Ty Langenberg throws a beauty as Iowa baseball advances to Big Ten tournament title game

CEDAR RAPIDS — He has been a “Friday Night Guy,” a “Bullpen Guy” and a “Sunday Afternoon Guy.”

Ty Langenberg pitched like a “Friday Night Guy” at the Big Ten Conference baseball tournament. On Saturday afternoon.

If you’re confused by that, just know the starting pitcher threw a beauty for the Iowa Hawkeyes in a 5-0 win over Michigan at Charles Schwab Field at Omaha, Neb.

The junior right-hander and Urbandale graduate went seven innings, gave up two harmless singles and struck out nine in his best start this season. It came at a perfect time, sending Iowa (42-13) to Sunday’s 2 p.m. winner-take-all championship game (Big Ten Network) against Maryland (40-19).

This is the first time the Hawkeyes have won 42 games since 1981, a year they set the school record with 44. It’s the most games they’ve won under head coach Rick Heller.

With a game Sunday and assuredly more next week at a NCAA regional tournament somewhere, this group has a chance to be Iowa’s winningest.

“It’s incredible. I don’t know if I can exactly describe what it means,” Langenberg told the Big Ten Network. “At the start of the year, we had one of the best starts in program history (10-1 and 19-3 records) that gave us a lot of confidence moving forward. We kind of hit a rough patch, but after that, coming into this tournament, we kind of came together.

“We talked about it a little bit. Like, hey, we’re a special group. We can do this. We’ve earned the right to be here. We’ve earned the right to play games after this Big Ten tournament. Forty-two wins is kind of a product of having this great chemistry, this camaraderie, just being one big family.”

Langenberg (6-3) began this season as Iowa’s No. 1 starting pitcher (Friday Night Guy) for each series. He made a couple of relief outings, then settled into its No. 3 starter (Sunday Afternoon Guy) when Big Ten play started. He gave up a two-out single in the top of the first inning, a two-out walk in the second, then retired the next 12 Wolverines.

Michigan (27-27) put two on in the seventh, but a nifty 6-4-3 double play of a hard-hit ball toward the middle that shortstop Michael Seegers fielded ended that threat.

“Ty did exactly what you expect a veteran with a lot of confidence to do,” Heller said. “He went out there and attacked the strike zone. I feel like since the weather has warmed up, he has been really sharp. When he's hitting with all four of his pitches, he can beat anyone in the country. He pitched a gem today, and his quiet confidence is the Ty Langenberg we like to see. He did everything he needed to do to put us in a good position going into tomorrow.”

Langenberg has thrown 14 2/3 innings in his career against Michigan without allowing a run.

“All I know is coming into today, considering my past success against them, I could have more confidence with my arsenal and just being able to go out there and compete for the day,” Langenberg said. “But I really don’t know what makes (pitching against them) special. I don’t know if it’s a rivarly or not.”

Iowa’s offense once again scored runs late, this time padding a small lead instead of rallying from a deficit. Raider Tello was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and two outs in the third for the Hawkeyes’ first run, then Kyle Huckstorf’s two-out triple in the sixth made it 2-0.

RBI hits from Tello and Brennen Dorighi, and a Sam Hojnar sacrifice fly brought home three insurance runs in the seventh. Iowa scored four times in the seventh and four in the ninth Thursday to post a 9-4, come-from-behind win over Indiana.

“We have won games in every way imaginable this year,” said Heller. “That’s a tribute to the balance that we have with this team this year. With the pitching, the hitting, and then the big one that we haven't talked a lot about in this tournament is our defense. Our defense is elite level and the incredible play that Seegers made up the middle in the seventh was a game changing play. That game changes a lot if that ball gets through but it gave us energy and confidence to be able to close it out.”

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