Huskers Set for Road Series with the Hawkeyes

Friday, March 19 (4 PM)

Pitching: LHP Cade Povich (2-0) vs. LHP Trenton Wallace (1-0)
TV/Streaming: BTN+
Radio: Husker Sports Network
 
Saturday, March 20 (2 PM)

Pitching: RHP Chance Hroch (2-0) vs. RHP Drew Irvine (0-1)
TV/Streaming: BTN+
Radio: Husker Sports Network
 
Sunday, March 21 (1 PM)

Pitching: RHP Shay Schanaman (1-0) vs. RHP Duncan Davitt (1-0)
TV/Streaming: BTN+
Radio: Husker Sports Network
 
The Nebraska baseball team (5-3) heads to Iowa City, Iowa, this weekend for three games against the Iowa Hawkeyes (3-5) at Duane Banks Field. It will mark five games between the two teams in nine days after they split a pair of games last weekend at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. The Huskers won, 4-0, on Saturday before the Hawkeyes won, 3-1, on Sunday.

Both teams posted a 2-2 record last weekend in Minneapolis, as they split a pair of games with each other and split a pair of games with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

This week’s series is set to start on Friday, March 19, at 4 PM. It will be a duel between left-hander starters, as Cade Povich will match up against Trenton Wallace. Both pitchers are 1-0 on the year.

The middle game of the series is set for a 2 PM start on Saturday, with Nebraska’s Chance Hroch (2-0) meeting Iowa’s Drew Irvine (0-1). The series concludes on Sunday at 1 PM, and the scheduled starting pitchers are Shay Schanaman (1-0) for the Huskers and Duncan Davitt (1-0) for the Hawkeyes.

All three games this weekend will be carried on BTN+, a online streaming service through the Big Ten Network. 

Fans can listen to Greg Sharpe and Nick Handley call the action this weekend on the Learfield/IMG College Husker Sports Network. Every game this season can be heard for free on Huskers.com and the Official Nebraska Huskers App for both iOS and android devices.

Last Time Out

Nebraska played four games last weekend at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn. including two each against the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Huskers started the trip with a 2-0 record, but then dropped a pair of games on Sunday to finish the weekend at 2-2.

3/12: Nebraska 10 – Ohio State 4

3/13: Nebraska 4 – Iowa 0

3/14: Ohio State 6 – Nebraska 4

3/14: Iowa 3 – Nebraska 1

Next Up

After playing 11 games away from Lincoln to start the season the Nebraska baseball team is set to host its home opener on Friday, March 26, at 2 PM. The Huskers will host the Minnesota Golden Gophers for four games, including one game on Friday, two on Saturday and one on Sunday.

3/26: Minnesota vs. Nebraska (2 PM)

3/27: Minnesota vs. Nebraska (DH starting at Noon)

3/28: Minnesota vs. Nebraska (Noon)

Leading Off

• 11 players have made their Husker debuts this season, including true freshmen  infielders Max Anderson, Brice Matthews and Jack Steil, as well as freshman pitcher Emmett Olson. 

• Freshmen Max Anderson (.367) and Jack Steil (.333) rank first and second in batting average for the Huskers in 2021. Anderson is tied with Joe Acker for the team lead in RBIs with eight each.

• Nebraska’s defense leads the Big Ten with a .997 fielding percentage. The Huskers have committed one error on the year, while second-place Indiana has committed two. Every other team in the conference has committed six or more. Northwestern and Maryland have both committed a conference-high 14 errors.

• Griffin Everitt leads the Big Ten with three sacrifice bunts.

• Chance Hroch is one of six pitchers in the conference with two wins on the year.

• The Huskers rank 12th in the Big Ten with 10 doubles, but are fourth in hits (73) and fourth in home runs (10). Rutgers leads the league with 17 home runs.

Scouting the Hawkeyes

• The Hawkeyes split a pair of games against both the Huskers and Ohio State Buckeyes last weekend in Minneapolis, Minn. Entering the weekend the Hawkeyes are 3-5 on the year.

• Iowa opened the 2021 campaign with four games against the Michigan Wolverines in Round Rock Texas. Michigan took the season opener, 4-2, before Iowa responded with a 8-3 win in the first game of a doubleheader. Michigan took game two of the double dip, 7-0, and secured a series win with a 11-4 win in the series finale.

• In its five losses this year Iowa has been outscored 33-13. In its three wins Iowa holds a 15-4 advantage in runs.

• Senior infielder Matthew Sosa leads the Iowa offense with a .400 average (10-for-25), three doubles and seven RBIs. 

• The Hawkeyes have a Big Ten low one home run this season, but rank sixth with 16 doubles.

• Iowa has relied on its pitching staff, which ranks in the top five in the Big Ten in multiple categories

– Fewest hits allowed (3rd – 56) (Indiana leads, 28)

– Fewest runs allowed (4th – 37) (Indiana leads, 15)

– Most strikeouts (4th – 82) (Ohio State leads, 97)

– Lowest Batting Average (3rd – .223) (Indiana leads, .127)

• Sunday’s starter Duncan Davitt saw the Huskers last weekend in the finale for both teams and was stellar. The sophomore from Indianola, Iowa, struck out six and didn’t allow a hit through 5.1 innings. The right hander ended his day by allowing one run on two hits and two walks over 6.0 innings

• Rick Heller is in his eighth season at Iowa, taking the reigns in 2014. The 2021 season marks Heller’s 35th as a collegiate head coach and enters the weekend with a career record of 907-708-4. Under Heller the Hawkeyes have advanced to two NCAA Regionals, and claimed the first Big Ten Tournament title in program history. The 2017 title was Iowa’s first since winning the regular season crown in 1990. Heller is one of two Iowa head coaches to lead the program to the NCAA Tournament.

• Since 2015 the Hawkeyes own a 95-27 record at Duane Banks Field.

The Series with Iowa

• Nebraska and Iowa have split 40 previous meetings, 20-20.

• The teams are 1-1 against each other in 2021.

• Since Nebraska joined the Big Ten in 2012 the Hawkeyes hold a 14-10 advantage. 

• The Huskers have lost three straight series in Iowa City and are 4-8 at Duane Banks Field since joining the Big Ten Conference. In four trips to Iowa City the Huskers lone series win came in 2013 when they went 2-1.

• Series History in Iowa City Since 2012

2019 – Iowa won 2-1

2015 – Iowa won 3-0

2014 – Iowa won 2-1

2013 – Nebraska won 2-1

• The teams have met twice at the Big Ten Tournament and split the games. Iowa won 2-0 in Bloomington, Ind., in 2017, while Nebraska won, 11-1, at TD Ameritrade Park in 2019.

Povich Back on Track

After lasting a career-low 3.0 innings in the season opener against Purdue, Cade Povich responded with 12 strikeouts over 6.0 innings in a win against Ohio State last weekend in Minneapolis.

• Povich’s 12 strikeouts were the most by a Husker pitcher since May 7, 2010, when Michael Mariot struck out 12 against Southeast Missouri State.

• Povich’s 12 strikeouts were the most by a Husker pitcher in a conference game since 2007 when Tony Watson also notched 12 strikeouts against Oklahoma State on April 6.

• Last Husker to strikeout more than 12 was Johnny Dorn against Northern Colorado on March 8, 2008.

Freshmen Step Up

Freshmen infielders Max Anderson, Brice Matthews and Jack Steil have been instrumental in Nebraska’s 5-3 start to the 2021 season.

• Anderson leads the team in average (.367, 11-30), hits (11) and home runs (2), while also being tied with Joe Acker for the lead in RBIs (8).

• Steil ranks second on the team in average (.333, 6-18) and is tied with Spencer Schwellenbach for the lead in double with two.

• Matthews is third on the team with six RBIs and hit his first career home run in last Saturday’s win over Iowa.

Rely on the Pen

• Through eight games Nebraska’s bullpen has a 1.53 ERA. 

• 11 relievers have combined to throw 29.1 innings and have allowed six runs (five earned)

• Bullpen has struck out 28 and walked 12. Pen-high seven strikeouts over 6.0 innings from Braxton Bragg.

• Opposing hitters have posted a .206 batting average.

Shay the Starter

After making 25 relief appearances over his first two years at Nebraska, Shay Schanaman made his first career start against Purdue on March 6. 

• In two starts this year Schanaman is 1-0 with a 3.48 ERA over 10.1 innings. He has struck out 10 and walked three.

Back for Year No. 5

Three Huskers are back for their fifth season as a Husker in 2021, including Joe Acker, Mojo Hagge and Luke Roskam.

• The trio has combined to play in 445 games (Acker – 108, Hagge – 176, Roskam – 161) and has made 377 starts (Acker – 85, Hagge – 146, Roskam – 146).

• Joe Acker and Mojo Hagge were each been named team captains for 2021.