Tag: Iowa baseball

Iowa Hawkeyes baseball vs. North Carolina: TV, stream, game notes for Friday

Iowa is back in the NCAA Baseball Tournament! Here’s when and where fans can tune in to watch the Hawkeyes versus North Carolina.

For the sixth time in program history, the Iowa Hawkeyes begin their NCAA Baseball Tournament quest tonight.

Iowa (42-14, 15-8 Big Ten) earned the No. 2 seed in the Terre Haute Regional and will open up against No. 3 seed North Carolina (35-22, 14-14 ACC) from Bob Warn Field.

The No. 14 overall seed Indiana State is hosting for the first time and will play fourth-seeded Wright State at noon CT on ESPN+ to get this Regional underway.

For its part, Iowa (42-14, 15-8 Big Ten) comes into postseason play boasting one of the nation’s top pitching staffs. That’s one of the reasons why Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller is confident about his group as it begins tourney play tonight in the Terre Haute Regional for the third time under his direction.

“I mean, I would have told you that anywhere we went, but I do think if we play like we can and pound the strike zone like we’ve done here recently, this team can go a long way. We also know that baseball’s a funny game. You’ve got to catch some breaks. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t, but we will be as prepared as we can be.

“I think we’ll go down there and give it a good run, but, I mean, you never know. You could go down and run into a pitcher that just absolutely deals on you and shuts you down. You just never know, but, if everything goes kind of how it’s gone most of the year, I feel really confident,” Heller said.

Without further ado, here’s when and where fans can watch and stream the action against North Carolina. Plus, some notes for the Hawkeyes heading in.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Collegiate Baseball tabs Keaton Anthony third-team All-American

Collegiate Baseball tabbed the Iowa Hawkeyes’ Keaton Anthony as a third-team All-American.

Collegiate Baseball revealed its All-American teams today, naming Iowa redshirt sophomore Keaton Anthony as a third-team All-American.

Anthony was a Collegiate Baseball freshman All-American a season ago. Now, his efforts in 2023 have him a notch higher in terms of national acclaim.

He was chosen on the Collegiate Baseball’s third team as a designated hitter. The Hoschton, Ga., native leads the Hawkeyes with a .389 batting average and 22 doubles. Anthony’s .701 slugging percentage and his .505 on base percentage both lead Iowa from hitters with more than 30 at bats.

Though he hasn’t played in the past 13 games, Anthony is still toward the top of Iowa’s team lead in a number of other key hitting and offensive categories.

The 6-foot-4, 211 pound redshirt sophomore has registered 61 hits, 38 RBIs, and hit nine home runs. Anthony also has 51 runs scored. His 110 total bases this season rank second, while Anthony’s hits, runs scored and home runs all rank fourth on the Hawkeyes.

Anthony joins six Big Ten players on Collegiate Baseball’s list of All-Americans. Maryland shortstop Matt Shaw was chosen to the first team. Maryland catcher Luke Shliger and third baseman Nick Lorusso were selected to the second team as was Nebraska second baseman Max Anderson. Lastly, Michigan State first baseman Brock Vradenburg and Nebraska shortstop Brice Matthews were also selected to the third team.

One of Iowa’s postseason foes was also honored by Collegiate Baseball. Indiana State right-handed pitcher Connor Fenlong was recognized as a second-team selection.

Unfortunately for Iowa fans and for this team as it embarks upon the Terre Haute Regional, Anthony hasn’t played since he walked and scored in a 7-4 midweek win over Illinois State back on May 2.

Anthony and several other Hawkeyes were withheld from action beginning on May 5 during the Ohio State series. Iowa’s athletics department released a statement that night noting that it had withheld several athletes “due to a potential NCAA violation.”

Then, on the following Monday, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission told Action Network that it had launched an investigation into the Hawkeyes’ baseball program.

It wasn’t long after that when the University of Iowa’s Office of Strategic Communication announced that it had received information on 26 student-athletes from baseball, football, men’s basketball, men’s track and field, men’s wrestling and one full-time employee of the UI Department of Athletics involved in the gambling probe.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF

Brody Brecht named Terre Haute Regional’s Player to Watch by NCAA.com

When Brody Brecht’s stuff is on, it’s downright filthy to opposing hitters. He was named the Terre Haute Regional’s Player to Watch.

The Terre Haute Regional features plenty of fantastic storylines.

The Sycamores are hosting a regional for the first time and it’s just the sixth all-time NCAA Tournament appearance for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Also, it’s a homecoming for Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller to Indiana State where he coached before coming to Iowa City.

Meanwhile, Iowa (42-14, 15-8 Big Ten) will play North Carolina (35-22, 14-14 ACC) for just the third time in program history. 247Sports’ Brad Crawford picked the Tar Heels to win the Terre Haute Regional, so that’s some indication that analysts nationally view this as a region that anybody could wind up winning.

NCAA.com already highlighted a pair of the pitching staffs in this Terre Haute Regional as two of the top-five rotations in all of the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Alongside Indiana State, Iowa was recognized as one of those top-five pitching rotations.

That’s in no small part because of the sheer electricity of sophomore right-hander Brody Brecht. In another NCAA Baseball Tournament preview piece, NCAA.com’s Alberto Camargo chose one dark horse and one player to know from each regional across the country.

Camargo spotlighted Brecht as the one player every college baseball fan should know from the Terre Haute Regional.

Among all the pitching talent in this regional, there’s only one starter who can hit triple digits, and that’s Brecht. If he’s on his game, he’s got devastating stuff — and even if he’s not, he throws 100, folks. Tune in for the show. – Camargo, NCAA.com.

The 6-foot-4, 205 pound righty from Ankeny, Iowa, has been on future MLB teams’ radars for some time already. Brecht was tabbed as Perfect Game’s top-rated 2024 MLB draft prospect in the Big Ten.

He has backed it up with some downright filthy results. Brecht allows opponents to bat just .148 against him. He has racked up 101 strikeouts in 70 innings of work with a 3.86 ERA and sports a 5-2 record.

Brecht was a first-team All-Big Ten selection. Sophomores Keaton Anthony and Sam Petersen were also first-team choices. Meanwhile, sophomore Marcus Morgan and fifth-year Brennen Dorighi earned second-team honors and junior Cade Moss was named to the third team.

Iowa opens up play against North Carolina at 6 p.m. on Friday on the ACC Network and ESPN+. Indiana State plays Wright State at noon on ESPN+ to open up Terre Haute Regional action.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF

NCAA.com highlights Iowa Hawkeyes as top-5 tournament pitching rotation

The Iowa Hawkeyes have a talented array of arms. NCAA.com recognized Iowa as one of its top-five NCAA tournament pitching rotations.

The Iowa Hawkeyes (42-14, 15-8 Big Ten) get started in the Terre Haute Regional tomorrow night versus North Carolina (35-22, 14-14 ACC) at 6 p.m. CT on ACC Network and ESPN+.

On paper, this looks like a wide-open Regional. 247Sports’ Brad Crawford is actually picking the third-seeded Tar Heels to emerge from Terre Haute in lieu of either top-seeded Indiana State or No. 2 seed Iowa.

Regardless of who you like to win this Regional, chances are you’re familiar with the Hawkeye pitching staff if you’ve done any digging on the Terre Haute Regional at all.

Iowa led the Big Ten with a team ERA of 4.04 and its 590 strikeouts. The Hawkeyes’ .207 batting average against was also tops in the conference. Iowa also limited opponents to just 35 home runs and the fewest extra base hits.

It has the attention of NCAA.com’s Alberto Camargo who listed the Hawkeyes as one of the top-five pitching rotations in the NCAA baseball tournament.

With the reliable combination of Marcus Morgan and Brody Brecht at the top of the rotation, the Hawkeyes had the foundation of a pitching staff that was best in the Big Ten. Opposing hitters are well under .200 against both Morgan and Brecht (whose .148 average is DI-best), and aren’t hitting much better against third starter Ty Langenberg. The three have combined for over 200 innings pitched this season, always available and consistent to boot.

Walks can be a bit of an issue for the Hawkeyes’ workhorses, but Morgan and Brecht are more than able to get themselves out of jams with strikeout rates over 25% for each. Even when the ball is put in play, opponent BABIPs hovering around .250 means contact is below average and primed for the Iowa defense to make plays. – Camargo, NCAA.com.

Marcus Morgan gets the nod to start the NCAA Tournament against the Tar Heels. The 6-foot-2, 200 pound right-hander brings a 3.88 ERA in 60 1/3 innings of work to the table. He has struck out 67 this season.

Then, Iowa figures to turn to flamethrower Brody Brecht. The 6-foot-4, 205 pound righty from Ankeny, Iowa, routinely tops triple-figures on the radar gun. Brecht carries a 3.86 ERA in 70 innings pitched with 101 strikeouts. When Brecht cuts out the free passes, he can be flat-out dominant.

Lastly, Ty Langenberg owns a 4.06 ERA in 71 innings of work with 80 strikeouts. The 6-foot-2, 190 pound right-hander rounds out a terrific rotation that has Iowa confident about its ability to potentially advance into the Super Regional round.

Interestingly enough, one of Iowa’s opponents in the Terre Haute Regional, Indiana State, was on NCAA.com’s top-five pitching rotations as well.

There’s a regional in Terre Haute for several reasons, but none may have been more impactful than the reliable starters for the Sycamores. Matt Jachec has been a consistent Friday starter and inning-eater. He has three complete games in 14 starts, a strikeout-to-walk ratio over 6.0 and a 1.12 WHIP. Behind him is another workhorse in Connor Fenlong, who has made the transition from the bullpen this season to throw a team-high 100 innings, including four complete games and an even lower WHIP.

The feel-good story comes in the Sycamores’ other regular starter, Lane Miller. Aside from his .211 opponent batting average and .221 BABIP, Indiana State has won every game Miller has started in 2023 — a season that he began by preparing not for a postseason run, but for the beginning of his time with the Marines. – Camargo, NCAA.com.

Indiana State’s trio of starters in Matt Jachec, Connor Fenlong and Lane Miller have combined for more than 250 innings pitched and each boast ERAs of 3.90 or below.

The other NCAA baseball tournament teams featured as top-five pitching staffs were No. 1 overall seed Wake Forest, No. 5 overall seed LSU, and Tennessee.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF

247Sports picking someone other than Indiana State in Terre Haute Regional

247Sports likes someone other than Indiana State to advance out of the Terre Haute Regional this weekend.

The Iowa Hawkeyes (42-14, 15-8 Big Ten) will play North Carolina (35-22, 14-14 ACC) at 6 p.m. CT on Friday, June 2, to open up their sixth all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament and the third under current head coach Rick Heller.

On paper, this looks like one of the best Regionals nationally. Indiana State (42-15, 24-3 Missouri Valley Conference) is the No. 14 overall seed, but Iowa opened its season by beating the Sycamores down in Port Charlotte, Fla., as part of the Snowbird NCAA Baseball Classic.

It was Kyle Huckstorf that delivered the walk-off, extra innings grand slam that day to propel Iowa to a 6-2 win.

Meanwhile, our Terre Haute Regional Encyclopedia informs you that North Carolina has a bevy of top-50 RPI wins. Nineteen of them to be precise. Even the No. 4 seed Wright State has five NCAA Tournament wins over the course of its program history.

All of which is to say, it feels like this Regional is wide open for the taking.

247Sports’ Brad Crawford agrees with that assessment, picking the Tar Heels to advance out of the Terre Haute Regional in his list of projected Regional winners.

Indiana State is hosting a regional for the first time in program history and has won 34 of its last 38 games coming into the postseason, including both the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament championships. The Sycamores join Dallas Baptist (2015), Missouri State (2015), and Wichita State (2002 & 2007) as the lone regional hosts in the MVC since 2000.

Will Indiana State be able to handle the pressure of being the favorite at home in a competitive foursome? It’s hard to say, but the Sycamores are loaded and have one of the best pitching staffs in college baseball. Their notable non-conference wins included Indiana and Vanderbilt this season, but did finish with a losing record against top 20 teams. North Carolina is a team to watch here and Iowa will be a tough out. – Crawford, 247Sports.

Iowa fans would sign up for the idea that Indiana State isn’t advancing out of the Terre Haute Regional. Not so much for the idea that it’s North Carolina instead of Iowa marching on, though.

At any rate, it’s another indication that this Regional feels and looks like it could wind up being one of the best this weekend. Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller certainly likes his team’s chances.

“I mean, I would have told you that anywhere we went, but I do think if we play like we can and pound the strike zone like we’ve done here recently, this team can go a long way. We also know that baseball’s a funny game. You’ve got to catch some breaks. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t, but we will be as prepared as we can be.

“I think we’ll go down there and give it a good run, but, I mean, you never know. You could go down and run into a pitcher that just absolutely deals on you and shuts you down. You just never know, but, if everything goes kind of how it’s gone most of the year, I feel really confident,” Heller said.

The Regional gets underway with Indiana State versus Wright State on Friday at noon CT on ESPN+. Fans can tune in and watch the Hawks later that night on either the ACC Network or on ESPN+.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF

With NCAA Baseball Tournament bid, Iowa Hawkeyes join exclusive group nationally

Thanks to its at-large bid in the NCAA Baseball Tournament, Iowa is part of an exclusive group of athletic programs nationally.

Iowa baseball is back into the postseason for the first time since 2017. The announcement set off a celebration within Hawkeye nation on Monday.

“No, it feels great. Really happy for this group. I mean, they took it out of the committee’s hands and that’s what we set out to do this fall. What can we do to make sure that we’re still playing in June?

“You know, there is a part of me that you’re thinking about those last two teams that didn’t get the call and felt like that they should have and we’ll be playing for those guys, too,” Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller said of his team’s draw.

Iowa heads to the Terre Haute Regional, which has No. 14 overall seed Indiana State, North Carolina and Wright State. Here’s your full Terre Haute Regional encyclopedia, complete with plenty of stats and facts on each.

With its inclusion in the college baseball postseason, Iowa also joins a select group of programs nationally in the 2022-23 academic and athletic calendar year. Take a look below.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Everything Rick Heller said about Iowa’s NCAA Tournament draw

Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller reacted to returning to his previous coaching stop and the Hawkeyes’ NCAA Tournament fate.

Iowa has its postseason destination. For the sixth time in program history, the Hawkeyes are taking part in the NCAA Tournament.

Hawkeye fans were thrilled to see Iowa is headed to the Terre Haute Regional.

It features No. 14 overall seed Indiana State. Coincidentally, that happens to be Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller’s previous head coaching stop. Heller’s past and present collide as one of the intriguing backdrops to what looks like it could be one of the best regionals nationally.

Of course, Iowa opens versus No. 3 seed North Carolina. It’ll be the third all-time meeting between the pair in a series that’s squared at one.

North Carolina beat Iowa, 5-3, in their first meeting as part of the Northeast Regional in 1990. In 2020, Iowa beat then-No. 20 North Carolina, 5-4. It was a dramatic, come-from-behind victory for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and walked off the Heels in extras with a solo shot from Austin Martin in the Cambria College Classic.

The last puzzle piece is Horizon League regular-season and tournament champion Wright State, which enters as the No. 4 seed.

Like everyone else, Heller and Co. found out their tournament landing spot on Monday during the “NCAA Baseball Selection Show.” Iowa-North Carolina is set for 6 p.m. CT on the ACC Network on Friday, June 2.

Shortly after learning of the Hawkeyes’ postseason destination, coach Heller caught up with local media to discuss a return to his old stomping grounds and a general preview of the Terre Haute Regional.

Here is Hawk Central’s conversation with coach Heller. The full Q&A is transcribed below.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Best photos of the Iowa Hawkeyes learning their 2023 NCAA Tournament landing spot

After several excruciatingly close misses, Iowa baseball is back in the postseason. The best photos from their Selection Show watch party.

Yesterday was a historic day for Iowa baseball. The Hawkeyes learned their 2023 NCAA Tournament landing spot.

Iowa is the No. 2 seed in the Terre Haute Regional where No. 14 overall seed Indiana State is the top seed and host. The Hawkeyes open up play on Friday, June 2, at 6 p.m. CT on the ACC Network versus No. 3 seed North Carolina. Meanwhile, Indiana State plays the first game of the Regional against No. 4 seed Wright State.

The tourney berth represents the sixth in Hawkeye history and the third under Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller.

“Really happy for this group. I mean, they took it out of the committee’s hands and that’s what we set out to do this fall. What can we do to make sure that we’re still playing in June? You know, there is a part of me that you’re thinking about those last two teams that didn’t get the call and felt like that they should have and we’ll be playing for those guys, too,” Heller said.

Iowa feels like it has a great chance to go win the Regional, too.

“I mean, I would have told you that anywhere we went, but I do think if we play like we can and pound the strike zone like we’ve done here recently, this team can go a long way. We also know that baseball’s a funny game. You’ve got to catch some breaks. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t, but we will be as prepared as we can be.

“I think we’ll go down there and give it a good run, but, I mean, you never know. You could go down and run into a pitcher that just absolutely deals on you and shuts you down. You just never know, but, if everything goes kind of how it’s gone most of the year, I feel really confident,” Heller said.

For the first time since 2017, Iowa is playing college baseball when it matters most. Here’s a look back at Iowa’s NCAA Baseball Tournament Selection Show watch party through these sensational images. Plus, the best from Iowa’s sprint through the Big Ten Tournament.

The Terre Haute Regional Encyclopedia

It’s the Terre Haute Regional encyclopedia! Jam-packed with information on each team, what challenges lie ahead for the Iowa Hawkeyes?

Iowa now has its NCAA Baseball Tournament landing spot. The Hawkeyes are headed to the Terre Haute Regional where No. 14 overall seed Indiana State is the host.

Iowa earned the No. 2 seed in the Regional and will square off against the  North Carolina Tar Heels coming up on Friday at 6 p.m. CT on the ACC Network. Meanwhile, Indiana State opens up against fourth-seeded Wright State.

Here’s a Terre Haute Regional primer packed with information and team capsules on each of the four teams participating.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Social media reacts as Iowa baseball tracks down sixth NCAA Tournament bid all-time

The Hawkeyes are in! For the sixth time in program history, Iowa heads to an NCAA Baseball Regional. Social media reacted to the assignment.

For the sixth time in program history, the Iowa Hawkeyes are headed to the postseason and to an NCAA Baseball Tournament Regional. It’s the third NCAA Tournament trip under Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller.

Iowa is off to the Terre Haute Regional with host and No. 14 overall seed Indiana State. The Hawkeyes earned the Regional’s No. 2 seed and open up play versus No. 3 seed North Carolina. Indiana State will play fourth-seeded Wright State.

Of course, Indiana State was Iowa head coach Rick Heller’s previous head coaching stop before joining the Hawkeyes in the 2014 season. The Hawkeyes opened this season with a walk-off, extra-innings grand slam from Kyle Huckstorf to down the Sycamores in the Snowbird NCAA Baseball Classic from Port Charlotte, Fla.

That tilted the all-time series record against Indiana State into the Hawkeyes’ favor, 2-1. Iowa previously topped Indiana State, 6-3, in 1981 before losing to the Sycamores, 11-3, in 2016.

Meanwhile, Iowa is set to square off with North Carolina for just the third time in program history. The two teams have split the pair of games in their series history.

Iowa lost to the Tar Heels, 5-3, in their first-ever meeting as part of the Northeast Regional back in 1990. Then, in 2020, Iowa beat then-No. 20 North Carolina, 5-4. It was a dramatic, come-from-behind victory for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and then walked off the Heels in extras with a solo shot from Austin Martin in the Cambria College Classic.

Lastly, Iowa is 1-0 all-time over Wright State with a 3-1 win over the Raiders in the 1989 season.

Social media was naturally thrilled with the Hawkeyes’ postseason assignment. Here were the best reactions to the announcement for Iowa.

[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]