Hawkeyes Win Series At Rutgers

PISCATAWAY, N.J. – The University of Iowa baseball team defeated Rutgers, 12-6, to win the series behind another strong offensive performance on Sunday afternoon at Bainton Field.

This is the second straight season the Hawkeyes have won their Big Ten opening series (2-1 vs. Purdue in 2024).

"It was a really great day for us. For the first time this year, when we got punched in the mouth, we fought back," said head coach Rick Heller. "I really feel like the team came together this weekend. I feel like they really understand and know what we have to do to be a good team, and they showed that these last two days."

The Hawkeyes tallied nine hits, including three home runs and a double. Iowa smacked 10 home runs this weekend as a team.

"We had a good spell there where a lot of line drives were getting caught and hitting into bad luck, and we needed a weekend like this one," said Heller. "Yeah, the wind was blowing hard, but those balls were hit hard. We were smoking balls."

The game was knotted at two heading into the third inning when redshirt junior Jackson Beaman hit his seventh home run of the season to give Iowa a 4-2 advantage. The Scarlet Knights produced a four-run fourth inning to take a 6-4 lead, but that was it for their offense. 

In the fifth inning, junior Gable Mitchell stole home on a throw down to second to cut Iowa's deficit to one. The sixth frame featured a beautiful RBI bunt single down the first base line by senior Ben Wilmes and a three-run shot from junior Miles Risley. Iowa's final three runs came in the seventh inning on redshirt sophomore Ben Swails' second home run of the series.

"Lots of guys up and down the lineup were productive, and that's the type of team we need to be," said Heller. "Everybody in the lineup do their part, and we're pretty good when we do that and when we play clean baseball."

Redshirt senior Reece Beuter got the nod on the mound for the Hawkeyes. He allowed six earned runs on six hits through 3 2/3 innings. He struck out three and walked two Scarlet Knights. Fifth-year Brant Hogue relieved him and threw 2/3 of an inning. He gave up one hit and hit one batter.

Junior Anthony Watts came in and pitched the rest of the game to earn his first win of the season. He allowed one hit and struck out two batters.

"The bullpen and Anthony Watts bounced back, too. He shut them down the rest of the way," said Heller. "I couldn't be prouder of our team. I feel like this is a big weekend for us to get a Big Ten series on the road after losing game one and getting a chance now to go home for two weeks and rest up from traveling."

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes will head back to Iowa City for a single game against Augustana on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. (CT) at Duane Banks Field. The game will be streamed on B1G+ and available on the Hawkeye Radio Network.