IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa redshirt senior Ben Norman has been named the Big Ten Player of the Week, it was announced Tuesday by the league office. It is the first weekly honor of Norman’s career.
The Des Moines, Iowa, native earned the distinction after hitting .400 (6-of-15) with two home runs, eight RBIs and six runs scored in leading the Hawkeyes to a 3-1 weekend at Rutgers. Norman finished with an .867 slugging and .474 on-base percentage in the four games.
The outfielder opened the weekend with a 2-for-4 performance with a leadoff home run and three runs scored in Iowa’s come-from-behind victory in game one. The Hawkeyes rallied from four runs down in the ninth inning to post a 14-12 win.
Norman went 1-for-3 with a double in game two and was 2-for-5 with three RBIs in an 8-1 victory that clinched Iowa’s fourth straight series win. The victory also was the team’s seventh consecutive victory. In the series finale, Norman hit a three-run home run and tied a career-high with four RBIs. His home runs in the series were his eighth and ninth on the season, which are a career high.
Ben Norman Big Fly! 💣
Three-run jack gives Iowa a 3-0 lead!@bnorman20 | #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/McHfpC9cU0
— Iowa Baseball (@UIBaseball) April 18, 2021
Norman is leading the team with a .319 average with team-bests in hits (29), runs (25), home runs (9), RBIs (30), slugging percentage (.692) and steals (7). He is second in the Big Ten in RBIs and third in home runs and currently ranks in the top eight in six different categories.
The weekly honor is Iowa’s second of the season as redshirt junior Trenton Wallace was the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on March 24. Norman is the first Hawkeye to earn the Big Ten Player of the Week accolade since Zeb Adreon in 2019.
Iowa (15-10) hosts a three-team Big Ten pod, facing Maryland and Northwestern from April 23-26 at Duane Banks Field. The Hawkeyes open the weekend against the Terrapins at 7:02 p.m. (CT) on Friday night.
