Hawkeyes Sign 8 for 2027

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Eight student-athletes, including seven Iowa natives, will join the University of Iowa baseball program for the 2027-28 season, head coach Rick Heller announced Friday.

The class includes six position players: Del Brewer (UT, Iowa City, Iowa), Danny Doyle (SS/CF, Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Logan Hicks (C/OF, West Des Moines, Iowa), Beau Morio (C, Solon, Iowa), Lincoln Norris (SS, Knoxville, Iowa), and Xavier Perez (C, Urbana, Iowa).

In addition to junior college left-hander Brett Hoelscher (LHP, Papillion, Nebraska), Iowa adds prep right-hander Matthew Blomme (RHP, Batavia, Iowa).

“We are excited to announce this year’s recruiting class,” said Heller. “It’s a solid mix of talented pitchers and position players. Seven of the eight players are from in-state. Six of the eight are high school players, with two being junior college players. We will likely be signing a few more players later in the spring and summer, but this group fills many of the losses from this year’s team. All the players in this class are outstanding young men on and off the field and will be great Hawkeyes. Our recruiting coordinator, Marty Sutherland, did a fantastic job organizing our recruiting efforts again this year. It’s a great group, and we are all looking forward to working with them next fall.”

Matthew Blomme
6-5, 200, RHP
Batavia, Iowa
Cardinal High School

• Posted a 7-2 record with a 1.43 ERA over 49 innings
• Allowed 18 hits and struck out 97 batters
• Ranked No. 10 in Iowa by Perfect Game and No. 13 in Iowa by Prep Baseball Report
• 2026 First-Team All-Conference selection
• 2026 First-Team All-District honoree
• 2026 Second-Team All-State selection

Sutherland on Blomme:

"Matthew is a physical right-handed pitcher from Cardinal High School. One thing that sticks out about Matthew is his ability to spin the baseball. We think he has the makings of a swing-and-miss slider. Matthew is just scratching the surface of his ability as a baseball player. We love his competitiveness and look forward to him being a part of the Iowa baseball program."

Del Brewer
5-10, 175, UT
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City High School

• Batted .301 with 24 runs scored and was successful on 30 of 31 stolen-base attempts
• Team captain
• Second-Team All-Conference selection
• Second-Team All-District honoree
• Perfect Game Iowa MVP
• National Honor Society member

Sutherland on Brewer:

"Del has all the qualities you want in an incoming player. He is an incredible worker, a leader and plays the game with passion. Del has the ability to defend all over the field, which is something we love to find in players. His offensive skill set is that of a top-of-the-order disruptor. He gets on base and creates pressure. We’re excited a lifelong Hawkeye has decided to stay home."

Danny Doyle
6-0, 180, SS/CF
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School

• Hit .509 with 53 runs, 10 doubles, five triples, four home runs, 35 RBIs and 26 stolen bases
• Ranked No. 12 in Iowa by Perfect Game and No. 18 in Iowa by Prep Baseball Report
• Two-time First-Team All-Conference selection
• Two-time First-Team All-District honoree
• 2026 First-Team All-State selection

Sutherland on Doyle:

"We love the way Danny plays the game. He has the ability to affect the game offensively, on the bases and defensively. Danny can play all over the field, and that versatility is a huge asset to any program. He is coming off a First-Team All-State season this past summer. We couldn’t be more excited about Danny’s future in black and gold."

Brett Hoelscher
6-4, 195, LHP
Papillion, Nebraska
Papillion-La Vista High School
Iowa Western Community College

• Posted a 3-0 record with 33 strikeouts in 21 innings
• Four-year varsity letterwinner at Papillion-La Vista High School
• 2025 Nebraska Super Team All-State selection
• Earned 2025 All-Nebraska Team honors
• Holds his high school's career ERA record and single-game strikeout record with 18

Sutherland on Hoelscher:

"Brett comes from a great junior college program at Iowa Western. His fastball was up to 94 mph this summer, and he pairs it with a plus changeup. We believe Brett possesses the ability to compete for a weekend starter role when he gets here next fall. He’s competitive and pitches with a lot of confidence. We were really excited when he chose Iowa during the recruiting process. His best days are ahead of him as a pitcher."

Logan Hicks
6-2, 220, C/OF
West Des Moines, Iowa
West Des Moines Valley High School
Butler Community College

• Hit .346 with 30 runs, six doubles, seven home runs, 35 RBIs and 17 stolen bases
• Posted a .415 on-base percentage and .598 slugging percentage in 35 games
• Recorded 13 extra-base hits
• 2025 Third-Team All-State selection

Sutherland on Hicks:

"Logan prepped at Valley High School in West Des Moines, so we are excited he decided to come home after his time at Butler Community College. He is a physical specimen. Logan will bring physicality and athleticism to our program. During his time at Butler, he played in the outfield and spent time behind the plate. We’re excited he has the ability to move around defensively if needed. Offensively, he will bring a middle-of-the-order presence to our program. Logan is home, and we’re lucky to have him in black and gold."

Beau Morio
6-2, 210, C
Solon, Iowa
Cedar Rapids Xavier High School

• Batted .354 with 15 runs, seven doubles, six home runs and 36 RBIs
• Ranked No. 9 in Iowa by Perfect Game and No. 5 in Iowa by Prep Baseball Report
• Two-time First-Team All-Conference selection
• Two-time First-Team All-District honoree
• 2026 First-Team All-State selection
• Three-time USA Baseball NTIS selection
• Helped Cedar Rapids Xavier High School win a state football championship

Sutherland on Morio:

"Beau is a physical, hard-nosed catcher who will be a four-year starter at Xavier High School. He has been committed to our program since eighth grade, so to finally make it official is a great day for Iowa baseball. Beau is a leader at a position where it is the most important characteristic to have. He is a good athlete who is also the starting middle linebacker on the Xavier football team, which is currently defending its 2025 state championship. Beau has a bright future, and we’re excited he will continue his journey in Iowa City."

Lincoln Norris
6-0, 180, SS
Knoxville, Iowa
Knoxville High School

• Hit .510 with 41 runs, 12 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 37 RBIs and 14 stolen bases
• Ranked No. 11 in Iowa by Perfect Game and No. 9 in Iowa by Prep Baseball Report
• Five-year varsity starter
• Four-time First-Team All-Conference selection
• Three-time First-Team All-District honoree
• 2026 First-Team All-State selection

Sutherland on Norris:

"Lincoln comes to us as a five-year starter at Knoxville High School. We love the fact that he has excelled in multiple sports in high school. Lincoln has taken a lot of pride in his defense, which has put him in a great position to defend at the highest level. He is a great athlete who is also advanced in the batter’s box. His leadership and competitiveness will give him a chance to compete early in his Hawkeye career."

Xavier Perez
6-0, 210, C
Urbana, Iowa
Cedar Rapids Prairie High School

• Batted .343 with 15 runs, 11 doubles, six home runs and 44 RBIs
• Ranked No. 6 in Iowa by Perfect Game and No. 8 in Iowa by Prep Baseball Report
• Two-time All-Conference selection
• Two-time All-District honoree
• 2026 All-State Super Team selection

Sutherland on Perez:

"Xavier is another player who has been committed for more than three years. We love X’s high baseball IQ. He is a switch hitter who offers positional versatility. Catching is where he has spent most of his time, but he has the ability to defend on the infield as well. We’re excited about how he plays the game and his work ethic. Xavier plays with a lot of passion and will have the opportunity to become a great leader for us in Iowa City."