By Pete Rudenw
Just as the weather gets cold again, the Iowa baseball team will head south to Hoover, Alabama, for the Hoover Classic, in which they’ll take on Alabama State and Morehead State.
After Grant Judkins got a win against Loras College on Wednesday in a game featuring six pitchers getting time on the mound, this weekend will likely be more of the same.
Starting pitcher C.J. Eldred, who started Iowa’s second game of the season in a win over South Florida, has an problem in his ulnar nerve.
As of right now, Eldred is questionable for his scheduled Saturday start, and if he is unable to go, it would open the door for many of the younger pitchers vying for innings, including Judkins.
“We got a little bad news with C.J. Eldred having some ulnar-nerve issue in his elbow after his start,” head coach Rick Heller said. “If C.J.’s down for a while, that’ll put Grant, for sure, throwing quite a few innings on the weekend.”
Heller also noted the progression of the pitchers, such as Friday starter Nick Gallagher and Cole McDonald, as they have gone from midweek roles to playing bigger parts for the team.
Even though Judkins had a very solid first career start, allowing only 1 hit to go with 4 strikeouts over the span of three innings, he is still willing to do whatever it takes for the team to be successful, which could play a key role this weekend.
“Just getting in whenever I can and contributing,” the freshman said. “It’s a good feeling getting the first couple games under the belt. It just feels good to get it out of the way, and move on from here, and do whatever I need to do to help the team. It’s a good feeling.”
As the pitchers taking the mound might change, the offense seeks the opposite. After an 8-run performance, the Hawkeyes will try to stay consistent at the plate.
The offense was going early and often for Iowa against Loras, as junior third baseman Matt Hoeg hit a 3-RBI triple to give the Hawkeyes a 3-0 lead.
With the Hawkeyes proving their offensive ability after an exceptional performance, the key for them this weekend will be to maintain that level of play.
“I definitely think offense is contagious. As everyone gets going, I think we’ve got a really talented team and really good offense,” Hoeg said. “As we all get going, it will really click and get going really well.”
While the Hoover Classic might not be the biggest tournament in the country, the teams Iowa will play in it aren’t exactly pushovers.
Alabama State, despite losing its first three games of the season to No. 6 Louisville, No. 22 Maryland, and Ball State, picked up its first win on Wednesday, beating UAB, 7-2.
The Hornets also have five players batting above .300, which could potentially be a problem if the Iowa pitching isn’t up to par.
On the other hand, Morehead State will bring a 3-2 record into Hoover, after beating the SEC’s Mississippi State, 13-8, while exploding for 10 runs in the ninth.
“This weekend’s gonna be a challenge. Alabama State won, what, 20-plus games in their league last year, and this past weekend, they played some really good teams … So they’re not going to be intimidated by us coming down there,” Heller said. “Then Morehead had a really good team this past year, lost some guys, similar to us, but then they rally last night and beat Mississippi State at Mississippi State last night. Gonna be three tough games for us.”