Iowa pitcher Brody Brecht just may be the ace of the Big Ten. The junior pitcher was recently named to the preseason All-Conference Team for the Big Ten by scouting organization Perfect Game.
The 6-foot-4, 225 pound junior right-hander was also selected as Perfect Game’s preseason Big Ten Pitcher of the Year.
This placement marks a projected step up for the Ankeny, Iowa, native after a successful sophomore campaign that saw him garner first-team All-Big Ten recognition.
Brecht posted a 3.74 ERA in 17 appearances as a sophomore. He allowed just 38 hits and 28 runs over 77 innings. He allowed just nine extra-base hits and a .174 batting average against. Brecht led the nation with 4.32 hits allowed per nine innings and tallied 109 strikeouts, the second most in program history.
For the Pitcher of the Year award, Michigan’s Connor O’Halloran was named the recipient last year. Now that O’Halloran is off to the big leagues, Brecht is projected as the top pitcher in the conference.
On a national scale, Brecht was named a third-team All-American by the NCBWA and Perfect Game last season, a year after earning freshman All-American honors by both Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Gamein 2022.
Perfect Game expects big things out of Brecht, including him in their preseason first-team All-Americans earlier this month. In that report, the publication noted the incredible pro potential Brecht possesses.
Very few players in the country can match the pure stuff that Brecht possesses and it’s why Brecht will be one of the first college arms off the board in July’s draft. He can run the fastball up to triple digits and his slider might be the best pitch in the country. Brecht is an excellent athlete too, he played two years on the football team as a wide receiver, and made notable improvements to his command throughout the year, leaving the possibility for a huge breakout in 2024 possible. – Vincent Cervino, Craig Cozart, Perfect Game.
Iowa will begin its season at the Swig & Swine College Classic in Charleston, S.C., from Feb. 15-17. The team will face Seton Hall in its season opener.
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