IOWA CITY, Iowa – Six Hawkeyes have been voted team captains for the 2022 University of Iowa baseball season, it was announced Friday by head coach Rick Heller. The team captains are seniors Cam Baumann, Brett McCleary and Dylan Nedved, redshirt junior Brendan Sher and redshirt sophomores Brayden Frazier and Ty Snep.
Baumann, who is in his fifth season with the program, has appeared in 50 games as a Hawkeye, where he has a 10-11 record with a 5.15 ERA. Last season, the Fairfield, Iowa, native was the team’s No. 3 starter, where he went 5-5 with a 4.19 ERA in 12 starts.
McCleary is also in his fifth season with the program, and he is primed to be the team’s everyday catcher this season. The Iowa City, Iowa, native started 18 games in 2021, where he hit .219 with 12 RBIs and six runs scored. McCleary belted two home runs on the year, including a pinch-hit, walk-off three-run shot in a win over Northwestern.
Nedved is transitioning solely to the mound in 2022 after being a two-way player his first two seasons. The Shawnee, Kansas, native went 4-1 with a 4.19 ERA last season with nine saves, which were the second-most in the Big Ten and the fourth-most in a single season in school history. Nedved logged 34 1/3 innings, striking out 31 batters in 20 appearances.
Sher is back for his fourth season in Black and Gold after starting 30 games during the 2021 season. The infielder hit .208 with 10 doubles, one home run, 16 runs and 12 RBIs. For his career, the Indianola, Iowa, native has started 66 games where he is a .253 career hitter.
Frazier, who is in his fourth season as a Hawkeye, started 19 games a season ago as an outfielder, where he hit .325 with 10 doubles, 16 RBIs and 16 runs scored. In 40 career games, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native is a .300 hitter with 11 doubles and 22 RBIs.
Snep, who is in his third season on campus, started 12 of Iowa’s first 15 games in 2021 before going down with a season-ending injury. The Lake Zurich, Illinois, native hit .324 with three home runs, eight RBIs and a .622 slugging and .490 on-base percentage in limited action.
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.