Analytics is not just for Major League Baseball and has made its way to college softball. Northern Iowa leads the Missouri Valley race with an 11-1 record and ranks at or near the top in virtually every offensive category except one. They rank last in bunts and in 33 game have only four sacrifice bunts.

That’s UNI coach Ryan Jacobs who says former professor Robin Lund taught him that bunts are a waste of outs. Lund would go on to join Rick Heller’s baseball staff at Iowa and is now a coach with the Detroit Tigers. Despite their lack of bunting the Panthers are averaging better than six runs per game.

Heller says their view of the sacrifice bunt has completely changed.

The Panthers return to action Tuesday night at home by hosting Drake.