Hawkeyes Dominate Opener, Take Down FAU

Iowa Baseball team cruises to 7-2 victory in series opener against Florida Atlantic

Feb. 21, 2026 at 3:54am

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The Iowa Baseball team dominated Florida Atlantic from start to finish en route to a 7-2 win in the series opener on Friday night in Boca Raton. The Hawkeyes offense was efficient against FAU starting pitcher James Litman, and starter Tyler Guerin allowed just one run over 5.0 innings for a bounce-back performance. Iowa broke the game open with a three-run seventh inning to roll to the victory.

Why it matters

This was a crucial series-opening win for the Hawkeyes, who have now won four straight games and improved to 4-1 on the season. The strong start from Guerin and timely hitting from the offense were key factors in taking control of the series.

The details

Gable Mitchell set the tone early with a leadoff solo home run, and Caleb Wulf added a two-run single in the third inning to give Iowa a 3-0 lead. Guerin was sharp, allowing just one run on four hits over 5.0 innings. The Hawkeyes broke it open with a three-run seventh inning, including back-to-back two-out RBI singles from Kooper Schulte and Kellen Strohmeyer. Justin Hackett tossed 3.0 scoreless innings out of the bullpen to seal the win.

  • The game was played on Friday, February 21, 2026.
  • The Hawkeyes and FAU will play again on Saturday, February 22, 2026 at 3:00pm CT.

The players

Tyler Guerin

The Iowa starting pitcher who allowed just one run over 5.0 innings, bouncing back from a tough outing in his previous start.

Gable Mitchell

The Iowa second baseman who kicked off the game with a leadoff solo home run and reached base four times, tallying three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored.

Caleb Wulf

The Iowa hitter who delivered a two-run single in the third inning to extend the Hawkeyes' lead to 3-0.

Justin Hackett

The Iowa relief pitcher who tossed 3.0 scoreless innings, striking out four, to preserve the Hawkeyes' lead.

James Litman

The Florida Atlantic starting pitcher who allowed three runs over 5.0 innings, striking out six but throwing 96 pitches.

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What’s next

The Hawkeyes will look to clinch the series on Saturday afternoon when they face FAU again at 3:00pm CT. Iowa will send Logan Runde to the mound, while FAU will counter with Tyler Murphy.

The takeaway

This was a dominant performance by the Hawkeyes, who got a strong start from Tyler Guerin, timely hitting from the offense, and solid relief work to cruise to the series-opening victory. Iowa's ability to force FAU's starter to throw a high pitch count and then break the game open late shows the depth and balance of this Hawkeyes team.