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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa baseball team opens a four-game road swing Wednesday, facing Bradley at Dozer Park in Peoria, Illinois. Game time is set for 7 p.m. (CT).
The Hawkeyes are 18-12 overall after winning two of three games over Rutgers last weekend at Duane Banks Field. The Braves have won five straight to improve their record to 17-10. Bradley went 3-0 last weekend, defeating Eureka (20-1) and Robert Morris-Springfield (10-0, 14-2).
Before playing Iowa on Wednesday, the Braves will play at Western Illinois on Tuesday.
Wednesday’s meeting will be the second between the two schools in 15 days. The Hawkeyes rallied from a 2-0 eighth-inning deficit to win the March 26 meeting in Iowa City, 4-2. Iowa scored four runs in the eighth on a wild pitch and a three-run Bradley fielding error.
Sophomore Trenton Wallace earned the victory, allowing two hits over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out six while issuing one walk. Junior Grant Leonard got the final three outs in the ninth to record the save, but not before the Braves loaded the bases.
Wallace will be on the hill Wednesday for his third start of the season. The southpaw is 1-1 with a 6.32 ERA in six appearances, allowing 12 runs (11 earned) on 15 hits over 15 2/3 innings. Wallace has 21 strikeouts to nine walks and batters are hitting .240.
The Hawkeyes are coming off a weekend where they scored 18 runs in winning their second straight league series. Iowa hit .268 as a team with seven doubles and two home runs. Senior Tanner Wetrich hit .333 with a home run and four runs scored.
Bradley has a .289 team batting average with 77 extra base hits (50 doubles, 10 triples, 17 home runs). The Braves average six runs a game on the strength of two players hitting over .300. Infielder Luke Shadid has a team-best .388 average with five home runs and 26 RBIs.
Wednesday’s game will be streamed on ESPN+ and it will also be available on the Hawkeye Radio Network with Zach Mackey on the call.
Iowa will resume its road trip this weekend, traveling to West Lafayette, Indiana, for a three-game series at Purdue.
