Memories are getting thick for senior Nick Day

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - It's safe to say, Iowa Hawkeyes senior Nick Day will never forget his final career at bat against Big 10 rival Ohio State.

Down a run and down to their last strike against the Buckeyes on May 20, Day connected for a two-out, two-run walk-off home run to win their opening game of the Big 10 Tournament, 3-2, over Ohio State in dramatic come-from-behind fashion at Target Field in Minneapolis.

'We were down to our final strike,” Day said. 'It was a slider, down and in, and I was out in front of it a little bit, but I was able to get a lot of the bat on it somehow.

'It was a big swing of emotion for everybody. For me, I didn't really believe that it happened. I've never hit a walk-off before in my life. It was just surreal in a way I guess. There hasn't been a bigger hit, or baseball moment, in my life.”

Unfortunately, it was the only win Iowa could muster in the tournament as the Hawkeyes bowed out after losing their next two games.

'It was unfortunate that we weren't able to advance any further after that, but that's provided a little bit more motivation for this weekend,” Day said. 'I think there might have been some nerves in the game against Oregon, but not too much. Now those are all gone and we're ready play our brand of baseball.”

This weekend the No. 2-seeded Hawkeyes have already notched a victory in the NCAA regional at Hammons Field in Springfield, Mo., beating third-seeded Oregon, 3-1, on Friday for the program's first NCAA Tournament win since 1972. Iowa is scheduled to play top-seeded Missouri State - a 14-1 first-round winner over Canisius College Saturday - in the winner's bracket semifinals at 8 p.m.

Day, a third baseman from Solon, just 10 miles north of Iowa City, watched the Hawkeyes' baseball program throughout his youth - through the good times and the bad - which makes being a part of Iowa's return to national prominence especially sweet.

'I grew up watching Iowa baseball and football and I knew I wanted to be a Hawkeye, but I didn't know which sport until about halfway through high school,” Day said. 'They finished second in the Big 10 tournament my junior year (2010). They had a really good run to end the year. They were a .500 team and a middle-of-the-pack program for a while, but they had a couple pretty good teams during that time.

'So, there's definitely a lot of pride involved. It's been a lot of work over the past four years and we're finally seeing it pay off and things are coming together. We've had a successful season so far, but hopefully we can turn a good season into a great one.”

The recipe for continued success is pretty simple; it's what Iowa Coach Rick Heller has been preaching all season.

'Coach Heller keeps telling us that pitching and defense will win us games and we've been doing it that way all year long,” Day said. 'Our pitching has been outstanding this year and our defense has been solid and that will win you a lot of ballgames. When your offense can come around too, that's something special.”

Day, who is currently hitting .276 with 21 runs scored, four doubles, three home runs and 16 RBI's in 123 at bats, points to his growth, as well as the growth of the players around him, as key to Iowa's resurgence.

'We're a real close-nit group,” Day said. 'It's great to be able to go out there and play with these guys. Growing up with them, playing with them since my freshman year - along with all the new guys too - it's great to be in this position and share something special.”