As the wind whipped toward left field at Duane Banks Field in Iowa City on Sunday, the Hawkeyes looked to complete a sweep of the Indiana Hoosiers.
Right fielder Andy Nelson stepped into the right-handed batter’s box with two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the second. The fifth-year connected with a 95 mile-an-hour fastball and sent it out faster over the left-center wall.
“When the pitch came, I just felt good,” Nelson said. “The wind was blowing out, so that helps.”
The 413-foot shot gave Iowa a 3-0 lead in the second, and the scoring didn’t end there.
With a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, Nelson came up to the plate again, this time with no runners on. The Hawkeye outfielder saw three-straight balls to get into a 3-0 count, a situation where Iowa typically doesn’t give the green light.
That decision went the other way for Nelson, however, as Indiana pitcher Jackson Yarberry grooved a fastball over the plate that Nelson couldn’t miss.
Nelson smashed another bomb to left-center, coming off the bat at 105 miles per hour and traveling 421 feet to put Iowa ahead, 8-0. The Hawkeyes pushed the lead to 10-0 later that inning with a two-run homer from Gable Mitchell and won by run rule for the second-straight day.
“The 3-0 count one was fun,” Nelson said about his second home run. “I was hoping he would give me the green light to swing away, and when I got it, I was like, ‘All right, don’t try to do too much. Just see it and let it fly.’”
Nelson came into the 2025 season with high expectations after a big year in 2024. The Iowa utility man hit for a .325 average with 44 runs batted in and a team-high nine home runs last season.
In 2025, Nelson started the season hitting for a measly .156 average through the first 13 games before suffering an injury. After a couple of weeks off, Nelson returned to the Hawkeye lineup and has caught fire in recent weeks.
“Really just sticking, having faith that what you do on a daily basis is going to pay off in the long run,” Nelson said about his midseason turnaround. “Just high intent, focus during practice, and then put yourself in a good position to succeed.”
Since his return from injury, Nelson has hit .341 with 12 RBIs in his last 21 games. This hot streak for Nelson has helped Iowa find some spark at the bottom of its order in recent games.
“The last couple of weeks, he’s just really gotten into a good flow,” head coach Rick Heller said. “Talking with him this week, he felt like his timing was getting close to where it needed to be.”
Nelson will also be a key piece for the Hawkeyes down the stretch and into postseason play.
“I’m just really happy to see Andy coming through,” Heller said. “It’s his last year, he’s fought through a lot of adversity with injuries throughout his career. And it’d be nice if he could get on a tear here that carries through the end of the season.”