The Hawkeyes posted six straight 30-win seasons (pre-pandemic) with .596 win percentage in that stretch. In 2021, Iowa won a school-record 26 Big Ten games against a league-only schedule and in a “normal” year would have won 30+ games for the seventh time in the Heller era.

Iowa has advanced to NCAA Regional play three times — 2023, 2017 and 2015 — in the Hellerball era. In 2023, Iowa punched its ticket to the Terre Haute Regional and defeated North Carolina twice before falling to Indiana State, 11-8, in the regional final. The Hawkeyes ended the year 44-15, tying the program single season win record.

In 2017, Iowa advanced to the Houston Regional, knocking off host and 15th-ranked Houston in the opening round, before ending the season with a 39-22 record. Iowa’s 2015 NCAA Regional run led the Hawkeyes to their first NCAA Tournament win since 1972, going 2-2 at the Springfield Regional. The Hawkeyes placed second in the Big Ten Regular Season standings, going 19-5 in conference play in a year that saw five Big Ten Teams qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa is one of only three Big Ten schools to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament since 2014. The Hawkeyes claimed the 2017 Big Ten Tournament Title for the first time in school history and it was the team’s first league title since 1990.

BEAT THE BEST TO BE THE BEST

The Hawkeyes are 36-34 against ranked opponents since 2014. In Iowa’s abbreviated 2020 season, the Hawkeyes knocked off No. 18 Arizona. No. 20 North Carolina, and No. 14 Duke.

2023

After a runner-up finish in the Big Ten Tournament, Iowa punched its ticket to the Terre Haute Regional. The Hawkeyes defeated North Carolina twice to advance to the regional final but then fell to Indiana State, 11-8. Iowa ended the year 44-15, tying the program single season win record.

 

2017

Coming off a Big Ten Tournament Championship, the Hawkeyes stormed into the Houston Regional, knocking of top-seeded and 15th-ranked Houston in the opening round. Iowa’s magical run came up short with losses to Texas A&M and Houston by a combined three runs.

2015

In Iowa’s first NCAA Regional berth since 1990, the Hawkeyes took two games over Oregon in the Springfield Regional. Iowa’s season came to an end after two losses to host and No. 8 national seed Missouri State.

 

Winning the last four regular season series, the Hawkeyes stayed hot in the 2017 Big Ten Tournament, winning four games in four days to win the conference tournament. Iowa defeated Northwestern, 13-4, in the title game to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

 

OMAHAWKS

In the 2016 Big Ten Tournament, the Hawkeyes almost ran the table as the eight seed. Advancing to the championship game with wins over Minnesota, Ohio State, and Maryland, the Hawkeyes faced Ohio State in a rematch. Trailing 7-4 heading into the eighth inning, Iowa tied the game at seven, before falling 8-7.

DON’T COUNT ‘EM OUT

The Hawkeyes have overcome deficits to win 63 games since the start of the 2017 season, and post 15 walk-offs. Thirty of those victories have come with Iowa trailing or being tied entering or through seven innings. Twenty have come in the final at-bat.