IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa right-handed pitcher Marcus Morgan has been named D1Baseball.com’s Big Ten Preseason Freshman of the Year, it was announced Thursday in the collegiate baseball website’s Big Ten Conference preview.
Morgan, who was also tabbed as the No. 1 impact freshman in the league, went 21-5 with 294 strikeouts during his prep career at Iowa City West High School. As a senior, he went 4-2 with a 1.48 ERA in 11 appearances, including 10 starts. He had 108 strikeouts over 56 2/3 innings, allowing 36 hits, 20 runs (12 earned), limited hitters to a .173 average, had a 0.94 WHIP and issued just 17 walks.
The Iowa City, Iowa, native was multi-sport athlete for the Trojans, earning all-state honors in football, all-conference honors in basketball, while being a Drake Relays and state qualifier in track and field. He had Division I scholarship offers in baseball, football (as a quarterback) and basketball.
In its preseason projections, D1Baseball.com has the Hawkeyes as one of four NCAA Regional teams from the Big Ten along with Nebraska, Maryland and Michigan.
The Hawkeyes open official team practice on Friday. Iowa will open the 2022 season with a trip to Charleston, South Carolina, for the Swig & Swine Classic from Feb. 18-20. The team will face Air Force in its season opener.