Top-seed Gophers no match for Iowa baseball team
From surviving to now thriving, the Iowa baseball team continued its late-season ascent by pounding top-seed Minnesota 8-2 in first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Senior center fielder Joel Booker did most of the pounding on Wednesday at Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb., by tying a school and Big Ten Tournament record with five of Iowa’s 18 hits.
“He had a great night, it was good to see,” Iowa coach Rick Heller said on the Big Ten Network. “He was dialed in and he’s exciting every day. And that’s what got things going in this game. The ball got away from the pitcher and he was able to get things started.”
The victory was Iowa’s sixth in its last seven games and it moved the eight-seeded Hawkeyes (29-25) into the winners’ bracket of the double-elimination tournament where they will face the winner of Wednesday’s game between Michigan and Ohio State.
Senior Tyler Peyton will be Iowa’s starting pitcher on Thursday. The Grimes native, who limited Penn State to just three hits in his last start on Friday, is finally healthy after being hobbled by an arm injury throughout the season. Peyton was expected to be Iowa’s No. 1 pitcher this season until the injury occurred.
“If you’re going to win the tournament, it’s real important to win game one,” said Heller, who has led Iowa to the Big Ten Tournament in each of his three seasons as head coach. “And we feel like we’ve got a good situation with Tyler Peyton, an extra day of rest, ready to go tomorrow.”
Sophomore C.J. Eldred scattered six hits over seven innings to pick up his third victory of the season. The Mount Vernon native, who is the son of former Iowa and professional pitcher Cal Eldred, had five strikeouts and just two walks while throwing 96 pitches.
C.J. Eldred also avenged a 4-1 loss to the Gophers in April in which he pitched well, but still took the loss.
His 2-8 record heading into Wednesday’s game was deceiving, considering Eldred now has eight quality starts on the season, including Wednesday’s performance.
Nick Allgeyer pitched the final two innings in relief for Iowa and struck out the final four batters.
Peyton could’ve pitched on Wednesday, but instead, he played first base and sparked the offense with four hits. Heller had faith in Eldred and wanted to give Peyton another day to rest his arm.
“C.J. did a great job and I’m really happy for him because his record isn’t indicative of how well he has pitched for us, especially early on when Peyton went down,” Heller said. “He pitched some great games. We didn’t give him a lot of run support. He’s just been a battler for us all year along.
“He went out tonight and just pitched a gem. He logged a bunch of innings and saved the bullpen. And then Nick Allgeyer came in and did a good job.”
Iowa advanced to the conference tournament after winning four of its last six Big Ten games against Michigan State and Penn State. Iowa had to win both of those three-game series to secure a spot in the eight-team field.
The Hawkeyes started quickly on offense on Wednesday, scoring two runs with two outs in the top of the first inning. Austin Guzzo drove in both runs with a double that sailed over the outstretched glove of Minnesota center fielder Dan Motl.
Iowa built on the lead by scoring three runs in the second inning, all of which also came with two outs.
Iowa combined for seven hits in the first two innings against Gopher starter Matt Fiedler, who won seven games during the regular-season and was named Big Ten Player of the Year.
The Hawkeyes were robbed of a hit in the third inning when Motl made a spectacular diving catch on a ball hit by Iowa’s Eric Schenck-Joblinske.
Minnesota trimmed the deficit to 5-2, but Iowa responded with three runs in the fifth inning.
Booker reached base in each of his six plate appearances. The Columbus, N.C., native also recorded his 23rd stolen base on the season.
“I was hitting it well, but also I got a little help from the baseball Gods,” Booker said of his five singles. “I didn’t square many balls up. It just seemed like everything I hit just found a hole or dropped.
“It was my day to be hot, I guess.”
Eldred thinks he benefited on Wednesday from having faced the Gophers during the regular season.
“They’re a good ball club, but facing them again really helped a lot,” Eldred said. “You’re able to set up a game plan. But for me personally, I like that I’ve already faced them, seeing them and kind of getting a feel for what their strengths and weaknesses are.”