Tag: Michael Seegers

Iowa’s Michael Seegers named to Big Ten Baseball All-Tournament team

Congrats, Michael.

Iowa shortstop Michael Seegers was named to the Big Ten Baseball All-Tournament team after an impressive showing from Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Neb.

Seegers hit 5-for-9 with an RBI double in Iowa’s tournament-opening loss versus Michigan and a run scored in the Hawkeyes’ tournament-ending loss versus Illinois. The 5-foot-10, 170 pound senior from Oconomowoc, Wis., had four singles in Iowa’s two games.

Seegers joined four Nebraska players, four Penn State Nittany Lions, a pair from Michigan and Indiana center fielder Carter Mathison. Michigan pitcher Will Rogers and first baseman Mitch Voit were named to the All-Tournament team.

Nebraska won the Big Ten Baseball Tournament for the first time in program history, topping Penn State in the final, 2-1. It capped a run of five straight wins for the Huskers to rally back from their tournament-opening loss versus Ohio State.

Nebraska pitcher Will Walsh, left fielder Gabe Swansen, second baseman Rhett Stokes and catcher Josh Caron made the All-Tournament team from the victors. Meanwhile, Penn State pitcher Travis Luensmann, right fielder Adam Cecere, third baseman Bryce Molinaro and designated hitter J.T. Marr made the All-Tournament team.

The Iowa Hawkeyes‘ run in the Big Ten baseball tournament ended in controversy.

An interference call on Kyle Huckstorf at second base in the bottom of the 10th inning morphed what looked like a runners on the corners situation with one out, down one run into a two outs situation with Iowa down two runs.

After Ben Wilmes struck out for the game’s final out, it put an abrupt close on a season that began with great promise. Iowa was the preseason pick to win the Big Ten championship, but the Hawkeyes endured an up-and-down 31-23 (14-10 Big Ten) campaign.

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Iowa Hawkeyes baseball rallies to sweep Minnesota, improves to 20-12

Iowa’s offense exploded for an eight-run seventh inning to rally back and top Minnesota, 9-3, on Sunday to earn the series sweep.

Through six innings, it looked and felt like Iowa’s offense might not be able to put it together to earn the series sweep of Minnesota from Duane Banks Field. Following a 9-3 win on Friday and a 2-1 triumph on Saturday, the Hawkeyes had mustered up just three hits over the game’s first six innings on Sunday and trailed 3-0.

Then, the dam burst loose in the seventh. After one-out singles from sophomore Kyle Huckstorf and freshman Ben Wilmes, sophomore Michael Seegers drove in the game’s first run for the Hawks with an RBI single to right field to cut the deficit to 3-1.

Redshirt sophomore Peyton Williams delivered an RBI groundout to score Wilmes and bring the Hawkeyes back within a run. Redshirt senior Izaya Fullard worked a two-out walk and then redshirt sophomore Ben Tallman tied the game up with an RBI single.

Suddenly, after seemingly being stuck in the mud offensively all afternoon long, Iowa had a chance to take the lead and sweep the series. Sophomore Will Mulflur gave Iowa its first lead of the day with a two-run double down the third base line, putting the Hawkeyes in front, 5-3.

“I was trying to go up there and keep fighting. I found myself in a lot of two strike counts this season. I wanted to see it deep with two strikes and get a good swing on it. I got it past the third baseman,” Mulflur said.

Iowa didn’t stop there in the seventh. Freshman Sam Petersen added an RBI single and Wilmes’ two-run single gave the Hawkeyes a five-run lead at 8-3. All told, it was an eight-run seventh inning on seven hits. Iowa added an insurance run in the eighth after Williams doubled and then scored on a wild pitch.

After Minnesota scratched three runs off sophomore right-hander Ty Langenburg over the game’s first three innings, Iowa turned to redshirt sophomore lefty Benjamin DeTaeye. DeTaeye responded with a pair of spotless innings of relief.

Redshirt senior righty Dylan Nedved took Iowa the rest of the way in relief, delivering four innings of one-hit, scoreless baseball for the Hawkeyes.

“It feels good to give your team a chance. It was big to get those shut down innings so it could give our team a chance to come back and win. We were able to get it done, so it was nice,” Nedved said.

Iowa wound up winning on Sunday by the same score as Friday, 9-3. In the process, the Hawkeyes earned their first Big Ten series sweep since winning all three games at Michigan State in last year’s regular season finale.

“Getting a sweep is big, especially at home. It is good momentum for everyone on the team, especially going into a tough one on the road next week. We have to take care business during the midweek, too, against Bradley.

“It was a good confidence booster with everybody. The pitchers coming out and throwing strikes, always giving us a chance, the offense coming through. It felt like we were able to be who we are this weekend and it worked out,” Mulflur said.

Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller said the comeback illustrated what this team wants to be about.

“To get a win today, especially coming back late like that, it was good for the confidence and psyche of the team. To do it with a bunch of guys out of the lineup, it says a lot about our culture and the toughness of the group we have. It was a lot of guys stepping up and getting the job done. It was a good team win today,” Heller said.

Iowa hosts Bradley on Tuesday night at 6:05 p.m. CT from Duane Banks Field before a three-game weekend series at Rutgers.

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