Soil Compilation

Sports
Around the Big Ten – Week Four

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Week three of college football was the final tune-up for the Big Ten before the conference schedule began. This week, we’ll talk about Iowa’s 55-0 victory over Northern Iowa, Northwestern’s final game before moving into Ryan Field, and the Southern California showdown between USC and Oregon.

Music
Gin Blossoms Live at Hy-Vee Ampitheater

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On a cool night, somewhere in between the last days of summer and first days of fall, the finale to the Hy-Vee Ampitheater’s inaugural season took place. Starring Arizona’s Gin Blossoms, hundreds turned out on their feet for the band in North Liberty’s newest venue.

Columns
Baseball

The Grayt Team: Grayson Chapeau’s Story

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At just 15 years old, Grayson Chapeau has spent nearly his entire life in a fight he never chose, against an inoperable brain tumor. But in the stands of a summer-league baseball team, he’s become something more: a symbol of joy, resilience, and a small town’s beating heart.

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Iowa Baseball Gearing Up for Start of Season

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IOWA CITY, Ia. – For a long period of time, Iowa Hawkeyes baseball was an afterthought. In the fifteen years between Duane Banks’ retirement and Rick Heller’s hiring prior to the 2014 season, the Hawkeyes had just two winning seasons. In Heller’s 4 years with the program? 4 for 4, plus the team’s first Big Ten championship since 1990 last May. Heller has led the Hawkeyes to two NCAA regionals in his four seasons. Iowa had only made three in the program’s entire history before he arrived. It’s not difficult to see why excitement is at an all-time high for … Continued

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Cubbie Comeback Continues into Game 5

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Chicago Turns Double Play to Clinch Next Elimination Battle in Comeback Efforts The defending National Champions in the Major Baseball League manage to survive. For now. The mounting of a comeback has begun in Chicago. In a low scoring match between the Chicago Cubs and the LA Dodgers, the Cubs would top their adversaries 3-2 in Wrigley Field. This particular addition to the series would face off Jake Arrieta and Alex Wood. Unlike other faceoffs between the Dodgers and Cubs, this matchup would only allow runs scored off home runs. In similar fashion to Game 3, the Cubs would strike first on a second inning home run from Wilson Contreras. … Continued

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Welcome to the Friendly Confines

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I know a place that some people only dream of seeing. A place that many have the privilege of seeing in the spring, in the summer, and if they’re lucky, the fall. A place that opens its’ deep green gates to welcome 41,268 eager people; people who feel an absence through the frigid months.   I know a place where you walk through neighborhoods of people just to glance the grand structure. Children peer up, awestruck. Adults do the same. Your age won’t matter here. Your gender doesn’t matter here. Your ethnicity doesn’t matter here.   I know a place … Continued

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Iowa Baseball Builds Off A Great Weekend

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IOWA CITY, Iowa – Coming off a successful weekend, Iowa Baseball grabbed another victory on Tuesday to go 18-9(.667) on the season. Recap of last weekend: The Hawkeyes’ bats last weekend were again hot, as they swept UNLV at home after a 3-0 win on Friday, and two late scoring rallies on Saturday 6-5,and 7-6. They tallied up 16 runs total outscoring the Rebels 16-11 for the weekend. Pitching for Iowa still struggled, although they had a highlight as Friday’s win was the first time this season that they allowed no runs in a game. Although the struggling bullpen has … Continued

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The World Baseball Classic Was Much More Than Excitement

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USA! USA! USA! Team USA can finally scream “We Are the Champions” after high expectations to win the World Baseball Classic. It did not come easy though, as Team USA had to beat highly-skilled opponents in the Dominican Republic, Japan, and WBC runner-up Puerto Rico in consecutive games. Team USA was aided greatly by their starting pitching, going 3-1 with a 1.25 ERA in the tournament. Puerto Rico did not stand a chance against Marcus Stroman, who no-hit them through 6 innings. Some key hitters for Team USA were Brandon Crawford and Eric Hosmer, who both had an OPS over a … Continued

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Hawkeyes Heat Up in Minneapolis

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IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Hawkeyes were playing at full capacity going (2-1) this weekend at the DQ Classic. The Hawkeyes had a closer than wanted (7-6) win against Hawaii, a surprising (7-3) win against Oral Roberts, and a close (6-3) loss against Minnesota.   Weekend Summary:   The first game of the weekend against Hawaii featured the Iowa batters once again being on fire as they chalked up a season high 17 hits and 7 runs with 2 HRs. The final of this game wasn’t a real representation of how this game went as the score was 7-3 going … Continued

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High Intensity Baseball Comes in March

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Time to get excited, because the World Baseball Classic is back in action. Many stars from the MLB are committing to their respective countries or heritages, as this may be the most profiled World Baseball Classic to date. Some stars include Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles (Dominican Republic), Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros (Venezuela), Adrian Gonzalez of the Los Angeles Dodgers (Mexico), and Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies (USA). While most are excited that baseball is back and would rather wait for the MLB season to start, hear me out. The World Baseball Classic is a great … Continued

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Hawkeyes Find An Improved Offense In Alabama

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IOWA CITY, Iowa – After a successful (2-1) weekend in Alabama, the Hawkeyes are now officially above .500. Going into the week, Iowa was (1-2) hoping to recover from last weekend’s disappointing series with University of South Florida. The Hawkeyes did just that with a powerful win over Loras College on Wednesday, with an even better chance to improve at the Hoover Classic. The Hawkeyes’ bats were once again alive after outscoring their opponents 26-13, with 31 hits and 3 home runs over the three games. Although the defense had only been strong in a couple of games, it was … Continued

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