This Saturday, the Iowa State club baseball team will look to close out the fall 2017 season at home at Cap Timm Field with two exhibition games against Lincoln, Nebraska 18U. 

Games are slated for 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The games are part of the Peak Performance College Prospect Showcase which is being co-hosted by Iowa State club baseball, and while these games won’t affect any statistics, exhibition games provide much needed playing time for those looking to make the spring 2017 roster.

Normally, the club wouldn’t play exhibition games at the end of a season but Iowa State club president, senior Bobby Thompson, who is the club’s first baseman said it was part of the deal.

“Peak Performance Baseball Club is renting the field for their invite and part of the deal was that we would play 2 games as part of it,” Thompson said. “So it wasn’t intentional to end the season with exhibitions, but with club ball you take as many games as you can get.”

Third baseman junior Henry Dropps is looking most forward to seeing live pitching.

“Seeing live pitching is the main thing. Being able to face competitive pitchers helps me better as a hitter,” Dropps said.. “As a team we always want to compete, but games in the fall allow us to identify what we need to work on, so we are ready for those conference games.” 

These games are just another chance for the team to get better before moving into the offseason try-outs and before the spring season rolls around. 

“We are using these games just as another chance for guys to work on things to prepare for next spring,” Thompson said.

Outfielder junior Kyle Rhodus said that he thinks this is a wonderful challenge for their returning players.

“I think it’s a great final test for our guys against a prospect team that will be filled with talented and skilled players that have D1 potential.”

Being able to play against true division-one talent will definitely show the leaders of this Iowa State club baseball team the areas they need to improve upon going into the offseason.

The optimism couldn’t be higher for a team that outscored its opponents 54-16 over its seven games this fall.

Thompson loves the fight he has seen over the course of this season reflecting upon the fall and spring seasons in 2016 and 2017.

“I am extremely proud of what this team has done so far,” Thompson said. “It’s not easy when you lose nearly half your team over the summer to graduation.

“Guys who didn’t get much playing time last season. Our pitchers have been nearly unhittable as well.”