Iowa Hawkeyes travel to Texas Tech Red Raiders for three-game series
5 min read
The Iowa Hawkeyes baseball team has started this season quite impressively. It is actually the best start for the University since 1942, which was a pretty pretty long time ago.
Unfortunately, the success of the baseball team has sort of become lost in a sea of other Hawkeye happenings leading into March. Of course, there is the NFL Scouting Combine, where the Hawkeyes on display undoubtedly boosted their draft stocks with extremely strong performances.
Then, there is basketball. This is the pinnacle of basketball season: March! Women’s basketball has won their second straight Big Ten Championship, and, well, the men were looking up before these last two.
Wrestling also just competed in their Big Ten Championships, finishing second as a collective while sending all 10 wrestlers to the national championships.
There is a lot going on in Hawkeyes sports, but that doesn’t mean that baseball should fall by the wayside until the other sports are done doing their thing. In an effort to make up for some lost time, here is a roundup of the current stellar streak that Iowa baseball is on!
Plus, a quick look at the Texas Tech series this weekend.
Iowa at Texas Tech
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
Weekend Schedule:
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Friday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m.
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Saturday, March 11 at 2 p.m.
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Sunday, March 12 at 1 p.m.
Series notes
Annie Rice/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The Hawkeyes have opened the season going 10-1. It is the best start in school history since the 1942 team that started 12-1-1.
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Iowa has outscored it’s opponents 94-33 to open the season. The pitching staff has a 2.71 ERA good for 14th in the nation and first in the Big Ten. The Iowa staff ranks sixth in the country in hits allowed per nine innings (6.12), and the Iowa defense has a .983 fielding percentage good for 25th in the nation.
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Three Hawkeyes — Keaton Anthony, Brennen Dorighi, and Raider Tello– have reached base safely in all 11 games to start the season. Anthony has a 27 game on base streak that dates back to last year.
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The Hawkeyes are picked as an NCAA Regional team by D1Baseball.com and are tabbed to finish in the top three of the Big Ten standings by both D1Baseball and the Big Ten coaches.
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The Hawkeyes are ranked 23rd by D1Baseball, 27th in the NCBWA Top-30, receiving votes in the Coaches Poll, and are ranked 16th in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top-25.
Iowa-Texas Tech series history
Annie Rice/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK
Iowa and Texas Tech have met four times with Texas Tech leading the all-time series 3-1. The Hawkeyes and Red Raiders split a two-game series in Iowa City a year ago with the third game being cancelled due to weather. Texas Tech won the first two meetings between the two programs winning 9-7 and 6-4 in 2011 in Lubbock. Texas Tech took the first game in 2022 winning 11-3, before Iowa took the second game 6-3.
Now, let’s take a look at how Iowa has gotten to this point lately. Here’s everything you’ve missed since the Hawkeyes toppled No. 1 LSU.
6-5 Victory over Kansas State
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
Fresh off their 12-4 thrashing of No. 1 LSU, Iowa was pushed to the limits by a tough Kansas State squad. Down 5-4 heading into the seventh, it would be designated hitter Keaton Anthony who provided the winning runs for the Hawkeyes. Anthony tied it up in the seventh inning, scoring on a passed ball, before giving the Hawkeyes the win with a ninth-inning homer. Anthony would finish the day with three hits and three runs scored.
9-2 Victory over Loras
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
It was a tad more elementary for the Hawkeyes in their next contest against Loras with a 9-2 victory. It was a pitcher-by-committee type of day, with nine pitchers featuring in the win.
Jack Whitlock would earn the win, while both Will Christophersen and Jacob Henderson would strike out three in their lone innings of work. First baseman Brennen Dorighi and second baseman Sam Hojnar both knocked in two runs in the win.
20-8 Victory Over Southern
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
All of the Iowa bats were present in their 20-8 victory over Southern University. Chase Moseley hit a grand slam in the third inning to give the Hawkeyes a 6-3 lead. Michael Seegers and Sam Hojnar would both get the long ball going as well.
6-2 Victory Over South Alabama
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
Good pitching and a big Michael Seegers triple in the fourth propelled the Hawkeyes to victory in this one. Marcus Morgan limited the damage to only two runs in four innings, striking out seven while only allowing three hits.
Jared Simpson would earn the victory in relief, allowing only one hit and no runs in four innings of work. Will Christophersen would finish it off with three strikeouts in the ninth.
10-1 Victory Over Pepperdine
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
Pepperdine jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning but would never see that lead again.
In a fully complete performance by the Hawkeyes, they would score 10 unanswered runs. A big eight inning saw the Hawkeyes rush five runs onto the scoreboard, aided heavily by Sam Hojnar’s three-run shot. Michael Seegers would also hit a home run in the third inning, driving in another with a single in the ninth,
Keaton Anthony provided the great sacrifice RBI, swapping a hit-by-pitch for a run on the board.
Brody Brecht and Zach Voelker combined for a fantastic day after that long first-inning homer, allowing only four hits and striking out a combined eight.
8-2 Victory Over COE
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
This latest victory over COE was another big complete performance for the Hawkeyes. Featuring another pitcher-by-committee effort after a strong three innings from Cade Obermueller, Jack Whitlock would earn his second victory of the season.
Keaton Anthony drove in two runs with his fourth-inning double. Iowa played a bit of small ball, with three sacrifice flies resulting in runs.
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