Texas.  
    Second-seeded Baylor and third-seeded Texas A&M will play in the other half of the bracket at 2:04 p.m. 
    
GAME COVERAGE
• Friday’s game 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.
• The game will be on AM-800 KXIC, KJAN in Atlantic, KMJM in Cedar Rapids, WDBQ in Dubuque,and KKFD in Fairfield.
• Friday’s NCAA Regional opener will be televised on ESPNU with Lowell Galindo and Keith Moreland on the call.
• Live statistics will be available at www.hawkeyesports.com and fans can follow the action via Twitter/UIBaseball.

IOWA NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• Iowa is 6-9 all-time in NCAA Tournament play in four tournament appearances. 
• The Hawkeyes won four games during the 1972 College World Series season and went 2-2 in their last NCAA Regional appearance in 2015.  
• Iowa won two games at the Springfield Regional in 2015, winning a pair of games against Oregon, while losing twice to No. 8 national seed Missouri State by a combined three runs (5-3, 3-2). The opening round win over the Ducks was the program’s first NCAA Tournament win since 1972.
• The Hawkeyes tallied wins over Northern Illinois, Central Michigan, and Bowling Green in 1972.
• UI head coach Rick Heller is 3-6 all-time in NCAA Regional play.  He lost two games as a No. 3 seed at Indiana State in 2012 and went 1-2 as a No. 4 seed at Northern Iowa in 2001.  The Panthers beat BYU, 10-1, in the first elimination game in Lincoln, Nebraska.

LEADING OFF
• Iowa is making its second NCAA Regional appearance in the last three seasons under head coach Rick Heller.  The Hawkeyes made three regional appearances in their history prior to his arrival. Iowa was one win away from making it three straight; Iowa lost the Big Ten Tournament title game to Ohio State in 2016.
• The Hawkeyes won four of the five games in a four-day stretch to win the first Big Ten Tournament title in school history.  It was Iowa’s first conference title since winning the regular season crown in 1990.
• Sophomore Chris Whelan was the Big Ten Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and a member of the Big Ten All-Tournament team.  He was joined on the All-Tournament team by Josh Martsching, Tyler Cropley, and Ryan Erickson.
• Junior Jake Adams is a semifinalist for USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award, presented to the top amateur player.  He was also 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.
• Adams is a second-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball, the highest honor by a Hawkeye since 1999.
• 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 38 victories are the fifth-most in a single season in program history.
• 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 hit eight home runs over a seven-game stretch from May 12-19. He has 27 home runs this season, which are an Iowa school record and tied for the Big Ten Conference’s single-season record.  Adams has four multi-home run games, including a two home run game in the Big Ten Tournament title game win over Northwestern.
• All-America candidate?!  Adams is tied for the NCAA lead with 27 home runs with Morehead State’s Niko Hulsizer (whose season is over) and he is first in home runs per game (.47), third in total bases (174), fourth in slugging percentage (.747), and seventh in RBIs (70).
• Iowa’s big three are 1-2-3 in the Big Ten in hits. Jake Adams and Mason McCoy are tied for the league lead with 79 hits, while Robert Neustrom is third with 76. 
• The Hawkeyes rank in the top five in the Big Ten in nine different offensive categories; Iowa is first in slugging percentage (.445), second in runs (343), RBIs (317), and home runs (63), third in on-base percentage (.376), and fourth in batting average (.283), hits (539), doubles (104), and total bases (848).
• Iowa is third nationally with 64 double plays this season and the team ranks 22nd with a .979 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
• Iowa is ranked 28th by Collegiate Baseball and receiving votes in the USBWA and USA Today Coaches Poll.
• The Hawkeyes are one of a record-tying five Big Ten NCAA Regional qualifiers.  Five teams were also selected in 2015.  Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska, and Maryland are also in the field.
• Iowa is 6-3 against NCAA Regional opponents in 2017.  The Hawkeyes went 3-1 against Nebraska, 1-0 against Maryland and Oral Roberts, and 1-2 against South Florida.
• 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.
• The Hawkeyes have hit at least one home run in 12 straight games and the team has 27 home runs during the 12-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. The team has two four home run games during the stretch.
• Iowa shut out No. 21 Nebraska, 2-0, in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.  It was the Hawkeyes’ second shutout of the season, leading the team to its first victory over a ranked opponent.
• Pick your poison… 11 different Hawkeyes have at least one home run, eight players have at least eight doubles, six players have 10 or more doubles, five have 30 or more RBIs, and all but one starter has scored 30 or more runs.
• Iowa has had four players have multi-home run games in 2017.  Jake Adams has a three home run and three two home run games, while Tyler Cropley, Robert Neustrom, and Chris Whelan each have had a two home run contest.
• 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 32 games this season and have scored 10 or more runs in eight contests.  Iowa has scored seven or more runs in 26 games.  
• Iowa won its first 13 games when finishing with 10 or more hits. The team is 25-7 when reaching the 10-hit mark.

HOUSTON NOTABLES
• The Cougars are ranked 15th by D1Baseball.com and USBWA, 16th by Baseball America, 20th in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll, and 24th by Collegiate Baseball.
• Houston earned a right to host after going 40-19 and winning the American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles.
• The Cougars are led by AAC Co-Player of the Year Jake Scheiner and Co-Pitcher of the Year Trey Cumbie. Scheiner has a .347 average with 38 extra base hits — 18 doubles, three triples, and 17 home runs — to go along with 48 runs and 57 RBIs.  Cumbie is 10-1 with a 1.88 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 96 innings.
• Houston hits .290 as a team and averages 6.3 runs per game. Four Cougars hit above .300. On the mound, the Cougars have a 3.37 team ERA with 420 strikeouts over 520 2/3 innings.

SERIES RECORD
• This is the first all-time meeting against Houston.  
• Iowa and Houston have played three common opponents in 2017 in Illinois, Alabama State, and South Florida.  The Hawkeyes were 2-1 against Illinois, 1-1 against Alabama State, and 1-2 at USF.  Houston went 1-0 against Illinois, 3-0 against Alabama State, and 1-2 at USF.
• The Hawkeyes are 0-1 all-time against Baylor, meeting in 1995, and 0-4 against Texas A&M.  Iowa played the Aggies in the NCAA Tournament in 1975.

ADAMS NAMED GOLDEN SPIKES AWARD SEMIFINALIST
Junior Jake Adams is one of 25 semifinalists for USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award.  The honor is give to the top amateur baseball player in the United States and is presented in partnership with the Rod Dedeaux Foundation. Adams, who leads the nation in home runs and is in the top seven nationally in four categories, is one of two Big Ten player among the semifinalists.

ADAMS IS 2ND-TEAM ALL-AMERICAN
Junior Jake Adams is a second-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball.  He is the third All-American under head coach Rick Heller, joining Blake Hickman and Tyler Peyton in 2015.  It is the highest honor by a Hawkeye since Brad Carlson earned second-team All-America honors by Baseball America in 1999.

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) during the regular season.  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 38 victories are the fifth-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, 48-33, in the first inning this season.  The Hawkeyes are 21-6 when scoring first.
• Over the first three innings, Iowa is out-scoring its opposition, 137-98.
• The Hawkeyes are 28-3 when scoring six or more runs this season.  Iowa is 9-17 when scoring five runs or less.
• Iowa is 26-11 when hitting a home run this season.  The team is 17-4 when hitting two or more long balls.
• The Hawkeyes are 28-4 when leading after six innings, 28-2 after seven innings, and 28-1 after eight innings this season.
• Twenty-nine games have been decided by two runs or less this season; Iowa is 19-10.

GOING, GOING…
Junior Jake Adams is leading the Big Ten and is tied for the NCAA lead with 27 home runs this season.  The 27 blasts are tied for the all-time Big Ten Conference single-season record with 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 hit eight home runs in a seven-game stretch from May 12-20.  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 tied with Morehead State’s Niko Hulsizer for the NCAA lead in home runs. Hulsizer’s season is over.
• Adams broke the Iowa school record when he hit two home runs in the regular season finale at Illinois to take down John Knapp’s school record of 22, which had stood since 1986.  
• Iowa is 19-3 when Adams hits a home run this season.  
• Adams has four 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, two solo blasts in the regular season finale at Illinois (5/19), and two home runs in the Big Ten Tournament title game against Northwestern.
• In his three collegiate seasons, Adams has 69 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 27 home runs, but he’s more than a home run hitter.  Adams has hit safely in 44 games, reached safely in 50 contests, and posted 26 multi-hit games.  He is sixth in the Big Ten with a .339 batting average.
• Adams also leads the Big Ten in RBIs (70), hits (79), slugging percentage (.747), and total bases (174), while ranking second in runs (52), 12th in on-base percentage (.422), and 14th in doubles (14).

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.

SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS
• Senior Mason McCoy and junior Jake Adams are tied for eighth in the single-season record books with 79 hits, while sophomore Robert Neustrom is tied for 13th (76).
• McCoy is tied for ninth in doubles (17), while junior Matt Hoeg is tied for 15th with 16 doubles.  Sophomore Chris Whelan is tied for seventh in hit by pitches (14).
• Junior Nick Gallagher is fifth in the record books in strikeouts (83), tied for sixth in wins (8), and 13th in innings (90.1).

COMEBACK KIDS
The Hawkeyes have overcome deficits in 21 of their 38 victories this season.  Iowa has posted walk-off victories in four games this season.
• The Hawkeyes have 13 wins this year when either trailing or being tied entering or through seven innings.  Nine 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. 
• Sophomore Robert Neustrom made a home run-saving catch in Iowa’s Big Ten Tournament semifinal victory over Minnesota.  He robbed Eduardo Estrada of a three-run home run in the fifth inning; Iowa won 7-5 in 13 innings.
• Iowa ranks third nationally with 64 double plays this season and the team ranks 22nd with a .979 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 453 strikeouts in 58 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 second in the Big Ten with 63 home runs this season. Eleven different players have hit at least one home run.
• The 63 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 fourth in the Big Ten in RBIs.  Adams is leading the league with 70 RBIs — the most by a Hawkeye since 1999. Adams has driven in at least one run in 36 games.  Neustrom is fourth with 54 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 seventh nationally in RBIs.
• Iowa is 31-6 when Adams has at least one RBI.  
• Adams is on pace for 72 RBIs this season, which would 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 47 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 76 hits are tied for third in the Big Ten and he  is tied for eighth in the conference with 15 doubles. Neustrom 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 34 games.  Iowa is 25-9 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 nine home runs with five coming in the team’s last 10 games.  He his home runs in three straight contests from May 19-25.

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 (54), hits, and doubles (17), while ranking 15th in the league with a .328 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 25 multi-hit games this season and has hit safely in 47 contests.  He has scored at least one run in 35 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.
• The Illinois native had two three-hit games at the Big Ten Tournament, going 3-for-4 against No. 21 Nebraska and 3-for-5 with three runs in the title game against Northwestern.  He hit a two-run home run in the semifinal loss to Minnesota — his fifth of the year.
• 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 326 chances this season. 

WAY TO GO WHELAN
Sophomore Chris Whelan is hitting .320 with 37 runs and 23 RBIs.  He also has seven home runs and 11 doubles.  He is second in the Big Ten with a .446 on-base percentage.
• The Naperville, Illinois, native was named the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player after hitting .333 with two home runs, two doubles, four runs, and three RBIs.  He also had 17 putouts in left field.
• Whelan went 3-for-4 with a double and home run in the 9-8 win over Maryland and he went 2-for-4 with a home run and scored both runs in the 2-0 win over No. 21 Nebraska.
• 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 has two two-home run games this season, connecting on a pair April 22 against Rutgers and two against Maryland at the Big Ten Tournament. 
• Whelan has 21 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  .281 with 16 multi-hit games.  He has scored 32 runs and has 19 RBIs and 10 doubles, one triple, and one home run.
• The Des Moines, Iowa, native went 2-for-4 with a career-high three RBIs in the Big Ten Tournament title game against Northwestern.
• Norman is Iowa’s top base-stealing threat, swiping 14 bags in 19 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 .317 average with eight doubles and seven home runs. He has 12 multi-hit games during the stretch and has 27 RBIs.
• The McCook Lake, South Dakota, native was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team after hitting a team-best .412 (7-of-17) with three home runs, seven runs, and five RBIs. He hit safely in all five games.  Cropley hit two home runs in the elimination semifinal game against Minnesota, including the go-ahead solo home run in the top of the 13th inning.
• 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 18 base runners to lead the Big Ten.  He has started 53 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.
• 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 15 multi-hit games this season.  Hoeg is hitting .283 with 38 RBIs and 30 runs scored.  His 16 doubles are second-most on the team and tied for third in the Big Ten.
• Hoeg hit .375 with a team-best six RBIs in the Big Ten Tournament with two doubles and a home run.  His home run was a two-run, fourth-inning blast in the elimination semifinal against Minnesota. 

MARTSCHING ON
Since giving up four earned runs on five hits May 13 against Ohio State, senior right-hander Josh Martsching has been almost perfect.  The Bloomfield, Iowa, native hasn’t allowed a run and has scattered four hits over his last 11 innings.  He has six strikeouts to three walks during the stretch.
• Martsching was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team after going 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and posting a save in three appearances.  Martsching allowed two hits over 7 2/3 innings, including a career-long 5 2/3 innings in the extra-inning win over Minnesota.  Martsching got out of three bases loaded jams unscathed in the tournament.
• The fifth-year senior is 5-0 with a 2.36 ERA with seven saves in a career-high 27 appearances. He has 42 strikeouts to 10 walks over 42 innings.  
• Martsching has made two weekend appearances seven times during the 2017 season, and he pitched in three consecutive days at the Big Ten Tournament.
• Martsching’s 73 career appearances are fourth-most all-time and his 12 career saves are tied for sixth.

BALLS & STRIKES
• The Hawkeyes are sixth in the Big Ten with a 4.43 team ERA. Iowa’s staff ranks third in the league with 442 strikeouts, averaging 7.8 per game.   
• Iowa’s pitching staff has had 10 or more strikeouts in a game 16 times this season.
• Sophomore Zach Daniels is tied for seventh in the Big Ten with seven victories.  He is 7-3 with a 3.40 ERA in 23 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.  The Robins, Iowa, native didn’t allow a run in two Big Ten Tournament appearances, spanning 2 1/3 innings.
• 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 nine of his 16 appearances, where he is 5-1 with a 3.28 ERA.  Opponents are hitting .195 against the southpaw this season and he has surrendered more than one hit just four times in 16 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 1-1 with a 5.26 ERA in 15 appearances, including seven starts.
• Senior Drake Robison came through in the clutch, tossing seven innings of four-hit, one-run ball in a Big Ten Tournament-clinching victory over Northwestern. It was Robison’s fourth victory of the season — first since April 25. The Illinois native is 4-2 with a 6.00 ERA this season. 

JUNIOR NICK GALLAGHER…
• is 16-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 37 career appearances, including 23 starts.  He has 159 strikeouts against 52 walks in 174 innings.
• is 8-1 with a 3.39 ERA in 2017 — the win total is tied for the league lead, while the ERA ranks 12th.  He has 83 strikeouts to tie for fifth and his 90 1/3 innings are tied for second 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 3.03 ERA over his last 10 starts. He has allowed 63 hits and fanned 56 over 62 1/3 innings.
• has nine quality starts in 2017 and has logged at least seven innings in eight of his 14 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 3-3 with a 2.71 ERA since joining the starting rotation March 17 at Kansas State.  He is 3-3 with a 2.96 ERA this season; ERA is sixth in the Big Ten.  In league games, Erickson went 2-2 with a 3.32 ERA — tied for the 11th-best ERA in the conference.
• has allowed 74 hits over 70 innings and fanned 47.  He is 9-5 in his career with a 3.27 ERA, fanning 99 batters over 159 2/3 innings.
• named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team after tossing a career-high 7 2/3 shutout innings in the win over No. 21 Nebraska… scattered 10 hits and had a career-high six strikeouts to two walks.
• Has four 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.

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 has led the Hawkeyes to two NCAA Regional appearances in three seasons; the program had three regional appearances in its history prior to his arrival.
• Heller is fourth in school history in career wins with 139 in his three-plus seasons at Iowa, including the second (41) and fifth-most (38) in school history.
• Heller led Iowa to its first Big Ten Tournament title in 2017 — the first conference title since 1990 — and he guided the Hawkeyes to the Big Ten Tournament title game in consecutive seasons.  Iowa has advanced to the league 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 eight games (in 2017) — the longest streaks for the program since 2012.