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147 T he University of Iowa baseball team showed life in the 2016 Big Ten Tournament and Hawkeye fans took notice. "Once we made the run, I knew fans would come," said UI head coach Rick Heller. "Everyone was telling me about the cars coming from the Quad Cities all the way on Interstate 80. I knew they would be there to support us." e Hawk- eyes' run to the title game began with an 8-2 victory over top-seeded Minnesota before the team de- fied odds to rally for an extra- inning win over Ohio State. Iowa trailed 4-0 heading into the bottom of the ninth before claim- ing a 5-4 victory in 10 innings. Iowa concluded bracket play with a 3-0 record af- ter an 11-0 rout of Maryland to advance to its first Big Ten Tournament championship game since 2010. "Not many people saw this coming, but everyone in our locker room saw it coming," said senior Joel Booker. e Hawkeyes created a buzz in Omaha, Nebraska, and the stir was evident in the May 29 title winner- take-all championship game against Ohio State. "We expected it to be a good amount of fans," said senior Tyler Peyton. He was right; it was a good amount and then some. When Iowa battled Ohio State for the Big Ten crown, Iowa had a "10th man" to the tune of 10,000 among the announced crowd of 10,350. "We couldn't ask for any better support," said Pey- ton. "I've never seen a crowd like that before. ey were energetic the whole game. I wasn't surprised though, that's the support we get in this program." Iowa fed off the energy, storming out to a 4-0 lead in the first three innings before sur- rendering a five-run fourth. e Hawk- eyes trailed 7-4 head- ing into the bottom of the eighth before rallying to tie the game. Ohio State used a two-out rally to take the lead before Iowa went quietly in the ninth. "It was disappointing we weren't able to find a way to win that game for the fans," said Heller. "at being said, I can't tell you how much I appreciate the support. All the people that came out, the nice notes I have gotten, and the things people have said… it means a lot to all of us. "It means our program has come a long way and we're on pace to get it where we want it to be." Iowa finished with a 30-26 record, giving the pro- gram three consecutive 30-win seasons for the first time since 1983-85. "From start to finish this team came a long way in a lot of areas from a maturity, leadership, and play standpoint and le a lot for the guys coming down the road," said Heller. "at's what we want to have happen every year."