Aug. 7, 2009
University of Iowa senior pitcher Zach Robertson broke the Northwoods League record for career strikeouts with 251 this week. Robertson struck out 11 in a 12-2 win against Madison on Thursday night to claim the record. The old record was 245, held by former Hawkeye Jim Magrane, who pitched for the Waterloo Bucks from 1997-99.
The left-hander is also the all-time leader in games started with 35. The old record for games started was 32, set by Marc Craigmile with the Alexandria Beetles from 2001-03.
“It’s a real honor,” said Robertson. “The league has been very prestigious for a long time and lots of guys have been to the big leagues from here, so to be so high in the record books is something really special.”
“Zach is even more valuable than the strikeouts,” said Rochester Honkers Baseball Club Field Manager Rusty McNamara. “He has been a consistent starter from day one that has never missed a start, goes deep into games and always gives us a chance to win.”
The Des Moines native played his first season with the Hawkeyes last year after transferring from Iowa Central. Robertson was mainly used as a mid-week starter, striking out 26 batters in only 22.1 innings pitched for the Black and Gold.