Game Notes -- No. 7 Michigan

Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | Fight For Iowa | Hawk Talk Monthly — April 2018 | Game Notes (PDF)

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa baseball team continues its nine-game home stand, hosting No. 7 Michigan for a three-game series from April 27-29 at Duane Banks Field.  Friday’s series opener is set for 6:05 p.m. (CT), Saturday is 2:05 p.m., and Sunday’s finale is 11:05 a.m.

FOLLOW ALONG
• All three games will be streamed live on BTN Plus on BTN2Go.  It is a paid subscription service.
• All Iowa games will also be available via the Hawkeye Radio Network with Zach Mackey on the call.  The games can be heard on Hawkeye All-Access and on select stations across the state.  
Friday: KXIC-AM 800 (Iowa City), WDBQ-FM 107.5 (Dubuque), KDEC-AM 1240 (Decorah), KKFD-FM 95.9 (Fairfield), KMJM AM 1360 (Cedar Rapids)
Saturday: WDBQ-FM 107.5 (Dubuque), KKFD-FM 95.9 (Fairfield), KMJM AM 1360 (Cedar Rapids)
Sunday: WDBQ-FM 107.5 (Dubuque), KKFD-FM 95.9 (Fairfield)

WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
• Friday – Baseball Bingo
• Saturday – Junior Hawk Club Day, “Have a Catch” day
• Sunday – Autism Awareness Day, Sunday Runday

LEADING OFF
• The Hawkeyes are 16-7 over their last 23 games. Iowa lost its first Big Ten series since midway through the 2017 last weekend at No. 25 Minnesota.  The Hawkeyes have won eight of their last nine home series.
• Iowa is 4-7 against top-25 ranked opponents this season with wins over No. 11 Indiana, No. 22 Illinois, and No. 25 Minnesota.  This weekend will be Iowa’s fifth series against a top-25 ranked opponent.
• In Big Ten play, junior Nick Allgeyer is leading the league in innings pitched (32 2/3) and strikeouts (31). Allgeyer was the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on April 16 after notching his fourth win of the season in Iowa’s 7-1 win at Nebraska.  The southpaw allowed one unearned run over seven innings, scattering five hits and fanning four.
• Iowa’s pitching staff had a season-high 15 strikeouts in Wednesday’s 12-4 victory over Milwaukee.  The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten in strikeouts with 334 — 22 more than second place Ohio State.  Iowa is tied for first with 113 strikeouts in Big Ten play.
• Sophomore Lorenzo Elion became the second Hawkeye in the last decade to hit for the cycle, finishing 5-for-6 with two home runs, six RBIs, and four runs on April 11 against Coe College. The five hits tied a single-game school record.
• Iowa is 13-3 at Duane Banks Field this season, running its record to 65-17 at home since the start of the 2015 season.
• Iowa has used the same starting weekend rotation each weekend of the 2018 season. The trio of Nick Allgeyer, Brady Schanuel, and Cole McDonald are a combined 12-9 with a 3.19 ERA with 150 strikeouts in 149 1/3 innings.
• Defensively, Iowa has turned a league-best 39 double plays, which is 19th-best nationally.  The Hawkeyes’ 1.05 double plays per game are eighth in the NCAA.  Iowa is sixth in the Big Ten with a .970 team fielding percentage.
• Nine different Hawkeyes have hit a home run this season and four players have 20 or more RBIs.
• Iowa has won 140 games over the past four seasons under head coach Rick Heller — the best four-year stretch in school history.  The Hawkeyes have advanced to NCAA Regional play in two of the last three seasons.

QUICK HITTERS
• Iowa has played four doubleheaders this spring where it has posted a 5-3 record. The Hawkeyes swept their twin bill against Evansville on March 17 and split doubleheaders against No. 11 Indiana, Ohio State and Nebraska.
• Iowa sophomore third baseman Lorenzo Elion is a former Michigan commit. He gave a verbal commitment to the Wolverines as a sophomore in high school.
• The Hawkeyes put up eight runs in the first inning in their 16-1 victory over Coe College on April 11 in Iowa City.  It was Iowa’s biggest scoring inning of the season.  
• Iowa is 5-2 against left-handed starters this season and 19-11 against right-handers.  
• The Hawkeyes are 21-7 when scoring three or more runs this season.
• Iowa’s 5-1 victory over No. 11 Indiana was the highest ranked opponent the Hawkeyes have defeated since 2008 (No. 8 Vanderbilt).
• Iowa is 10-5 in games decided by two runs or less  this season.   

ABOUT MICHIGAN
• The Wolverines have won 20 straight games to improve to 24-11 overall and 11-0 in Big Ten play.  Michigan is ranked seventh in the Collegiate Baseball rankings, but is only receiving votes in the USBWA and USA Today Coaches polls.
• Michigan’s last loss came March 14 at home against Lawrence Tech, falling 8-3.  Six games during the team’s 20-game winning streak have been decided by two runs or less.
• The Wolverines have three-game Big Ten sweeps over Michigan State, Northwestern, and Penn State, while taking two games in a weather-shortened series against Maryland.  The four league opponents are a combined 11-41 in Big Ten play.
• Michigan has six players hitting .300 or better and boast a .276 team batting average.  Jonathan Engelmann leads the team in hits (49), runs (33), and RBIs (34), while swiping 13 bases.
• The Wolverines have a 3.24 team ERA, allowing 254 hits over 308 1/3 innings.  The staff has 297 strikeouts against 138 walks and has a .222 batting average against.
• Michigan will start LHP Tommy Henry (7-0, 2.49 ERA) on Friday, LHP Ben Dragani (4-0, 1.98 ERA) on Saturday, and RHP Karl Kauffman (5-2, 2.76 ERA) on Sunday.

SERIES RESULTS
• The Wolverines lead the all-time series, 113-51.  Iowa and Michigan did not meet during the 2017 season.
• Michigan won two of three games in Iowa City during the 2016 regular season and the two teams split four meetings in 2015.  Iowa won a road series in Ann Arbor, but the Wolverines won a Big Ten Tournament matchup at Target Field.
• Rick Heller is 4-7 against Michigan since becoming Iowa’s head coach.

JOINING THE RECORD BOOKS
• Junior Robert Neustrom has 124 career singles, which rank 14th all-time in school history.
• Junior Zach Daniels has appeared in 55 career games, which are tied for the 10th-most all-time.
• Senior Tyler Cropley has 16 doubles in 2018, which are tied for the 15th-most in a single-season in school history.

TURNING 2
Iowa is leading the Big Ten with 39 double plays in 2018, a figure that is 19th-best nationally.  The Hawkeyes’ 1.05 double plays per game rank eighth in the nation.
• The Hawkeyes have two games this season where they have turned four doubles plays — Indiana, at Nebraska.
• Iowa had a school record 67 double plays last season.

HAVE YOURSELF A DAY ZO
Sophomore Lorenzo Elion became the second Hawkeye in the last decade to hit for the cycle when he finished 5-of-6 with two home runs, six RBIs, and four runs scored in a 16-1 win over Coe College on April 11.  The two home runs were the first of his career.
• Elion tripled in the first, homered in the second, doubled in the fifth,  singled in the sixth, and capped the night with a first-pitch, three-run home run in the eighth.
• The five hits tied a school record that has happened now 18 times.  It was last done by Joel Booker in 2016 at the Big Ten Tournament.  The five hits are tied for the most in the Big Ten this season.
• Mason McCoy was the last Hawkeye to hit for the cycle against Air Force in 2016.

#SCTOP10
Sophomore Lorenzo Elion appeared in SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays on April 8 after making a spectacular defensive play, diving to his right and throwing a dart to first to rob Ohio State of extra bases.  The play was No. 8.

RPI UPDATE
Iowa is 47th in the latest RPI report by D1Baseball .com (As of April 25).  The Hawkeyes are one of four Big Ten teams in the top 50 along with Indiana (27), Ohio State (39), Minnesota (40). Iowa has four wins against top 50 RPI teams and eight against the top 100.

B1G SUCCESS
Iowa has won 19 of 27 (70 percent) of its Big Ten Conference series dating back to the 2015 season.  The Hawkeyes had won six straight league series prior to dropping two of three games last weekend at No. 25 Minnesota.  (Iowa split two weather-shortened series against Indiana and Nebraska this season.)

WHELAN: THE CATALYST 
Redshirt junior Chris Whelan has been instant offense for the Hawkeyes since making his season debut on March 17 against Evansville.  The Illinois native missed the first month (14 games) recovering from Tommy John surgery. He was cleared to throw and play in the field April 24.
• The Hawkeyes averaged 5.0 runs per game in the 14 games before Whelan was cleared. Since inserting Whelan into the lineup, Iowa is averaging 6.2 runs per contest.
• Whelan has hit safely in 19-of-22 games since his return with eight multi-hit contests.   He is hitting .333 (30-for-90) with 21 runs, nine walks, and a .412 on-base percentage as Iowa’s leadoff hitter.
• Whelan had a career-high four hits, finishing 4-for-5 with a career-best four runs in Iowa’s 13-9 come-from-behind victory over Bradley on March 28.  He hit is second home run of the season on April 22 in the win at Minnesota, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
• In 22 games, Whelan is third on the team in batting average, fourth in runs, fifth in hits and total bases.  He is also tied for second in on-base percentage. 

CROPLEY PRODUCES
Senior Tyler Cropley is leading the team with a .365 average with team-highs in RBIs (32) and doubles (16).  He had a career-best 12-game hitting streak and 16-game reached base streak this season.  
• The South Dakota native ranks in the top-11 in the Big Ten in eight different categories.  His 16 doubles are tied for second and he’s sixth in slugging percentage (.591) and total bases (81).
• Cropley tied a school record in the 16-1 win over Coe College on April 11, finishing 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs.  All three of his hits were doubles, as he became the ninth Hawkeye — first since Nate Yoho in 2004 — to hit three in a single game.
• Cropley hit a walk-off grand slam to give Iowa a 13-9 victory over Bradley on March 28.  He finished with a career-high five RBIs in the game.  The walk-off homer was the first of Cropley’s baseball career and it was his second grand slam as a Hawkeye, ironically both coming against the Braves.
• Cropley is currently hitting .463 (19-of-41) with runners in scoring position.  He has a .875 average with a runner on third base with less than two outs.
• Cropley has four straight multi-hit games, giving him a team-best 16 such contests this season. He also has a team-best eight multi-RBI games.
• Cropley is on the Johnny Bench Award Watch List. The honor is given to the top catcher in Division I baseball.  

CROWL STEADY AT SHORT
Sophomore Kyle Crowl had a career-best 14-game reached base streak from March 11-April 4.  He has reached safely in 30 games this season.
• The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native has committed just five errors in 156 chances.  He has been a part of 29 double plays in helping Iowa be the Big Ten’s top double play unit.
• Crowl is second on the team with five home runs this season and his 23 RBIs are third on the team.

COMEBACK KIDS
The Hawkeyes have posted 11 come-from-behind victories in 2018, which includes four walk-off victories.
• Iowa trailed 9-8 through 7 1/2 innings before rallying for a 13-9 win.  Lorenzo Elion’s pinch-hit RBI single tied the game in the eighth before Iowa posted its fourth walk-off win in the ninth courtesy of a Tyler Cropley grand slam. 
• The Hawkeyes trailed 4-1 through 7 1/2 innings before Matt Hoeg tied the game with a two-out, three-run double in the eighth.  Iowa then posted its third walk-off victory of the season when Austin Guzzo connected on a two-run home run to right field, giving the team a 6-4 win.
• Ben Norman had the game-winning RBI single in the ninth, sending the Hawkeyes to a 4-3 win over Toledo in the season opener.  Norman also reached via error in the win over Virginia Tech, allowing the go-ahead run to score in the 2-1 walk-off victory.
• Iowa has overcome deficits to win 29 games since the start of the 2017 season and posted eight walk-off victories.
• Seventeen of those victories have come with Iowa trailing or being tied entering or through seven innings and 13 have come in the final at-bat.

BANKS MAGIC
• The Hawkeyes are 13-3 at Duane Banks Field this season, running their record to 65-17 at home since the start of the 2015 season.  
• Iowa went 19-4 at home last season, the most wins by the team since 1989 (19-2). 
• Iowa has 12 walk-off victories at Duane Banks Field since the start of 2015.

ON THE OFFENSE
• The Hawkeyes have had 10 or more hits in 15 games this season.  Iowa had a season-high 16 runs on 17 hits in its 16-1 victory over Coe College on April 11. 
• Iowa has scored 10 or more runs in seven games this season.  
• The Hawkeyes are 18-2 when out-hitting their opposition.

STARTING & FINISHING
The Hawkeyes are out-scoring opponents, 45-16, in the first inning and 92-55 over the first three innings.  Iowa is also out-scoring the opposition, 46-24, in the eighth and ninth innings.
• Iowa is 11-3 when it scores in the first inning and 16-4 when it scores the game’s first run.   
• The Hawkeyes are 19-0 when leading after six innings, 18-0 after seven, and 20-0 after eight this season.  

JUNIOR ROBERT NEUSTROM…
• has hit safely in 31-of-37 games this season and he has reached safely in 33-of-37 contests.  Neustrom has had hitting streaks of nine games and 10 games this season.
• has started 100 consecutive games dating back to the 2016 season. 
• is hitting .324 with 14 multi-hit games.  Neustrom is leading the team with six home runs.   
• was the Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year by Baseball America and Perfect Game.

ON THE BUMP
• The Hawkeyes’ starting pitchers are 13-10 with a 3.24 ERA in 37 games. Iowa starters have 173 strikeouts to 71 walks and opponents are hitting .240.
• Iowa’s pitching staff has three games where it has allowed two or fewer hits.  The Hawkeyes one-hit Northern Illinois on April 17 and had a pair of two hitters against Evansville on March 17 and No. 11 Indiana on March 23.
• Iowa’s pitching staff is leading the Big Ten with 334 strikeouts, averaging 9.0 per game. 
• Iowa has 15 games with 10 or more strikeouts this season.  The Hawkeyes had a season-high 15 strikeouts in a April 25 win over Milwaukee.

IN RELIEF
• Over the team’s last 13 games, Iowa’s bullpen is 5-1 with a 2.05 ERA with three saves.  The Hawkeye relievers have allowed 15 runs (13 earned) over 57 innings and have 54 strikeouts.
• Iowa’s bullpen is 11-3 with a 4.35 ERA this season.  The relievers have logged 155 1/3 innings, where they average more than a strikeout an inning (161).

1-2-3 PUNCH
The Hawkeyes don’t have a designated closer, but coach Rick Heller has three strong late-inning options.
• Junior Zach Daniels is 4-1 with a 1.84 ERA and three saves in 15 appearances, spanning 29 1/3 innings. He has 29 strikeouts and is limiting opposing hitters to a .172 average.   The right-hander is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in seven Big Ten appearances, allowing eight hits in 13 innings.
• Senior Nick Nelsen is 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA in 16 appearances where he has 19 strikeouts to five walks.  Nelsen has allowed three hits over his last appearances. 
• Redshirt sophomore Grant Leonard is tied for 10th in the Big Ten with 17 appearances.  The walk-on from Mokena, Illinois, is 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA with two saves in 14 innings.

REDSHIRT JUNIOR NICK ALLGEYER…
• is 4-3 with a 2.27 ERA in 10 starts. Allgeyer has 59 strikeouts, which are tied for the third-most in the Big Ten.
• ranks among the top-seven in the Big Ten in four different pitching categories — tied for third in strikeouts (59), fourth in innings (63.1), fifth in ERA (2.27), and seventh in strikeouts looking (17).
• leads the Big Ten in conference games in innings (32 2/3) and strikeouts (31).
• was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on April 16 after allowing one unearned run and scattering five hits in a road win at Nebraska (April 13).
• has allowed six hits or fewer in  eight of 10 starts… has allowed one or fewer earned runs in six starts.
• has nine consecutive quality starts.
• suffered the tough luck loss against Ohio State (4/7) after allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits over six innings in the 2-1 defeat… tied a career high with eight strikeouts.
• notched his third victory — first Big Ten win — allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings at No. 22 Illinois… tied a career-high with eight strikeouts.
•  recorded his first career win as a starter (third of his career), allowing one run on four hits at UAB (3/2)… had four strikeouts against one walk over 6 2/3 innings… went six innings, allowing one run on four hits in the win over Evansville (3/17).
• had a career-high eight strikeouts (to zero walks) in the no-decision against Virginia Tech, where he went a career-long seven innings. 
• made his first career Friday start — his second career start — against Toledo (2/16) — allowing three unearned runs over five innings and fanning seven.
• is 6-3 with a 2.77 ERA in 42 career appearances, including 11 starts… has 97 strikeouts in 110 1/3  innings.
• missed the 2017 season recovering from Tommy John surgery suffered during the fall of 2016.

JUNIOR BRADY SCHANUEL…
• Iowa’s Saturday starter… is 5-5 with a 4.89 ERA in 10 starts with 54 strikeouts over 42 1/3 innings.
• is tied for fifth in Big Ten in wins (5), tied for eighth in strikeouts (54), and 11th in batting average against (.231). 
• notched his fifth win, allowing three runs on six hits against Ohio State (4/7)… had seven strikeouts — his fourth game with six or more strikeouts.
• was named the Big Ten Co-Pitcher of the Week on March 25 after going a career-best seven innings, allowing one hit and fanning 11 in a 5-1 victory over No. 11 Indiana (3/23)… retired the final 10 batters he faced.  The 11 strikeouts were the most by a Hawkeye pitcher since Nathan Johnson’s 14 at Indiana in 2004.
• allowed a single hit over five shutout innings in a win against Evansville, where he fanned six… went a five innings in the road win at UAB — his second win of the season…allowed one hit and fanned a career-high seven.   
• earned his first career victory against Old Dominion (2/18), allowing two hits and fanning four in 3 2/3 innings… was on a predetermined 60-pitch pitch count.
• Two-time MLB Draft pick — selected in 20th round by Philadelphia in 2017 and 36th round by Oakland in 2015.
• Two-time All-American at Parkland College in Illinois… went 20-4 with 161 strikeouts in 164 innings.

JUNIOR COLE MCDONALD… 
• is 3-1 with a 2.89 ERA in eight starts  — seven coming as the Sunday starter… has missed two starts because of weather cancellations (Indiana, Nebraska).
• is 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA in three Big Ten starts, allowing four runs on 12 hits over 19 1/3 innings.  In league games, he is fourth, limiting hitters to a .177 average, is sixth in ERA, and tied for 10th with 21 strikeouts.
• tallied his third win, allowing one run on four hits over seven innings in a road win at No. 25 Minnesota… had six strikeouts to two walks for his third straight quality start.
• recorded his second straight quality start in a no-decision against Ohio State (4/8)… allowed one run on three hits over six innings and had a career-high eight strikeouts.
• notched his first Big Ten victory — second of the season — allowing two runs on five hits over 6 1/3 innings at No. 22 Illinois… finished with six strikeouts… it was his second quality start of the season.
• recorded his first career quality start and first win of the season, scattering three hits and allowing two unearned runs in seven innings in a victory over New Orleans.  McDonald had four strikeouts to one walk.
• is 9-6 with a 4.55 ERA in 31 appearances, including 27 starts.

HAWKEYES IN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL
Jake Adams – Quad Cities River Bandits — Class A (Astros)
Joel Booker – Winston-Salem Dash – Class A Advanced (White Sox)
Matt Dermody – Buffalo Bison – Triple-A (Blue Jays)
Ryan Erickson – Great Falls Voyagers – Rookie (White Sox)
Nick Gallagher – Lake County Captains – Class A (Indians)
Blake Hickman – Winson Salem Dash – Class A Advanced (White Sox)
Mason McCoy – Delmarva Shorebirds – Class A (Orioles)
Tyler Peyton – Myrtle Beach Pelicans – Class A Advanced (Cubs)
Nick Roscetti – Wisconsin Timber Rattlers – Class A (Brewers)
Jake Yacinich – Indland Empire 66ers – Class A Advanced (Angels)

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.