Notes: Iowa Ready for B1G Tournament in Omaha

THIS WEEK
The third-seeded University of Iowa baseball team opens Big Ten Tournament play against No. 6 seed Penn State on Wednesday at 5 p.m. (CT) at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. The game will be televised live on BTN.

WATCH/LISTEN LIVE
• Wednesday’s game will be televised on BTN with Brandon Gaudin, Jeff Leise and Danan Hughes on the call. The entirety of the Big Ten Tournament will be televised on BTN.
• All three games will be broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network with Zach Mackey on the call. Fans can access the stream free by downloading The Varsity Network app.
• All games can be heard on the radio on 800 AM KXIC (Iowa City), 1360 AM KMJM (Cedar Rapids), 95.9 FM KKFD (Fairfield) and 101.1 FM & 1220 AM KJAN (Atlantic).
• Live stats will be available on hawkeyesports.com and live updates will be available on Twitter (@UIBaseball).

LEADING OFF
• The Hawkeyes have won 17 of their last 22 games, 20 of 27 and 27 of 37 games dating back to March 13 to improve to 33-17 overall. Iowa won a season-best seven consecutive games from April 12-23.
• Iowa finished 17-7 in the Big Ten to tie for second in the regular season standings, the highest finish since 2015. The Hawkeyes have won six straight series and eight of their last nine, including four on the road. The 17 wins are the most in a non-COVID season since 2015 (19 wins).
• The Hawkeyes are one of three teams (Iowa, Indiana, Michigan) to qualify for every Big Ten Tournament since 2014.
• Iowa went 10-5 against the Big Ten Tournament field this season (2-1 vs. Michigan, 1-2 vs. Illinois, 2-1 vs. Rutgers, 2-1 vs. Purdue, 3-0 vs. Indiana).
• Iowa has won 30 or more games in each of Heller’s seven “non-COVID” seasons in Iowa City.
• Iowa joined the Collegiate Baseball rankings on May 23, coming in at No. 30. It is the first national ranking since the 2017 season.
• The Hawkeyes have won their last nine series openers dating back to March 25 against Central Michigan.
• Adam Mazur became the second straight Hawkeye to earn Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors and Keaton Anthony is the second Iowa player to be named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Iowa had four All-Big Ten selections (two first-teamers) and two Big Ten All-Freshman team honorees.
• Kyle Huckstorf was selected as the Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week, Dick Howser Trophy National Co-Hitter of the Week and Big Ten Co-Player of the Week after going 6-for-7 with three home runs and 12 RBIs on May 19 against Indiana, breaking the Big Ten single-game RBIs record and tying the league’s single game hits record.
• Iowa swept the Big Ten weekly honors on May 24, extending the program’s record to 13 this season. Huckstorf was the Co-Player of the Week, Dylan Nedved was the Pitcher of the Week and Anthony earned his record sixth Freshman of the Week honor.
• The Hawkeyes’ pitching staff broke the program’s single season strikeouts record on May 8 against Purdue. Iowa has 560 strikeouts, breaking the previous mark of 499 set in 2018.
• The Hawkeyes have overcome deficits in 18 games this season. Iowa is 13-5 in such contests.
• Iowa’s pitching staff has been remarkable during the 2022 season, allowing just 336 hits and fanning 560 over 446 1/3 innings, while limiting hitters to a .207 average.
• The pitching staff leads the Big Ten in ERA (3.57), shutouts (5), fewest hits allowed (336), fewest runs allowed (218), fewest earned runs (177) and batting average against (.974), while ranking second in strikeouts (560) and fourth in saves (15).
• Iowa’s hurlers rank in the top 13 nationally in five categories — second in hits allowed per nine innings (6.78) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.3), sixth in ERA (3.57), 12th in WHIP (1.26) and 13th in shutouts (5).

OF NOTE
• Twenty-one of Iowa’s 50 games have been decided by two runs or fewer. The Hawkeyes are 12-9 in such contests.
• Head coach Rick Heller won his 250th game as Iowa’s head coach in the Hawkeyes’ 6-5 victory over St. Thomas on March 21 and his 950th game on April 17 against Minnesota. Heller is third all-time on the program’s career wins list.
• Iowa has had eight games canceled/altered because of weather this season. The Hawkeyes have played three doubleheaders (splitting all three).
• The Hawkeyes have had their best two offensive weeks in consecutive weeks to close out the regular season. Iowa hit .324 at Michigan State and scored 24 runs before following it up with a .348 average, hitting eight home runs and scoring 44 runs in the series sweep of Indiana.
• The Hawkeyes have used six different starting pitchers in their weekend rotation this season. Four of the hurlers have earned Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors at least once (Adam Mazur, Ty Langenberg, Connor Schultz, Dylan Nedved).
• Iowa has scored 10 or more runs in 11 games this season. The Hawkeyes have 20 games with 10 or more hits with 14 coming since April 9. The team has 10 or more hits in seven of its last 10 games.
• Iowa’s pitching staff has allowed three runs or fewer in 30 of its 50 games and five or fewer hits in 22 contests. The Hawkeyes have five shutouts and
• The Hawkeyes have played errorless baseball in 20 games this season. Iowa is 19-1 in such contests. The team didn’t commit an error in a stretch of five games from April 16-23.
• Head coach Rick Heller is 32-33 against ranked opponents during his Hawkeye tenure. Iowa has posted at least one win over a ranked foe in each of the last eight seasons.
• Iowa won two of three games at Michigan from April 2-4. It was the program’s first road series win in Ann Arbor since 2015.
• The Hawkeyes were picked as an NCAA Regional team by D1Baseball.com and Baseball America in 2022 and are tabbed to finish in the top four of the Big Ten standings. Mazur is a preseason All-Big Ten selection by Perfect Game, while RHP Marcus Morgan was tabbed as D1Baseball’s Preseason Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
• Senior Dylan Nedved and redshirt sophomores Adam Mazur and Peyton Williams were named Big Ten Players to Watch. The Hawkeyes were picked to finish third in a vote of the league’s head coaches.
• Redshirt sophomore Peyton Williams will play with the Cotuit Kettleers in June in the Cape Cod League.
• Iowa’s 2022 newcomer class (transfers and freshman) is rated as the 23rd-best recruiting class in the country by D1Baseball.com.

IOWA’S B1G TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• Iowa is making its seventh straight Big Ten Tournament appearance — a program record — and the 15th in program history.
• The Hawkeyes are 17-26 all-time in tournament history, including winning its first ever Big Ten Tournament title in 2017. Iowa has made championship game appearances four times (1983, 2010, 2016, 2017).
• Iowa has won at least one game in five of the last six Big Ten Tournaments and is 8-6 over the past four tournaments.
• Head coach Rick Heller is 10-10 in the conference tournament.

BACK TO OMAHA
Just six players on the current Hawkeye roster — Brendan Sher, Brayden Frazier, Izaya Fullard, Brett McCleary, Cam Baumann and Duncan Davitt — have experience playing in the Big Ten Tournament.

HAWKEYE HONORS
• Redshirt sophomore Adam Mazur became the second straight Hawkeye to earn Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors. (Trenton Wallace, 2021). Mazur was also a first-team All-Big Ten selection.
• Keaton Anthony earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year, second-team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors. Anthony is the program’s second Big Ten Freshman of the Year, joining C.J. Thieleke in 1994.
• Peyton Williams earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and redshirt senior Ben Beutel was a second-team All-Big Ten selection.
• Brody Brecht joined Anthony on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. They were Iowa’s first honorees since 2011.
• Brendan Sher was Iowa’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.

WINNING BASEBALL
• The Hawkeyes have posted nine consecutive winning seasons under head coach Rick Heller. For perspective, the program had just two winning seasons from 1997-2013 and five from 1990-2013.
• Since Heller took over the program in 2014, only three schools — Iowa, Indiana and Michigan — have qualified for the Big Ten Tournament each season it has been contested. (There was no tournament in 2020 or 2021 because of COVID.)

THE NORM — 3-0
The Hawkeyes posted their 30th victory of the season in the 12-2 victory at Michigan State on May 14. It is the seventh time in the Rick Heller era that the program has won 30 or more games. Iowa has had 30 or more wins in each of the “normal” seasons under Heller (2020 and 2021 were altered because of the pandemic).

THAT’S NOT A MISPRINT
The Hawkeyes trailed 13-2 through four innings before putting up 28 runs in a 30-16 victory over Indiana on May 19.
• The 30 runs are the most for the program in a Big Ten game all-time and the second-most in a single season in program history (32 vs. Quincy, 1989).
• After trailing 13-2 to open the series, Iowa outscored Indiana, 44-4.
• The 30 run outburst is tied for the fourth-highest output this season in the NCAA (tied for the highest among Power 5 teams (TCU vs. Kansas).

HUCK = B1G RECORD
Redshirt sophomore Kyle Huckstorf had a game for the ages on May 19 against Indiana, finishing 6-for-7 with three home runs, 12 RBIs and four runs scored.
• He hit two three-run home runs in a 10-run fourth before hitting a grand slam in the fifth to give Iowa a 16-14 lead. Huckstorf’s two-run single in the eighth was record-breaking.
• The 12 RBIs are an all-time Big Ten record and a single-game Iowa record. The six hits break the school record and tie a league record. They are the most by a Big Ten player since 2010.
• Huckstorf earned Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week, Dick Howser Trophy National Co-Hitter of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week honors.

K-ING A SCHOOL RECORD
The Hawkeye pitching staff fanned 12 batters against Purdue on May 8 to break the program’s single season strikeout record. Iowa now has 560 strikeouts this season, breaking the previous mark of 499 that was set in 2018.
• Redshirt sophomore Adam Mazur has 90 strikeouts this season, which are sixth-most in a single season all-time. He is six strikeouts away from moving into third place in the record books.

S-H-U-T-O-U-T
The Hawkeyes posted their fifth shutout of the season when they blanked Indiana, 12-0, on May 20 to clinch the series win. The five shutouts are the most for the program since 2016, lead the Big Ten and are 13th nationally.

MR. CYCLE
Redshirt sophomore Peyton Williams hit for the cycle in Iowa’s 15-8 midweek win over Bradley on April 19. The Johnston, Iowa, native doubled in the first, singled in the third, homered in the fourth — a 410 foot blast with a 112 mph exit velocity — was hit by a pitch in the sixth, doubled again in the seventh and tripled down the right field line in the eighth.
• Williams tied a school record with his five hits and his five RBIs and four runs scored were career-highs.
• The cycle was the first for a Hawkeye since Lorenzo Elion in 2018. Williams is the third player at Iowa to hit for the cycle under head coach Rick Heller (Mason McCoy).

MR. DOUBLE
Redshirt freshman Keaton Anthony is third in the Big Ten with 20 doubles, which rank 35th nationally. The doubles total are the most by a Hawkeye since 2018 and are tied for the second most all-time with Tyler Cropley and Bill Heinz. John Knapp holds the school record with 24 doubles, set in 1986.
• Redshirt sophomore Peyton Williams has 17 doubles, which are tied for the 13th most in a single season all-time.

BASH BROS.
Redshirt sophomore Peyton Williams and redshirt freshman Keaton Anthony have combined for 26 home runs this season. They are the most by a Hawkeye duo since Jake Adams (29) and Robert Neustrom (9) hit 38 in 2017.
• It is the first time since 1990 that Iowa has had multiple players with double-digit home run totals. The Hawkeyes had three players — Tim Costo (16), Keith Noreen (12) and Chris Hatcher (11) — finish in double digits in homers during the Big Ten title season.

LUCKY NO. 13
The Hawkeyes swept the Big Ten weekly honors on May 24, extending the program record to 13 weekly honors this season.
• Kyle Huckstorf was the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week, Dylan Nedved was the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week and Keaton Anthony earned his sixth Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.
• Seven different Hawkeyes accounted for the 13 honors.

NEDVED REJOINS ROTATION
Redshirt senior Dylan Nedved rejoined the rotation as the Game 2 starter against Indiana on May 20.
• In five starts, Nedved is 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA, allowing 12 runs on 16 hits over 28 innings. He has 27 strikeouts to 16 walks. The right-hander posted wins over Michigan and Illinois in consecutive Friday starts, posting a 2.25 ERA.
• Against the Hoosiers, Nedved carried a no-hitter into the sixth to earn his sixth win. He allowed one hit over six innings and fanned six to earn Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors on May 24. It was his second qualify start of the season.
• Nedved has been a multi-role pitcher for the Hawkeyes, pitching both as a starter, long reliever and closer. He is 3-0 with a 3.28 ERA in 12 relief appearances this season with three saves. He has allowed 24 hits over 35 2/3 innings with a 41-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
• Nedved, who was named to the preseason Stopper of the Year Watch List, has 12 career saves as a Hawkeye, which are tied for the eighth most in program history.
• On the year, Nedved is 6-2 with a 3.53 ERA in 17 appearances. He has allowed 40 hits over 63 2/3 innings with 68 strikeouts to 28 walks.
• He is leading the Big Ten in fewest hits allowed (40), is third in fewest runs (27) and batting average against (.185), tied for fifth in fewest earned runs (25), tied for sixth in wins (6), seventh in ERA (3.53) and tied for seventh in strikeouts looking (22).
• In league only games, Nedved is tied for first in wins (6), third in ERA (2.72), tied for third in fewest runs/earned runs (12/12), fourth in batting average against (.190), tied for fourth in saves (3) and tied for fifth in strikeouts looking (14).

RANKED OPPONENTS; RANKED WINS
Iowa is 3-2 against ranked foes this season, going 1-1 against No. 12 Texas Tech on March 20 in Iowa City and 2-1 at No. 8 Rutgers on April 22-24.
• The team’s road win over the Scarlet Knights was its first over a top 10 ranked team since 2018 (No. 7 Michigan) and its first road series win over a ranked foe since 2019 (No. 19 Oklahoma State).
• Head coach Rick Heller has defeated at least one ranked foe in each season as Iowa’s head coach.

IOWA’S BIG BASHER
Redshirt sophomore Peyton Williams has hit safely in all but 12 games this season and he has 19 multi-hit games, which are second-most on the team, including one five hit and three four-hit contests.
• Williams went 4-for-4 with a three-run homer at San Diego State on March 15 and he had a career game April 19 against Bradley, finishing 5-for-5 with five RBIs and four runs scored. He became the first Hawkeye to hit for the cycle since 2018, which led to him being named the Big Ten Player of the Week on April 27.
• On the year, Williams is hitting .356 (68-of-191) with 51 runs and 38 RBIs. The Johnston, Iowa, native has 31 extra-base hits, including 17 doubles, two triples and 12 home runs.
• The first-team All-Big Ten Hawkeye slugger has 32 walks and 32 strikeouts in 191 at-bats.
• Williams is fifth in the Big Ten in on-base percentage (.477) and OPS (1.131), sixth in slugging (.654) and eighth in batting average (.356).
• Williams is second on the team lead with 12 home runs, including a 422-foot blast with a 110 mph exit velocity against Washington State at the Frisco Classic and a 410 foot shot with a 112 mph exit velocity against Bradley. His 10th homer at Nebraska left the stadium at Haymarket Park.
• Williams hit his 11th and 12th homers in consecutive games at Michigan State on May 14-15. It was the second time this season he has homered in consecutive contests (April 9-10 vs. Illinois).

OUR GEORGIA PEACH
Redshirt freshman Keaton Anthony is posting impressive numbers in his first season of collegiate baseball. The outfielder, who has been honored a school record six times as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week this season, is hitting .360 (67-of-186) with 20 doubles, 14 home runs, 53 RBIs and 43 runs scored.
• The Georgia native has hit safely in 40 games and reached safely in 45 contests this season. He has 21 multi-hit games, which are leading the team.
• Anthony is third in the Big Ten in doubles (20), fourth in slugging (.694) and OPS (1.135), seventh in batting average (.360) and 10th in home runs (14).
• In league games, Anthony tied for fourth in home runs (10), fifth in slugging (.768), tied for sixth in RBIs (30) and seventh in OPS (1.193).
• Twelve of Anthony’s 14 home runs have come in his last 20 games. He hit a three-run blast in Iowa’s 16-2 road win at Milwaukee on April 12, hit a two-run homer in the series opener against Minnesota (4/15) and homered in back-to-back games in the series win over Purdue (5/7-8).
• He connected on his 11th homer — a grand slam — in the series finale at Michigan State and he hit a blast in three straight games in the sweep of Indiana. His 14 home runs are the most by a Hawkeye freshman since Brad Carlson hit 21 in 1999.
• Anthony had a career day in his third career game in Iowa’s 11-1 victory over Ball State on Feb. 19, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, two home runs, four runs and five RBIs.
• Anthony has earned six Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors — Feb. 23, March 16, April 5, April 19, May 11, May 24. They are the most weekly honors in a single season in program history (Jake Adams earned three Big Ten Player of the Week honors in 2017).

MAZUR ON THE MOUND
Redshirt sophomore Adam Mazur is Iowa’s staff ace, posting a 7-2 with a 3.05 ERA with 90 strikeouts over 88 2/3 innings. He has seven or more strikeouts in seven starts.
• The right-hander started the first six weeks on Friday before making two Saturday starts. Mazur returned to Friday on April 15 against Minnesota.
• Mazur had seven consecutive quality starts from April 2-May 13 and has nine quality starts this season.
• Mazur is 5-0 with a 2.77 ERA with 48 strikeouts to eight walks over his last seven starts. He has logged 48 2/3 innings in the seven outings.
• Mazur pitched 24 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings against Rutgers, Nebraska and Purdue. It was the longest stretch by a Hawkeye since Tyler Peyton’s 26 1/3 shutout frames during the 2016 season.
• In Big Ten play, Mazur is 5-1 with a conference-best 2.59 ERA, striking out 52 in 55 2/3 innings. He has allowed 18 runs (16 earned) on 38 hits.
• He posted his sixth straight quality start against Purdue, allowing two runs on five hits over 8 2/3 innings. Mazur surrendered a two-run single with two outs in the top of the ninth. He followed it up with seven shutout innings, scattering four hits and fanning seven in a road win at Michigan State on May 13.
• Mazur was marvelous at Nebraska on April 29, tossing a two-hit, complete game shutout in a 1-0 victory. He fanned six and walked two in the first complete game shutout since Peyton in 2016 (vs. Penn State).
• It came on the heels of back-to-back starts where he went eight innings in wins over Minnesota (April 15) and at No. 8 Rutgers (April 22). He allowed three runs (one earned) on six hits and fanned 11 (without walking a batter) against the Gophers and he retired 21 of the final 24 batters he faced.
• He followed it up with another eight-inning outing at No. 8 Rutgers, allowing one run on six hits and fanning 11 without walking a batter in a 4-1 victory.
• Mazur was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 23 and March 2. He is the first Hawkeye pitcher to earn the distinction in consecutive weeks.
• The right-hander went six innings, allowing one run — a solo home run — over six innings in his debut against Air Force before retiring the final 16 batters he faced on Feb. 18.
• He logged 7 2/3 innings against Pepperdine on Feb. 25, allowing zero runs on three hits and fanning nine. He retired 10 straight at one point in the contest.
• Mazur carried a no-hitter into the sixth against Wichita State on March 4 (before taking a line drive off the hip) and he retired 15 straight batters at one point.
• Mazur has four streaks of 10 or more consecutive batters retired this season.
• Mazur has five games this season where he has fanned nine or more batters (9 vs. Air Force, 9 vs. Pepperdine, 9 vs. Illinois, 11 vs. Minnesota, 11 at No. 8 Rutgers).
• The Minnesota native is in the top 10 in the Big Ten in seven categories, leading the league in batting average against (.176), second in innings (88.2), fourth in strikeouts (90), tied for fourth in wins (7), fifth in ERA (3.05), tied for ninth in strikeouts looking (20) and 10th in fewest hits (56).
• In league games, Mazur is tops in the Big Ten in ERA (2.59), innings (55.2) and wins (5), while ranking third in batting average against (.189), fourth in strikeouts (52), tied for fifth in fewest walks (11), tied for seventh in strikeouts looking (13), and tied for eighth in fewest runs allowed (18).
• Mazur is 10th nationally, allowing just 5.68 hits per nine innings and his 0.92 WHIP ranks 14th.

SCHULTZ STIFFLES RU
Graduate student Connor Schultz dissected No. 8 Rutgers in his April 23 start, scattering two hits, walking one and fanning six over eight shutout innings. He retired 24 of the 27 batters he faced and needed just 85 pitches to shut down the high-powered Scarlet Knight offense. Schultz earned Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors on April 27 for his efforts.

SUNDAY LANGENBERG
Sophomore Ty Langenberg has settled into weekend rotation as Iowa’s Sunday starter. He has made 11 straight Sunday starts. The Urbandale, Iowa, native is 5-2 with a 3.61 ERA, giving up just 25 runs on 57 hits over 57 1/3 innings. Langenberg has 69 strikeouts to 19 walks on the year.
• The righty notched his sixth win, tossing five shutout innings in a 2-1 victory over Indiana on May 21. He scattered four hits and fanned four.
• Langenberg earned his fifth win, tossing a career-long seven innings in the series-clinching win over Purdue on May 8. He allowed one run on five hits and fanned seven en route to being named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week on May 11.
• Langenberg’s fourth win came after tossing 5 2/3 shutout innings at Michigan on April 3. He scattered five hits and had a career-high 11 strikeouts.
• He had 34 strikeouts (10 vs. Texas Tech, 7 vs. Central Michigan, 11 at Michigan, 6 vs. Illinois) in four starts from March 20-April 10. He has eight or more Ks in three appearances this season.

ONE OF THE B1G’s & NATION’S BEST
The Hawkeye pitching staff has been superb this season as Iowa leads the Big Ten in ERA (3.57), batting average against (.207), fewest hits allowed (336), fewest runs allowed (218), fewest earned runs allowed (177) and shutouts (5),while ranking second in strikeouts (560).
• The Hawkeyes have given up just 336 hits over 446 1/3 innings with just 96 going for extra bases.
• Iowa is ranked in the top 13 in five categories nationally, as the staff is second in hits allowed per nine innings (6.78) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.3)
• Iowa’s starting pitchers are 19-9 with a 3.98 ERA, fanning 248 over 221 1/3 innings. Opponents are hitting just .216.

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK
Iowa’s pitching staff has the top four strikeout games (and six of the top 10) in the Big Ten this season. The Hawkeyes fanned 22 in the 13-inning contest against Illinois on April 9, 20 against Ball State on Feb. 19 and 20 against San Diego State on March 15. The 22 punch outs are tied for the 10th-most in a single game in the nation this season and Iowa has three of the top 15 totals.
• The Hawkeyes also fanned 19 on March 2 in an 8-0 victory over Cornell College and 17 against Bradley on April 6.
• Iowa has 10 or more strikeouts in 33 games this season, including eight games with 16 or more strikeouts.
• The Hawkeyes have 560 strikeouts over 50 games, which has broken the previous school record of 499, set in 2018.

LIMITING 1Bs
• The Hawkeyes have allowed five or fewer hits in 22 games this season.
• Iowa posted a one-hitter against Air Force on Feb. 18 — the first for the program since 2019 (vs. Simpson, 7-2 win).
• Iowa has eight games, allowing three or fewer hits this season. The Hawkeyes have five games allowing two or fewer hits.

THE MEN IN RELIEF
• The Hawkeyes have seven different relievers that have tallied at least one save this season. Iowa is tied for fourth in the Big Ten with 15 saves.
• Senior Ben Beutel tallied his third victory of the season, tossing 1 2/3 innings in relief against Michigan State on May 14. The southpaw is 3-0 with a 1.33 ERA with four saves in a team-high 26 appearances this season. Beutel has allowed five runs (four earned) on 17 hits over 27 innings where he has 36 strikeouts to four walks.
• Beutel hasn’t allowed a run in 22 of his 26 appearances and he has made multiple weekend appearances seven times this season. He saw action in all three games in the road series win at Michigan State (May 13-15).
• Freshman Brody Brecht has 25 strikeouts and has allowed just one earned run (on five hits) over his last 10 appearances, spanning 13 2/3 innings, giving him 44 Ks over 22 1/3 innings this season. He is 1-3 with a 2.42 ERA in 16 appearances and he has given up just one extra base hit.
• Redshirt junior Duncan Davitt is 4-1 with a 3.18 ERA in 16 appearances as a swing reliever. He has allowed 13 runs (12 earned) on 26 hits and has 53 strikeouts (to 11 walks) over 34 innings.
• Iowa’s relievers are 14-8 with a 3.16 ERA this season, allowing 111 runs (79 earned) on 159 hits over 225 innings. The staff has 312 strikeouts to 137 walks and is limiting hitters to a .198 average.

HEAT ALERT
Freshman RHP Brody Brecht had a blazing debut in his first career appearance at Duane Banks Field. The Ankeny, Iowa, native hit triple digits on his first three pitches, going 101, 101 and 100 in a 1-2-3 inning against Cornell College on March 2.
• Brecht has hit 100 or higher on the radar gun 37 times this season (in games where Trackman data is available).

SEEGS AT THE TOP
Since seeing his batting average dip to a season-low .242 on March 15, sophomore Michael Seegers has been one of the Hawkeyes’ most consistent hitters.
• In the 35 games since, the Wisconsin native is hitting .296 (42-of-142) with his 42 hits ranking third on the team. Seegers has driven in 25 and has scored 31 runs during the stretch. Iowa is 25-10 in the 35 contests.
• Seegers has hit safely in 25 of the 35 games with 13 multi-hit games, including two four-hit contests at Michigan on April 2 and a 4-for-5, four RBI game in game two against Indiana on May 20. Seegers set a program record, drawing five walks in the series-opening win against the Hoosiers on May 19.
• Seegers is hitting .279 (57-of-204) with 29 RBIs and 40 runs scored as Iowa’s leadoff hitter. He has batted leadoff in all but three games this season. He has hit safely in 33 games and reached base safely in 41 contests.
• As good as Seegers has been offensively, he has been just as good defensively. The Hawkeye shortstop has just four errors in 50 games, where he has a .976 fielding percentage.

WELCOME BACK PATTY
Redshirt senior Izaya Fullard, a.k.a. Meat Patty, is hitting .330 (34-of-103) in the 28 games since returning to the starting lineup after missing the first six weeks of the season after breaking his hamate bone.
• The North Liberty, Iowa, native has hit safely in 20 of the 28 games with 12 multi-hit games and he has reached base in 27 of the 28 contests.
• Fullard went 2-for-4 with a double, home run and two RBIs in the series-opening win at No. 8 Rutgers and he had a season-high three hits, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the series finale.
• Fullard was the Iowa offense in a 1-0 victory at Nebraska, as he hit a solo home run in the fourth inning that proved to be the difference. It was his second blast of the year.

ON THE OFFENSIVE
• The Hawkeyes have scored 332 runs in 50 games, averaging 6.6 runs per contest. Iowa has 11 games with 10 or more runs and 22 games with 10 or more hits.
• Iowa is 22-8 when scoring first this season and 26-8 when out-hitting its opponent.
• The team is 22-4 when scoring six or more runs this season.
• The Hawkeyes are outscoring opponents, 103-90, over the first three innings and 105-63 over the final three innings (including extras).

HAWKEYE SPARKS
• Redshirt junior Brendan Sher is hitting .300 with six RBIs over his last nine games.
• Freshman Ben Wilmes has started six straight games, where he has driven in seven runs. The Johnston, Iowa, native batted leadoff in two of three games at Michigan State.
• Sophomore Cade Moss is hitting .400 (8-of-20) over his last eight games. He hit safely in two of the three games against Purdue, including a 2-for-3 day with a double and RBI in the series finale. He had a career-high three hits, finishing 3-for-3 in the series-opening win at Michigan State on May 13.

FRISCO HONORS
Three Hawkeyes – Keaton Anthony, Peyton Williams and Dylan Nedved — were named to the Frisco Classic All-Tournament Team on March 6.
• Anthony hit .385 (5-of-13) in three games with three doubles, two RBIs and three runs scored.
• Williams had a .333 (4-of-12) average with three extra base hits, including two home runs. The first baseman also made a key defensive play against Washington State, making a catch in foul territory before going into the stands. The play was a top-10 play for the week by D1Baseball.com.
• Nedved pitched 4 2/3 innings in relief against Texas A&M. He entered in the first inning with one out and the bases loaded and got out of the jam by inducing an inning-ending double play. The right-hander allowed two unearned runs and fanned a career-high nine in the outing.

FRONTLINE TRANSFERS
Iowa added a pair of Friday night starters to the 2022 roster as transfers in RHP Adam Mazur (South Dakota State) and RHP Connor Schultz (Butler).
• Mazur, who was tabbed as a first-team All-Big Ten selection by Perfect Game, went 3-9 with a 5.50 ERA in 16 starts in two seasons with the Jackrabbits. The Minnesota native had a breakout season in the Cape Cod League, going 3-0 with a 1.55 ERA in six starts en route to Cape Cod All-League honors.
• Mazur is rated as the No. 89 player on MLB.com’s top-100 draft prospects, while being the No. 2 draft prospect in Big Ten and No. 61 nationally by D1Baseball.com.
• Schultz is a graduate pitcher from Butler University where he went 13-9 with a 3.79 ERA in four collegiate seasons. The Cedar Falls, Iowa, native was a first-team All-Big East selection in 2019 and was the Big East Preseason Pitcher of the Year in 2020. Schultz battled hip injuries in each of the past two seasons.

SCOUTING PENN STATE
• The Nittany Lions ended the regular season with a 25-27 overall record and finished sixth with an 11-13 Big Ten record. Penn State is making its first Big Ten Tournament appearance since 2012.
• Penn State dropped its final two Big Ten series, losing two of three games at Ohio State before getting swept at home against Illinois.
• The Nittany Lions hit .270 as a team and average 5.8 runs per game. First-team All-Big Ten catcher Matt Wood is hitting .395 with 73 hits, 52 runs, 50 RBIs, 14 doubles, three triples and 11 home runs. He is one of three regulars hitting over .300.
• Penn State’s pitching staff has a 5.85 team ERA, allowing 513 hits over 463 innings. The Nittany Lions have punched out 477, but opponents are hitting .277.
• Two Penn State coaching staff members have Iowa ties. Assistant coach Sean Moore played for and coached for the Hawkeyes between 2015; 2017-18, while director of operations/player development Jake Stone served as Iowa’s head manager in 2017 and 2018.

SERIES RECORDS
• Penn State leads the all-time series, 40-38. The two teams did not meet during the regular season.
• Iowa has won four straight series over the Nittany Lions dating back to the 2013 season. The Hawkeyes won two of three games last season in Iowa City.
• This is Iowa’s second all-time meeting against Penn State in the league tournament. The Nittany Lions won, 5-4, in 2007 in Ann Arbor.

TEAM CAPTAINS
Seniors Cam Baumann, Brett McCleary and Nedved, redshirt junior Brendan Sher and redshirt sophomores Brayden Frazier and Ty Snep were voted team captains for the 2022 season.

DON’T COUNT ‘EM OUT
The Hawkeyes have overcome deficits to win 75 games since the start of the 2017 season and posted 15 walk-offs. Thirty-four of those victories have come with Iowa trailing or being tied entering or through seven innings. Twenty have come in the final at-bat.
• Iowa has overcome deficits in 17 games this season, winning 12 of those contests.

30 WINS X 7
Since head coach Rick Heller’s first season in 2014, the Hawkeyes have reached the 30-win plateau in every “normal non-COVID affected” season. The program’s six consecutive year stretch was the lonest since posting seven straight 30-win seasons from 1979-85.
2014: 30-23
2015: 41-18 (2nd-most wins all-time)
2016: 30-26
2017: 39-22 (5th-most wins all-time)
2018: 33-20
2019: 31-24
2020: 10-5 (*pandemic shortened)
2021: 28-16 (*Big Ten-only schedule)
2022: 33-17

#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. The Iowa native won his 950th career game on April 17, 2022, against Minnesota.
• Heller is one of nine coaches all-time to lead three different NCAA Division I teams to regional play.
• The Hawkeyes won 30 or more games in each of Heller’s seven full 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 third in school history in career wins with 273 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 seven of his eight (full seasons), and has 23 Major League Baseball Draft picks in eight seasons.
• Iowa had a school-record six All-Big Ten selections in 2015 and five in 2017. The Hawkeyes have had 30 All-Big Ten honorees in nine seasons under Heller.
• Heller has coached one Big Ten Player of the Year (Jake Adams), two Big Ten Pitcher of the Years (Trenton Wallace, Adam Mazur) and one Big Ten Freshman of the Year (Keaton Anthony) during his time as a Hawkeye.
• 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.