The Iowa Hawkeye baseball team has a difficult assignment with a visit to Big Ten leading Rutgers beginning this (Friday) afternoon. The eighth ranked Scarlet Knights have been the surprise of college baseball. They are 31-7 and had a 16-game win streak snapped with 9-7 loss mid-week loss to Princeton.

That’s Iowa coach Rick Heller. Rutgers is 11-1 in the Big Ten while the Hawkeyes have won five straight games and are 6-3 in the league race after sweeping Minnesota.

The Scarlet Knights rank in the top ten nationally in hitting, earned run average and fielding.

Heller says Rutgers is confident and has remained healthy.

The series begins with a single game this afternoon.