Junior right-hander Ty Langenberg had his best stuff in the 2023 Big Ten Tournament semifinals, tossing seven spotless innings to help pave the way for the Hawkeyes to advance past Michigan, 5-0.
The 6-foot-2, 190 pound righty from Urbandale, Iowa, struck out five of the first eight batters he faced. Langenberg struck out nine and threw 107 pitches over his seven innings of work. In the process, he grabbed his sixth win of the season.
Offensively, the Hawkeyes’ scoring got started in the third inning with a bases-loaded RBI hit by pitch from Raider Tello off Michigan righty Eamon Horwedel.
Iowa didn’t score again until some two-out magic in the sixth. Michael Seegers singled to left and advanced to second on a pickoff attempt gone awry from the Wolverines. Kyle Huckstorf tripled to center field to plate Seegers and to give Iowa a 2-0 lead.
The Hawkeyes officially broke things open in the bottom of the seventh. Brennen Dorighi and Tello delivered RBI singles before Sam Hojnar added a sacrifice fly to plate Dorighi.
Right-handers Will Christophersen and Luke Llewellyn combined to record the final six outs for the Hawks. After a leadoff double in the eighth, Chirstophersen struck out Jimmy Obertop and then got Cody Jefferis and Tito Flores to fly out.
Llewellyn actually relieved Chas Wheatley after Wheatley started the ninth with a hit by pitch to Michigan’s Ted Burton and a walk to Jordon Rogers. Llewellyn ensured there would be no serious drama as he struck out the side from there to send the Hawkeyes back into the Big Ten Tournament’s championship game for the first time since they won the event for the first time in program history back in 2017.
With the Hawks on the cusp of a league crown, Iowa fans took to social media to react in real time and then to celebrate a great day for Hawkeye baseball.
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