Iowa baseball coach Rick Heller is not sure if leading hitter Keaton Anthony will be back in the lineup on Friday when the Hawkeyes open a three game series at home against Michigan State.
Anthony was one of a handful of baseball players benched for last weekend’s series against Ohio State as the University investigates gambling allegations involving more than two dozen athletes. Anthony leads the Big Ten in hitting with a .463 average and has driven in 19 runs in 14 conference games.
Heller says the Hawkeyes are preparing as if they won’t have Anthony in the lineup.
Heller says he is confident in how the University investigation is handling it.
Losing an All-American during a stretch run is a tough break but Heller believes the Hawkeyes are still a team that can make a run to an NCAA Regional.
Without Anthony in the lineup the Hawkeyes still managed to take two of three games from Ohio State.
The Hawkeyes are 10-7 in the Big Ten and 34-12 overall.
