After securing its third NCAA Tournament appearance under head coach Rick Heller last season and the sixth in program history, No. 20 Iowa baseball is off and running quickly in 2024. The Hawkeyes opened their 2024 season with a 5-2 victory over Seton Hall from Shipyard Park in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
Earning the Opening Day start, junior right-hander Brody Brecht tossed 4 1/3 innings of one-hit, one-run ball. After registering 109 strikeouts a season ago, the 6-foot-4, 235 pound righty racked up 11 strikeouts to open his 2024 campaign.
That helped Brecht work around the six walks he issued. In his first start of 2024, Brecht threw 100 pitches and faced 21 batters. The only blemish for Brecht came in the second inning when Zack Sylvester worked a one-out walk and eventually came around to score on a fielder’s choice.
Meanwhile, Iowa’s offense was powered by a three-RBI day from redshirt junior third baseman Raider Tello. It got started with junior left fielder Sam Petersen’s one-out solo shot to left in the top of the first, though.
Tello secured his first RBI of 2024 in the third inning when he plated Petersen on a one-out single up the middle. Iowa sophomore second baseman Gable Mitchell brought home senior right fielder Andy Nelson with a sacrifice bunt in the fourth to put the Hawkeyes in front 3-1.
Then, Tello provided the separating touch with a two-out, two-RBI single to left center that scored Petersen and senior shortstop Michael Seegers.
After its win over the Pirates, Iowa will look to move to 2-0 at 11 a.m. CT versus Ball State on Saturday. Then, the Hawkeyes close their stay at the Shipyard Tournament with a Sunday date at 9 a.m. CT against Lehigh.
With one W in the books, social media enjoyed Heller Ball’s return to start 2024.