Rain forced the Iowa baseball team off the diamond for the second straight day on Wednesday.

The Hawkeyes’ exhibition contest against the Iowa Cubs — the Chicago Cubs Triple-A affiliate — at Principal Park in Des Moines was canceled because of wet conditions. Iowa’s game with Western Illinois was also rained out in Iowa City on Tuesday.

The game against the Iowa Cubs will not be made up.

Iowa will resume play on Friday when it hosts a three-game set with Illinois — the Hawkeyes’ first Big Ten home games.

First pitch on Friday is slated for 6 p.m. Both Iowa’s game on Saturday and April 11 will begin at 1 p.m.

Iowa last faced the Fighting Illini in the 2007 Big Ten Tournament; the Hawkeyes lost, 12-3.

— by J.T. Bugos