Iowa seeks to solidify place in Big Ten race

The Iowa Hawkeyes look to solidify their hold on second place in the Big Ten when they open a four-game series at Pursdue this afternoon. The Hawkeyes are 15-9 in the Big Ten while the Boilermakers sit in third place with a mark of 11-9. These teams are similar in many ways. Both got off to slow starts against a tough non-conference schedule but have turned it on in conference play. Iowa coach Jack Dahm says both teams play extremely hard, and he says Purdue’s strength is pitching as they have the lowest E-R-A in the conference. Dahm says they have to manufacture some runs and he expects them to be low-scoring games. He says the number five may be a key factor this weekend, as he says Purdue is only 2-21 in games where their opponents score five or more runs. The Hawkeyes trail league-leading Illinois by three games and will conclude Big Ten action next week with a four-game set against the Illini. He says they need to lock in and play well against Purdue and he says that’ll make the last weekend all the more interesting. The series begins with a single game this afternoon.