#31 Sam Petersen

2023

• First-Team All-Big Ten.
• Academic All-Big Ten.
• Big Ten All-Tournament selection.
• Appeared in 51 games, starting in 49.
• Hit .319 with 53 hits in 166 at-bats.
• Led the team in stolen bases (20) and HBP (18).
• Finished second on the team with 11 home runs.
• Went 2-5 with a double and two RBIs in the win over #1 LSU on February 25th.
• Went 4-4 with an RBI and run scored against Michigan State on May 12th.
• Collected two hits, one home run, and 3 RBIs in each win over Michigan and Indiana at the Big Ten Tournament.
• Hit a career high two home runs in the win over Ohio State on May 5th.
• Hit .500 (6-12) with eight RBIs and five runs scored in the three game series against the Buckeyes May 5-7.
• Scored a career high four runs against Western Michigan on March 25th.
• Hit a grand slam against Upper Iowa on April 5th.
• Matched a career high in RBIs with five against St. Thomas.
• Three 4-RBI games (South Dakota State, Upper Iowa and Ohio State).

2022 Honors

•  Named to the Dean’s List during the fall semester
• Made 38 starts — 33 in left field and five in center
• Hit .264 (39-of-148) with six home runs, seven doubles, 33 RBIs and 31 runs scored
• Had 10 multi-hit games (seven two-hit, 3 three-hit)
• Hit .308 (4-of-13) with two homers, six RBIS and five runs scored against Indiana (5/19-21)
• Went 3-for-5 with a home run, a career-high five RBIs and three runs scored in game one (5/19)
• Also homered in game two for his sixth home run (5/20)
• Finished with a .429 average (3-of-7) with three RBIs and three runs scored at Michigan State (5/13-15)
• Had a three-run double in game two and went 2-for-5 with a double in series finale
• Hit a solo home run — his fourth of the season — in game two at Nebraska (5/1)
• Tied a career high in hits, finishing 3-for-5 with three RBIs in game two win at No. 8 Rutgers (4/23)
• Went 2-for-5 with a double and RBI against Bradley (4/19)
• Finished 2-for-4 with a double, two walks, three runs and two RBIs in the road win at Milwaukee (4/12)
• Went 2-for-5 at Bradley (4/6)
• Hit .462 (6-of-13) with a double, home run and six runs scored at Michigan (4/2-3)
• Went 3-for-5 with three runs scored in game one and 2-for-5 with a solo home run and three runs scored in series finale
• Hit .333 (3-of-9) with six RBIs in series win over Central Michigan (3/25-27)
• Went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer in the series opener (3/25) and finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs in finale (3/27)
• Had the go-ahead two-run single in the eighth inning
• Tallied his first career multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a run scored against Washington State (3/6) in the Frisco Classic
• Tallied his first career hit — a two-run home run — in his first career game against Air Force (2/18)

High School

• Ranked as the 186th-player nationally by Prep Baseball Report and as the No. 457-ranked player nationally by Perfect Game
• Rated as the fourth-best player in the state of Iowa by Perfect Game and the fifth-best player by Prep Baseball Report
• 2019 Prep Baseball Report Futures Game Most Valuable Player
• Two-time first-team all-state and four-time all-conference and all-district selection
• Des Moines Register all-Iowa Class 3A selection as a senior
• Led 3A in home runs and steals in 2020
• Slashed .471/.619/1.035 as a senior with 11 home runs, 27 RBIs, 56 runs and 37 steals
• Slashed .420/.547/.820 as a junior with five home runs, five doubles, 15 RBIs, 27 runs, and 29 steals
• Slashed .398/.512/.704 as a sophomore with two home runs, 31 RBIs, 43 runs and 29 steals and .406/.513/.625 with three homers, 20 RBIs, 19 runs and eight steals as a freshman
• Holds school records for career home runs (21), steals (103), runs (145), RBIs (103) and batting average (.432)
• Holds single-season records for homers (11) and steals (37)
• Led team to two conference titles as sophomore and junior
• Played for Iowa Sticks travel team
• Three-time all-district selection in football as a running back and free safety
• Played guard in basketball, helping team to a state runner-up finish as a senior and a fourth-place finish as a junior
• Lettered in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field
• IHSAA Academic Achievement Award recipient
• Academic all-conference selection all four years
• High school coach was Mike Furlong

Personal

• Born Jan. 20, 2003, in Ankeny, Iowa
• Son of Matt and Holly Petersen
• Father played collegiate baseball at Wartburg College
• Has an older sibling, Alex, who played collegiate tennis at Wartburg College
• Cousin, Sydney, ran track and Iowa
• Majoring in pre-business