Biggest questions for Iowa Baseball heading into the 2025 season

Although the Midwest is still traversing through the winter months, the college baseball season is right around the corner. Whether you are ready or not, the Iowa Baseball season is just 30 days away, with the opening month including games against South Florida, Notre Dame, Stetson, UMBC and Washington State. Rick Heller and the Hawkeyes are coming off of a season that saw them fall well short of preseason expectations, finishing with a 31-23 record, including an 0-2 run at the Big Ten Tournament. This year’s roster returns four starters, but has 22 new players, including 11 transfers.

HawkeyeReport takes a look at the top questions surrounding the Hawkeyes heading into the season.

1. How does the battle for a spot in the weekend rotation shake out?

There was a point in the fall where it seemed like this was pretty much decided. Junior left-hander Cade Obermueller (3.92 ERA) is going to be the Friday ace, but the coaching staff still has not yet reached a final verdict on the rest of the weekend rotation. If they decide to deviate from what many figured to an Obermueller, Watts, Savary rotation, it could be a calculated choice, but it would also be because one of the other options really impressed.

It would take some effort to unseat either junior Anthony Watts (3.18 ERA) or Aaron Savary (4.19 ERA). That being said, Rick Heller has told me that they don’t mind the idea of having one of those two as a versatile option out of the bullpen, with Watts being the most likely of the two to move to that role.

So, who’s pushing to earn a spot in the rotation for the opening weekend at South Florida? Houston transfer lefty Bryson Walker followed new pitching coach Sean Kenny to Iowa City and was a star this summer in the Texas Collegiate League, winning Pitcher of the Year. He dealt with some elbow stuff in the fall, but was back in a good place health wise as of December.

The other two names to know are both freshmen. Rick Heller loves what he has with right-handers Tyler Guerin and Jaron Bleeker. They may not earn a spot in the weekend rotation, but there’s a decent chance we see one or both of them contributing very early in the season.

2. Who emerges as an offensive leader for the Hawkeyes?

Injuries to Sam Petersen and Kyle Huckstorf had lasting impacts on the Hawkeyes offense last season and made the numbers look worse than they would have been. However, this season, both of them are gone, as are Raider Tello and Davis Cop. Iowa is set to return just 44.8% of at-bats, 41.5% of hits, 48.1% of home runs and 41.5% of RBI’s. It’s time for a new offensive leader to emerge.

Outfielder Andy Nelson (.325, 55 H, 9 HR, 44 RBI) was able to stay healthy enough to start 43 games last season and showed what he was capable of at the plate, leading the team in home runs. Catcher/DH Reese Moore (.289, 49 H, 15 2B, 5 HR) was a major surprise and it feels like both he and Andy Nelson could be candidates to put up double-digit home runs. Infielder Gable Mitchell (.293, 58 H) was another guy that really made strides at the plate and should be an offensive staple.

As for the transfers, the group doesn’t have a Brennen Dorighi that is a plug and play, automatic All-Big Ten guy. There are a bunch of names to watch, but Northern Kentucky transfer third baseman Mitch Wood rejoins Iowa after starting his career in Iowa City. He was an All-Horizon League selection for a Norse team that made the NCAA Tournament.

3. Can new pitching coach Sean Kenny turn the bullpen into a formidable group?

This question and its answer could have the largest impact on the Hawkeyes season. The bullpen, and the pitching staff in general was a big reason why preseason expectations were not met last season. Pitching was supposed to be a strength, but instead Iowa ranked 123rd in ERA (5.79) and 267th in walks per 9 (6.26). The good news is that the Hawkeyes return 72.02% of their appearances out of the bullpen and that group had the whole offseason to work with new pitching coach Sean Kenny.

Guys like Ben DeTaeye, Jack Whitlock, Reece Beuter and Sam Hart, amongst others will be relied on. Houston transfer right-hander Daniel Wright and Georgia transfer right-hander Will Pearson also joined the group. It feels like a group that is capable of performing, but offseason improvements and finding the right roles for everyone will be key.

4. How do the puzzle pieces fit together on offense? Is it enough for Iowa to make some noise in the new look Big Ten?

It feels like it’s been quite a while since the Hawkeyes had this many questions regarding what the opening day starting lineup could look like. There are a couple of players, like Andy Nelson, Gable Mitchell and Reese Moore, that figure to be mainstays in the lineup, but there are plenty of positions battles that still need to be decided. Rick Heller has told me that, best case scenario, he’d like to settle on having 6-7 regulars in the starting lineup, with the other 2-3 spots on a rotation based on the type of lineup they want to use for whatever opponent/pitcher they are facing that day.

It will be really interesting to see who steps up and seizes some of those spots and how all of the pieces fit together. This roster feels like it has the makings of a typical gritty Rick Heller team, and they will get the opportunity to surprise some people, as they will very likely be under-the-radar in preseason Big Ten discussions.