Iowa Baseball: Jax Baseball Classic Preview

The Iowa Baseball team is headed to Florida for the second weekend of the season to compete in the inuagural Jax Baseball Classic. The Hawkeyes got off to a 2-1 start last weekend at the Swig & Swine Classic, including wins over Seton Hall and Ball State. This weekend, the competition takes a significant jump and it will be a good measuring stick to see just how good this Iowa team is. The round-robin tournament is being played at 121 Financial Park, the home field for Miami Marlins Triple-A affiliate Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. With that, let’s dive into the weekend preview, starting with a look at the projected pitching matchups.

Friday vs Auburn – Jr RHP Brody Brecht vs Jr RHP Chase Allsup

The preseason Big Ten Pitcher of the Year had a solid, but not perfect start in the season-opener against Seton Hall. Brody allowed one run on one hit over 4.1 innings, including 11 strikeouts to six walks. He threw just 53 of his 100 pitches for strikes, but he was around the zone for the most part. Rick Heller feels that Brody will continue to look better and better as the season goes on, but they will need him to be good on Friday against the Tigers.

Auburn will send junior right-hander Chase Allsup to the mound. Last season, Allsup appeared in 20 games, with eight starts, but after putting up a 3.38 ERA as a freshman, he dropped to a 5.47 ERA over 49.1 innings. Opponents batted .329 on balls in play and averaged 1.08 hits per inning. According to D1Baseball, Allsup can run his fastball up to 98, but spent the offseason working in the mid 90’s in attempt to gain more control. In the opener against EKU, Chase allowed five runs, three earned on five hits over 4.2 innings. He struck out five and walked zero.

Saturday vs #14 Virginia – Jr RHP Marcus Morgan vs Soph RHP Jack O’Connor

Marcus Morgan looked like he was in midseason form in the win over Ball State on Saturday. He allowed just two hits over 5.2 scoreless innings, including nine strikeouts to two walks. Morgan threw 58 of his 87 (66.7%) pitches for strikes and looked in control from the first pitch. The coaching staff will be looking for the same control and confidence on Saturday.

The Cavaliers will send sophomore Jack O’Connor to the mound on Saturday after he got the season-opening start against Hofstra last weekend. As a freshman last year, O’Connor appeared in 19 games with 11 starts. He posted a 3.52 ERA, including 64 strikeouts to 25 walks over 61.1 innings. Opponents averaged 0.995 hits per inning, but he did not compound that with walks, as he had a low 9.0% walk rate. He uses a four-pitch mix, including low 90’s fastball, slider, curveball and a changeup. In his first start against Hoftstra, O’Connor allowed four runs, three earned on eight hits over 4.0 innings. He threw 45 of his 69 (65.2%) pitches for strikes.

Sunday vs Wichita State – Soph LHP Cade Obermueller vs Soph RHP Daniel Zang

The question coming into the season was, how improved will Cade Obermueller look? His first start of the season against Lehigh was an encouraging one. He allowed one hit over 4.0 scoreless innings, including seven strikeouts to two walks and a hit by pitch. Cade dealt with some adversity in his last two innings, but did not allow it turn into runs.

The Shockers will send junior right-hander Daniel Zang to the mound for the weekend finale on Sunday. A transfer from Dakota County Tech, Zang posted a 4.43 ERA over 11 appearances (9 starts) for the Blue Knights last season. He racked up 63 strikeouts to 30 walks over 40.2 innings. In his first start against Little Rock, Zang allowed just three hits over 6.0 scoreless innings, including eight strikeouts to two walks. His fastball is in the mid 90’s, up to 96 and from a lower slot, so it will be an interesting look for the Iowa hitters to face.

Auburn Tigers (4-0) (34-23 in 2023)

First Ever Meeting: Iowa is 27-49-1 all-time against the SEC (40 meetings vs Missouri)

Last season, Auburn finished with a 34-23 overall record, including a 17-13 mark in SEC play. They hosted a regional in the NCAA Tournament, but shockingly lost to four seed Penn in the opener and got eliminated on day two by Southern Miss. The Tigers lost quite a bit from their lineup, which is why they were not ranked in most preseason polls, however, they are expected to be regional team, once again. They swept Eastern Kentucky this past weekend and defeated UAB in their midweek opener on Tuesday.

Four Tigers to Watch

1. C Ike Irish

As a freshman last season, Ike Irish started all 58 games and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. He led the Tigers with a .361 batting average, including a team-high 24 doubles, six home runs and 50 RBI’s. Irish batted an impressive .415 on balls in play and racked up 28 multi-hit games. His 86 hits and 24 doubles ranked in the top ten amongst all SEC players. So far this season, through four games, Irish has six hits, two home runs and seven RBI’s. After losing four of their top five batters, in terms of total hits, Ike Irish is easily the premier hitter in the Auburn lineup.

2. 1B Cooper McMurray

The Tigers had three players eclipse ten home runs last season and Cooper McMurray is the only one that returned for this year. After spending his freshman year at Kansas, McMurray transferred to Auburn and started 41 games. He batted .272, with a team-high .460 on-base percentage, including six doubles, 14 home runs and 49 RBI’s. He struck out 51 times for a 27.3% strikeout rate, but managed 45 walks for a 24.1% walk rate that was near the top in the country. McMurray is just 1/13 to start the year, but has four walks and two hit by pitches already.

3. SS Cooper Weiss

A grad transfer from Miami Ohio, Cooper Weiss was the MAC Defensive Player of the Year last season for the RedHawks. He started 53 games and at the plate, he batted .305 with a .426 on-base percentage, including 15 doubles, 12 home runs and 43 RBI’s. After starting his career at Coastal Carolina and spending a year at Miami OH, Weiss has plenty of college experience. Through four games, Cooper has five hits, two doubles and six stolen bases. He also has four walks and one hit by pitch to just one strikeout over 19 plate appearances.

4. CF Chris Stanfield

As a freshman last season, Chris Stanfield appeared in 50 games with 40 starts. He batted .280 with a .364 on-base percentage, including eight doubles, two triples and three home runs. Stanfield led the team with nine stolen bases and had 12 multi-hit games. Through four games this season, he has five hits, six runs scored, two doubles and a home run. He has drawn five walks to two strikeouts over 18 plate appearances.

#14 Virginia Cavaliers (4-0) (50-15 in 2023)

First Ever Meeting: Iowa is 40-52-1 all-time against the ACC (70 meetings vs Notre Dame)

Last season, Virginia finished with a 50-15 overall record, including a 19-11 mark in ACC play. The Cavaliers hosted and won the Charlottesville Regional, before taking down Duke in three games to advance to the College World Series. They went 0-2 there, but it was their sixth CWS trip in school history. This season, Virginia is off to a 4-0 start, including a sweep of Hofstra and a midweek win over Old Dominion on Wednesday. Guys like Jake Gelof and Kyle Teel are gone, but UVA is still one of the top teams in the ACC and the entire country.

Five Cavaliers to Watch

1. SS Griff O’Ferrall

A preseason Second-Team All-American pick by D1Baseball, Griff O’Ferrall (and his teammate at #2) could be the top hitters the Hawkeyes face all weekend. O’Ferrall batted .394 last season, including 20 doubles, two triples and 42 RBI’s. He doesn’t walk a lot, just 9.3% last season, but his 12.1% strikeout rate was low as well. Griff just hits the ball and that is evidenced by the fact that he was third in the country with 108 hits. He recorded multiple hits in 32 games and had more 3+ hit games than hitless games. Through four games, O’Ferrall has eight hits, two home runs and 7 RBI’s. He’s also a stolen base threat, with 33 over the last two seasons.

2. 1B Ethan Anderson

Another preseason Second Team All-American by D1Baseball, Ethan Anderson batted .375 and was second on the team with a .469 on-base percentage. He racked up a team-leading 26 doubles, 15 home runs and 66 RBI’s. A disciplined hitter, Anderson had 47 BB/HBP to 32 strikeouts and just a 10.4% strikeout rate. He had 30 multi-hit games and was 15th in the country with 97 hits. Through four games this year, has five hits and three walks. Anderson had a pair of multi-hit games in the series against Hofstra.

3. DH Henry Ford

A hometown true freshman out of Charlottesville, Henry Ford was the only freshman to make the D1Baseball Top 50 first baseman list. Even though it has been just four games, Ford has been turning heads. He has eight hits, eight runs scored, two home runs and five RBI’s., including three multi-hit games.

4. LF Anthony Stephan

Anthony Stephan started 46 games at DH and appeared in 55 games last season for the Cavs. He batted .329, with a .449 on-base percentage, including 13 doubles, five home runs and 33 RBI’s. He racked up 37 BB/HBP to 25 strikeouts and had a solid 12.4% strikeout rate. Stephan put together 14 multi-hit games and was named to the All-Charlottesville Regional Team after going 5/12 with three home runs. So far through four games, Stephan had five hits and two doubles.

5. OF Harrison Didawick

As a true freshman last season, Harrison Didawick made 49 starts, batting .252 with a .366 on-base percentage, including six doubles, five triples and four home runs. He struck out 39 times for a 19.4% strikeout rate, but has gotten off to a red hot start this year. Through four games, Didawick has seven hits, two doubles, three home runs and seven RBI’s. He has multiple hits in each of the last three games.

Wichita State Shockers (2-1) (30-25 in 2023)

14th Meeting: Wichita State leads the series 13-0 (Last meeting 2022)

Last season, Wichita State finished with a 30-25 record, including a 13-10 mark in AAC play. They went 0-2 in the AAC Tournament to wrap up their season. After making the NCAA Tournament ten times between 2000-2013, but the Shockers have not been to a regional since the 2013 season. Wichita State is in their first year under new head coach Brian Green, who comes over from Washington State. The Shockers took two out of three from OVC favorite Little Rock to open the season.

Four Shockers to Watch

1. C Mauricio Millan

The Shockers are filled with new players, in fact, just one of eight players that started 40 plus games last season returns. That one player is catcher Mauricio Millan. Millan started 53 games behind the plate and batted .315, including 15 doubles and 26 RBI’s. He didn’t walk a lot, just 7.9% of the time, but he only struck out 9.2% of the time. Through three games this season, Millan has five hits, four runs scored and four walks/hbp to just one strikeout over 15 plate appearances.

2. 1B Ryan Callahan

A transfer from Johnson County CC, Callahan was named a First Team All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference selection. He batted .425, with a .537 on-base percentage, including 18 doubles, four triples, two home runs and 56 RBI’s. He led the team with 49 BB/HBP and put together 23 multi-hit games. Through three games, Callahan has seven hits, six runs scored, four walks and just two strikeouts over 17 plate appearances.

3. 3B Camden Johnson

A true freshman out of Boerne, Texas, Camden Johnson had a really solid opening weekend in the black and gold. In three games against Little Rock, Johnson racked up eight hits and seven RBI’s, while he did not strikeout over 17 plate appearances.

4. RF Seth Stroh

A veteran for the Shockers, Seth Stroh had appeared in 118 career games coming into the season. He made 32 starts last season, batting just .234 with a .359 on-base percentage, including six doubles and four home runs. Stroh does have a career 32.2% strikeout rate, which is alarmingly high. In the season-opener against Little Rock, Seth had three hits, a triple, a home run and 7 RBI’s.

Weekend Outlook

Set the over/under at 1.5 wins for the weekend in Jacksonville. This is a huge weekend for the Hawkeyes to earn some resume building wins, as well as prove themselves as top 20 team in the country for this season. Rick Heller said that this weekend will have a regional feel to it and it surely has that feel from a competition standpoint. Virginia is super regional level team, with CWS aspirations, while Auburn is a projected regional team. As for Wichita State, they are transitioning with a new head coach and a bunch of new players, but the Hawkeyes are 0 for 13 all-time against the Shockers. This is the type of tournament you want to play in to see where you stand and we will learn a lot about the Hawkeyes this weekend. Not matter what way you slice it, two wins would be significant.

Up Next, the Hawkeyes will face the Auburn Tigers on Friday at 121 Financial Park in Jacksonville. First pitch is set for 5:00pm CT. On Saturday, Iowa will face the 14th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers, with a 3:00pm CT first pitch. On Sunday, the Hawkeyes will wrap up the weekend against Wichita State, with an 11:00am CT first pitch. All three games will be streamed on the D1Baseball website.