Game Notes -- vs. Rutgers

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THIS WEEK
• The University of Iowa baseball team closes out its nine-game home stand with a three-game series against Rutgers on April 5-7 at Duane Banks Field
• Game one is slated for Friday night with a 6:05 p.m. (CT) first pitch. Saturday’s game begins at 2:05 p.m. with the series finale at 12:05 p.m. on Sunday. 
 
SERIES PROMOTIONS
Friday: Baseball Bingo; Camper Reunion Night
Saturday: “Have a Catch Saturday”
Sunday: Kids can run the bases after game.

FOLLOW ALONG
• Games one and two will be streamed live on BTN Plus on BTN2Go. It is a paid subscription service. 
• The series finale will be televised on BTN with Chris Vosters and Danan Hughes on the call. 
• All Iowa games will also be available via the Hawkeye Radio Network with Zach Mackey and Steve Duncan on the call. The games can be heard on Hawkeye All-Access/TuneIn Radio.
Friday: KMJM 1360 AM in Cedar Rapids, KDEC-AM 1240 in Decorah, KKFD 95.9 FM in Fairfield.
Saturday: KMJM 1360 AM in Cedar Rapids; KKFD 95.9 FM in Fairfield, WDBQ FM 107.5 in Dubuque.
Sunday: KMJM 1360 AM in Cedar Rapids; KKFD 95.9 FM in Fairfield, WDBQ FM 107.5 in Dubuque.
• Live stats are available on hawkeyesports.com and fans can follow along on Twitter @UIBaseball.

LEADING OFF
• The Hawkeyes’ nine-game home winning streak and five-game overall winning streak was snapped in an 11-6 loss to Illinois State on April 3. It was Iowa’s only sixth loss in midweek games since the start of 2016. 
• Iowa has posted nine come-from-behind wins this season.
• The Hawkeyes are 11-4 in games decided by two runs or less. 
• Iowa has three series wins — at No. 19 Oklahoma State, vs. Cal-State Northridge, and vs. No. 23 Illinois.The Hawkeyes split a four-game series at Hawaii and suffered series losses at Evansville and at Indiana.
• Iowa’s sweep of No. 23 Illinois was its first series sweep over a ranked team since 2015 when Iowa took three from No. 19 Indiana. 
• With five wins over top-25 teams this season, Iowa was has 13 games over ranked opponents since the start of the 2018 season. 
• Junior Austin Martin has the third-best batting average (.370) in the Big Ten, which is tops amongst league catchers. In Martin’s last 15 games, he is hitting .404 (21-of-52) with seven multi-hit games. The Altoona, Iowa, native is up to a team-leading 12 multi-hit games on the season.
• Junior Grant Judkins owns the fourth-best ERA (1.69) in the Big Ten, having allowed one run or fewer in five of seven starts. 
• Redshirt junior Grant Leonard (2-1, 2.03 ERA) is a perfect 6-for-6 in save opportunities, which are the second most in the Big Ten conference. 
• The Hawkeye pitching staff owns a 4.06, the sixth-best in the conference, along with 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings, which ranks fifth in the league. 
• Iowa is 9-2 at Banks this season, after going 20-6 at home last season. The Hawkeyes are 83-22 in Iowa City since 2015.  
• Iowa has won 159 games since the start of the 2015 season, the best four-year stretch in school history. The Hawkeyes have won 182 games in the Rick Heller era (2014-present), which is the third-best five-year stretch all-time.  The  Hawkeyes won 178 games from 1981-85 and 175 from 1977-1981 under Duane Banks. 

QUICK HITTERS
• Sophomore Izaya Fullard’s nine-game hitting streak came to a halt against Illinois State, but he extended his reached-base streak to 10 games. 
• Iowa is 10-1 when leading after six innings and 13-2 when leading after eight innings. 
• The Hawkeyes have walked a conference-leading 132 times this season, which has produced the fourth-best on-base percentage in the conference at .369. 
• Iowa’s 34 stolen bases are the fourth-most in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes only swiped 39 bags last season. Ben Norman and Tanner Wetrich lead Iowa with seven stolen bases each. 
• Junior Matthew Sosa hit his first career home run — an inside-the-park variety — in game one at Evansville.  He is one of five Hawkeyes with home runs this season.
• Three Hawkeyes — seniors Cole McDonald and Chris Whelan and sophomore Jack Dreyer — were selected to the Big Ten Preseason Honors list. 
• The Hawkeyes return four starters, their designated hitter, 2/3 of their starting rotation, and 19 total letterwinners in 2019.
• The Hawkeyes were picked to finish fifth in the Big Ten by Perfect Game, sixth by D1 Baseball, and sixth by Baseball America in 2019.
• Iowa will play 12 games on the road against four 2018 NCAA Tournament teams this season (at Oklahoma State, at Indiana, at Purdue, and at Ohio State). 

SCOUTING RUTGERS
• The Scarlet Knights have won two straight games and own an 8-17 overall record, including a 1-2 mark in the Big Ten.
• Rutgers’ batting average (.227), ERA (5.03), and fielding percentage (.949) all rank in the bottom three of the Big Ten. 
• On the offensive end, Rutgers is led by second baseman Tim Dezzi, who is hitting .322 (29-for-90) with a .419 on-base percentage. Dezzi is the only Scarlet Knight hitting above .300. 
• The Rutgers pitching staff has allowed 254 hits (.281 BAA) and struck out 199 batters in 225 1/3 innings. 
• LHP Harry Rutkowski (0-2, 2.51 ERA) will start Friday followed by RHP Tommy Genuario (1-1, 2.13 ERA) in game two, and LHP Tevin Murray (0-3, 5.08 ERA) in the series finale. 
• Genuario’s 2.13 ERA is eighth-best in the Big Ten and his .221 batting average against leads the team. It will be the right-hander’s second start of the season. 

SERIES RESULTS
• Iowa is 6-6 all-time versus Rutgers. 
• The Hawkeyes have dropped both series since the Scarlet Knights joined the Big Ten.  Rutgers took two of three games in Piscataway in 2015 and two of three games in Iowa City in 2017. 

BACK IN THE BIG TEN RACE
After getting swept to start the Big Ten season, Iowa swept No. 23 Illinois to get back to .500 (3-3) in the conference to sit in seventh after two weekends. 
• The Hawkeyes allowed only six runs in three games to one of the best offenses in the Big Ten.
• All three of Iowa’s starting pitchers went at least six innings, while Cam Baumann and Grant Judkins posted quality starts. 
• Trenton Wallace got his first career save in game two by pitching the final three innings, while Grant Leonard earned the win in game one and a save in the series finale. 
• Austin Martin had a team-high four RBIs in the three-game series, including the go-ahead RBIs in game three. 

MARTIN MASH
Junior Austin Martin leads Iowa in five offensive categories: batting average (.370), runs (18), hits (34), total bases (16), and slugging percentage (.522). He ranks among the top-11 in the Big Ten in all five categories.
• Martin became the second Hawkeye to record four hits in a game this season in Iowa’s loss to Illinois State on April 3.  The catcher went 4-for-5 with a double and three singles. Redshirt Tanner Padgett racked up four hits in Iowa’s series finale against Hawaii on February 24. 

B NORM BALLIN’ OUT
Junior outfielder Ben Norman has reached base safely in 15 straight games — a new career high. He surprassed his previous high of 14 games set during his freshman year.
• During his 15-game on-base streak, Norman is hitting .317 (19-of-60) with a .397 on-base percentage. 
• Norman has turned his season around after hitting .200 (9-of-45) in his first 12 games.  
• The Des Moines, Iowa, native is the only Hawkeye to start all 27 games this season. Norman has seen starts at all three outfield spots with 13 in right field, 10 in center field, and four in left field. 

JUNIOR GRANT JUDKKINS… 
• ranks fourth in the Big Ten with a 1.69 ERA.
• has posted a team-leading four quality starts (vs. Marshall, vs. CSUN, at Indiana, vs. Illinois) in seven chances. 
• has allowed one or fewer runs in the five of seven starts.
• pitched five or more innings in all seven starts. 
• ranks fifth in the Big Ten, allowing 5.91 hits per nine innings

BACK AT THE TOP
Senior Chris Whelan had seen his name appear in five different spots in the Hawkeyes’ batting order before returning to the top of the lineup April 2 against Clarke.   Whelan was Iowa’s primary leadoff hitter in 2018.
• In the two games since, Whelan is 3-for-6 with a double, home run, four RBIs, three runs scored, and two walks.
• Whelan leads the team in walks (20), hit-by-pitches (7), and on-base percentage (.448). 

DUNCAN DAVITT DEALS
In his second straight midweeks start, freshman Duncan Davitt threw a career-high five innings and struck out a career-high six batters. The right-hander from Indianola, Iowa, received a no decision, but allowed didn’t allow a run while giving up just one hit and two walks. Davitt has also been a key piece in the Hawkeye bullpen. 

LEONARD LOCKS DOWN THE NINTH
Closer questions lingered to start the 2019 season, but redshirt junior Grant Leonard has secured the closer role. 
• The junior right-hander has a team-leading six saves, which are the second-most in the Big Ten. 
• Leonard has been Iowa’s high leverage guy, making two appearances in one day during Iowa’s doubleheader sweep of Cal-State Northridge to earn a win and a save. 
• Leonard owns a 2.03 ERA in 12 appearances this season. 

OFFENSIVELY SPEAKING
• Iowa’s offensive approach has produced the most walks (132) in the Big Ten for the fourth-best on-base percentage in the conference (.364). 
• Iowa has 12 home runs this season. Ben Norman leads the Hawkeyes with four home runs, followed by Tanner Wetrich and Austin Martin who each have two home runs. Chris Whelan became the latest Hawkeye to hit a home run on April 3.
• Junior Zeb Adreon tied a school record, roping three doubles in the game one victory at Evansville.  Chris Whelan and Adreon both have three-double games this season, which are tied for the most by a Big Ten player this season.
• The Hawkeye have eclipsed 10 hits nine times this season, registering a season-high 19 hits in game one against Evansville. Iowa has scored 10 runs in four games this season. 

ON THE BUMP
• Iowa ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings, but Iowa’s 5.09 walks per nine innings rank 10th in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes 1.73 strikeout-to-walk ratio is the fourth-worst in the conference.
•  The Hawkeye staff is allowing 7.86  hits per nine innings, which ranks fifth-best in the Big Ten. 

BACK END OF THE BULLPEN
The Hawkeye bullpen has held opposing hitters to a .236 average over 105 2/3 innings with 101 strikeouts. 
• Grant Leonard has converted all six of his saves, which leads the team and are the second-most in the Big Ten. Jason Foster and Trenton Wallace each have one save this season.
• Trace Hoffman (3-1) has been one of Iowa’s go-to guys out of the bullpen, leading the team with 14 appearances, which are the second-most in the Big Ten. Hoffman owns a .214 batting average against and has 15 strikeouts in 15 innings to only three walks. 
• Freshman Duncan Davitt, who started Iowa’s midweek game against Clarke, has been a steady arm out of the bullpen, striking out 14 batters in 13 innings of relief. 

MCCAFFERY’S DOUBLE DUTY
Redshirt freshman multi-sport athlete Connor McCaffery made his Iowa debut against Cal-State Northridge on March 16 as a pinch hitter.  McCaffery made his first career start in game three of the series, finishing 3-for-4 with two doubles.
• McCaffery was a reserve guard for the Iowa men’s basketball team that nearly completed a 25-point comeback win over second-seeded Tennessee on March 24, but fell in overtime in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. McCaffery finished the season averaging 4.4 points and 3.0 assists in 34 games. 
• McCaffery is believed to be the first Hawkeye since the late 1980s to play both basketball and baseball at Iowa since Randy Norton (79-82), Todd Berkenpas (82-85) Tom Norman (1979), and Kurt Stange (1983-86).
• Basketball-baseball combinations are rare.  A select few who have done it recently are Notre Dame’s Pat Connaughton and Washington State’s Mark Hendrickson as pitchers.  Other notables are Chris Young (Princeton), Kenny Lofton (Arizona), and Tony Gwynn (San Diego State).

MASTERS OF THE MIDWEEK
• Iowa’s 11-6 loss to Illinois State on Wednesday was Iowa’s sixth midweek loss in the last four years. Iowa is 29-6 in midweek contests since the start of 2016. 

DON’T COUNT ‘EM OUT
The Hawkeyes have posted nine come-from-behind victories this season, including two in walk-off fashion.
• In two of three games against No. 23 Illinois, Iowa overcame one-run defecits to complete the sweep. 
• Iowa scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth against Bradley after trailing 2-0 for the first seven inning to win 4-2. 
• Junior Grant Judkins had a pinch-hit, RBI double, giving the Hawkeyes a 5-4 walk-off win over Cal-State Northridge on March 17.  Iowa trailed 4-3 heading into the ninth.
• Iowa posted its second walk-off win of the season against Chicago State.  Trailing 4-3 entering the ninth, Austin Martin’s RBI double tied the score at four and Ben Norman’s fly ball to centerfield was misplayed, giving the Hawkeyes their 11th win.
• The Hawkeyes have overcome deficits to win 42 games since the start of the 2017 season and posted 11 walkoffs.  Twenty-four of those victories have come with Iowa trailing or being tied entering or through seven innings.  Sixteen have come in the final at-bat.

BANKS MAGIC
• The Hawkeyes are 83-22 at home since the start of the 2015 season.  
• Iowa won 20 games last season, the second-most in a single-season in school history, trailing only the 22 wins in 1977.
• Iowa has 15 walk-off victories at Duane Banks Field since the start of 2015.

ON THE MEND
• Sophomore Ben Probst will miss the remainder of the season with a partial tear to his UCL.  He suffered the injury at Hawaii on Feb. 23.
• Junior Hunter Lee made just two appearances before going down because of injury.  He had season-ending surgery in March.
• Sophomore Jack Dreyer is out with a shoulder injury.  He left his start at Hawaii after three innings.
• Sophomore Tanner Padgett re-injured his hamstring on March 20.  He initially suffered the injury in the series finale at Oklahoma State.

COACHING STAFF CHANGES
Iowa welcomed Robin Lund and Tom Gorzelanny to the Hawkeye coaching staff after Desi Druschel and Joe Migliaccio accepted positions within the New York Yankees organization. Lund, who served as the volunteer hitting coach for the Northern Iowa softball program in 2018 and UNI’s volunteer strength and conditioning coach under Heller in 2005-06, replaces Migliaccio as the team’s hitting coach. Gorzelanny, who pitched for six MLB teams over a 12-year span, replaces Druschel as the team’s volunteer pitching coach. 

TEAM CAPTAINS
Three seniors — Mitchell Boe, Cole McDonald, and Chris Whelan — and redshirt junior Kyle Shimp were voted team captains in January. Shimp is a team captain for a second straight season. 

CHAMPIONSHIP HAWKEYES
• Chris Whelan and Lorenzo Elion won a Prospect League championship with the Terre Haute Rex in 2018.  The Rex defeated Kokomo, 11-3, to claim their second title in four seasons.
• Mitchell Boe led the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders to their first Northwoods League title with a 4-3 victory over Duluth. 

#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 five 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 173
in his four seasons at Iowa, including the second (41) and fifth-most (39) 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 five 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 20 Major League Baseball
Draft picks in four seasons — the most in a five-year stretch in school history.
• Iowa had a school-record six All-Big Ten selections in 2015 and five in 2017. The Hawkeyes have had 22 All-Big Ten honorees in five 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.

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