Notes: Iowa Hosts Terps, 'Cats in Big Ten Pod

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa baseball team will host a three team Big Ten pod from April 23-26 at Duane Banks Field. The Hawkeyes will face Maryland at 7:02 p.m. (CT) Friday and 1:05 p.m. Saturday before squaring off against Northwestern at 4:02 p.m. Sunday and 3:02 p.m. Monday.
Northwestern and Maryland will also play neutral site games at 5:05 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.

Fifty percent capacity (approximately 1,200) will be allowed at Duane Banks Field. Tickets must be pre-purchased online as there will be no walk-up tickets available.

WATCH/LISTEN LIVE
• Friday, Sunday, and Monday’s games will be televised live on BTN with Chris Vosters and Jeff Leise on the call.
• Saturday’s game and both Maryland/Northwestern contests will be streamed on BTN+, a paid subscription service.
• All for games will be available on the Hawkeye Radio Network with Miles Klotz and Steve Duncan on the call. Fans can access the stream via TuneIn Radio.
• Fans can follow along for live updates via Twitter/@UIBaseball.

HAWKEYE NOTABLES
• Iowa was on its way to its eighth straight win and second consecutive sweep on April 18 at Rutgers, leading 7-1 through 7 1/2 innings. The Scarlet Knights scored seven in the final two frames to hand the Hawkeyes their first loss since April 3 and their first loss when leading after six innings this season.
• The Hawkeyes scored a season-high 18 runs on April 11 in the 18-0 victory over Minnesota. They are the team’s most scored in a Big Ten game since 2011 in a 19-7 win over Michigan State and the most in a shutout since beating Northwestern College, 28-0, in 2016.
• Iowa has hit at least one home run in 12 of its last 17 games. The Hawkeyes have eight games with two or more home runs.
• Redshirt seniors Ben Norman and Matthew Sosa are the only two Hawkeyes to start every game this season.
• Sosa has been plunked a Big Ten-high 14 times.
• Iowa’s starting pitchers have gone five or more innings in 12 of their last 13 starts. They have allowed two or fewer runs in 11 of the 13 starts.
• Iowa has 10 games with 10 or more hits this season, including a season-high 17 hits against Minnesota on April 11.
• Over the last 10 games, Iowa is hitting .273, while averaging 8.3 runs per game. Iowa has 34 extra-base hits during the stretch, including 11 home runs.
• Iowa has had four or more extra base hits in 11 games this season, including seven (3 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR) against Maryland on March 28.
• Iowa out-scored Minnesota, 31-2, in its three-game series from April 9-11 in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes hit .320 as a team with 13 extra base hits and the pitching staff posted a 0.67 ERA.
• Three Hawkeyes — Peyton Williams (16), Ben Norman (13), and Izaya Fullard (8) — are riding season-best reached base streaks.
• Fullard and Williams tied the Iowa single game walks record in consecutive games. Williams had four walks in the series finale at Purdue, and Fullard drew four walks in the series opener against Minnesota.
• Iowa went 3-1 at the Columbus Big Ten pod, becoming the second team to escape the pod format with a winning record (Indiana). The Hawkeyes did it while facing Ohio State and Maryland’s No. 1 and No. 2 starters.
• Redshirt freshman Tyler Snep will miss the remainder of the season with a back injury. He suffered the injury in the preseason and re-aggravated it at Purdue. Snep hit .324 with three home runs and eight RBIs, while posting a .490 on-base percentage.

SUPER SENIOR SUCCESS
University of Iowa redshirt senior Ben Norman is enjoying a breakout “super senior” season. The outfielder is leading the team 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 among the top eight in six different categories.
• Norman is currently two home runs and one RBI behind Maryland’s Benjamin Cowles for the Big Ten lead.
• If you take away the season-opening four-game series, when Norman was working his way back following a COVID pause, the outfielder has been even better, posting a .377 average. Norman has hit safely in 18 of 21 games since the opening weekend with nine multi-hit and seven multi-RBI games.
• Norman was named the Big Ten Player of the Week on April 20 after hitting .400 with two home runs, eight RBIs, and six runs scored in the road series at Rutgers.
• Norman has scored at least one run in 17 of the last 21 games with seven games scoring two or more runs.
• Norman has a career-high nine home runs and has surpassed his home run total from his first four seasons where he had seven blasts in his first 176 career games.
• He went 2-for-5 with a home run and a career-best four RBIs in series finale against Nebraska. Norman hit a second home run in the game, but was called out after mistakenly passing a teammate on the base paths.
• Norman tied a career-high with four RBIs — with three coming on a three-run home run — at Purdue on April 3 and he was 2-for-3 with two doubles in the series finale.

WALLEY: THE ACE
Redshirt junior Trenton Wallace is Iowa’s ace and is one of the top pitchers in the Big Ten Conference. The southpaw is 3-1 with a 2.87 ERA over 37 2/3 innings. He has four quality starts to his ledger and he has allowed zero runs in three starts.
• The Rock Island, Illinois, native ranks in the top nine in the Big Ten in seven categories. He is second in fewest runs allowed (12), fourth in strikeouts (52) and fewest earned runs allowed (12), fifth in ERA (2.87), seven in batting average against (.200), eighth in fewest hits allowed (27) and tied for ninth in wins (3).
• Wallace had 18 2/3 consecutive scoreless frames spanning two-plus starts against Ohio State, Nebraska, and Ohio State. He allowed five hits during the streak and fanned 24.
• He was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on March 24 after scattering two hits over seven shutout innings in a 3-0 victory over Nebraska on March 19. The southpaw struck out eight Huskers in his career long outing.
• Wallace has allowed two or fewer runs in five starts and has eight or more strikeouts in four starts, including a career-high 10 punch outs against Ohio State.

ACE X 2
Redshirt junior Cam Baumann has established himself as one of the team’s top starters since struggling Week 1. The southpaw overtook Trenton Wallace for the team ERA lead following his last start at Rutgers. He is 3-2 with a 2.62 ERA in seven appearances (six starts) this season.
• If you take away Baumann’s first start, where he gave up six runs over three innings in a loss to Michigan, the Fairfield, Iowa, native has been almost unhittable. He is 3-1 with a 1.15 ERA over 31 1/3 innings. He has allowed six runs (four earned) and has 23 strikeouts to eight walks, while limiting hitters to a .162 average.
• Baumann has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last six outings. He went a career-long seven innings twice during the span, scattering three hits and allowing a single run in a road win at Ohio State on March 27 and scattering three hits and allowing one run in a win at Rutgers on April 17. They were his third and fourth career quality starts.
• Baumann combined on a shutout in the 18-0 victory over Minnesota on April 11, scattering two hits over five shutout innings.
• Baumann is 3-2 with a 2.62 ERA over 34 1/3 innings this season with 29 strikeouts to 10 walks. He is tied for second in fewest runs (10) and earned runs allowed (12), third in ERA (2.62), fourth in batting average against (.184), fifth in fewest hits allowed (23), and tied for ninth in wins (3).

BACK-TO-BACK STRONG STARTS
Redshirt sophomore Drew Irvine has put together consecutive strong starts, logging seven innings in consecutive wins over Minnesota and Rutgers.
• Irvine scattered two hits and allowed one run over seven innings against the Gophers on April 11 for his first win. He followed it up with a seven-inning complete game — the first by a Hawkeye since Jack Dreyer in 2020. He allowed one run on six hits and fanned five without issuing a walk in a 3-1 win at Rutgers.
• Irvine is 2-2 with a 4.00 ERA over 36 innings with 33 strikeouts to 18 walks.
• The Waukee native will be making his second start against the Terps. In his first outing — a no decision — he allowed two runs on three hits over six innings. Iowa won the game, 6-4.

WHAT A SUNDAY
Redshirt junior Dylan Nedved enjoyed a stellar Sunday on April 11 in the doubleheader sweep of Minnesota. The Kansas native hit for the cycle across the two games and recorded his fifth save (in as many chances) to clinch the series win.
• Nedved went 4-for-4 with a home run — the first of his career — and a triple in game one. The four hits were a career-high. He also got the final six outs, scattering a pair of hits over two shutout frames.
• He completed the cycle with his first inning double in game two, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
• Nedved hit .600 (6-for-10) with three extra base hits and five runs scored in the series. Over his last five games, Nedved has four multi-hit games, where he is hitting .579 (11-of-19) with three doubles, two triples, and a home run, while scoring seven times.
• Nedved, who has started the last seven games in left field, is hitting .284 with nine RBIs and 15 runs scored. He has hit safely in 10 games with seven multi-hit contests.

THE BIG KAHUNAH
Redshirt freshman Peyton Williams is hitting .313 (10-of-32) over his last 10 games with three home runs, two doubles, 10 RBIs, and 12 runs scored.
• Williams has hit safely in 13 games with four multi-hit and seven multi-RBI games.
• Williams finished with a .500 (4-for-8) average in the three-game series at Purdue. In game two, he had a career game, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs and three runs scored. He doubled and then homered in consecutive at-bats, for his first career multi-home run game. He is the first Hawkeye since Tanner Wetrich in 2019 to have a multi-home run contest.
• In the series finale in West Lafayette, Williams reached base in all five plate appearances. He drew Barry Bonds treatment, being intentionally walked twice in the game, and he walked a total of four times to tie the Iowa single-game school record. He also reached via a hit by pitch.
• Williams homered in consecutive games, hitting a two-run blast and finishing 2-for-4 with two RBIs in a 6-4 win over Maryland on March 27 and 2-for-4 with four RBIs — and a three-run shot — in the 11-2 win over the Terps on March 28.
• Williams hit his first career grand slam in Iowa’s 7-1 victory over Minnesota on April 9. He sent the no-doubt blast down the right field line and per metrics, it was estimated to go 430 feet with a 109 mph exit velocity.

ROTATION NOTES
• Iowa’s starting pitchers have allowed two or fewer earned runs in 17 of 25 starts this season and they have gone at least five innings in 17 starts.
• Iowa has used the same four starting pitchers in each of the first seven weeks. Redshirt junior Cam Baumann and redshirt sophomore Duncan Davitt have shared the No. 3 spot on three-game weekends.
• Iowa’s starters have notched 11 quality starts this season with redshirt junior Trenton Wallace leading the way with four such starts.

THE HAWKEYES ARE…
• 14-1 when scoring first.
• 11-0 when out-hitting its opposition.
• 8-4 against left-handed starters.
• 14-2 when limiting opponents to five or fewer runs.
• 11-1 when leading after six innings.
• 8-1 when making zero errors.
• Out-scoring their opposition, 54-27, over the final three innings and in extra innings.

PATTY, A-MART COMIN’ ON
• Redshirt junior Izaya Fullard has 10 hits over his last six games, including four multi-hit contests. Fullard hit a team-best .438 (7-of-16) during the four-game series in Piscataway with four runs and four RBIs.
• The North Liberty, Iowa, native had the go-ahead two-run single in the ninth inning as Iowa rallied from four runs down to win 14-12 in the series opener and he hit his first home run of the season in game two.
• Fullard’s average has climbed 57 points from .218 on April 4 to .275 following the Rutgers series.
• Redshirt senior Austin Martin has three multi-hit games over his last five contests, including a 3-for-4, two-RBI performance in the series finale at Rutgers. The catcher has seen his average climb to .257 (from .192 on April 11) over his last five games. Martin was named to the Buster Posey Catcher of the Year Watch List for a second straight season.

PITCHING NOTES
• Iowa’s pitching staff has six games with 10 or more strikeouts and nine with nine or more Ks.
• Iowa’s pitching staff has allowed three earned runs or fewer in 14 games.

BULLPEN STRENGTH
Iowa’s bullpen has been up and down, posting a 4.76 ERA 90 2/3 innings. Fifteen players have pitched in relief, limiting opposing hitters to a .253 average.
• Redshirt junior Dylan Nedved has taken over as Iowa’s closer and primary late-inning option. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA over 11 appearances and 18 1/3 innings. He recorded his first two saves against Ohio State (3/12) and Nebraska (3/14) and had his third and fourth saves in a split doubleheader against Ohio State and Maryland on March 27 and his fifth save against Minnesota on April 11.
• Nedved allowed a single hit over a career-high 3 1/3 shutout innings en route to his second win of the season in the series opener at Purdue. He extended his scoreless innings streak to 14 1/3 innings before surrendering three runs in the series finale against the Boilermakers. Nedved has given up seven earned runs in his last two appearances at Rutgers.
• Senior Trace Hoffman has made 11 appearances, allowing four runs on nine hits over 13 1/3 innings. Hoffman (2-0, 2.70 ERA) picked up his first save of the season, pitching two innings in the 3-0 three-hit shutout of Nebraska on March 19. His first win came against Maryland, when he allowed one run on one hit, on March 27 and he got the win, tossing a season-high three innings at Rutgers on April 16.
• Redshirt sophomore Ben Probst has a spotless ERA, allowing one hit over six appearances, spanning 5 2/3 innings. Opponents are batting .056 against the right-hander.

THE GRANT LEONARD FILE
• Redshirt senior Grant Leonard is 0-1 with a 6.14 ERA in seven appearances this season. Leonard blew his first save opportunity at Rutgers on April 18.
• For his career, Leonard has 20 career saves, which are tied for the second most in Hawkeye history with Tim Gudex (2004-06). Kurt Belger (1993-97) holds the program record with 22 career saves.
• Leonard also earned a “save” off the field as he and Iowa softball pitcher Allison Doocy became engaged in January.

HAWKEYE HIGHLIGHTS
• Redshirt senior Zeb Adreon hit a two-run, opposite field home run to break a four-all tie in the ninth inning to send the Hawkeyes to a 6-4 victory over Maryland on March 27. Adreon, who was 2-for-4 in the game, also had a triple in the contest.
• Redshirt junior Brett McCleary hit a two-run, 10th-inning single to send the Hawkeyes to a 6-4 victory over Purdue on April 2 in West Lafayette.
• Redshirt freshman Peyton Williams hit his first career grand slam in Iowa’s 7-1 victory over Minnesota on April 9. He sent the no-doubt blast down the right field line and per metrics, it was estimated to go 430 feet with a 109 mph exit velocity.
• Iowa rallied from four runs down in the ninth inning to defeat Rutgers, 14-12, on April 16 in the series opener. Down to his final strike, Brendan Sher had a two-run single to close the gap to 10-9 and Izaya Fullard followed with a two-run single to give the Hawkeyes the lead.

DON’T COUNT ‘EM OUT
The Hawkeyes have overcome deficits to win 56 games since the start of the 2017 season and posted 14 walk-offs. Twenty-eight of those victories have come with Iowa trailing or being tied entering or through seven innings. Nineteen have come in the final at-bat.
• The Hawkeyes have overcome deficits in nine games in 2021. The team is 5-4 in such contests.

SCOUTING MARYLAND
• The Terrapins have won seven of their last 10 games to improve to 13-12 overall. Maryland is currently tied for fifth in the Big Ten with Ohio State.
• Maryland swept the Buckeyes last weekend in College Park, winning 10-6 in the opener, 5-4 in 10 innings in game two and 9-4 in the finale.
• The Terps are hitting .247 as a team and average 6.6 runs per game. Three players are hitting over .300 with Benjamin Cowles leading the way with a .337 average with a Big Ten-leading 11 home runs and 31 RBIs. Randy Bednar is hitting .308 with 15 RBIs and Maxwell Costes has a .300 average with 14 RBIs.
• Maryland has a 5.59 team ERA and it has allowed 209 hits over 214 innings. The Terps average 9.4 strikeouts per game.
• Iowa will face RHP Sean Burke for a second time this season on Friday and RHP Nick Dean on Saturday. Iowa scored two runs on five hits but punched out 11 times in the first meeting against Burke.

SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
• The Wildcats have dropped seven of their last 10 games to fall to 12-12 overall this season. Northwestern has dropped back-to-back series at Rutgers and at home against Indiana.
• Northwestern is fourth in the Big Ten in hitting with a .271 team batting average. Four players are hitting .300 or better with Anthony Calarco leading the team with a .360 average with 36 hits, including 11 doubles and seven home runs. Shawn Goosenberg is second in the Big Ten in home runs with 10 to go along with his .327 average.
• Northwestern is sixth in the league with a 4.80 team ERA, but its defense hasn’t been doing it any favors. The Wildcats have committed 39 errors and have the worst fielding percentage in the conference at .958.
• Northwestern head coach Spencer Allen was on the Iowa coaching staff as a volunteer assistant in 2004. Wildcat assistant coach Dusty Napolean was a three-year starter for the Hawkeyes from 2005-07 before being drafted by the Oakland Athletics.

SERIES RECORD
• Iowa is 2-0 this season against Maryland and 8-5 against the Terrapins all-time. The Hawkeyes beat Maryland, 6-4 and 11-2 in Columbus, Ohio, on March 27-28.
• The Terps swept the most recent traditional series, taking all three games in College Park during the 2019 season. Iowa won two of three games from Maryland during the last series in Iowa City in 2016.
• The Hawkeyes are 138-105-2 all-time against Northwestern. Iowa will also play a three-game series in Evanston on May 21-23.
• The Wildcats took two of three games from Iowa in Evanston during both the 2017 and 2018 seasons. The Hawkeyes haven’t hosted Northwestern since 2015 when they won two of three games.

TEAM CAPTAINS
Iowa’s team captains for the 2021 season are seniors Trace Hoffman, Grant Leonard, Austin Martin, and Ben Norman and junior Trenton Wallace.

BANKS MAGIC
• The Hawkeyes are 99-29 at home since the start of the 2015 season.
• Iowa won 19 games in 2019, the third-most in a single-season in school history, trailing only the 22 wins in 1977 and 20 wins in 2018.
• Iowa has 16 walk-off victories at Duane Banks Field since the start of 2015.

#HELLERBALL
• Head coach Rick Heller recorded his 900th career win against Grand View in a 15-2 victory on March 3, 2020, at Duane Banks Field
• 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. Heller won his 200th game at Iowa on May 1 in a victory over Western Illinois.
• The Hawkeyes have won 30 or more games in each of Heller’s six 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; the program had three regional appearances in its history prior to his arrival.
• Heller is fourth in school history in career wins with 204 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 six straight years for the first time in program history.
• Heller has coached at least one first-team All-Big Ten selection in five of his first seven seasons, and has 21 Major League Baseball Draft picks in seven seasons — the most in a six-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 23 All-Big Ten honorees in six 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.

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.