Leading 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning against Loras, Iowa baseball’s offense needed some help. The Hawkeyes could not muster a single run since the first inning, where they posted four.
With two outs and two on base, in came Blake Guerin, the 6-foot-6 third-year first baseman for the Hawkeyes, to take over for Caleb Wulf. Guerin took the first pitch he saw for a ball, then went on to foul off seven straight pitches to keep the count at 1-2 for what felt like an eternity.
On the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Guerin sent a scorching line drive to straight away center field. As every person in attendance at Duane Banks Field locked eyes on the ball, it continued to rise until it smashed into the batter’s eye in center field for a three-run homer.
“It’s staying confident in yourself,” Guerin said about the hard-fought at bat. “Understanding that you are the best player on the field and that dude can’t beat you on the mound, and it’s a one-on-one battle and not making the situation bigger than it is.”
The home run was clocked off the bat at 109 miles per hour, and traveled an estimated 426 feet to give the Hawkeyes the cushion they had been needing for four innings. The three-run shot paid huge dividends for Iowa as Loras would respond with one run the next inning, as the Hawkeyes ultimately went on to claim the victory 11-3.
“It felt good,” Guerin said. “It’s just about getting the barrel on the ball, that was my main goal in that at bat, and fighting. It’s not easy coming off the bench all the time, but we prepare the right way here, so that’s what made it a lot easier. We prepare like we play every single day.”
Guerin has played in eight games this season, starting in just two of them. The third-year has been splitting time with Wulf, a transfer from Southeastern Community College. Guerin has taken a great mental approach to not being in the lineup each day, but knowing he could come off the bench at any moment.
“That’s what’s fun about it,” Guerin said about coming off the bench. “If you aren’t in the lineup that day, you know that there’s a possibility that you could come into the lineup later in the game, in a huge spot.”
Guerin’s pinch-hit three-run blast was his second homer of the season, as he’s been off to a slow start. The first baseman’s only hit on the year coming into the game was a home run against Washington State on Sunday.
While the plan to use Guerin off the bench in this game was predetermined according to head coach Rick Heller, this opportunity for Guerin could pay off down the road once the Hawkeyes get into Big Ten play.
“I think anytime you can come in and have success like that, it just builds your confidence,” coach Heller said after the game. “That’s what we need, because Blake [Guerin] can have a big role and be a big part of the team. He was off to a slow start, and now to get back out there was really big for his confidence.”