The Iowa Hawkeyes dismantled the Michigan Wolverines in their 2023 Big Ten Baseball Tournament opener, 13-3.
The Hawkeyes’ Jack Whitlock heroically struck out the side before Brayden Frazier delivered a two-out grand slam in the fifth inning to key the win over Michigan. Sam Petersen also added a three-run blast in the seventh.
Now, after delighting Hawkeye Nation with the opening tourney win, it’s time to shift attention to the Indiana Hoosiers. Indiana topped Illinois, 4-3, in its opening game. That represented the ninth one-run win for the Hoosiers this season.
Indiana plated two runs in the fifth and two more in the eighth on RBIs from Peter Serruto, Devin Taylor, Josh Pyne and Hunter Jessee.
This will be the fourth meeting this season between Iowa and Indiana. The two teams played a three-game series back on April 7-9.
Iowa took game one, winning 7-1 behind a fantastic start from sophomore righty Brody Brecht. The 6-foot-4, 205 pound right-hander tossed seven innings of one-run ball. Meanwhile, Iowa got two-RBI performances from Kyle Huckstorf, Raider Tello and Frazier in that win over the Hoosiers.
Indiana won the next two games to take the series, though. The Hoosiers topped Iowa in extra innings in the series’ second game, walking off the Hawkeyes with a two-run homer from Morgan Colopy in the bottom of the 10th.
Then, in the rubber match, Iowa jumped out to a pair of leads but couldn’t hang on. The Hawkeyes leapt in front in the first with an RBI groundout from Sam Hojnar to put Iowa in front 1-0. After Indiana had tied it at one run apiece, Iowa went back in front with an unearned run in the eighth.
Indiana had one final response, though. The Hoosiers plated three in the bottom of the eighth off an RBI single from Peter Serruto and a two-RBI single from Bobby Whalen en route to a 4-2 series clincher over Iowa.
Now, the two teams meet again from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb. Iowa entered the Big Ten Baseball Tournament with a variety of postseason projections across the country.
The Hawkeyes’ opening win over Michigan should have them in a good spot to have locked up an at-large bid, but why leave it up to chance? Plus, with a win, Iowa is one win away from reaching the Big Ten Tournament’s championship game.
Here’s where fans can watch and listen to today’s game. Plus, some notes on each.