By Adam Hensley
The Hawkeye baseball team returns to Iowa City today for its first home game in more than two weeks.Iowa (10-8) takes on Bradley (6-11) at 4:05 p.m. at Banks Field. After a hard-fought three-game series with a tough Kansas State team, the Hawkeyes’ game against the Braves stands as their last test before the first Big Ten series (Purdue) at home.
In those three games against the Wildcats, Iowa finished 1-2. Two (a win and a loss) came in extra innings.
The last game of the series, a 12-11 victory, turned out to be Iowa’s most exciting and convincing win during spring break.
“This was a big win; I am proud of our guys,” head coach Rick Heller said in a release. “It was one of those crazy, crazy games.”
Jake Adams, a junior from Brandon, South Dakota, cranked out a 3-home run, 7-RBI performance in Manhattan, Kansas.
Ben Norman finished 4-for-6, the freshman’s career high for hits, and recorded 2 RBIs and 2 runs.
Iowa’s hitting woke up in the final game of the series. In the two previous games against Kansas State, Iowa managed to put up only 4 runs.
The series finale featured 12 runs and 12 hits from the Iowa bats.
Against Bradley, Iowa aims to keep its foot on the gas pedal in its third home game of the season.
“We’re looking forward to getting back to Iowa City and playing in front of our home crowd,” said Heller in a release. “Playing on the road for five weeks is tough. We survived it; there are a few I wish we could have back, but we’re playing good baseball, and hopefully, we can get things figured out with the pitching staff in the next week or so.”
So far this season, the Hawkeyes have fared well at Banks Field. Aside from a perfect record, Iowa averages 10 runs per home contest.
In Iowa’s two home wins, both midweek games, Grant Judkins started on the mound.
Against Northern Illinois, Iowa’s last home game (March 7), Judkins’ best work came while batting, not pitching.
The freshman went 2-for-4 at the plate with 3 RBIs.
“I had a couple of base hits on some breaking balls,” he said after the game. “[I] just stayed back on it, and tried to put my best swing on it, and connected with it [for] a couple of base hits.”
Not just Judkins, but the entire team’s batting has been on point at home.
The Hawkeyes connected on 23 hits so far at Banks Field this season, no small feat in early March weather.
Although the Braves come into today’s game with a less-than desired record, they are a tough team — just ask the Hawkeyes who played last season.
Iowa and Bradley squared off last season, exactly one year ago today, at Banks Field. The Hawkeyes came out on top, 7-6.
The game went down to the wire.
Iowa clawed its way back from a 6-5 deficit in the bottom of the ninth inning. Iowa managed to tie the game at 6 before Nick Roscetti’s RBI single propelled Iowa to a walk-off win.
Bradley moved to 9-7 after the loss, and the Hawkeyes crept closer to .500, with a 7-11 record.
That comeback was a momentum builder for the Hawkeyes; following the victory, Iowa closed out the season with a 23-15 record.