IU Baseball vs Iowa - 4/30 - 5/2 all on BTN+

[Brass Cannon 25,000]

Just noticed that Nebraska lost yesterday too.  Hopefully Rutgers can pull off another today 

[Aaron 4,319]

Well our starting pitching continues to be a mess this weekend, but the reality is our hitting is coming on and we won today because we have a good bullpen and Hawkeyes do not. Really impressed with our hitting approach this weekend. 

Tomorrow is game of year so far by a large margin. A win means a series victory against a top level conference opponent and right there in Big Ten title chase and we put the Hawks comfortably behind us at 2.5 back. 

A loss and we are in a mess of about six teams and we lose the series. Both teams have best starters going tomorrow and first to blink wins.  

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 9,566]

Rutgers tied it. 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 9,566]

Rutgers up 1 B9 vs NE. NE with runner on 2nd no outs. 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 9,566]

2 outs runner on 3rd. 

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 9,566]

Yessss Rutgers won. 

[Aaron 4,319]

Why did Nebraska lose that game? Because their manager made a beyond idiotic move with a 5-1 lead.

Nebraska is the anti-Iowa with mediocre starting pitching, but an excellent bullpen. Rather than going straight to one of their or five or six terrific bullpen guys, after getting a good start for the one of the first times this year, the Huskers brought in one of their worst relievers. He proceeded to give up a walk and back to back HR's. This reliever was pulled after that, but the damage was done and after bringing in one of their good relievers, it was to late. If they had gone straight to one of their top relievers they win hands down.

Not complaining as that really helps IU, but bad managing decision to bring in a bad reliever with a four run lead in the 7th, when you have a stable full of really good relievers. 

Rutgers a piece of work and playing really well but are helping us big time right now. Lets just hope when we play them next week they don't wreck our season like they are Nebraska's and Michigan's. 

[Brass Cannon 25,000]

Big Ten Standings and Michigan are in disagreement about how many losses Michigan has.  
 

 

[Aaron 4,319]

2 hours ago, Brass Cannon said:

Big Ten Standings and Michigan are in disagreement about how many losses Michigan has.  
 

 

Michigan is right. As usual BTN.org has an error with the standings which is not a surprise. If you want accurate standings I would look here:

https://www.warrennolan.com/baseball/2021/conference/Big-Ten

Big Ten will fix it eventually as they always do, but don't necessarily expect it to be quick.  

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 9,566]

46 minutes ago, Aaron said:

Michigan is right. As usual BTN.org has an error with the standings which is not a surprise. If you want accurate standings I would look here:

https://www.warrennolan.com/baseball/2021/conference/Big-Ten

Big Ten will fix it eventually as they always do, but don't necessarily expect it to be quick.  

I go here too. 

https://d1baseball.com/conference/big-ten-conference/#conference-schedule

Not as in depth but solid.  

[Aaron 4,319]

Bierman comes out with zero control just like we have done all weekend. Fortunately, he got it together and finished the inning strong but by then it was to late as Hawkeyes put up a run on an RBI groundout. Could have been much worse, but falling behind 1-0 against Iowa's elite pitcher is not ideal.  Bierman needs  to be perfect rest of day to give us any chance.

[Aaron 4,319]

1-1 after 1. We can thank there pitcher, not because we hit him around but because of a terrible error he made. We did get one ball with really good contact off the CF wall for a double by Toetz. However, beside that Ashley popped out and then the key to the inning was Richardson chopped ball back to Baumann at the mound that should of been second out. Instead though he botched the throw into RF allowing the run to come in. Without that, runner goes to third with two outs and next out which was a flyball to center would of ended the inning.

1-1 after 1.

[Aaron 4,319]

Bierman appears to have it together now and works a 1-2-3 inning. We may now have the pitching matchup we thought as Baumann was good from get go besides the one pitch to Toetz for the double (The error in field he made has nothing to do with how he is actually pitching and would of had a scoreless inning without it). 

1-1 to bottom 2.

[Aaron 4,319]

Baumann relatively clean as well and its 1-1 to 3rd. Settle in for pitchers duel most likely. Good news is both pitchers have a relatively high pitch count through 2, so if we can just keep it even and make it battle of bullpens late, we he should have big advantage.

[Aaron 4,319]

Bierman in command now and its 1-1 to Bottom 3. Both pitchers averaging about 15 pitches an inning so if this continues, it will be a battle of bullpens, beginning in sixth or seventh innings where IU should thrive.

[Aaron 4,319]

Toetz,  the one guy seeing Baumann doubles down the RF line with one out in third. Without him in lineup Baumann would be in complete command. Then Richardson beats shift for a great bunt for 1st and third one out. 

[Aaron 4,319]

Barr slaps a single in LF and IU takes the lead. Second straight lefty IU is making decent contact against after struggles all season.

[Aaron 4,319]

End 3. 2-1 IU but Baumann at 50 pitches so he will not be able to  go more than six or seven which is important given IU's very large bullpen advantage.

[Aaron 4,319]

Espalin just cost us another run with an error and its 2-2. Should be 1-1 but errors hurting both sides.

[Certified Sunshine Pumper 9,566]

Absolutely ridiculous blunder again by Espalin. Lazy and too cool costs us.