Gameday article on the Iowa series...

[ptrich]

Iowa has announced starters for all three games with IU going back to LHP Ben Seiler in the Friday slot with RHP Luke Sinnard starting on Saturday and the Sunday game a TBA, but I have to assume it will be Manase on the mound that day.

Iowa pitching led the B1G in team ERA last season and the No. 2 team wasn't even close to Iowa's ERA, and Iowa is in the 1st place spot in team ERA again at this point. Iowa will have their ace on the mound on Friday in RHP Brody Brecht and he is a strikeout pitcher having 59 strikeouts in 33.2 IP and has an ERA of 2.67.

Again, Iowa is 1st in the B1G in pitching with IU currently 3rd. Iowa is 4th in batting with IU at No. 6 and Iowa is 4th in fielding with IU at No. 8.

The weather looks great over the weekend with the chance of rain almost negligible.

Friday: A high of 60 and partly cloudy skies with the wind at 10 mph.
Saturday: A high of 64 and partly cloudy skies with the wind at 11 mph.
Sunday: A high of 67 and mostly sunny skies with the wind at 8 mph.

Baseball Gameday: host Iowa - Indiana University Athletics

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It's a showdown of two of the top teams in the Big Ten this weekend at Bart Kaufman Field, as the Indiana baseball program will host Io...

iuhoosiers.com

 

[rcaulfie]

Iowa has announced starters for all three games with IU going back to LHP Ben Seiler in the Friday slot with RHP Luke Sinnard starting on Saturday and the Sunday game a TBA, but I have to assume it will be Manase on the mound that day.

Iowa pitching led the B1G in team ERA last season and the No. 2 team wasn't even close to Iowa's ERA, and Iowa is in the 1st place spot in team ERA again at this point. Iowa will have their ace on the mound on Friday in RHP Brody Brecht and he is a strikeout pitcher having 59 strikeouts in 33.2 IP and has an ERA of 2.67.

Again, Iowa is 1st in the B1G in pitching with IU currently 3rd. Iowa is 4th in batting with IU at No. 6 and Iowa is 4th in fielding with IU at No. 8.

The weather looks great over the weekend with the chance of rain almost negligible.

Friday: A high of 60 and partly cloudy skies with the wind at 10 mph.
Saturday: A high of 64 and partly cloudy skies with the wind at 11 mph.
Sunday: A high of 67 and mostly sunny skies with the wind at 8 mph.

Baseball Gameday: host Iowa - Indiana University Athletics

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – It's a showdown of two of the top teams in the Big Ten this weekend at Bart Kaufman Field, as the Indiana baseball program will host Io...

iuhoosiers.com

Dang, love the weather forecast. I wish I could make it down for a game or two, but unfortunately I can't.

I have to admit, I really don't understand our pitching choices. According to an article I read, Sinnard is considered our best starter by the coaches. I'm not sure I see it, given his results especially recently. But let's say he is.....why is he starting Saturday and not Friday? Seiler is instead, with his 6.63 ERA? Are we just giving the first game away, since their Friday starter is a lot better than anyone we have? Manase has been our best starter, as far as runs given up. Yet he is only a probable for day 3 starter? What am I missing? Is he just not starter material, as far as being able to eat up innings and have a high-pitch count? That's the only thing I can think of. (And I admit, I have not heard the coaches talk about any of it, I mostly just track the games online and look at box scores.)

 

[Charlesroast]

I’ll take a shot. The guys at iu base do a nice job and do have regular Q&A with Coach Mercer and various players. Also ptrich mentioned IU is third in B1G in ERA behind Iowa and Nebraska.

So IMO the decent ERA comes guys who have had good short outtings and pretty much across the board bad ones. The staff has been marked by inconsistency and the inability to go multiple innings. Without looking it I think Sinnard may be only guy to go 5 or more innings and Kraft may have the next longest stent at 4. So Mercer and Glant see at least 2 staff days where if guys could go through the order once the coaches would be happy. Therefore they put Sinnard, most likely to eat up 5-7 innings, in the middle of the weekend, use who you have to Friday and maybe be able the get another inning or 2 out of the Sunday.

Why Seiller, good question. No question they came into the season with high hopes for him and a few others. Coach Mercer on a recent interview Northern Illinois had some success with Iowa with lefties, and Mercer doesn’t have many. I think if they were to get a lead in the 3rd or later he would bring in Kraft, then Yoho to take his best shot at holding it.

I think Manase has 2 issues. He has decent control but doesn’t have high velocity. I there is a concern he won’t do well the more times he goes through the order with multiple innings. Also his low era masks the inconsistency thing as he gave up 6 after and error on what have been 3rd out made those runs were all unearned.

Just my opinion, my hope is we knock the ball all over the yard and sweep.

 

[ptrich]

FWIW, D1Baseball has the Iowa/IU series as one of their staff pick'em series for the weekend and their staff just barely favored Iowa to win the series with six favoring Iowa to five for IU.

 

[rcaulfie]

Well, I guess it doesn't really matter who pitches if our bats don't come alive.....which they have not 2 games in a row now. Hope they snap out of it today and tomorrow.