Hawks face Panthers again in Classic
Ryan Young - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 4/30/08 Section: Sports
The rivalry between Iowa and Northern Iowa is about to get a little more fierce.
Out to prove they are the best Division-I team in the state tonight, the struggling Iowa baseball team (16-25, 6-14) faces a senior-laden UNI squad (25-13, 11-4) during the fifth-annual Corridor Classic in Cedar Rapids at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
A week ago, the Hawkeyes ventured onto Panthers' home field in Waterloo, broke a three-game losing streak with a 5-2 win, and handed Iowa skipper Jack Dahm his 400th victory.
Intensity is expected tonight when the Hawkeyes and Panthers begin round two at 6:30 p.m. Tickets range from $9 for premier seating to $6 for lawn seating.
Senior Matt Mossey is Iowa's probable starter, expected to pitch no more than two innings.
"The guys are pretty jacked up, pretty excited about it," junior Justin Toole said. "Getting a win against UNI would be big heading into Minnesota this next weekend."
Last week's meeting with the Panthers did give the Hawkeyes a boost during their weekend road series with Michigan State. Iowa opened with a 16-2 triumph.
But the Hawkeyes' extra fuel appeared to have been depleted through the following three games; the Spartans went on to take the series, 3-1, scoring 33 runs in the process.
Dahm said pitching is at the top of Iowa's improvement list, noting that several walks, wild pitches, and hit batters contributed to the high number of allowed runs over the weekend.
"We just gave up too many free bases," he said. "I think it's been pretty obvious that when we get a well-pitched game, everything else kind of falls into place for us.
"Our pitchers understand that. It's just a case of going out there and executing."
But with the Big Ten Tournament less than a month away and such teams as Michigan, Purdue, and Illinois standing in the top three of the conference standings, there isn't much time for the Hawks to collect themselves during the final stretch of the regular season.
The Hawkeyes sense this, but they aren't getting nervous just yet.
"I think there is definitely a little bit of urgency," freshman outfielder Kurtis Muller said. "Not too much. We still have a chance [of making the Big Ten Tournament.
"We just have to go out there and play Hawkeye baseball, and we should be fine."
Notes: Because of flooding at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport, the Quad Cities River Bandits - the Single-A minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals - will finish their three-game home stand with the Lansing Lugnuts tonight at Banks Field, according to an article on the team's website.
The game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Tickets will be offered to fans at a discounted price of $5.
E-mail DI reporter Ryan Young at:
ryan-c-young@uiowa.edu
Out to prove they are the best Division-I team in the state tonight, the struggling Iowa baseball team (16-25, 6-14) faces a senior-laden UNI squad (25-13, 11-4) during the fifth-annual Corridor Classic in Cedar Rapids at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
A week ago, the Hawkeyes ventured onto Panthers' home field in Waterloo, broke a three-game losing streak with a 5-2 win, and handed Iowa skipper Jack Dahm his 400th victory.
Intensity is expected tonight when the Hawkeyes and Panthers begin round two at 6:30 p.m. Tickets range from $9 for premier seating to $6 for lawn seating.
Senior Matt Mossey is Iowa's probable starter, expected to pitch no more than two innings.
"The guys are pretty jacked up, pretty excited about it," junior Justin Toole said. "Getting a win against UNI would be big heading into Minnesota this next weekend."
Last week's meeting with the Panthers did give the Hawkeyes a boost during their weekend road series with Michigan State. Iowa opened with a 16-2 triumph.
But the Hawkeyes' extra fuel appeared to have been depleted through the following three games; the Spartans went on to take the series, 3-1, scoring 33 runs in the process.
Dahm said pitching is at the top of Iowa's improvement list, noting that several walks, wild pitches, and hit batters contributed to the high number of allowed runs over the weekend.
"We just gave up too many free bases," he said. "I think it's been pretty obvious that when we get a well-pitched game, everything else kind of falls into place for us.
"Our pitchers understand that. It's just a case of going out there and executing."
But with the Big Ten Tournament less than a month away and such teams as Michigan, Purdue, and Illinois standing in the top three of the conference standings, there isn't much time for the Hawks to collect themselves during the final stretch of the regular season.
The Hawkeyes sense this, but they aren't getting nervous just yet.
"I think there is definitely a little bit of urgency," freshman outfielder Kurtis Muller said. "Not too much. We still have a chance [of making the Big Ten Tournament.
"We just have to go out there and play Hawkeye baseball, and we should be fine."
Notes: Because of flooding at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport, the Quad Cities River Bandits - the Single-A minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals - will finish their three-game home stand with the Lansing Lugnuts tonight at Banks Field, according to an article on the team's website.
The game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Tickets will be offered to fans at a discounted price of $5.
E-mail DI reporter Ryan Young at:
ryan-c-young@uiowa.edu
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