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117 H eading into the Big Ten Conference series opener against Maryland on March 25, the University of Iowa baseball team looked like a shell of itself. e team dropped a three-game series at No. 12/19 Missouri State the weekend prior, but something awoke to get the Hawkeyes back on track. e pitching was solid, the hitting was timely, and the mistakes were limited in taking two of three games from the Terrapins, a team picked to finish second in the Big Ten during the preseason. "I feel we made big strides," said UI head coach Rick Heller. "We had some guys step up on the mound and pitch extremely well. Up and down our lineup guys are swinging their bats with more confidence." e Hawkeyes kicked off the series with an almost flawless game against one of the best pitchers in the nation. Sophomore C.J. Eldred out-dueled All-American Mike Shawaryn, pitching a complete game six-hitter, while Iowa's bats got to Shawaryn early, putting up four runs in the second and ending his day in the fih with another run. e Hawkeyes cruised to victory, 8-1. e second game showed the Hawkeye's ability to stay focused in a comeback win. Senior Tyler Peyton, who has been battling injuries, led the Hawkeyes to a four-run eighth inning, showcasing that the team's clutch trait from last season was still there. Iowa won, 4-1, to clinch the series victory. "We talk about when things aren't going well, just stick with the plan and don't get caught up with things you can't control and the game will come back to you," Heller said. "Tyler looked normal for the first time since Dallas Baptist and that was a great sign. He did exactly what he needed him to do." e Hawkeyes' series victory has given the team a sense of confidence to show the squad is capable of playing with anybody. Senior Nick Roscetti has been a player the team can rely on during the season. He leads the team with a .360 batting average and 19 RBIs. "We took a series against a very good Maryland team and faced good pitching this weekend," said Roscetti. "Game 3 was a tough one, but we're trying to put that behind us and hopefully keep going." "is weekend got us back on track," said senior catcher Jimmy Frankos. "We had a rough weekend last weekend at Missouri State, but with a series win against Maryland, I think we have our guys believing we can be a special team." APRIL SCHEDULE April 1-3 at Minnesota April 5 Milwaukee April 8-10 Illinois April 12-13 Air Force April 15-17 at Indiana April 20 at Bradley April 22-24 Michigan April 26 Grand View April 27 Omaha April 29-May 1 Kansas State