2015 Honors — Academic All-Big Ten honoree. 2015 — Appeared in 47 games, including 36 starts — 29 as designated hitter and seven in left field… hit .267 (36-of-135) with 19 RBIs and 11 runs scored… had eight doubles and one home run… hit .360 in Big Ten play with four doubles, 12 RBIs and six runs… had nine multi-hit (four two-hit, four three-hit, one four-hit games) and four multi-RBI games… hit .500 (4-for-8) with two RBIs in series at Rutgers (5/14-16)… went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in middle game of series (5/15)… went 3-for-4 with a double and season-high four RBIs in game two against Minnesota (5/9)… it was his fourth career four-RBI game… posted a .333 (5-for-15) average with two doubles and five RBIs at Michigan (5/1-3)… tied a career-high, going 4-for-6 with a double and three RBIs in series opener… hit .333 (3-for-9) with three runs scored against Nebraska (4/25-26)… went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs in the series finale (4/26)… had a pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the 11th to tie game vs. Northern Illinois (4/22)… hit .364 (4-of-11) in three-game series at Kansas (3/20-22)… had a pair of two-hit games, including a 2-for-5, one RBI performance in the finale, where he was robbed of a home run… had his second three-hit game of the season, finishing 3-for-5 in series opener at Houston Baptist (3/14)… posted a pair of multi-hit games against Cincinnati, hitting .500 (5-for-10) with three runs and two RBIs in the series… went 3-for-4 with a double and home run in the opener (2/27) before going 2-for-4 with two runs (2/28) in game two… preseason second-team All-Big Ten selection by College Sports Madness.
2014 Honors — Third-team All-Big Ten. 2014 — Appeared in 51 games with 48 starts, 46 as the designated hitter… ranked third on the team with a .330 (58-of-176) batting average with 40 RBIs and 15 runs scored… paced the team with 13 doubles and a .455 slugging percentage… ranked seventh in the Big Ten in on-base percentage (.413) and ninth in batting average (.330) and RBIs (40)… had 17 multi-hit (12 two-hit, five three-hit) games and 10 multi-RBI games… hitting .338 (23-of-68) with runners in scoring position and .373 against left-handers… had an eight-game hitting streak from Feb. 22-March 9 and a 19-game reached base streak from Feb. 22-March 30… had a pair of two-hit games at the Big Ten Tournament, finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI against Indiana (5/21) and 2-for-4 against Michigan (5/23)… hit .364 (4-of-11) with two doubles, five RBIs and two runs scored against Purdue (5-15/17)… went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs in the series finale… went 3-for-4 with one run and four RBIs against Upper Iowa (5/7) — his third four-RBI game… connected on his third home run — a two-run shot to left field… went 2-for-5 with four RBIs and a run scored in the series finale against Minnesota (4/20)… connected on a no-doubt three-run homer to give Iowa the lead and had an RBI double in the eighth… went 3-for-5 against Western Illinois (4/15)… hit .571 (4-of-7) with five RBIs, two doubles and two walks in two games against Kansas (4/8-9)… went 2-for-3 with a career-high four RBIs, including a bases clearing double, and 2-for-4 in game two… named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on March 24 after hitting .727 (8-of-11) in three-game series against Nebraska… had three multi-hit games, including a three-hit, three RBI game in the finale… went 2-for-3 with a double and his first career home run against Otterbein (3/17)… also had scored twice and had two RBIs… hit .385 in three games against Kansas State (5-of-13) with two RBIs and five total bases (3/7-3/9)… batted .429 in the Stetson Invitational (3-of-7) with three total bases (2/28-3/2)… finished 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs in Iowa’s 16-6 victory over Ball State (2/22)… batted .500 (2-of-4) with three RBIs in the opening series at Austin Peay… went 2-for-2 with two doubles, three RBIs and two walks in his first career action (2/15).
At Iowa Central Community College (2012 & 2013) — Second Team NJCAA Region XI selection as a freshman… honorable mention all-region… hit .358 with 10 doubles, three home runs and 38 RBIs as a freshman and .291 with 10 doubles, three home runs and 24 RBIs as a sophomore… earned NJCAA Region XI Academic All-Region honors.
High School — Earned Illinois Coaches Association All-State, Chicago Tribune All-State, Chicago Sun Times All-State, Southtown All-Area, Tinley Junction All-Area, and all-conference honors as a senior after hitting .471 with nine home runs and 46 RBIs… also was an all-conference honoree as a junior after batting .421 with eight home runs and 38 RBIs… played junior and senior seasons at Providence Catholic High School… earned all-conference honors as a freshman and an honorable mention all-conference nod as a sophomore while playing at St. Rita High School… led team to Chicago Catholic Blue titles from 2009-11 and to state runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2011… played AAU ball for Illinois Sparks for six years… was a 2009 Perfect Game national champion for a team that was ranked No. 14 nationally… also played football where he was team offensive MVP as a senior and a two-time all-conference selection… high school coach was Mark Smith.
Personal — Born Dec. 3, 1992… son of Robert and Debra Potempa… has two older siblings, Sean and Nora… majoring in sociology.