After sweeping Purdue at Principal Park over the weekend, the Hawkeyes were ready to take on Illinois during their first game of the 2026 Big Ten Tournament.
The Hawkeyes racked up 52 hits during the three-game series at Principal Park, and while that is a new high under Rick Heller, the bigger story lies in their ability to come back.
Iowa was down in all three games against the Boilermakers, largely thanks to the poor starting pitching, but the squad has shown resilience by staying the course and coming back. While it is often times a lot scarier than it needs to be, the more often it happens, the more comfortable they have become.
It was a similar story against Illinois in the first round, and even though Iowa ultimately survived and advanced to the next round, it wasn't easy.
Rick Heller was confident they would steady the ship and make another comeback
Heller has been managing for a long time, and he has seen just about everything from the dugout. A big part of this year's team's success is their resilience, and even though he does not want to see it, Heller's confidence has never wavered.
Rick Heller recaps the Hawkeyes 10-6 win over Illinois at the Big Ten Tournamenthttps://t.co/pfzUIETyra
— Kyle Huesmann (@HuesmannKyle) May 19, 2026
We have seen the good and the bad from the Hawkeyes when they get down early, which is why Heller said postgame, "We don't play the scoreboard, we play the game." According to Heller, with that philosophy, they always believe they can come from behind.
A lot of what Heller said postgame was "coach speak," but it was enlightening about what he believes is the biggest reason they are able to win games after going down early.
In the 10-6 victory over the Fighting Illini, starter Maddux Frese struggled mightily, surrendering four runs in the first inning. He settled down after the first inning, and luckily for him, the Iowa bats stayed hot.
Heller might believe that simply playing the game without watching the scoreboard is the key, but if the pitching staff didn't put them so far behind in the early stages of the game, it wouldn't always have to be a heart attack.
Resilience is great, but the pitching staff has to catch some heat
It probably sounds like a broken record, but the Iowa pitching staff isn't getting the job done, and that showed up again against Illinois. Jarron Bleeker was spectacular in relief, tossing five innings of one-run baseball, but that hasn't been the norm this season for the pitching staff.
Let's be frank: winning games in the postseason is all that matters, but Iowa's biggest problem all season has been consistent pitching, and it almost cost them again against Illinois.
Credit to the squad for staying resilient and not letting an early four-run deficit completely derail them, but if they expect to compete with the best teams in the conference, it can't keep happening.
The team or Heller won't single anyone out, but the bats have stayed extremely hot, and the defense has been elite for most of the season. However, Iowa has a 33-21 overall record.
Iowa faces Michigan State in its second game of the tournament, and the 12-seed Spartans put a beatdown on Purdue. They scored four runs in the first inning and never looked back, upsetting the 5-seed Purdue 8-4.
Iowa can't afford to go down early again, and even though they have shown the ability to regroup and pick up the pitching staff, it isn't a habit they should continue to form.
Next game: Wednesday, May 20 vs. Michigan State at 5:00 p.m. Central Time (Omaha, NE)
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