NCAA.com highlights Iowa Hawkeyes as top-5 tournament pitching rotation
The Iowa Hawkeyes (42-14, 15-8 Big Ten) get started in the Terre Haute Regional tomorrow night versus North Carolina (35-22, 14-14 ACC) at 6 p.m. CT on ACC Network and ESPN+.
On paper, this looks like a wide-open Regional. 247Sports’ Brad Crawford is actually picking the third-seeded Tar Heels to emerge from Terre Haute in lieu of either top-seeded Indiana State or No. 2 seed Iowa.
Regardless of who you like to win this Regional, chances are you’re familiar with the Hawkeye pitching staff if you’ve done any digging on the Terre Haute Regional at all.
Iowa led the Big Ten with a team ERA of 4.04 and its 590 strikeouts. The Hawkeyes’ .207 batting average against was also tops in the conference. Iowa also limited opponents to just 35 home runs and the fewest extra base hits.
It has the attention of NCAA.com’s Alberto Camargo who listed the Hawkeyes as one of the top-five pitching rotations in the NCAA baseball tournament.
With the reliable combination of Marcus Morgan and Brody Brecht at the top of the rotation, the Hawkeyes had the foundation of a pitching staff that was best in the Big Ten. Opposing hitters are well under .200 against both Morgan and Brecht (whose .148 average is DI-best), and aren’t hitting much better against third starter Ty Langenberg. The three have combined for over 200 innings pitched this season, always available and consistent to boot.
Walks can be a bit of an issue for the Hawkeyes’ workhorses, but Morgan and Brecht are more than able to get themselves out of jams with strikeout rates over 25% for each. Even when the ball is put in play, opponent BABIPs hovering around .250 means contact is below average and primed for the Iowa defense to make plays. – Camargo, NCAA.com.
Marcus Morgan gets the nod to start the NCAA Tournament against the Tar Heels. The 6-foot-2, 200 pound right-hander brings a 3.88 ERA in 60 1/3 innings of work to the table. He has struck out 67 this season.
Then, Iowa figures to turn to flamethrower Brody Brecht. The 6-foot-4, 205 pound righty from Ankeny, Iowa, routinely tops triple-figures on the radar gun. Brecht carries a 3.86 ERA in 70 innings pitched with 101 strikeouts. When Brecht cuts out the free passes, he can be flat-out dominant.
Lastly, Ty Langenberg owns a 4.06 ERA in 71 innings of work with 80 strikeouts. The 6-foot-2, 190 pound right-hander rounds out a terrific rotation that has Iowa confident about its ability to potentially advance into the Super Regional round.
Interestingly enough, one of Iowa’s opponents in the Terre Haute Regional, Indiana State, was on NCAA.com’s top-five pitching rotations as well.
There’s a regional in Terre Haute for several reasons, but none may have been more impactful than the reliable starters for the Sycamores. Matt Jachec has been a consistent Friday starter and inning-eater. He has three complete games in 14 starts, a strikeout-to-walk ratio over 6.0 and a 1.12 WHIP. Behind him is another workhorse in Connor Fenlong, who has made the transition from the bullpen this season to throw a team-high 100 innings, including four complete games and an even lower WHIP.
The feel-good story comes in the Sycamores’ other regular starter, Lane Miller. Aside from his .211 opponent batting average and .221 BABIP, Indiana State has won every game Miller has started in 2023 — a season that he began by preparing not for a postseason run, but for the beginning of his time with the Marines. – Camargo, NCAA.com.
Indiana State’s trio of starters in Matt Jachec, Connor Fenlong and Lane Miller have combined for more than 250 innings pitched and each boast ERAs of 3.90 or below.
The other NCAA baseball tournament teams featured as top-five pitching staffs were No. 1 overall seed Wake Forest, No. 5 overall seed LSU, and Tennessee.
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