| MATCHUP | Seton Hall Pirates, Ball State Cardinals, Lehigh Mountain Hawks |
| LOCATION | Shipyard Park | Charleston, South Carolina |
| DATE | February 16-18, 2024 |
| WATCH | HiCast Sports ($) |
| LISTEN | Hawkeye Radio Network | The Varsity Network |
| PROJECTED STARTING ROTATION *2023 Stats* | |
| Game 1 | February 16 | 4 p.m. (CT) | Iowa: RHP Brody Brecht (5-2, 3.74 ERA) Seton Hall: RHP Dam Frontera (2-3, 6.09 ERA) |
| Game 2 | February 17 | 11 a.m. (CT) | Iowa: RHP Marcus Morgan (5-2, 3.72 ERA) Ball State: RHP RHP Logan Schulfer (3-2, 8.10 ERA) |
| Game 3 | February 18 | 9 a.m. (CT) | Iowa: LHP Cade Obermueller (2-1, 4.91 ERA) Lehigh: RHP Teddy Tolliver (1-2, 3.61 ERA) |
THIS WEEK
The 20th ranked University of Iowa baseball team opens the 2024 season at the Shipyard Tournament in Charleston, South Carolina, from Feb. 16-18. The Hawkeyes will face Seton Hall in their season opener on Friday at 4 p.m. (CT) at Shipyard Park before squaring off against Ball State at 11 a.m. Saturday followed by Lehigh at 9 a.m. Sunday.
• Weekend passes are available for $25 for adults, and $20 for Students (6-17)/Seniors(65+)/Military w/ID. Daily passes are available for $10 for adults and $8 for students, seniors, and military personnel.
WATCH/LISTEN LIVE
• All three games will be video streamed via HiCast Sports ($).
• All three games will be broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network with John Evans on the call. Fans can access the stream free on YouTube or by downloading The Varsity Network app.
• Live updates will be available on Twitter (@UIBaseball).
PRESEASON HONORS
• RHP Brody Brecht was named preseason first team All-America by D1Baseball and Perfect Game.
• Brecht was named Big Ten Preseason Pitcher of the Year by both Perfect Game and D1Baseball.
• Brecht, Marcus Morgan and Sam Petersen were named to the preseason All-Big Ten team by Perfect Game.
• Freshmen Elliot Cadiuex-Lanoue was named an impact freshman by D1Baseball.
In 2023
• The Hawkeyes finished the season with a 44-16 overall record. The 44 wins are tied for the most wins in a single season in program history.
• Iowa finished 15-8 in Big Ten play, finished third in the regular season standings, and advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game.
• Iowa made its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2017, winning two games at the Terre Haute Regional.
• This season is the first time Iowa baseball beat the eventual national champion since sweeping Michigan in a doubleheader in 1953.
• Brody Brecht finished with 109 strikeouts, the second-most in program history.
• Brody Brecht led the country with 4.32 hits allowed per nine innings. Marcus Morgan ranked third with 5.23 hits per nine.
• Kyle Huckstorf, Michael Seegers, Ty Langenberg, and Sam Petersen were Big Ten All-Tournament Team selections.
• Iowa ranked in the top-13 nationally in six categories. The Hawkeyes were second in hits allowed per nine innings (6.74), fifth in strikeouts per nine innings (10.9), eighth in win loss percentage (.733), 11th in earned run average (4.19), 12th in shutouts (6), and 13th in fielding percentage (.981).
• Iowa set single season records in three categories. Iowa pitchers set the single season record for strikeouts with 630. Iowa batters set program records for walks (326) and hit by pitches (105).
• Iowa had 11 Academic All-Big Ten selections.
SCOUTING SETON HALL
• The Pirates went 31-24 overall during the 2023 season, which included a 13-8 record in the Big East.
• Seton Hall is selected to finish third in the Big East by the conference coaches.
SCOUTING BALL STATE
• The Cardinals went 36-23 overall during the 2023 season, which included an 19-11 record in the MAC.
• Ball State was selected to finish second in the MAC preseason Poll.
• Senior outfielder Decker Scheffler was named the Mid-American Conference Preseason Player of the Year and lefthanded pitcher Keegan Johnson the MAC Preseason Freshman of the Year by D1Baseball.com.
SCOUTING LEHIGH
• The Mountain Hawks went 24-26 overall during the 2023 season, which included an 10-15 record in the Patriot Leauge.
• Lehigh selected to finish in fourth place in the Patriot Leauge preseason poll.
• Senior shortstop Tyler Young was selected to the All-Patriot League Preseason Team
SERIES RECORDS
• Iowa is 0-2 all-time against Seton Hall. The Hawkeyes lost the first matchup in 2011, 0-2, and the second match up in 2016, 1-7.
• The Hawkeyes are 2-1 against Ball State. The first meeting between the squads resulted in a 2016 Hawkeye win, 16-6. The second meeting came in 2018, with Iowa falling 6-14. The most recent contest was in 2022, with an Iowa win, 11-1.
• Iowa is 4-0 all-time against Lehigh. The first and second games took place in 2001, 8-0 and 7-6, and the most recent contests both in 2017, 15-7 and 8-3.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
• Iowa’s 41-man roster features three reshirt seniors, seven seniors, three redshirt juniors, seven juniors, 12 sophomores and nine freshmen.
Iowa returns 18 letterwinners, and welcomes 18 newcomers (nine of which are transfers) to the squad.
MR. WORLDWIDES
• The Hawkeyes roster features 24 Iowa guys, two
confident Canadians, two magic Minnesotans, two Nebraska natives, two wonderful Wisconsinites, one charming Coloradoan, one Georgia peach, one Illinois boy, one Missouri man, and one Washington winner.
I KNOW HIM! I KNOW HIM!
• Iowa’s roster features seven sets of previous
teammates:
Hart/Mathews: Indian Hills (22-23)
Brosius/Savary: Wahlert (20-22)
Beuter/Moss: Kirkwood (21)
Huckstorf/Hogue: Iowa Western (21)
Archer/Moore: Van Meter (19-22)
Obermueller/Gable: City High (19-22)
Wilmes/Moss: Johnston (18-20)
O CAPTAINS! MY CAPTAINS!
• Junior Brody Brecht, redshirt junior Zach Voelker, and seniors Cade Moss and Michael Seegers have been voted team captains for the 2024 season.
MORE MOORE!
The Hawkeyes welcomed back former Hawkeye player (class of 2015) and assistant coach Sean Moore to the baseball staff as director of player development.
• The Coralville native was a volunteer assistant coach for the Hawkeyes from 2017-2018 before his detparture for Happy Valley- he is returning after five seasons on staff at Penn State.
IMPACT TRANSFERS
The Hawkeyes added five Division I transfers to their 2024 roster. Brant Hogue (Oklahoma State), Reese Beuter (Dallas Baptist), Davis Cop (Utah), Anthony Watts (Creighton), and Justin Hackett (TCU).
LAST SEASON SURE WAS GRAND
The Hawkeyes hit nine grand slams in the 2023 season:
• Kyle Huckstorf (Indiana State, 2/17)
• Sam Hojnar (Southern, 3/3)
• Chase Moseley (Southern, 3/3)
• Sam Petersen (St. Thomas, 3/15)
• Keaton Anthony (Maryland, 3/31)
• Sam Petersen (Upper Iowa, 4/25)
• Keaton Anthony (Penn State, 4/29)
• Brennen Dorighi (Ohio State, 5/4)
• Brayden Frazier (Michigan, 5/23)
30 WINS X 8
Since head coach Rick Heller’s first season in 2014, the Hawkeyes have reached the 30-win plateau in every “non-COVID affected” season. The program’s six consecutive year stretch was the longest since posting seven straight 30-win seasons from 1979-85.
2014: 30-23
2015: 41-18 (2nd-most wins all-time)
2016: 30-26
2017: 39-22 (5th-most wins all-time)
2018: 33-20
2019: 31-24
2020: 10-5 (*pandemic shortened)
2021: 28-16 (*Big Ten-only schedule)
2022: 36-19 (8th-most wins all-time)
2023: 44-16
SIMPSON & VOELKER’S 2023WRAPPED
Iowa middle relievers Jared Simpson and Zach Voelker combined to throw 86.1 innings, striking out 96 while walking only 44.
• Voelker was 4-1 with a 6.18 ERA
• Simpson was 4-3 with a 6.54 ERA
THE NO. 1 TAKE DOWN IN 2023
The Hawkeyes defeated No. 1 LSU 12-4 at the Karbach Round Rock Classic
• The win vs. No. 1 LSU is believed to be the first win ever for the Hawkeyes against the No. 1 team in the country.
• The last matchup for the Hawkeyes against the top ranked team in the country is believed to be in 1972 when they faced Arizona State in the College World Series (ASU, 2-1).
• The last win for the Hawkeyes against a top 10 team came last season at No. 8 Rutgers (4/23/22).
• Head coach Rick Heller has defeated at least one ranked foe in each season as Iowa’s head coach.
WINNING BASEBALL
• The Hawkeyes have posted ten consecutive winning seasons under head coach Rick Heller. For perspective, the program had just two winning seasons from 1997-2013 and five from 1990-2013.
• Since Heller took over the program in 2014, only three schools — Iowa, Indiana and Michigan — have qualified for the Big Ten Tournament each season it has been contested. (There was no tournament in 2020 or 2021 because of COVID.)
BRODY’S BIG DEBUT
Sophomore RHP Brody Brecht was perfect in his season debut not allowing a baserunner through five innings of work as the University of Iowa baseball team defeated Quinnipiac, 7-1. Brecht struck out 10-of-15 Bobcat batters while hitting 100 MPH on the radar gun.
• This was Brecht’s second career start. His first came in the 2022 Big Ten Tournament against Michigan (5/29/22).
• Brecht struck out a career-high 10 batters in a career-high five innings pitched.
PRESEASON HONORS
• A pair of Hawkeye sophomores received preseason All-America honors. RHP Brody Brecht was named third team All-America by Baseball America and two-way player Keaton Anthony was named second team All-America by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
• Junior pitcher Ty Langenberg was named Big Ten Preseason Pitcher of the Year by both Perfect Game and D1Baseball.
• Langenberg and Anthony were named to the preseason All-Big Ten team by Perfect Game.
RANKED OPPONENTS; RANKED WINS
Iowa went 2-2 against ranked opponents last year having defeated #1 LSU at the Round Rock Classic on February 25 before going 1-2 at Texas Tech on March 10-12.
• The Hawkeyes have now defeated a top 10 team in back-to-back seasons having defeated No. 8 Rutgers in 2022.
• Head coach Rick Heller has defeated at least one ranked foe in each season as Iowa’s head coach.
HEAT ALERT
Freshman RHP Brody Brecht had a blazing debut in his first career appearance at Duane Banks Field in 2022. The Ankeny, Iowa, native hit triple digits on his first three pitches, going 101, 101 and 100 in a 1-2-3 inning against Cornell College on March 2.
• Brecht hit 100 or higher on the radar gun 37 times in 2022 (in games where Trackman data was available).
• Brecht hit 100 or higher on the radar gun 31 times in 2023 (in games where Trackman data was available).
• In 2022 Brecht had 25 strikeouts and allowed just one earned run (on five hits) over his final 10 relief appearances, spanning 13 2/3 innings, giving him 44 Ks over 22 2/3 innings this season. He went 1-4 with a 3.18 ERA in 17 appearances and he gave up just one extra base hit.
BANKS MAGIC
• The Hawkeyes are 121-40 at home since the start of the 2015 season.
• Iowa won 19 games in 2019, the third-most in a single-season in school history, trailing only the 22 wins in 1977 and 20 wins in 2018.
• Iowa has 17 walk-off victories at Duane Banks Field since the start of 2015.
DON’T COUNT ‘EM OUT
The Hawkeyes have overcame deficits to win 92 games since the start of the 2017 season and posted 16 walk-offs. 35 of those victories have come with Iowa trailing or being tied entering or through seven innings. 21 have come in the final at-bat.
#HELLERBALL
• Head coach Rick Heller recorded his 900th career win against Grand View in a 15-2 victory on March 3, 2020, at Duane Banks Field. The Iowa native won his 950th career game on April 17, 2022, against Minnesota.
• The Hawkeyes won 30 or more games in each of Heller’s seven full seasons as the helm of the program. It’s a first for the team since winning 30 or more in seven straight seasons from 1979-85.
• Heller has led the Hawkeyes to two NCAA Regional appearances; the program had three regional appearances in its history prior to his arrival.
• Heller is third in school history in career wins with 276 at Iowa, including the second (41), fifth (39) and eighth-most (36) wins in a single-season in school history.
• Heller led Iowa to its first Big Ten Tournament title in 2017 — the first conference title since 1990 — and he guided the Hawkeyes to the Big Ten Tournament title game in consecutive seasons. Iowa advanced to the league tournament in six straight years for the first time in program history.
• Heller has coached at least one first-team All-Big Ten selection in seven of his nine (full seasons), and has 27 Major League Baseball Draft picks in nine seasons (29 players have gone on to play professional baseball).
• Heller had three players drafted in the top 10 rounds of the 2022 MLB Draft — a first in program history. That included Adam Mazur, who was the 53rd pick overall (San Diego) — the highest pick by a Hawkeye since 1990.
• Iowa had a school-record six All-Big Ten selections in 2015 and five in 2017. The Hawkeyes have had 30 All-Big Ten honorees in nine seasons under Heller.
• Heller has coached one Big Ten Player of the Year (Jake Adams), two Big Ten Pitcher of the Years (Trenton Wallace, Adam Mazur) and one Big Ten Freshman of the Year (Keaton Anthony) during his time as a Hawkeye.
• Iowa has posted winning streaks of nine games (in 2015) and eight games (in 2017) — the longest streaks for the program since 2012.
FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
Iowa baseball fans can follow the Hawkeyes on Facebook @iowabaseball, Twitter @UIBaseball, and Instagram @UIBaseball in addition to coverage on hawkeyesports.com.
ON DECK
Following the three-game stand in South Carolina, the Hawkeyes head to Jacksonville, Florida, for the Jacksonville College Baseball Classic on Feb. 23-25. They will face Auburn, Virginia, and Witchita State. The Hawkeyes then return home for their home opener against Northern Illinois on Feb. 27.