A look back at Iowa’s historic baseball season through some of the best pictures

Iowa tied a school record for most wins and put together one of the best years the program has seen. Here is a look at the year in pictures.

The Iowa Hawkeyes baseball team put together a year that will stand among some of the best in the program’s history. Tying the single-season record for wins with 44 while making an appearance in the Big Ten championship game and earning a spot in their second regional final appearance in program history doesn’t go unnoticed.

Finishing with an overall record of 44-16 and a Big Ten conference play record of 15-8, the Hawkeyes showed their strength all year. Highlighted by their pitchers setting the program record for strikeouts with 630 and their batters reaching base 431 times between walks or hit-by-pitch, the Hawkeyes play solid ball all around.

Although Iowa exited its regional at the hands of the Indiana State Sycamores, this season is not a failure. There is plenty to look back on and to be proud of. Here is a look at Iowa’s historic 2023 baseball season through some of the best pictures.

Adam Mazur is the highest-drafted Hawkeye in 32 years, taken No. 53 overall by the San Diego Padres

Iowa ace Adam Mazur became the highest-drafted Hawkeye in 32 years as the San Diego Padres selected the righty No. 53 overall.

Iowa right-hander Adam Mazur was selected by the San Diego Padres in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft with the No. 53 overall pick. In the process, the 6-foot-2, 180 pound redshirt sophomore became the Hawkeyes’ highest-drafted player since Tim Costo was picked eighth overall by Cleveland in 1990.

According to MLB.com’s Jim Callis, the No. 53 pick value is $1.44 million.

It’s likely the final exclamation point on a transformative stay in Iowa City. After transferring over from South Dakota State, Mazur was marvelous for the Hawkeyes this past season.

The Woodbury, Minn., native earned second-team All-American status from Collegiate Baseball, third-team All-American honors from ABCA/Rawlings and won Big Ten Pitcher of the Year after his standout season with Iowa.

In his first season as a Hawkeye, Mazur went 7-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 15 starts. He allowed just 60 hits and 37 runs (32 earned) over 93 2/3 innings, while fanning 98, limiting hitters to a .178 average and walking just 30.

Mazur led the Big Ten in batting average against, ranked second in innings pitched and strikeouts, third in wins and fourth in ERA. In league games, he led the Big Ten in wins with five, an ERA of 2.59, and 55 2/3 innings pitched. He also ranked fourth in league play in strikeouts.

Mazur registered nine quality starts over the course of the season, including seven consecutive during Big Ten play from April 2 through May 13. During one stretch, Mazur logged eight or more innings in four straight starts. He also tossed a complete game shutout versus Nebraska.

“Yeah, he put himself on the map in the Cape Cod League last summer. And then he came out to Iowa, Big Ten Pitcher of the Year. He throws two different fastballs. He’s got a four-seamer, 93-95, up to 99. He’s got a two-seamer with sink in the low 90’s.

“I think his best pitch is his slider, 82-86, with really good two-plane break. It’s a legit plus pitch when it’s on. Pretty good changeup, too. You know, strike-throwing’s good. And he slipped a little bit in the draft. He had a little back issue late in the season. I think if not for the back issue he goes 10, 15 picks higher,” Callis said of Mazur on the MLB Network’s broadcast.

Mazur is the 24th player selected in the MLB draft during head coach Rick Heller’s tenure in Iowa City. Mazur was instrumental in helping the Hawkeyes finish the 2022 season with a 36-19 overall record.

Iowa finished in a tie for second in the Big Ten regular season standings and became the first team to win two games on the same day at the Big Ten Tournament.

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Trio of Iowa Hawkeyes honored by Collegiate Baseball

Outfielder Keaton Anthony and pitcher Brody Brecht were named Collegiate Baseball freshman All-Americans.

The future is bright for Iowa baseball.

On Wednesday, University of Iowa’s Keaton Anthony and Brody Brecht were named Collegiate Baseball Freshman All Americans. They are the 10th and 11th Hawkeyes to earn the distinction and it is the third time an Iowa team has featured multiple players in a year as freshman All-Americans. It is the first time a duo has received such honors since 2017.

It is no surprise to see Keaton Anthony on the list. The Hoschton, Ga., native is the second-ever Hawkeye to earn the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award. The outfielder finished with a .361 batting average and reached safely in 50 contests. His inaugural season featured 22 doubles, 14 home runs, 55 RBIs, and 46 runs scored. His 14 home runs are the most by an Iowa freshman since 1999.

Brody Brecht was a standout on the mound in his first season, finishing with a 3.18 ERA in 17 appearances. In 22 2/3 innings, the reliever held batters to a .158 batting average and struck out 44 hitters. He allowed just 13 hits and eight earned runs, surrendering just one extra-base hit.

Iowa starting pitcher Adam Mazur also picked up recognition as a second-team All-American from Collegiate Baseball last Thursday. The redshirt sophomore made it a second consecutive season that a Hawkeye pitcher earned an All-America distinction, becoming the ninth player to earn All-America honors under Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller.

The Woodbury, Minn., native posted a 7-3 record with a 3.07 ERA in 15 starts. Mazur allowed just 60 hits and 37 runs (32 earned) over 93 2/3 innings, while fanning 98, limiting hitters to a .178 average and walking just 30.

The Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and first-team all-league selection led the league in batting average against, ranked second in innings and strikeouts, third in wins and fourth in ERA. In league games, the right-hander paced the Big Ten in wins (5), ERA (2.59), innings (55.2), while ranking fourth in strikeouts.

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Iowa baseball falls short of 2022 NCAA Tournament bid

Despite a 17-7 mark in Big Ten regular season play and its work in the Big Ten Tournament, Iowa missed out on a 2022 NCAA Tournament bid.

After losing its opener in the Big Ten Tournament against Penn State, 5-2, Iowa pieced together three wins over Purdue, Penn State and Michigan to get within one game of the Big Ten Tournament championship game.

Following their tournament-opening loss, the Hawkeyes collected a 5-4 win over Purdue on Friday, an 11-3 triumph over Penn State on Saturday and a 7-3 win over Michigan on Saturday. That had Iowa one win away from meeting up with Rutgers in the Big Ten Tournament championship game. In the process, Iowa became the first team to win two games on the same day during the tournament.

Alas, the Hawkeyes seemingly just ran out of pitching. The second game against Michigan was Iowa’s fifth game in four days. Freshman Brody Brecht got the start, but retired just one Wolverine batter and surrendered a pair of earned runs before being replaced by redshirt senior Dylan Nedved.

Nedved temporarily steadied the Big Ten Tournament semifinal contest against Michigan, tossing three innings and allowing a pair of unearned runs. The Hawkeyes did get one run back in the bottom of the fourth inning after Izaya Fullard walked and Kyle Huckstorf delivered an RBI single.

That was it, though, and Michigan opened the floodgates in the top of the seventh. The Wolverines scored nine runs on three hits, while sending 13 batters to the plate. Tito Flores had a two-run double, Ted Burton had a three-run double and Clark Elliott and a three-run triple in the inning.

Ultimately, it meant both the end of Iowa’s Big Ten Tournament run and its season after the NCAA Tournament field was unveiled without the Hawkeyes in it. Iowa ends its season 36-19 overall and with a 17-7 mark in Big Ten regular season play.

Iowa baseball staves off elimination, tops Purdue, 5-4, in the Big Ten Tournament

Iowa lived to fight another day, scoring in the ninth to beat Purdue, 5-4, in the Big Ten Tournament.

Redshirt senior Izaya Fullard delivered a two-out, two-strike RBI single in the ninth inning that kept Iowa’s hopes alive in the Big Ten Tournament and staved off elimination as the third-seeded Hawkeyes beat Purdue, 5-4.

“I got behind 0-2 right away and that last pitch I saw him shake off and smirk a little bit. I don’t know why, but it made me think he was going to blow a fastball by me. I made sure to get on time for a fastball and I was able to put a good swing on it,” Fullard said.

Unlike Thursday when Penn State held Iowa to just a pair of hits, Iowa had eight hits on the day and scored three runs in the fifth off Purdue starter CJ Backer.

It was small ball that helped open the door for the Hawkeyes. Only one ball left the infield for Iowa in that fifth inning as the Hawkeyes scored runs on a passed ball, a safety squeeze from Michael Seegers and a wild pitch. After Purdue got one run back in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI groundout from Steve Ramirez, Iowa’s Cade Moss responded with an RBI double in the sixth to put the Hawkeyes in front, 4-2.

The Boilermakers used a three-hit bottom of the sixth inning and an Iowa fielding error to plate a pair of runs and tie things up at four runs apiece. Purdue also had a solo shot in the bottom of the second from Troy Viola.

On the mound, redshirt senior starter Dylan Nedved tossed six innings, surrendering four runs and three earned. One of the stories of the day was Iowa reliever Will Cristophersen and his 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. He had five strikeouts on the day and came away with the save.

Now, Iowa advances and will face the loser of Rutgers-Penn State Saturday morning at 9 a.m. CT.

Iowa baseball suffers debilitating Big Ten Tournament loss to Penn State

Despite riding into the Big Ten Tournament having won their final six conference series, Penn State handed Iowa a damaging, 5-2, loss.

At this point, the path forward is clear. And maybe it already was entering the Big Ten Baseball Tournament, but, now, after falling to lowly Penn State, 5-2, in their tournament opener, the Hawkeyes have no choice but to win out and grab the conference’s auto-NCAA Tournament bid.

That’s the damage that’s done from falling to the Nittany Lions in the tournament’s opening game. Iowa was already squarely on the at-large bubble heading into the Big Ten Tournament. Losing to Penn State, who entered the Big Ten Tournament with the lowest RPI ranking of any team in the field of eight, ensures that’s the case.

Iowa ace and Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Adam Mazur gutted it out and fought through back spasms to give the Hawkeyes five innings of work, surrendering a pair of earned runs and striking out eight Penn State batters.

Penn State plated a pair against Mazur in the third after it looked like the Hawkeyes might have induced an inning-ending double play. Instead, the baseball stayed lodged in the webbing of third baseman Brendan Sher’s glove. Penn State’s Anthony Steele followed with a one-out single to take a 2-0 lead.

Then, unfortunately, the Nittany Lions delivered the serious damaging blow against Iowa reliever Duncan Davitt in the top of the sixth inning after Mazur exited. It looked like it was set to be quick work in the sixth for Davitt after he retired the first two Penn State batters.

But, a two-out hit by pitch and a walk set the stage for Matt Wood. Wood sent a full-count pitch deep to right field for a three-run blast and a 5-1 lead. On a day where the Hawkeyes could manage just two hits against a pair of Penn State pitchers, that was the death blow.

Penn State starter Tyler Shingledecker pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed a pair of runs and one earned run as he struck out eight Hawkeye hitters. The Nittany Lions’ Travis Luensmann went the rest of the way, tossing 3 1/3 innings of one-hit baseball with seven more strikeouts of Iowa batters.

Iowa answered Penn State’s scoring twice in the contest, but with just one response run in the bottom of the third and the bottom of the sixth. Iowa’s Kyle Huckstorf brought home Ben Wilmes with a sacrifice fly in the third and Peyton Williams scored on a two-out Penn State throwing error in the sixth that allowed Izaya Fullard to reach safely.

That was it, though, and now the Hawkeyes await the loser of Rutgers and Purdue at 9 a.m. CT on Friday.

Iowa baseball sweeps the weekly Big Ten awards, extending the single-season program record

Keaton Anthony, Kyle Huckstorf and Dylan Nedved were all honored as the Iowa Hawkeyes swept the weekly Big Ten baseball awards.

Iowa swept its way past Indiana last weekend to the tune of 30-16, 12-0, and 2-1 victories over the Hoosiers. The Hawkeyes wound up sweeping their way through the Big Ten weekly baseball awards as well.

Redshirt sophomore Kyle Huckstorf was named the co-Big Ten Player of the Week, redshirt senior Dylan Nedved the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week and Keaton Anthony the Big Ten Freshman of the Week.

Huckstorf had a historic day in Iowa’s unforgettable rally in game one versus Indiana. After trailing 13-2 early, Huckstorf’s big day spearheaded the Hawkeyes’ comeback efforts.

The 5-foot-8, 175 pound native of Waterford, Wis., hit three home runs over the course of a pair of innings as Iowa erased the early 11-run deficit. In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Hawkeyes sent 15 batters to the plate to erase that deficit in a hurry.

Huckstorf sandwiched a pair of three-run blasts around a two-run shot from Anthony. He wasn’t done there. In the fifth inning, Huckstorf added a go-ahead grand slam, giving him three homers and 10 RBIs in a two-inning span.

With the bases loaded in the eighth, Huckstorf lined a two-run single to right center for his record-breaking hit. It gave him the Big Ten single-game RBI record with 12 and it was his sixth hit, tying him for the league record for hits in a game.

“This is going to be the day that I take with me until I die. It will be stories that live on forever and I’ll have fun with it. I came out here with the same goal in mind, trying to barrel up the ball, hit it hard and as you see today, good things happen. The wind was in my favor, which was a good thing,” Huckstorf said of his record-breaking day.

In addition to his co-Big Ten Player of the Week honor, Huckstorf was named the Dick Howser Trophy National Co-Hitter of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Meanwhile, Anthony picked up Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for a record sixth time this season. The 6-foot-4, 210 pound outfielder finished the week against the Hoosiers having homered in three straight games and finished with five runs and five RBIs on the weekend.

Lastly, Nedved captured the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award after tossing six shutout innings in a series-clinching victory in game two. The right-hander from Shawnee, Kan., had a no-hitter through 5 1/3 innings before being lifted following the sixth because of a pitch count. He allowed one hit over six innings and fanned six to notch his sixth victory of the season.

The accolades are the 11th, 12th and 13th weekly honors for the Hawkeyes this season, extending a program record.

Iowa earned the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament where the Hawkeyes will square off with sixth-seeded Penn State today at 5 p.m. from Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Neb., in their first postseason matchup. If the Hawkeyes can win, it’s the winner of No. 2 seed Rutgers and No. 7 seed Purdue.

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Iowa baseball: how to watch, stream, listen to the Hawkeyes versus Penn State on Thursday

Here’s how to watch, stream and listen to Iowa Hawkeyes baseball opening up Big Ten Tournament play against Penn State on Thursday at 5 p.m.

The Hawkeyes head into the Big Ten Tournament winners of their final six conference series and seven of their past nine games overall. Iowa finished tied for second in Big Ten play with a mark of 33-17 overall and 17-7 in conference play.

As a result, Iowa earned the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament where the Hawkeyes will square off with sixth-seeded Penn State today at 9 a.m. from Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Neb., in their first postseason matchup. If the Hawkeyes can win, it’s the winner of No. 2 seed Rutgers and No. 7 seed Purdue.

Dating back to March 20 and a 6-3 win over then-No. 12 Texas Tech, Iowa ended the regular season with a 25-9 mark in the season’s final 34 games. A number of Hawkeyes earned hardware from the Big Ten for their efforts this season, including ace Adam Mazur who was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and redshirt freshman Keaton Anthony who was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

It’s an important week for Iowa as the Hawkeyes are looking to either win the Big Ten Tournament outright to capture the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament or to enhance their at-large resume.

Here’s how to watch, stream and listen to the Hawkeyes against the Nittany Lions.

Keaton Anthony stamps national arrival with Big Ten Freshman of the Year award

Iowa redshirt freshman Keaton Anthony stamped his arrival nationally by blasting 14 home runs. He was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

It’s been quite the season already for Iowa baseball. The Hawkeyes won their final six Big Ten series and head to Omaha, Neb., as the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Baseball Tournament.

One of the key cogs in the Hawkeyes’ 33-17 overall mark, 17-7 march through Big Ten play and 25-9 finish to the regular season was redshirt freshman Keaton Anthony. Thanks in part to his stellar play, Iowa is well positioned to lock down an at-large NCAA Tournament berth with a strong showing in the Big Ten Tournament.

After a hamstring injury late in last year’s preseason limited Anthony to one game in 2021, the 6-foot-4, 210 pound redshirt freshman has taken flight in 2022. Anthony ended the regular season hitting .360 with 20 doubles, 14 home runs, 53 RBIs and 43 runs scored.

Ten of Anthony’s home runs came in Big Ten play and his 20 doubles are the second-most in program history. As a result, Anthony was a no-brainer decision for the league’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

The Hoschton, Ga., native became just the second Hawkeye in program history to capture the award, joining second baseman C.J. Thieleke in 1994. Anthony also earned second-team All-Big Ten and Freshman All-Big Ten honors.

The redshirt freshman hit safely in 40 games, reached safely in 45 contests and posted 21 multi-hit games. He earned a Big Ten record six Freshman of the Week honors during the regular season.

The outfielder ranked third in the Big Ten in doubles (20), fourth in slugging percentage (.694) and OPS (1.135), seventh in batting average (.360) and 10th in home runs (14) during the regular season. In league games, Anthony tied for fourth with 10 home runs, ranked fifth in slugging (.768), tied for sixth in RBIs (30) and seventh in OPS (1.193).

The Hawkeyes open Big Ten Tournament play as the No. 3 seed and will play sixth-seeded Penn State at 9 a.m. from Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Neb. Every game will be televised on the Big Ten Network, with each game also available on the FOX Sports App.

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Iowa baseball’s Adam Mazur completes transformation, named Big Ten Pitcher of the Year

After a magical first season in Iowa City, Adam Mazur was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year. It completes quite the transformation.

For the second straight season, Iowa baseball lays claim to the Big Ten’s best pitcher. Redshirt sophomore Adam Mazur was honored as the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year as league awards were announced.

The 6-foot-2, 180 pound righty picked up the award after posting a 7-2 record with a 3.05 ERA in 14 regular season starts. The Woodbury, Minn., native posted nine quality starts and struck out 90 batters in 88 2/3 innings of work.

Mazur arrived in Iowa City as a transfer from South Dakota State where he went 3-9 and posted a 5.50 ERA over 16 starts in two seasons as the Jackrabbits’ No. 1 arm.

Mazur joined The BIG Baseball Podcast with hosts Drew Charters and Kyle Charters to discuss this renaissance of a season.

“Yeah, kind of getting into it and working with Robin (Lund) right away really helped. Just tweaking minor mechanic things really kind of helped point me forward and then really just learning my arsenal and how to attack hitters with it and learning what works best for me and what are things that I can look forward to,” Mazur said.

Lund’s early work on Mazur’s fastball made all the difference this season.

“Definitely learning how to throw a fastball a little bit more effectively, getting more vertical break on it. It was really big for me and that really kind of helped me pitch up in the zone also while spotting up down in the zone. And then, adding the changeup, adding the curveball and just kind of getting the four-pitch mix into it and being able to throw all four,” Mazur said.

Mazur always knew the fastball was in his arsenal, but perfecting it allowed him to add in an effective changeup and curveball.

“I knew the fastball was in there. In high school, I had a pretty good fastball. And then, kind of as I got older and put more weight on, the velo started to come with it. So, I knew that the fastball was going to be there and changeup I really started to develop out this summer.

“I was basically forced to throw it with those guys out there. You had to have at least three pitches to get outs. The curveball was something we kind of started in winter and just kind of stuck with it. Then, one weekend it kind of just all clicked and we were able to run with that,” Mazur said.

When Mazur says it all clicked, just look at Big Ten play for the confirmation. Mazur went 5-1 with a 2.59 ERA in eight Big Ten starts where he led the league in ERA (2.59), wins (5) and innings (55 2/3).

In the process, Mazur joined Trenton Wallace from last season as the only Hawkeyes to have captured Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors. Starting pitcher Brett Backlund was also a Big Ten Player of the Year in 1992.

Mazur and Wallace represent the fifth time in Big Ten history that a duo from the same school went back-to-back capturing the league’s highest pitching honor. Prior to Mazur and Wallace, Illinois most recently had consecutive honorees in 2015 and 2016.

Mazur is also the fourth starting pitcher to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors under Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller.

The Hawkeyes open Big Ten Tournament play as the No. 3 seed and will play sixth-seeded Penn State at 9 a.m. from Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Neb. Every game will be televised on the Big Ten Network, with each game also available on the FOX Sports App.

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