The Iowa baseball team got back to its winning ways with a 9-3 victory over the St. Thomas Tommies. With the win, the Hawkeyes improved to 6-6 ahead of a big series at Jacksonville State this weekend.
Here are three takeaways from the home triumph.
Solid pitching all around
One of the main problems surrounding this ballclub has been its pitching. The bullpen has struggled with command and inconsistencies all season long. It wasn’t perfect by any means today, but it gave head coach Rick Heller and his coaching staff some optimism heading into the weekend.
The Iowa pitching staff held the Tommies to only three hits and did a good job holding down the fort when runners were in scoring position. First-year Elliot Cadiuex-Lanoue earned the win for the Hawkeyes, throwing two scoreless innings.
Heller was especially impressed by the performance of redshirt fourth-year Caleb Strack, who settled down quickly after an early walk in the inning. Strack transferred to Iowa ahead of his junior season, and Heller hopes Strack’s experience will help out a struggling bullpen that has an ERA of 10.06 through the first 10 games of the season.
“Caleb showed a lot of confidence tonight, and I feel a lot better with our bullpen heading into the weekend,” Heller said.
Big day from Seegers
In the series finale against Ole Miss, the Hawkeyes couldn’t seem to get their bats going and suffered an 8-3 defeat. Iowa batters were determined to put that performance behind them on Tuesday, especially fourth-year Michael Seegers.
Seegers went 2-for-4 against St. Thomas, including a three-run home run that broke a piece of the scoreboard at Duane Banks Field. Seegers came into the game batting .227 with just two RBIs in 10 games.
Seegers is arguably one of the best defensive shortstops in the Big Ten, and if he continues the momentum, then Iowa will have another dangerous bat in its starting lineup.
“He’s been trying to avoid strikeouts, and that’s causing him to chase the ball a little bit more,” Heller said. “Today I think he just needed to see something go his way and hopefully he’ll go on a little tear.”
Crucial series ahead
Though the season is only 11 games old, the Hawkeyes have a big opportunity waiting for them this weekend against Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks are currently 4-7 on the season and most recently lost a series at home to Kent State.
With their record now even at 6-6, the Hawkeyes have a great chance to win their first series of the year and start to build momentum heading into the conference season.
Iowa didn’t necessarily look dominant against St. Thomas, but it took care of business when it had to, and Heller says his team should be more prepared as they enter their fourth straight weekend on the road.
“We just have to keep plugging along and keep getting better and better,” Heller said. “The rules have been established, and everyone knows their roles now.”