Conference play is in full swing for the Iowa baseball team, who opened up Big Ten action with a three-game series on the road against the Purdue Boilermakers.
The Hawkeyes came into the series on a four-game winning streak and carried the momentum into West Lafayette, taking two of the three games. With the victories, Iowa improved to 13-10 on the season.
Here are three takeaways from the series triumph.
Bats catch fire
After a 10-3 loss in game one that featured a dismal hitting performance, the Hawkeyes finally woke up their bats, scoring 15 runs on 29 total hits.
Fourth-year Davis Cop had a terrific weekend at the plate with six RBIs, while fellow fourth-year Andy Nelson continued his hot streak with a three-run long ball in the second game that put Iowa on top for good. Over the four-game week, Nelson hit .667 with three home runs and nine RBIs.
“We just kept after them until the very end,” head coach Rick Heller told Hawkeye Sports after the series finale. “We didn’t execute as well as we would have liked, but 15 hits and nine runs is not bad.”
The offense hasn’t really been a struggle for this Hawkeye team this year, but their heavy production at the plate against a conference foe should help build some much-needed confidence as the dog days of the season begin to kick in.
Bullpen figuring it out
Iowa’s bullpen struggles have been discussed numerous times throughout the young season, but this unit really showed up in both victories over the weekend.
An RBI single from Cop gave the Hawkeyes a 4-3 lead in the seventh inning of game two, but unlike many other contests, the bullpen slammed the door shut. Second-year Aaron Savary recorded the win by allowing only one hit through 2 ⅓ innings. Not only that, fourth-year Jack Young helped the Hawks out of a bases-loaded pickle in the eighth to secure the win.
In the rubber match, third-year Jack Whitlock saved Iowa from another bases-loaded disaster in the fifth to secure the win, while Young earned his first career save after striking out the side in the ninth inning.
If the Hawkeyes can figure out their bullpen situation, then the dream of winning their first Big Ten title in 34 years is still in play.
Has Iowa found its rhythm again?
Iowa won 44 games last season and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the third time under Heller’s watch. Though it certainly has not been the start that everyone envisioned, this roster still has the pieces to achieve those lofty preseason expectations.
Iowa currently has won six out of its last seven games, including series wins over Western Illinois and Purdue with a midweek victory over Grand View sprinkled in.
This year’s slow start mirrors the 2023 Hawkeyes, who raced out to a 19-2 start but suffered a mid-season swoon that saw them lose four of their next eight games. But, they recovered and finished 15-8 in Big Ten play – good enough for third place.
“Last year we were sitting at 19-2 and we hit that down spot right at the start of the season,” Heller said. “I’m hoping it’s just the opposite this year.”