24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2018-19 | Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | Hawk Talk Monthly — April
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa baseball team returns to Duane Banks Field on Tuesday, hosting Northern Illinois at 4:05 p.m. (CT). The game was originally scheduled for 6:05 p.m., but was pushed up to accommodate NIU; the Huskies will play a rescheduled game Wednesday.
Iowa is 20-14 overall after taking two of three games from Purdue last weekend in West Lafayette, Indiana. The Huskies are 11-24 after dropping two of three games at Western Michigan on April 12-13. NIU is 4-8 in its last 12 games.
The Hawkeyes will send freshman Duncan Davitt to the bump for his third start of the season. The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.96 ERA in 11 appearances. He has allowed 20 hits and fanned 29 over 25 innings.
Iowa is 4-2 in midweek games this season, which includes a 4-1 record at home. The Hawkeyes are hitting .269 as a team and averaging 4.3 runs per game during the midweek. Junior Austin Martin is hitting a team-best .429 in the six games with two doubles and five RBIs.
Overall, the Hawkeyes are hitting .259 as a team to rank eighth in the Big Ten. Iowa also has the sixth-best team ERA, sitting at 4.17 and the fourth-best team fielding percentage at .969.
Northern Illinois has a .255 team batting average with 60 extra base hits — 43 doubles, two triples, and 15 home runs. Nick Drobushevich has a team-best .311 average with 42 hits and 22 RBIs. Jake Dunham has a team-best 23 RBIs.
On the mound, NIU has a 5.76 team ERA, allowing 360 hits over 292 innings. The Huskies have allowed opposing hitters to post a .303 batting average.
Iowa has won five straight over Northern Illinois, including posting a 2-0 shutout victory last season in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes are 23-9 against NIU in the all-time series.
Tuesday’s game will be streamed online on BTN Plus on BTN2Go. The game will also be broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network with Zach Mackey on the call.
The Hawkeyes continue their five-game home stand Friday, hosting Big Ten-leading and 30th-ranked Nebraska in the opening game of a three-game series. Game time is set for 6:05 p.m.
