THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa baseball team will host Purdue in a three-game series from May 6-8 at Duane Banks Field. Friday’s series opener is set for 4:05 p.m. (CT) followed by 11:02 a.m. and 1:05 p.m. starts on Saturday and Sunday.
• Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth (18 and younger). University of Iowa students get in free of charge with a valid UI ID.
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
• Friday – 90s Game and Greek Game – t-shirt giveaway.
• Saturday – Patrick McCaffery first pitch… UIHC Game Sponsor… Education Appreciation Day… Have a Catch Saturday – fans can play catch on the field after the game.
• Sunday – First pitch Caitlin Clark and Monika Czinano… Sunday Runday – kids can run the bases following the game.
WATCH/LISTEN LIVE
• Friday and Sunday’s games against Purdue will be streamed online via BTN+ ($).
• Saturday’s game will be televised live on BTN with Brandon Gaudin and Scott Pose on the call.
• 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 10 of their last 13 games, 13 of 18 and 20 of 28 games dating back to March 13 to improve to 26-15 overall. Iowa won a season-best seven consecutive games from April 12-23.
• Iowa is 10-5 in the Big Ten, sitting alone in fourth place standings. The Hawkeyes have won three straight and five of their last six series. Iowa has won consecutive road series at No. 8 Rutgers and at Nebraska.
• 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.
• Peyton Williams hit for the cycle against Bradley on April 19, finishing 5-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, home run, five RBIs and four runs scored. It is the first cycle by a Hawkeye since Lorenzo Elion in 2018. The five hits tied a single-game school record (last set by Elion) and his five RBIs and four runs scored were career highs.
• Williams ranks in the top 10 in six categories, leading the league in on-base percentage (.497), second in OPS (1.196) and slugging (.699), fourth in batting average (.379), tied for fifth in doubles (15) and tied for ninth in triples (2).
• During his last three starts, redshirt sophomore Adam Mazur is 3-0 with a 0.72 ERA with 28 strikeouts to two walks in wins over Minnesota, No. 8 Rutgers and Nebraska. He had a complete game shutout two-hitter in the 1-0 win in Lincoln.
• Iowa has won its last six series openers dating back to March 25 against Central Michigan.
• The Hawkeyes have overcome deficits in 16 games this season. Iowa is 11-5 in such contests.
• Iowa’s pitching staff has been remarkable during the 2022 season, allowing just 260 hits and fanning 480 over 366 1/3 innings, while limiting hitters to a .198 average. Iowa is 20 strikeouts shy of breaking the single-season school record (499).
• Iowa is second in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (11.8) and hits allowed per nine innings (6.39), while ranking seventh in ERA (3.46) and 10th in WHIP (1.25).
• The pitching staff leads the Big Ten in six categories — ERA (3.46), strikeouts (480), fewest hits allowed (260), fewest runs allowed (175), fewest earned runs allowed (141) and batting average against (.198). In league games, Iowa is leading the league in ERA (3.07), batting average against (.204) and strikeouts (154).
• Twenty of Iowa’s 40 games have been decided by two runs or fewer. The Hawkeyes are 11-9 in such contests.
OF NOTE
• Iowa has had seven games canceled/altered because of weather this season. The Hawkeyes have played three doubleheaders (splitting all three).
• Redshirt sophomore Peyton Williams is currently riding a career-long 21 game on-base streak and a 10-game hitting streak.
• The Hawkeyes have used six different starting pitchers in their weekend rotation during the first 11 weeks of the season.
• Iowa has scored 10 or more runs in eight games this season. The Hawkeyes have 15 games with 10 or more hits with seven coming since April 9.
• Iowa’s pitching staff has allowed four runs or fewer in 26 of its 41 games and five or fewer hits in 18 contests.
• The Hawkeyes have played errorless baseball in 17 games this season. Iowa is 16-1 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.
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 second in the Big Ten with 18 doubles, which rank 18th nationally. The doubles total are the most by a Hawkeye since Tyler Cropley’s 20 in 2018 and are tied for the sixth most in a single season in program history. John Knapp holds the school record with 24 doubles, set in 1986.
BASH BROS.
Redshirt sophomore Peyton Williams and redshirt freshman Keaton Anthony have combined for 18 home runs this season. They are the most by a Hawkeye duo since Robert Neustrom (11) and Tyler Cropley (9) combined for 20 in 2018.
• Jake Adams (29) and Neustrom (9) combined for 38 jacks during the 2017 season.
B1G POW X 2
Iowa earned its record seventh and eighth Big Ten weekly honors on April 27 when Connor Schultz (Pitcher of the Week) and Peyton Williams (Player of the Week) earned their first career honors.
• Schultz earned the distinction after tossing eight shutout innings, scattering two hits, walking one and fanning six against No. 8 Rutgers. The Cedar Falls, Iowa, native needed just 85 pitches to shut down the high-powered Rutgers offense.
• Williams was the Player of the Week after slashing .600/.727/1.067 with a 1.794 OPS during a 3-1 week. The Johnson, Iowa, native hit for the cycle to start the week against Bradley.
• Iowa has earned eight weekly Big Ten honors this season — the most in a single season in program history.
NEDVED: A WEAPON IN RELIEF
After making four starts, redshirt senior Dylan Nedved returned to the bullpen during the Minnesota series as a swing reliever/closer. The Kansas native is 3-0 with a 2.89 ERA in 10 relief appearances this season with three saves. He has allowed 17 hits over 28 innings with a 31-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
• Nedved earned his fifth win in his last appearance, allowing two runs on four hits over four innings in the series-clinching win at Nebraska on May 1.
• Nedved made two appearances against the Gophers, allowing zero runs over five innings. He logged four innings, allowing one hit, to earn the win on April 17 to complete the Minnesota sweep.
• 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.
• Nedved won as Iowa’s Friday starter against Michigan and Illinois in consecutive starts. He was 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in the two wins.
• On the year, Nedved is 5-2 with a 3.78 ERA in 14 appearances. He has allowed 32 hits over 50 innings with 52 strikeouts to 21 walks.
• He is leading the Big Ten in fewest hits allowed (32), is third in batting average against (.188), tied for fifth in wins (5), tied for seventh in fewest runs allowed (23), tied for ninth in saves (3), and 10th in fewest earned runs allowed (21).
SEEGS JUMPSTARTS THE OFFENSE
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 26 games since, the Wisconsin native is hitting .305 (32-of-105) with his 32 hits ranking second on the team. Seegers has driven in 21 and has scored 22 runs during the stretch. Iowa is 18-8 in the 26 contests.
• Seegers has hit safely in 20 of the 26 games with 10 multi-hit games, including a four-hit contest at Michigan on April 2 and a two-hit, four-RBI game on April 26 against Western Illinois where he hit his first career home run.
• Seegers is hitting .281 (47-of-167) with 25 RBIs and 31 runs scored as Iowa’s leadoff hitter. He has hit safely in 28 games and reached base safely in 34 contests.
• As good as Seegers has been offensively, he has been even better defensively. The Hawkeye shortstop has just three errors in 40 games, where he has a .977 fielding percentage.
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.
DEFENSE COMING AROUND
Iowa’s defense has been coming around as of late, as the team has committed just four errors over its last 11 games.
• The Hawkeyes have 11 games without committing an error since Big Ten play started on April 2. (Iowa has 17 such games this season).
• Iowa is fifth in the Big Ten in fielding percentage with a .974 clip. In league only games, the Hawkeyes are third with a .982 fielding percentage.
WELCOME BACK PATTY
Redshirt senior Izaya Fullard, a.k.a. Meat Patty, is hitting .301 (22-of-73) in the 19 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 12 of the 19 games with nine multi-hit games and he has reached base in 18 of the 19 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.
IOWA’S BIG BASHER
Redshirt sophomore Peyton Williams has hit safely in all but 10 games this season and he has 16 multi-hit games, which are tied for the team lead, 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 .379 (58-of-153) with 39 runs and 33 RBIs. The Johnston, Iowa, native has 27 extra-base hits, including 15 doubles, two triples and 10 home runs.
• The Hawkeye slugger has 28 walks and just 23 strikeouts in 153 at-bats.
• Williams is leading the Big Ten in on-base percentae (.497), ranks second in slugging (.699) and OPS (1.196), fourth in batting average (.379), tied for fifth in doubles (15) and tied for ninth in triples (2).
• Williams has a team-high 10 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 has matched Ben Norman’s 10 home runs from the 2021 season.
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 four times this season as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week this season, is hitting .347 (51-of-147) with 18 doubles, eight home runs, 38 RBIs and 35 runs scored.
• The Georgia native has hit safely in 31 games and reached safely in 36 contests this season. He has 16 multi-hit games, which are tied for most on the team.
• Anthony is second in the Big Ten in doubles (18) — a figure that ranks 18th nationally — while ranking fifth in slugging (.663) and sixth in OPS (1.062). He has 26 extra base hits for a .663 slugging percentage.
• Six of Anthony’s eight home runs have come in his last 11 games. He hit a three-run blast in Iowa’s 16-2 road win at Milwaukee on April 12 and hit a two-run homer in the series opener against Minnesota (4/15).
• Anthony’s eight 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 four Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors — Feb. 23, March 16, April 5 and April 19. 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).
MR. WASHINGTON STEPS UP
Redshirt sophomore Will Mulflur has taken an opportunity and run with it. Since being inserted into the starting lineup on April 12, the Mercer Island, Washington, native is hitting .302 (13-of-43) with 10 RBIs and seven runs scored.
• Mulflur has made 13 straight starts, hitting safely in eight of the 13 contests. He went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs at Milwaukee on April 12 and he had the go-ahead two-run double in the series finale against Minnesota (4/17).
• He tallied his second three-hit game, finishing 3-for-5 with a home run, double, three RBIs and two runs in the win over Bradley on April 19. At Rutgers, Mulflur had two hits and two RBIs in the game two win before tripling in the series finale.
STANDING TALL AT THE DISH
Redshirt sophomore Ben Tallman has taken over as Iowa’s every day catcher. The Montana native is hitting .260 (19-of-73) with 11 RBIs and 14 runs scored in 30 games.
• Tallman hit a towering 458-foot home run in the series finale against Illinois to kick start a hot streak. He followed with four straight multi-hit games.
• The catcher had the game-winning RBI single in Iowa’s 2-1 win over Minnesota on April 16 and the game-tying single in the come-from-behind win on April 17 to secure the sweep.
