Marty Sutherland is in his 12th season with the University of Iowa baseball program and his eighth as the team’s associate head coach. Sutherland was promoted to the position in Aug. 2017, and he is also Iowa’s recruiting coordinator.
Over the last 11 seasons in Iowa City, Sutherland has helped guide the Hawkeyes to 351 wins, three NCAA Regional appearances, the first Big Ten Tournament title in program history, and three Big Ten runner-up finishes. The Hawkeyes have advanced to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals four times.
Iowa also represented the United States at the 2017 World University Games in Taipei, Taiwan, where it earned the silver medal. The Hawkeyes became the first American squad to medal in baseball at the Universiade in its history.
Iowa has had 13 All-America, 19 all-region, and 41 All-Big Ten selections during Sutherland’s tenure. Thirty-four players have had their names called in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft and 41 have signed professional contracts since Sutherland came to Iowa City.
On the recruiting trail, Sutherland has led the charge, helping Iowa become a player on the national recruiting scene. The Hawkeyes’ 2015 and 2016 recruiting classes were ranked among the best in the Big Ten Conference. Iowa’s 2015 class was tops in the league and 18th-best nationally, the 2016 class was rated as the third-best in the conference and the 2022 newcomer class was ranked 23rd nationally by D1Baseball.com.
Iowa won 31 games in 2024, continuing the Hawkeyes’ streak of reaching the 30-win mark in every “non-COVID affected” season since 2014. The Hawkeyes finished fourth in the regular season with a 14-10 record and made their ninth straight Big Ten Tournament appearance.
Despite missing out on an NCAA Regional bid, the Iowa offense had one of the most efficient seasons in recent history, averaging 10.6 runs per game. As a team, Iowa hit .302, the third-best batting average in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes were led by Raider Tello, who hit .357 and recorded a team-high 60 RBIs.
The Hawkeyes had five players selected in the 2024 Major League Draft, and Tello agreed to terms with the Philadelphia Phillies as an undrafted free agent.
Iowa won 44 games in 2023 – tied for the most wins in a single season in program history. The Hawkeyes finished third in the regular season with a 15-8 record, while advancing to the Big Ten Tournament final. The Hawkeyes qualified for the Big Ten Tournament for the eighth time during Sutherland’s tenure. Iowa made its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2017, winning two games at the Terre Haute Regional.
Offensively, the Hawkeyes had one of the best seasons in recent history, averaging 8.2 runs per game. As a team, Iowa hit .295 and led the conference in stolen bases (102). The Hawkeyes were led by Anthony’s .389 batting average and 22 doubles, while Dorighi carried the team with 15 home runs and 67 RBIs. Petersen (20), Seegers (17), Huckstorf (16) and second baseman Sam Hojnar (11) registered double digit stolen bases.
The Hawkeyes had two players drafted in the Major League Baseball draft. Pitcher Jared Simpson was the first Hawkeye taken off the board, getting drafted by the Washington Nationals in the eighth round. Pitcher Ty Langenburg was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 11th round. Relief pitcher Will Christopherson signed with the Los Angeles Angels and outfield Keaton Anthony penned a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Hawkeyes won 36 games — the eighth most wins in a single season in program history — during the 2022 season and finished tied for second in the Big Ten, posting a 17-7 overall record. Iowa won 20 of 27, 23 of 32 and 30 of 42 games down the stretch, including winning six straight series to close out the regular season to put itself in NCAA Regional conversation at season’s end. The Hawkeyes qualified for the Big Ten Tournament for the seventh time under Heller and advanced to the semifinals for a third time in six seasons.
The Hawkeyes won with a pitching staff that was among the nation’s best, as it ranked second nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (6.88), third in strikeouts per nine innings (11.2), fourth in ERA (3.72) and 11th in WHIP (1.29). The staff led the Big Ten in virtually every pitching category during the season and it racked up a program record 609 strikeouts, shattering the previous record of 499 set in 2018.
Iowa’s coaching staff transformed South Dakota State transfer Adam Mazur into the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year — the second straight Hawkeye to earn the honor. Mazur earned Collegiate Baseball Second-Team All-America and ABCA/Rawlings Third-Team All-America honors, while earning first-team all-region and first-team All-Big Ten distinction after going 7-3 with a 3.07 ERA with 98 strikeouts over 93 2/3 innings. Mazur had nine quality starts during the season.
Mazur led a quartet of Hawkeyes selected in the 2022 MLB Draft, as he was drafted in the second round (53rd pick) by the San Diego Padres. He was the program’s highest draft pick since 1990. The program also had two additional top 10 round picks — the three top 10 rounders are the most in school history — in Peyton Williams (Seventh Round, Toronto) and Dylan Nedved (Ninth Round, San Diego), while Duncan Davitt was chosen in the 18th Round by Tampa Bay. Ben Beutel also signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chicago White Sox.
The Hawkeyes’ roster also boasted the Big Ten Freshman of the Year as Keaton Anthony became the second player in program history to earn the distinction. The Georgia native also garnered Freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball and the NCBWA (and second-team All-Big Ten) after hitting .361 with 22 doubles, 14 home runs, 55 RBIs and 46 runs scored. The 14 home runs were the most by a Hawkeye freshman since 1999.
Freshman fireballer Brody Brecht earned Freshman All-America honors by Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game after fanning 44 over 22 2/3 innings and allowing just one extra base hit.
Iowa had a total of four All-Big Ten selections and four ABCA/Rawlings All-Region honorees in 2022. Peyton Williams (.355/17 2B, 13 HR, 55 R, 41 RBIs) earned first-team All-Big Ten and second-team all-region honors, while senior reliever Ben Beutel earned second-team honors by both outlets after going 3-0 with a 1.47 ERA with four saves in 29 appearances. Beutel picked off nine batters during the year en route to being the second Hawkeye all-time to earn a Rawlings Gold Glove for being the best defensive pitcher in Division I college baseball.
Redshirt sophomore Kyle Huckstorf had a game for the ages against Indiana on May 19. The outfielder set Big Ten and Iowa records for hits and RBIs, finishing 6-for-7 with three home runs, 12 RBIs and four runs scored. Huckstorf hit two three-run home runs in a 10-run fourth inning, connected on a grand slam in the fifth and his two-run eighth inning single gave him the Big Ten RBI and hits record. Huckstorf earned Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week, Dick Howser Trophy National Co-Hitter of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week honors for his efforts.
Iowa earned a program record 13 Big Ten weekly honors during the regular season, including six Freshman of the Week honors for Anthony. Iowa also had 10 student-athletes recognized as Academic All-Big Ten selections.
During the 2021 season, the Hawkeyes won a school-record 26 Big Ten games, finishing 26-18 overall, while facing a Big Ten-only schedule during the COVID-affected season. After starting the season 4-8, Iowa rattled off 11 wins in 12 contests and 15 in 18 games. The team won seven of their final 10 series to be in the middle of the NCAA Regional conversation at season’s end.
Friday night starter Trenton Wallace had a breakthrough season, earning second-team All-America honors by both ABCA/Rawlings and Collegiate Baseball. He also was the first Hawkeye to earn Big Ten Pitcher of the Year honors after going 7-1 with a 2.34 ERA over 73 innings and 13 starts. His 106 strikeouts were the second-most all-time behind Jim Magrane’s 110 strikeouts in 1999.
With Wallace on the mound, Iowa won. The Hawkeyes won nine consecutive series openers to close out the season and 11 of 13 series openers on the year.
Senior Ben Norman earned first-team All-Big Ten and first-team all-region honors after leading the league in RBIs (53) and triples (4). Norman finished his career ranked in the top-11 in school history in eight different categories. Redshirt junior Izaya Fullard also earned All-Big Ten honors (third-team). Four players joined MLB organizations following the season, as Wallace and Drew Irvine were MLB Draft picks, while Norman and Jack Dreyer signed as free agents.
Iowa’s offense ranked in the top five in nine different categories in 2021, including leading the league in doubles (93), triples (12), walks (243), on-base percentage (.385) and sacrifice flies (21). Iowa’s starting pitchers posted 19 quality starts and ranked fourth in the Big Ten in ERA (4.68), while the defense came on strong, going seven straight games without an error to close out the year to finish second in the league in team fielding percentage (.977) and 33rd nationally.
During the 2020 season, Iowa won 10 games in the first month, including posting victories over ranked foes No. 18 Arizona, No. 20 North Carolina, and No. 14 Duke. The Hawkeyes went 2-1 at the CambriaCollegeClassic, a tournament in Minneapolis pitting the Big Ten Conference against the ACC. The season came to an abrupt end on March 12 when it was cancelled because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
After losing several key pieces to the MLB Draft following the 2018 season, 2019 was expected to be a transition year with a re-worked roster. Instead, Sutherland helped the Hawkeyes post their sixth straight 30-win season and qualified for a record sixth straight Big Ten Tournament.
Iowa won six straight series during the season, which included series wins over No. 23 Illinois, No. 30 Nebraska, and No. 18 UC Irvine. The team went 10-3 against top-30 opponents in 2019, including taking two of three games at No. 19 Oklahoma State.
Redshirt junior Grant Leonard set a program saves record, converting all 14 of his chances to garner second-team All-Big Ten honors. Leonard was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason List and he finished seventh nationally in saves.
After leading the Hawkeyes to a Big Ten Tournament win over top-seeded Indiana, Friday night starter Cole McDonald was selected in the 14th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Houston Astros. It marked the 13th straight year a Hawkeye was selected in the draft.
Twenty-three players have been drafted or signed a professional contract since Sutherland joined the Iowa coaching staff. Iowa had 20 players drafted from 2004-13.
During the 2018 season, Sutherland guided Iowa to its fifth straight 30-win seasons, as the team finished 33-20 overall. Iowa posted three series wins against ranked opponents and finished with eight victories against top 25 teams. The Hawkeyes snapped seventh-ranked Michigan’s 20-game winning streak, giving the program its first win over a top 10 opponent since 2008.
With a re-worked starting rotation, Iowa uncovered a gem in staff ace Nick Allgeyer in 2018. The southpaw tallied quality starts in 13 outings as a junior, finishing with five wins and 95 strikeouts, the second-most in a single-season all-time. Iowa’s pitching staff shattered the single-season strikeout record, fanning 499 in just 53 contests.
The Hawkeyes had four All-Big Ten selections, including three first-team selections in Allgeyer, Tyler Cropley, and Robert Neustrom. It was the most first-team selections for the program since 1990. Cropley also earned second-team All-America honors by Collegiate Baseball, a second-team ABCA all-district nod, and was a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award, an honor presented to the top collegiate catcher.
Iowa was well represented in the 2018 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft with a record-tying five selections. Neustrom was selected in the fifth round by the Baltimore Orioles, becoming the Hawkeyes’ highest position player selection since 1992. Cropley was taken in the eighth round (Washington), Allgeyer was a 12th-round pick by Toronto, Zach Daniels was selected in Round 19 by Atlanta, and Brady Schanuel in the 27th Round by Milwaukee.
The 2017 season was expected to be rebuilding year in Iowa City after the program lost 25 players to graduation and/or the Major League Baseball Draft in 2015 and 2016. Instead, the Hawkeyes won 39 games — the fifth-most in program history — claimed the first Big Ten Tournament title in program history, and earned an automatic bid into NCAA Regional play.
Iowa finished 15-9 in Big Ten Conference play to tie for fourth in the regular season standings. The 15 wins were the second most since 2008 and it was the program’s fourth top-four finish since 2000. The Hawkeyes were the No. 5 seed at the Big Ten Tournament, where they knocked off three higher seeds to advance to the title game — a 13-4 rout of Northwestern.
Iowa was the talk of the state in late May, as “Hellerball” dominated the headlines across the state. Iowa carried its momentum to the NCAA Houston Regional, where it knocked off top-seeded and 15th-ranked Houston in its opener. The season ended with 39 wins with losses to Texas A&M and Houston by a combined three runs.
The Hawkeyes saw five players garner All-Big Ten recognition, including unanimous first-team All-Big Ten first baseman and unanimous Big Ten Player of the Year honoree Jake Adams. Adams’ lone season in Iowa City was one for the ages, as the South Dakota native hit an NCAA leading, Iowa school and Big Ten record 29 home runs.
Iowa’s offense served as the catalyst, as the team blasted 71 home runs — the most by the program since 1999. The Hawkeyes ranked among the top three in the Big Ten in nine difference offensive categories, including leading the league in hits, RBIs, and slugging percentage, while ranking second in runs, doubles, home runs, and total bases. Individually, Iowa players led the Big Ten in runs, slugging percentage, hits, RBIs, home runs, and total bases.
The Hawkeyes overcame injury adversity on the mound to break the school strikeout record and the defense was among the nation’s best. Iowa finished in the top-25 in the NCAA in team fielding percentage and was third nationally in doubles plays (67) — an Iowa school record.
Adams earned All-America distinction from seven different outlets and he was a semifinalist for USA Baseball’s Golden Spikes Award, an honor presented to the top amateur in the United States. Iowa’s Ben Norman and Kyle Shimp also earned freshmen All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball.
The Hawkeyes had four players drafted in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Adams and senior Mason McCoy were selected within seven picks of one another in the sixth round. They were the program’s highest draft picks since 1999 and the highest by a position player since 1992. Nick Gallagher and Ryan Erickson also had their names called in the 16th and 30th rounds, giving Heller 15 MLB Draft picks in four seasons.
In 2016, Iowa posted a 30-26 record, reaching the 30-win plateau for a third consecutive season for the first time since 1983-85. The Hawkeyes won their final two league series to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament for a third straight season and carried their momentum into Omaha, where they won their first three games to advance to the tournament title game for the first time since 2010.
The Hawkeyes had two first-team All-Big Ten position players in outfielder Joel Booker and shortstop Nick Roscetti — the first duo to earn first-team honors in the same season since 2007.
Booker enjoyed a breakout senior season, hitting .370 with 87 hits, 19 doubles, five home runs, and 23 steals to be a semifinalist for the Gregg Olson Breakout Player of the Year Award. Booker’s 87 hits were tied for the Big Ten Conference lead and were the second-most in a single season in school history, while his 19 doubles were tied for the third-most all-time. He ranked in the top-12 in the conference in eight different categories.
Roscetti was steady with his bat and superb with his glove en route to being named a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award. The senior hit .305 with 72 hits and a team-best 39 RBIs while committing just five errors in 249 chances to anchor Iowa’s top-15-ranked defense.
Booker and Roscetti were the fifth and sixth position players drafted in the past three seasons at season’s end. Booker was selected in the 22nd round by the Chicago White Sox, while Roscetti was a 26th round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Hawkeyes’ offense came to life late in the season to finish the year ranked in the top six in the Big Ten in virtually every offensive category. Iowa had five players reach double-digits in doubles and had 134 extra base hits for the year, which included 26 home runs.
Sutherland helped lead Iowa to one of the top seasons in program history in 2015. The Hawkeyes went 41-18 and earned an at-large berth into NCAA Regionals — the first berth since 1990. The 41 wins were the second-most in program history. Iowa won two games at the Springfield Regional for its first NCAA Tournament win since 1972 and finished the season ranked 20th by Collegiate Baseball, 25th by Baseball America, and 28th by the NCBWA– the program’s first appearance in the final rankings in school history.
With Sutherland’s assistance, Iowa was one of the top defensive teams in the country, ranking 11th overall and No. 2 in the Big Ten. Offensively, the Hawkeyes battled until the final pitch, as evident by their six walk-off wins and 18-9 record in games decided by two or fewer runs.
Sutherland coached junior Tyler Peyton to All-America honors as a utility player by D1Baseball.com and NCBWA, and he was a semifinalist for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award. Peyton hit a team-best .337 with 31 runs and 31 RBIs.
The Hawkeyes had a school-record six All-Big Ten selections in 2015, including three positional players. Five players had their names called in the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft, tying a program record for most draftees in a single season.
In his first season in Iowa City, Sutherland helped guide the Hawkeyes to a 9-1 start — the program’s best start since 1940 — a Big Ten Tournament berth and conference tournament win. Iowa finished the year with a 30-23 record for just the third 30-win season since 1993.
Iowa’s offense thrived under Sutherland, as the Hawkeyes led the Big Ten in four offensive categories (batting average, hits, runs and on-base percentage) and ranked second in four more (slugging percentage, RBIs, home runs and total bases). Iowa finished with 23 home runs — a season after the team had two long balls in 49 contests.
Five Iowa student-athletes garnered All-Big Ten recognition, the most for the program since 2007, which included first-team All-Big Ten shortstop Jake Yacinich. He was the first Hawkeye to earn a first-team nod since 2009.
Sutherland, a former player and coach under UI head coach Rick Heller at Northern Iowa, was an assistant for the Panthers from 2003-09, helping lead the team to 154 victories over six seasons. He coached 12 All-Missouri Valley Conference selections and an MVC Newcomer and Player of the Year honoree.
Sutherland also served as an assistant coach at Wartburg College during the 2002-03 season. Most recently, Sutherland was an assistant coach at Cascade (Iowa) High School and a hitting/fielding instructor at Bases Loaded Academy in Dubuque, Iowa.
Sutherland was an infielder at Northern Iowa during the 2001 and 2002 seasons, helping the team to its first back-to-back 30 win seasons in program history. He also played at Kirkwood Community College from 1998-2000.
During his two seasons in Cedar Falls, Sutherland batted .318 with 25 doubles and 29 stolen bases. He also finished his career with 64 RBIs.
In 2001, Sutherland was a second team All-MVC and second team All-Midwest region honoree after UNI won a school-record 35 games and claimed the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title en route to the first NCAA Tournament berth in school history. Sutherland batted .349, and the Panthers finished 10th in the nation and led the MVC in hitting with a .333 batting average.
In 2002, UNI won 30 games and finished fourth in the Missouri Valley. The squad finished with a .327 batting average in conference games to lead the league.
The Cascade, Iowa, native earned his associate’s degree from Kirkwood Community College in July, 2000, and his bachelor’s degree from Northern Iowa in Dec., 2002.