For the first time in six years, the Iowa Hawkeyes are headed to the Big Ten Baseball Tournament’s championship game.
Iowa dispatched of Michigan again, shutting out the Wolverines 5-0 in the 2023 Big Ten Baseball Tournament’s semifinals. Hawkeye starter Ty Langenberg tossed a gem, striking out nine across seven spotless innings of work.
“Ty did exactly what you expect a veteran with a lot of confidence to do. He went out there and attacked the strike zone. I feel like since the weather has warmed up, he has been really sharp. When he’s hitting with all four of his pitches, he can beat anyone in the country. He pitched a gem today and his quiet confidence is the Ty Langenberg we like to see. He did everything he needed to do to put us in a good position going into tomorrow,” Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller said afterwards.
The Hawkeyes got started with a bases-loaded, hit by pitch RBI for Raider Tello in the third. Iowa added another run in the bottom of the sixth when Kyle Huckstorf tripled to bring home Michael Seegers. Then, Iowa busted things open in the bottom of the seventh with RBI singles from Brennen Dorighi and Tello and a sacrifice fly from Sam Hojnar.
It has the Hawkeyes back in the Big Ten Tournament’s championship game for the fifth time in program history and for the third time under Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller.
“We have won games in every way imaginable this year. That’s a tribute to the balance that we have with this team this year. With the pitching, the hitting, and then the big one that we haven’t talked a lot about in this tournament is our defense.
“Our defense is elite level and the incredible play that Seegers made up the middle in the seventh was a game changing play. That game changes a lot if that ball gets through but it gave us energy and confidence to be able to close it out,” Heller said.
It was a great day from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb. The Hawkeyes will face top-seeded Maryland in the Big Ten Championship game tomorrow at 2 p.m.
In the meantime, here’s a look back at some fantastic still images of the Hawks’ massive win over Michigan.