MACOMB, Ill – The Western Illinois Baseball team will hit the road in a non-conference matchup against Iowa at 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 20. The game was originally scheduled for April 6, but inclement weather forced the game to be postponed.
Tuesday's game marks the fourth meeting this season between the Fighting Leathernecks (9-23) and the Hawkeyes (13-19). The teams will square off for a fifth time on May 18 in Davenport, Iowa.
Western Illinois enters Tuesday's matchup after dropping three out of four games to IPFW in Summit League action this past weekend. The Leathernecks are looking for their first victory over a non-conference opponent since March 23.
Iowa comes into Tuesday's game after being swept in a three-game series by Big Ten foe Indiana over the weekend. The Hawkeyes are 4-6 in their last 10 games.
Western Illinois at Iowa
When: Tuesday, April 20 at 6:30 p.m.
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Field: Duane Banks Field
Coverage
Radio • Rocky Vision
Ryan Bower, play-by-play
Live Rocky Vision broadcast (Free)
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2010 record: 13-19
Series: Western trails 24-46-1
Last: March 28, 2010: Western 2-11 in Iowa City
Head Coach: Jack Dahm
Alma Mater, Year: Creighton, '89
School record: 153-207 (6th)
Career record: 436-483 (16th)
Leatherneck Notes
Against Iowa: The series
The Leathernecks trail the Hawkeyes 24-46-1 in the all-time series between the two teams. Iowa has won six of the last seven meetings between the teams.
Western's last win in the series came in a 7-3 victory over Iowa on March 21, 2009 in Iowa City.
Against Iowa: The last meeting
The Hawkeyes picked up an 11-2 victory in Iowa City when the teams last met on March 28, 2010. Iowa used a four-run fifth inning to take a 7-1 lead en route to a three-game series sweep.
Beau Below took the loss in his first career start as a Leatherneck. He allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits in 4.1 innings of work.
Bryan Jordan and Cole Waddell each finished 2-for-4 as Western Illinois picked up six hits in the ball game. Tom Lilja and Jared Depenbrock each collected an RBI and Jason Smith tossed 1.1 innings of scoreless relief.Dispensa stays hot Freshman outfielder Dan Dispensa has continued to give opposing pitchers headaches. Dispensa enters this week's action on a 13-game hitting streak, the longest streak for a Leatherneck since Drew Laidig's 15-game streak during the 2009 season.
The Chicago, Ill., native is batting .314 (16-for-51) with three double, a triple and four RBI during the streak. He has also scored 10 runs during that time. Record watch: Chris Fuchs
Junior Chris Fuchs is nearing the top of the charts in career saves at Western Illinois. Fuchs picked up his first save of the season and fifth of his career ina 7-4 win over Culver Stockton on April 5. The Pembroke Pines, Fla., native is currently tied for second in saves in program history with six other Leathernecks.
He would tie former Leatherneck Nathan Miller for first place in school history with his next save. VanBrooker ranked nationally
Junior LHP Devin VanBrooker has shown great control of his pitches this season. Entering last weekend, VanBrooker ranked ninth nationally in walks per nine innings, averaging just 0.97 walks per nine.
The Plymouth, Ill., native has issued just seven walks while recording a team-high 33 strikeouts this season. VanBrooker recorded season highs in both innings pitcher (7.2) and strikeouts (7) in a 6-3 win over North Dakota State on April 10.
The Leathernecks will take their first Summit League road trip of the season when they travel to Tulsa, Okla. to take on Oral Roberts in a four-game series April 23-25.Â
