IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa baseball team will look to complete the season sweep of Bradley, hosting the Braves for a Tuesday midweek game at Duane Banks Field, beginning at 4:05 p.m. (CT). Admission is $2.
The Hawkeyes outlasted Bradley, 9-8, in 11 innings on April 6 in Peoria, Illinois. Iowa rallied from a 6-3 deficit and survived two blown saves to notch the victory.
Iowa, winners of four straight and seven of its last 10 games, brings a 20-12 overall record into the midweek matchup. The Hawkeyes downed Milwaukee on the road and swept Minnesota in Iowa City.
Bradley is 11-18 overall after taking two of three games from No. 16 Dallas Baptist last weekend in Peoria.
The Hawkeyes posted a .296 batting average during the three-game series against the Gophers with redshirt sophomore Ben Tallman leading the way with a .538 average. The Montana native had three multi-hit games, collecting seven hits in 13 at-bats, including the game-winning RBI single in game two and the game-tying base hit in the series finale.
Iowa is hitting .271 as a team with redshirt freshman Keaton Anthony (.354), redshirt sophomore Peyton Williams (.342) and Tallman (.353) hitting over .300. Anthony has a team-high 15 doubles, 31 RBIs and .673 slugging percentage.
The Hawkeye pitching staff continues to be one of the best in the Big Ten and nation. Iowa boasts a 3.35 team ERA and the staff has 403 strikeouts over 290 1/3 innings. In the April 12 midweek win at Milwaukee, the Hawkeyes allowed just two hits and fanned 12 with nine different pitchers taking the mound.
Bradley is hitting .280 as a team and average 6.5 runs per game. The Braves’ Connor O’Brien is hitting nearly .400 (.398) with team-highs in hits (45), runs (28), home runs (6), RBIs (27), total bases (73), slugging (.646) and on-base percentage (.466). Ryan Vogel has a .342 average with 11 extra-base hits.
The Braves’ pitching staff has struggled, posting a 6.50 team ERA. The staff has allowed 257 hits and 216 runs over 246 1/3 innings and it has 216 strikeouts to 164 walks.
Tuesday’s game will be streamed live on BTN+ and it will be available via the Hawkeye Radio Network.
Following the midweek contest, the Hawkeyes travel to Piscataway, New Jersey, for a three-game series against Big Ten-leading and eighth-ranked Rutgers from Friday through Sunday.