OMAHA, Neb. – The University of Iowa baseball team had five student-athletes earn Big Ten recognition it was announced Tuesday by the league office.
Junior Brody Brecht and redshirt junior Raider Tello earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. Senior Andy Nelson was a third-team selection, and redshirt freshman Reese Moore earned third-team honors and was named to the All-Freshman team. Senior Michael Seegers was Iowa’s Big Ten Sportsmanship recipient.
Iowa’s four All-Big Ten selections give head coach Rick Heller 40 selections in his 11 seasons in Iowa City. Heller has coached at least one first-team All-Big Ten selection in nine of his 10 seasons when awards were handed out (there were no honors in 2020).
Brecht earned first-team All-Big Ten honors after going 4-3 with a 3.55 ERA in 14 regular season starts. The right-hander posted five quality starts and fanned 118 batters over 71 innings. The Ankeny, Iowa native ranks fifth in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (14.96) and sixth in total strikeouts.
Brecht is the sixth starting pitcher to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors under Heller, winning the honor in back-to-back years.
Tello earned first-team honors after hitting .370 with 60 RBIs, 51 runs scored and having 30 extra base hits (19 doubles, seven home runs and four triples) during the regular season. The El Monte, California, native hit .362 in conference play with nine doubles, two home runs, two triples, and 24 RBIs.
Tello is the sixth Hawkeye infielder to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors under Heller.
Nelson earned third-team honors after hitting .340 with 44 RBIs, 15 doubles, and five home runs. The Winfield, Illinois native hit .342 with 21 RBIs, four doubles and four home runs in conference play.
Moore earned third-team honors and All-Freshman honors after hitting .293 with 7 doubles and 32 RBIs. The Van Meter, Iowa, native had 11 RBIs in Big Ten play with two home runs.
Moore is the third Hawkeye to make the All-Freshman team under Heller.
Seegers was selected as Iowa’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient. The distinction is presented to student-athletes who display sportsmanship and ethical behavior, are in good academic standing, and demonstrate good citizenship outside of athletics.
The Hawkeyes open Big Ten Tournament play tomorrow, facing fourth-seeded Michigan at 2 p.m. (CT) at Charles Schwab Field Omaha. The game will be televised on BTN.