By Jake Mosbach
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After three-straight losses to start the Hawkeye baseball season, things finally took a positive turn for Iowa during the Snowbird Baseball Classic in Port Charlotte, Florida, Feb. 26 through Sunday.
The Hawks picked up their first two wins of the 2016 campaign, toppling Dartmouth, 4-1, on Feb. 27 and Chicago State, 15-3, on Sunday. With a loss to open the tournament on Feb. 26, an 11-3 shellacking at the hands of Indiana State, Iowa owns a 2-4 overall record.
As was the case Feb. 19-21 against Dallas Baptist, the Hawkeye offense went cold against Indiana State to open the Classic. As the games progressed, however, the Iowa bats made their first appearance of the season.
“Offensively, we had quality at-bats up and down the lineup all day long,” Hawkeye head coach Rick Heller said in a release after the Chicago State win. “A lot of guys swung it well. It was one of those days we needed to break out with the bats … we feel good about ourselves heading home.”
The victory over Chicago State featured 19 Iowa hits. In the games against Indiana State and Dartmouth, the Hawks mustered just 17 hits combined.
Senior shortstop Nick Roscetti was the offensive leader for the Hawkeyes , finishing 7-for-11 with 3 doubles and 3 RBIs. The Sherman, Illinois, native is batting .333 this season.
Before the tournament, Heller said the early season classic would be another test of where the team stands, particularly when it comes to its energy level. After Sunday’s victory, he was pleased.
“It was a good start to the game,” Heller said in a release. “We came out with good energy, and the effort was solid.”
On the defensive side for Iowa, strong pitching performances also made appearances over the weekend.
The tournament didn’t start off on the right foot however, with Feb. 26 starter Tyler Peyton dropping his second-straight decision to move to 0-2 on the season.
The Feb. 27 contest against Dartmouth featured a win on the mound by Hawkeye sophomore C.J. Eldred. The 6-1, 220-pound right-hander allowed 1 run over five innings, picking up 5 strikeouts to move to 1-0.
Fellow sophomore Nick Allgeyer closed the game to earn his first save of the season.
Sunday’s victory over Chicago State saw senior right-hander Luke Vandermaten grab the win on the hill, his first of the year. He tossed one inning of relief work after starter Calvin Mathews exited the game after four innings. Vandermaten allowed 1 unearned run on 1 hit.
Throughout the tournament, the Hawkeye pitchers didn’t shy away from the strike zone. On Sunday against Chicago State, Hawkeye pitchers Mathews, Vandermaten, Nick Gallagher, Zach Daniels, and Tyler Radtke issued no walks.
Heller was thrilled with the aggressive pitching he saw.
“We attacked hitters,” he said in a release. “We didn’t walk a batter in nine innings, which is good to see.”
Heller’s Hawkeyes will try to keep on the winning track when they travel to Carbondale, Illinois, to take on Southern Illinois in a three-game series. Game 1 is set for Friday at 3 p.m.
