Hawkeyes crush Minnesota, move to 8-2 in Big Ten play

Iowa Baseball opened their road trip to Minneapolis with a dominating 16-7 win over Minnesota at Siebert Field on Thursday afternoon. The Hawkeyes have now won 12 of their last 15 games, moving to 15-9 overall and 8-2 in Big Ten play.

“Our offense really picked us up today,” said head coach Rick Heller. “It was a dogfight early, Minnesota just stayed on us by getting leadoff guys on and scratching a run here and a run there. It looked like one of those games that was going to go back and forth till the end. Then Daniel Wright came in for us and slowed the game down, put some zeros up till our offense was able to put together three big innings.”  

Iowa’s offense, red-hot over the past month, delivered another explosive performance, tallying 16 runs on 17 hits, including three innings where they scored four runs. They also drew 12 walks to seven strikeouts. Gable Mitchell and Miles Risley led the way with four hits apiece, while 13 Iowa hitters reached base at least once. Over the last 15 games, the Hawkeyes have scored 168 runs, including ten games with double-digit runs scored.

“Gable Mitchell had a big game with the four hits,” said Heller. “Miles Risley also had a big game with four. Tyler Guerin had a good pinch hit at bat with the bases loaded driving in two runs. We just kept on them all the way to the end, which was great to see.”

Players of the Game

• SS Gable Mitchell: After starting the game 0 for 2, Mitchell reached base in each of next five plate appearances, including four hits and three runs scored.
• OF Miles Risley: Risley tied Mitchell with a game-high four hits, three RBI’s and two runs scored. His RBI single in the first inning put Iowa in front 1-0.
• RHP Daniel Wright: Although he allowed a few hits, Wright soaked up innings with a doubleheader on the horizon, allowing one run on five hits over 3.1 innings. He threw 35 of 49 (71.4%) pitches for strikes.

Aaron Savary gets immediate run support with five Iowa runs over the first two innings

The Hawkeyes didn’t give Minnesota starter Cole Selvig time to breath before they started putting runs on the board. Ben Wilmes led off with a double, while Miles Risley delivered a two-out, two-strike RBI single to give Iowa an early 1-0 lead. After the Gophers plated two runs in the bottom of the first, the Hawkeyes responded with a crooked number in the second inning.

Reese Moore drove in a pair with a single, while Miles Risley followed with an RBI single to make it 4-2. The Gophers helped with three errors in the game, including an errant throw on a Daniel Rogers groundball to give Iowa a four-spot in the inning. Minnesota starter Cole Selvig lasted just 2.0 innings, allowing five runs, three earned on six hits.

On the mound, Savary wasn’t his best, allowing four runs on five hits over 3.2 innings, including four strikeouts to three walks. He threw just 41 of his 69 (59.4%) pitches for strikes. That being said, the jam he worked out of in the third inning was a momentum shifter.

With Iowa leading 5-2, Easton Richter singled and Drew Berkland followed with a double to put two in scoring position with no outs. Setting up for a potential big inning, Savary retired the next three Gopher hitters, escaping with a Josh Fitzgerald sacrifice fly as the only damage.

Hawkeyes blow the door open with crooked numbers in the 6th and 7th inning

Minnesota chipped into the deficit with single run innings in the third and fourth, but the Iowa offense blew the game open with a pair of big innings. They put up four runs apiece in the sixth and seventh inning to make it 13-5 Hawkeyes.

A leadoff single from Gable Mitchell and consecutive walks loaded the bases, with Jaixen Frost delivering a two-run single on the first pitch he saw from reliever Seth Clausen. Later in the inning, the hometown kid, Tyler Guerin came through with a pinch-hit, two-run single.

In the seventh, the runs kept flowing. Daniel Rogers drove in a pair with a bloop double into no man’s land in left-center field. Caleb Wulf tacked another run with a sacrifice fly and Ben Swails laced an RBI single up to middle to make it 13-5.

Daniel Wright provides a massive, bullpen-saving outing

With a condensed three games in two days series, limiting the amount of bullpen arms used in the series opener was going to be crucial. Aaron Savary came out of the game after just 3.2 innings, putting pressure on right-hander Daniel Wright to give the pitching staff some with a lengthy outing.

Wright provided a potentially bullpen-saving outing, allowing just one run on five hits over 3.1 innings. He struck out three and walked zero, throwing 35 of his 49 (71.4%) pitches for strikes. That allowed Rick Heller to bring in Jack Whitlock for the final six outs and the Hawkeyes managed to get through the series opener using just two bullpen arms.

Gable Mitchell tallies four hits, moves into second in the Big Ten in hits

It’s been pretty impressive watching Gable Mitchell evolve as a hitter during his time at Iowa. As a true freshman, Mitchell batted just .114 over 35 at-bats and the question at the time was, can Gable be a Big Ten caliber hitter to go along with his defense? He batted .293 last season over 54 games and has bumped his offensive production up to another level this season.

After starting the day 0 for 2, Mitchell reached base in each of his next five plate appearances, including four singles and three runs scored. He led off, reached base and scored in three consecutive, before tacking an RBI single onto his tally in the 9th inning to make it 15-7.

On the season, Gable has totaled 38 hits in 24 games, slashing .384/.487/.535, with nine doubles, two home runs, 20 RBI’s and 26 runs scored. He has struck out just ten times in 119 plate appearances. Mitchell is second in the Big Ten in total hits, only trailing Indiana’s Korbyn Dickerson (40).

What’s next for Rick Heller and Co?

The Hawkeyes and Gophers will finish up their series before the weekend even starts, with a doubleheader set for Friday at Siebert Field. Cade Obermueller will pitch game one, while Reece Beuter will get the ball for game two. First pitch is set for 12:00pm CT on BTN+.