Hawkeye baseball takes Game 1 against FAU

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The University of Iowa baseball team picked up their first Friday win of the season, defeating Florida Atlantic 7-2 at FAU Baseball Stadium Friday night.

Sophomore Tyler Guerin earned his first win on the mound, pitching five innings while allowing just one run and four hits with two strikeouts. Senior Justin Hackett followed in relief, throwing three scoreless innings without allowing a hit and striking out four.

“It was nice Friday night win. Tyler Guerin pitched great tonight going five innings and picking up his first win,” said head coach Rick Heller. “Justin Hackett battled for us out of the pen going three innings, fanning four and didn’t give up a hit.  Joe Husak closed it out in the 9th.”

Senior Gable Mitchell set the tone, launching a solo home run 364 feet to right field in the first at-bat of the game. Iowa continued to build momentum in the top of the third when senior Caleb Wulf singled up the middle, bringing home redshirt sophomore Max Burt and Mitchell from second base to give the Hawkeyes an early 3-0 lead.

“The offense put pressure on them all day long,” said Heller. “Gable Mitchell had a big night on offense and led the game off with a home run. Kooper Schulte and Caleb Wulf had good nights at the plate as well.”

FAU got on the board with a run in the bottom of the fifth, but Iowa answered in the seventh. Senior Kooper Schulte singled through the left side, scoring Wulf from second. Redshirt junior Kellen Strohmeyer followed with a single up the middle, bringing home senior Miles Risley and Schulte to extend the lead to 6-1.

In the top of the eighth, Mitchell tallied his third hit with a double to left center, scoring redshirt freshman Brett White from second base. Florida Atlantic scored the final run of the game in the bottom of the ninth, but Iowa held on for a 7-2 victory.

“We had opportunities to blow it open in several innings but had some bad at bats after the table was set,” said Heller. “Overall, I was happy with the way we played.”

OF NOTE
– Mitchell hit his first home run of the season and went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
– Mitchell and Wulf have a combined 37 at-bats this season without a strikeout.
– Stromeyer leads the team with 10 RBIs this season, including two in tonight’s game.

UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes return to action Saturday at 3 p.m. (CT) to face Florida Atlantic in the second game of the series.