Iowa Baseball lands TCU RHP transfer Justin Hackett

Just because the transfer portal window for entries has closed, does not mean that everyone has found a home. The Iowa Baseball coaching staff continues to add talent from the portal and once again, it is a pitcher with ties to the state of Iowa. TCU RHP Justin Hackett out of Winterset, Iowa announced his commitment to the Hawkeyes after spending his true freshman season with the Horned Frogs.

“I was blessed to have a handful of offers upon entering the portal from all over the country,” said Hackett. “I really wanted to get back closer to home with my one transfer opportunity. This allowed me to narrow down my top choices to Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska.”

“I knew Iowa was the place for me the minute I stepped on campus. I was able to make the quick trip over and talk with the staff face-to-face and we really hit it off.”

Coming Home🐤🏠 #GoHawks pic.twitter.com/LGnVgIREAr

— Justin Hackett (@JustinHackett18) July 17, 2023

Out of Winterset High School just 40 minutes southwest of Des Moines, Hackett was rated as the #3 overall prospect in the state of Iowa by Perfect Game, as well as the #71 overall RHP recruit in the country for the class of 2022. As a senior for the Huskies, Hackett set the school record and led the state in strikeouts with 125 in 62.0 innings. His 1.02 ERA was fifth-lowest in school history and he helped Winterset make it to back-to-back state tournaments. As a junior and senior, Justin posted a 2.90 ERA over 31.0 innings in the postseason, including 55 strikeouts to 20 walks and just 0.77 hits per inning.

“Being able to lead Winterset to back-to-back state appearances is somthing that I will cherish forever. I take extreme pride in representing my hometown and showcasing what being homegrown is all about.”

“(What) I realized from my HS state experiences is that I take incredible pride in representing my roots and that is one of the main reasons I ultimately chose to come back home to Iowa. Duane Banks Field is an incredible environment to pitch in, and I was lucky enough to experience that feeling early on in high school.”

This past season as a true freshman at TCU, Hackett appeared in six games with an 11.37 ERA. He struck out nine and walked just one over 6.1 innings, but allowed 12 hits. He tossed scoreless innings against UT Arlington and Kansas. The good news in his small sample size is that walks were not an issue, as just 1/30 (3.3%) of his batters face reached base via a walk.

“My freshman year at TCU was an incredible learning experience. Being a part of a team that made it to Omaha was special, as well as learning what it takes from a physical and mental standpoint to achieve excellence in the college baseball scene,” said Hackett. “I had the opportunity to throw in a few incredible environments, as well as familiarize myself with the learning curve of throwing to college hitters.”

Hackett brings with him a four-pitch mix consisting of a 4-seam fastball, changeup, curveball and slider. His fastball runs in the low 90s and gets up to 94 mph. The changeup and slider are both in the low-mid 80s, while the curveball drops into the mid-upper 70s. Justin said he believes his curveball is his best pitch.

“It has a big 12-6 downward shape and is very effective with the ride fastball profile I have…I am not playing summer ball. I am focusing on refining my offspeed pitches and cleaning up some mechanical things in my delivery to enhance my performance on the mound.”

Coincidentally, Iowa pitching coach Sean McGrath scouted Hackett a bit with the Mariners when there was a chance that he could go to the draft right out of high school. That prior knowledge of him, his delivery and what made him an elite high school arm could give them a jumpstart on offseason work to help him reach his full potential.

As for where Hackett fits into the Iowa pitching staff, it is a group that is quickly starting to look like one that could really do some damage next season. Brody Brecht, Marcus Morgan, Jack Whitlock and Aaron Savary are amongst the top returning pitchers. while the coaching staff went and added Brant Hogue (Oklahoma State), Reece Beuter (DBU), Anthony Watts (Creighton) and Sam Hart (Indian Hills) from the transfer portal. Justin understands that there will be a lot of competition for innings, but he also has the talent to be a key piece for the Hawkeyes next season.

“There is a really special pitching staff returning to Iowa this year and it is going to be awesome to be a part of and make a positive impact,” said Hackett. “They believe I will be able to step in and compete for some important innings over the course of the year. As we know in life and in baseball, everything is earned, and I am ready to come in and compete alongside this talented staff to fill whatever role is necessary for the team to have the most success.”

“I’m fired up to compete my tail off for the Hawkeyes and bring something special back to Iowa City…There are special things brewing in the air in Iowa City, and it was something I really wanted to be a part of.”