THE MONDAY HIVE: Schulte Gets Back To His Roots, On And Off The Field

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

A day after going 0-for-5 in a 5-4 loss at Normal, Burlington Bees shortstop Kooper Schulte was mowing the grass behind the Community Field outfield fence.

A few hours later, after going through his normal pre-game routine, Schulte was in uniform and back at his usual position.

It’s been a summer of long days for Schulte, who along with being one of the top hitters in the Prospect League is working as an intern with the Bees, getting a full view of baseball from the playing side and the business side.

“Some days are harder than others, like when I work here in the morning and then have to play a game that night,” said Schulte, who will be a senior on Iowa’s baseball team this fall. “But honestly, it’s better for me to get up in the morning and get going than it would be for me to sleep in and be lazy.”

It hasn’t affected his play. Schulte, who opened the season getting five hits and hitting for the cycle in the 12-5 win over Quincy on May 27, is seventh in the league in hitting at .345. He has four home runs and 20 runs batted in and is tied for fifth in the league with 11 doubles, one of the reasons why he was selected to the league’s All-Star Game.

“I’m really happy,” said Schulte, who hit .268 with the Hawkeyes this season, going 0-for-12 in his final seven games. “Coming here from Iowa, I thought I needed a new start. I’m just doing things a little bit different this summer, and it’s worked out for me. Hopefully I just keep going the rest of the summer.”

It is Schulte’s second season with the Bees — he hit .373 in 2023 before a hand injury ended his season — but he’s learning about the other side of the game through the internship is doing for Iowa, where he is majoring in sport and recreation management.

“Mainly I work with the grounds crew,” Schulte said. “I get here around 10 a.m., work on the field, mow the field, work on the base paths, set up for (batting practice), all the fun stuff.

“I’ve learned quite a bit, actually. Like different ways to take care of the field. (Assistant general manager/director of stadium operations) Blaise (Rosson) has been teaching me a lot — when I ask questions, he always has answers to it. I’ve been working a little bit with operations too, like social media stuff, restocking the concession stands, and stuff like that.”

“Every single day, he’s here in the morning doing his internship stuff, and then he’s going in the (batting) cages to get in work, then he goes and gets lunch and comes back and does more work,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “He’s one of the hardest workers — he might be the hardest worker I’ve ever been around or coached. And he’s a phenomenal player as well.”

If anything, Schulte said, the summer has helped him get back to being the player he knows he can be.

“It’s just been better mentally, more than anything,” said Schulte, who is living at home in nearby New London. “I’m playing with some guys I’ve played with in the past, whether it’s been with the Bees or at Southeastern (Community College). Maybe just being back at home was important, but it’s also been more about being competitive and getting back to who I am. I needed to get back to my roots, know what makes me good and keep doing that.”

**Bees manager Owen Oreskovich (left) congratulates Kooper Schulte after his triple in the season opener against Quincy. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)**

Schulte said his first year with the Hawkeyes taught him a lot.

“That first year, I learned the competition at the Division I level is pretty good,” he said. “I learned that I’ve got to stay on me, not listen to the outside noise or anything like that. Know what works for me, and stick to it. Trust the process.”

Schulte also has been working with his father, Justin, who is Southeastern’s head baseball coach.

“His dad raised him right,” Oreskovich said. “His dad is an incredible coach, and did an incredible job with him.”

Oreskovich said Schulte is one of the leaders in the clubhouse.

“He always speaks up, he’s always giving the pre-game speech,” he said. “He gets on guys when he has to, and he leads by example as well.”

“It’s something I wanted to do,” Schulte said. “I’m going to be a senior next season. So it’s my goal to be one of the leaders.

“I just want to be the person that I am this summer, taking it into fall (with the Hawkeyes) and then into the spring. Be competitive, be the guy that pushes my teammate, things like that.”

Top photo: Burlington Bees shortstop Kooper Schulte is batting .345 this season while also working for the team as a summer intern. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 14, CORNBELTERS 10: The Perfect Formula To Start The Second Half

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The answer to five was six.

The answer to five was one over the next four.

It sounds like a couple of crazy math equations, but it was how the Burlington Bees defeated the Normal CornBelters 14-10 in Saturday’s Prospect League second-half opener at Community Field.

The Bees fell behind 5-0 after the top of the first inning, then came back with six runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, starting a night of scoreboard action that ended when reliever Zach Leuschen got Jackson Smith to ground out to end the game with runners on second and third.

“Going down five, before you even hit, it was kind of tough,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “But you know what? You could see it didn’t bother our guys. They’re going to go up there, take their (at-bats), and piece something together.”

“First inning, out on the field, the energy wasn’t there,” said shortstop Kooper Schulte, who had four hits and drove in three runs. “Once we got the six runs, we had great energy. We knew we could pull this thing out.”

Bees starting pitcher Danny Harris gave up four hits in that first inning, including a three-run home run to Jack Novak.

But Burlington bounced back right away, starting with Cole Yearsley’s single to lead off the inning.

“Cole got us going,” Schulte said. “And the whole lineup kept it going.”

Yearsley scored on Miles Risley’s single, then Mason Schwalbach drove home two runs with a single. Schulte followed with a home run to left-center field, and Caleb Seibers followed with the first of his two home runs, and suddenly the Bees had a 6-5 lead.

Normal tied the game in the top of the second inning on an unearned run, then Harris (2-2) held them scoreless over the next three innings.

“I was hoping after that first inning (Harris) would go out there and throw up zeros, and he pretty much did that, with one run over the next four innings,” Oreskovich said. “He showed he still had it, and I wanted to see that out of him.”

The Bees took the lead with a three-run third inning. Schwalbach’s double drove in Jace Figuereo. Seibers hit a two-run home run two batters later.

Burlington finished the game with 17 hits.

Openers seem to agree with Schulte — he hit for the cycle on Opening Day, going 5-for-5 in the 12-5 win over Quincy.

“It’s been a while since the other opening night,” Schulte said.

Schulte, who hit .268 at Iowa this season, had a 4-for-23 stretch at the plate for the Bees midway through June, but he’s batting .444 since then. He’s batting .337 overall and is currently on a five-game hitting streak.

“He was seeing the ball well tonight,” Oreskovich said. “He got a couple of infield singles on good hard-90s. He plays the game right, he plays the game hard. And that’s always good to see.”

Schwalbach, Schulte and Seibers, the 5-6-7 hitters in the Bees’ lineup, combined to go 9-for-15 with nine runs batted in.

“When you can have that kind of production from that part of the order, you’re going to have a good night,” Oreskovich said.

The Bees finished the first half in second place in the Northwest Division. The message for the second half, Schulte said, was easy.

“We just want to keep going,” he said. “Playoffs, playoffs, playoffs.”

Box score

Photo: Bees shortstop Kooper Schulte (9) is greeted at home plate by Mason Schwalbach (23) and Caleb Seibers after his two-run home run in the first inning. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

THE MONDAY HIVE: Mathews Hopes To Take Momentum Back To Iowa

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Baseball has been a big part of Merrick Mathews’ life.

His grandfather, Rick, played and coached at Indian Hills Community College, worked with the Colorado Rockies as the team’s bullpen coach and is now a scout for the team.

His father, Jonathan, had a similar path — played and coached at Indian Hills, and is now a roving hitting instructor for the San Diego Padres.

Merrick is on his own journey now. He played two seasons at Indian Hills before heading to Iowa, where he will be a senior this season.

He’s been one of the constants in the Burlington Bees’ lineup this summer in the Prospect League.

Mathews has played in 39 games this season, second-most on the team. He is batting .203 with two home runs, including a walk-off home run earlier this season, and 18 runs batted in.

“I don’t know what his numbers are, but I know he’s been a big part of the team,” Bees manager Owen Oreskovich said. “I think he’s been huge for us.”

Mathews, who hit .300 with just 10 at-bats for the Hawkeyes this spring, came to Burlington hoping for a chance to play.

“It’s gone good — I’ve really enjoyed it here,” he said. “I just wanted to come get some at-bats and have a good time, and fortunately I’ve been able to do both.”

Mathews, who has been in the lineup either as a first baseman or designated hitter, has impressed Oreskovich with his approach.

“He goes about everything like a professional,” Oreskovich said. “His eye in the (batter’s) box, he really works on that. And just the way he goes about his business — he’s a fun kid in the clubhouse, fun to be around. But when it matters, when it comes down to game time, he’s ready.”

Mathews’ approach has come from being around baseball all of his life.

“I’ve gained a lot of knowledge, learning about the game, the game within the game,” he said. “Just hearing from other hitters on the right approach at the plate, I’ve learned so much.”

Mathews played in 79 games in two seasons at Indian Hills — he hit .285 and drove in a team-high 39 runs in 2023 — but played in nine games with the Hawkeyes this season, with one start.

“I wasn’t too upset,” he said. “The biggest thing was I wanted to win baseball games, and whatever I could do to help the team I was going to do.”

Coming to Burlington was important, he said, to get as much game time as he could.

“I was seeing it pretty good this summer,” Mathews said. “I didn’t necessarily have a good season at the plate, but it was good to see pitches, just stay in a rhythm.”

The game time has also helped Mathews with his defense.

“I feel like I got a lot better at defense in the summer,” he said. “I thought I struggled a bit in the spring, but just getting all of the reps this summer really helped my game.”

Mathews’ family, including his father and grandfather, has been able to see him play this summer.

“My dad got to come to some Iowa games, and he’s been here,” Mathews said. “He doesn’t really tell me things to work on. He tells me to just keep doing what I’m doing, keep putting the work in, keep playing hard.”

The Bees’ season will end this week. Mathews said he plans on taking a week off before heading back to Iowa to prepare for the fall season.

“It’s helped a ton, being able to play at a place like this, and play with these dudes,” Mathews said. “It’s a great group of guys, a great coaching staff. It’s a lot of fun just being able to play every night with them. Hopefully I can take what I’ve learned and keep it rolling when I get back to Iowa.”

Photo: Bees first baseman Merrick Mathews has played in 39 games this season, second-most on the team. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

BEES 11, PISTOL SHRIMP 9: Walk-Off Win Starts A New Week

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Joe Evans got the Burlington Bees to a spot where they could win the game.

Merrick Mathews finished the victory.

Mathews’ two-out two-run home run in the 10th inning gave the Bees an 11-9 win over the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp in Sunday’s Prospect League game at Community Field.

The Bees (2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak, coming off a road trip in which they were outscored 19-4 in two losses to the O’Fallon Hoots. They took a wild ride in this one — they rallied from an early 5-1 deficit to take the lead, let that lead get away, tied the game in the eighth inning, squandered a bases-loaded opportunity in the ninth inning, then finally finished the win with three runs in the 10th.

“After that road trip, we needed that one pretty bad here,” Oreskovich said. “We got it done.”

The Bees trailed 9-8 in the 10th, but tied the game when Landon Akers’ ground out scored Scotty Savage, who opened the inning at second base under the league’s extra-inning rule.

Cooper Donlin followed with a double, and then advanced to third on a passed ball. But Illinois Valley reliever Anthony Solis (0-1) struck out Cedric Dunnwald for the second out.

Mathews, a junior infielder at Iowa this season, was 0-for-9 with the Bees, 0-for-3 on the day, when he came to the plate.

“I know no one is going to believe this, but I had a feeling he was going to come up with a big hit,” Oreskovich said. “It was just something I had in my head throughout the game. He was on some good pitches earlier in the game.”

Solis missed with a slider to Mathews to open the at-bat. Mathews then pounded a fastball over the left-field fence.

“I was watching the guys in front of me,” Mathews said. “I knew he wasn’t really hitting with his off-speed. He threw me a first-pitch slider that he missed, so I was pretty much dead-red heater after that. I got what I was looking for.”

Mathews was mobbed at home plate as he scored.

“It was pretty cool,” he said. “It was my first walk-off home run, so it was pretty cool.”

“That was huge for him,” Oreskovich said. “It was good to see him come up and get a big hit in a big spot.”

Evans (2-0) has become a reliable reliever for Oreskovich. The left-hander, who was a starter at Morton (Ill.) College this season, has thrown seven innings in two appearances, striking out six and allowing just one earned run.

Evans entered this game in the seventh after Illinois Valley scored three runs to take an 8-7 lead. He allowed just three hits in four innings, striking out three.

“Obviously, when you first get in there, the jitters are there a little bit,” Evans said. “Once I throw that first pitch and get it over with, it’s smooth sailing from there.

“Coming from a junior college, the competition isn’t as great over there. Coming here, going out and throwing strikes and getting ahead, it’s huge. It gave me confidence.”

“That kid is a competitor if I’ve ever seen one,” Oreskovich said. “Phenomenal competitor. He just goes out there and does his thing. That’s what we talked about earlier in the year — being who you are. And that’s who he is. That was huge. That was just as big as everything else.”

The Bees trailed 5-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, but scored six runs to take the lead. Ty Plummer, another player from Iowa, singled to drive in the go-ahead run.

It’s only the beginning of the second week of the season, but everyone understood the importance of the win.

“It was huge, for sure,” Evans said. “We had a few ballgames where our pitchers struggled a little bit. It was really huge for us to get in the win column.”

“Hopefully we can get some things rolling,” Mathews said. “Hopefully it kick-starts us into a new week, and we can get on a roll.”

Box score

Photo: Merrick Mathews watches his game-winning home run in the 10th inning. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

Bees Open Season At Clinton

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

The Burlington Bees won’t have to travel too far in the first two weeks of the 2024 Prospect League season.

Eight of the Bees’ first 13 games will be at Community Field, according to the schedule released by the league on Thursday.

The Bees open the season on the road against the Clinton LumberKings on May 28, then open the home portion of their schedule the following night with a 6:30 p.m. game against the Alton River Dragons.

The Bees play a three-game series against the O’Fallon Hoots — at home on May 30 and then on the road May 31 and June 1 — then play five of their next eight games at home.

Among the games on the schedule:

• The Bees have four Sunday home games — June 2 and June 23 vs. Illinois Valley, June 9 vs. Clinton, and July 7 vs. Normal.

• Five home games during the week around July 4 — July 2 vs. O’Fallon, July 3 and 5 vs. Clinton, July 6 vs. Springfield and July 7 vs. Normal. The Bees play at Clinton on July 4.

• The longest road trip of the season is a six-game trip from June 25-30 that includes two games against the Cape Catfish, three with the Jackson Rockabillys and one with the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes.

• The Community Basket Extravaganza is set for July 21 at 2 p.m.

• The home regular-season finale is July 30 against Clinton. The Bees close the regular season the following night at Clinton.

Eighteen teams will play in the Prospect League this season, the largest number in the league’s 61-year history. Two new teams join the league — the Dubois County Bombers of Huntingburg, Indiana, and the Full Count Rhythm of Hendersonville, Tennessee.

The Bees have 16 players committed for this season:

Pitchers — Noah Harbin (Maryville University), Zach Leuschen (Southeastern CC), and Jackson Wohlers (Rock Valley College).

Catchers — Michael Carrano (Parkland College) and Jacob Schindler (McHenry County College)

Infielders — Skyler Agnew (Hawaii-Pacific), Landon Akers (Bellarmine), Carson Bittner (Phoenix College), Ty Plummer (Iowa), Kinnick Pusteoska (Tennessee Tech), and Ryan Skwarek (McHenry County College)

Outfielders — Luke Bragga (Tennessee Tech), Cooper Donlin (Hawaii-Pacific), Cedric Dunnwald (Mount Mercy), Jackson Reid (Chandler-Gilbert CC), and Scotty Savage (Milwaukee Area Tech).

Photo: Cedric Dunnwald slides into second base during the Burlington Bees’ season opener against Quincy last season. Dunnwald is among the players committed to play for the Bees in the 2024 Prospect League season. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

Wulf Commits To Hawkeyes

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Caleb Wulf built on a big season with Southeastern Community College’s baseball team with a strong summer with the Burlington Bees.

Now the infielder has committed to one of the top NCAA Division I programs.

Wulf announced on social media on Saturday that he had committed to Iowa beginning in the 2024-25 season.

Wulf hit .367 with an .800 OPS for the Bees last summer and was named to the Western Conference all-star team. That followed his freshman season at SCC, when he hit .384 with a .964 OPS.

Wulf is the second Bee to commit to Iowa, joining infielder Kooper Schulte.

PROSPECT LEAGUE TEAM CHANGES: The Prospect League added two teams last week — the Dubois County Bombers of Huntingburg, Ind., and the Full Count Rhythm of Hendersonville, Tenn.

Both of those teams played in the Ohio Valley League. Dubois County will replace the West Virginia Miners, who did not play last season in the Prospect League, while the Rhythm will replace the Quincy Gems.

“The Prospect League is thrilled to add two organizations the caliber of Dubois County and Full Count to its membership,” said Prospect League commissioner David Brauer in a statement. “Both have demonstrated success both on and off the field and are poised to be thriving members of the Prospect League. There is no doubt that adding these teams will further enhance this league’s reputation.”

Dubois County played in the Prospect League from 2005-12. The Bombers were members of the Ohio Valley League from 2013-2023 and were the 2021 OVL champions, and play at historic League Stadium in Huntingburg. Originally built in 1894, the stadium was featured in the movies “A League of Their Own” and “Soul of the Game.”

The Rhythm, founded by Full Count Ministries in 2020, was a member of the Ohio Valley League for each of its three seasons, winning the league title in 2022 and 2023.

Photo: Bees second baseman Caleb Wulf throws to first in a game last season. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

THE MONDAY HIVE: Consistency In Bees’ Lineup Helps Sarsfield

By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Coy Sarsfield arrived a little late — there was this little matter of playing in the NCAA baseball tournament — but he’s found a daily home in the Burlington Bees’ lineup.

Getting to play in the Prospect League every day, the outfielder from Iowa said, is important after battling back from a broken leg that cost him most of his senior season in high school and his first season with the Hawkeyes.

“It’s been almost two years of not playing consistently,” Sarsfield said. “Now, playing consistently, I think it’s going to be huge for me, just getting back into everything. The biggest thing is pitching, getting live at-bats. I feel like being here, just for five games, I feel like I’m seeing the ball better, getting better swings.”

Sarsfield is hitting .292 after seven games with the Bees. He had a five-game hitting streak snapped with an 0-for-3 game in Saturday’s loss to the O’Fallon Hoots.

Sarsfield has found a home in the Bees’ outfield, playing mostly in right field. He showed his defensive abilities in last Thursday’s 9-8 win over Illinois Valley, when he made a sliding catch on a sinking line drive from Pistol Shrimp catcher Nick Chavez. Sarsfield threw to first and appeared to get Logan Delgado coming back to the base — Delgado was originally called out, but the call was overruled after base umpire Dan Carriker consulted with plate umpire Jacob Fisher.

“Damn near a double play,” marveled Bees manager Owen Oreskovich. “He made a hell of a catch out there, and came up throwing.

“He’s quick, he’s got some juice, he knows the game, and he can roam around the outfield. So it’s huge for us to have a kid like that.”

**Burlington Bees outfielder Coy Sarsfield comes up throwing after making a diving catch in Thursday’s game against Illinois Valley. (John Lovretta/bees-blog.com)**

What’s huge for Sarsfield is just getting to play consistently. He broke his leg seven games into his senior season in 2021 at Linn-Mar High School in Marion, Iowa and had to have surgery. A second surgery in November of that year led to Sarsfield sitting out his freshman year with the Hawkeyes.

“He’s seeing at-bats on consecutive days, and I think that’s going to benefit that kid a lot,” Oreskovich said. “He loves the game.”

Sarsfield played in just 17 games for Iowa this season, hitting .176, but he was involved with one of the biggest moments for the Hawkeyes in their 6-5 win over North Carolina in an elimination game on June 4 in the NCAA’s Terre Haute Regional.

Sarsfield, pinch-running for Blake Guerin in the 13th inning, scored the go-ahead run, coming around from first base on Michael Seegers’ triple.

“In my head, I know there’s two outs and as soon as there’s contact, I’m going,” Sarsfield said. “Michael Seegers gets a hold of one, I saw it was touched pretty well. I didn’t know where it was going. I just put my head down, got around second, saw (Iowa coach Rick) Heller waving his arms, and I made it home. I was thinking, ‘I’m going to score and we’re going to win this game.’”

The Hawkeyes, though, lost to Indiana State in the next game to end the season.

“It was unreal,” Sarsfield said. “Just the atmosphere, the energy. Playing for something really big, and everything that comes with that, is pretty cool. Obviously, it didn’t end the way we wanted it to turn out. Kind of heartbreaking. But it gives everyone a vision for what we want to do in the future.”

Sarsfield has been envisioning his future since arriving at Iowa. But getting a chance to observe has been helpful, he said.

“A year in college, just watching, it’s crazy how much you can see, and how much you can learn when you get in a game situation,” Sarsfield said. “You don’t realize until you watch people do things how much you need to prepare to be ready. In high school, you know you have to work hard. Then, you get to Iowa, and you see you really need to work harder to get on the field.”

Sarsfield joined the Bees on June 10, and made his first start the following day at Clinton.

“Obviously there’s some nerves going into a new situation,” he said. “But once I got into the clubhouse, everyone was welcoming. It’s baseball, everyone understands at this age what’s going on and has a good understanding of everything.”

Oreskovich has used Sarsfield in the middle of the Bees’ lineup. He went 2-for-5 in Thursday’s win, including a two-run double in Burlington’s five-run fourth inning.

“I hit him in the ‘5’ hole because I know he’s someone who’s going to put the bat on the ball,” Oreskovich said. “And he actually came up with some giant hits.”

“I would say it’s very important,” Sarsfield said of getting to consistently be in the lineup. “This year at Iowa, I didn’t get to play a bunch. Now that I’m back in the swing of things, it’s allowing me to play much better and getting me back in a rhythm.”

Top photo: Burlington Bees outfielder Coy Sarsfield bats in Thursday’s game against Illinois Valley. (John Lovretta/bees-blog.com)

Bees’ Roster Has Seven Returning Players

By John Bohnenkamp

Seven players who played for the Burlington Bees in their inaugural Prospect League season will be back with the team this season, according to a partial roster released Thursday.

The Bees have 19 players on the roster so far for this season, including seven who are on NCAA Division I rosters.

A look at the roster:

PITCHERS

Owen Coffman (RHP, Southeastern CC) — 2-1 with two saves in 18 appearances, with 18 strikeouts in 18 ⅓ innings.

Weston Fulk (LHP, Iowa) — Hasn’t played this season for the Hawkeyes. A first-team all-state selection in Iowa last summer after going 6-3 with a 2.42 ERA at Ankeny High School, where he was teammates with Iowa pitcher Brody Brecht. Can play first base as well.

Ian Landreneau (RHP, Texas Wesleyan) — 3-4 with a 4.37 ERA in 14 appearances. He has 32 strikeouts in 45 ⅓ innings.

Kyle Maurer (RHP, Fort Wayne) — 0-0 with a 6.17 ERA in 11 appearances, with 7 strikeouts in 11 ⅔ innings. Pitched in four games with the Bees last season, with a 14.29 ERA.

Garrett Moltzan (RHP, Texas Wesleyan) — 2-1 with a 3.55 ERA in 20 appearances, with 46 strikeouts in 38 innings. Went 1-3 with a 6.81 ERA for the Bees last season.

Owen Rice (LHP, McHenry County CC) — 3-2 with a 5.40 ERA, with 30 strikeouts in 25 innings.

Shawn Runey (RHP, Bluefield State College) — 3-4 with a 3.78 ERA in 11 appearances, with 10 starts. Has 62 strikeouts in 64 ⅓ innings.

Jared Townsend (LHP, Iowa Western CC) — Hasn’t played this season.

CATCHERS

Trent Burkhalter (Kirkwood CC) — Hitting .250 with 7 home runs and 22 RBIs.

Chase Honeycutt (Jones County JC) — Hitting .161 with 11 RBIs in 22 games this season. Hit .261 with 14 RBIs for the Bees last season.

Ben Tallman (Iowa) — Hitting .290 in 26 games with the Hawkeyes. Has a .403 slugging percentage and a .416 on-base percentage.

INFIELDERS

Trey Adams (Northeastern JC) — Hitting .380 with 4 home runs and 31 RBIs. Has 16 stolen bases.

Joey Fitzgerald (Harper College) — Hitting .271 with 2 home runs and 17 RBIs. Hit .218 with the Bees last season.

Ryan Grace (Quinnipiac) — Hasn’t played this season.

Spencer Nivens (Missouri State) — Hitting .356 with 4 home runs and 33 RBIs in 37 games. Has a .986 OPS.

Kevin Santiago (Texas Wesleyan) — Hitting .313 with 5 home runs and 33 RBIs. Has a .552 slugging percentage and a .380 on-base percentage. Hit .271 with 7 home runs and 27 RBIs for the Bees last season.

Charlie Terrill (McHenry County CC) — Hitting .214 with 1 home run and 7 RBIs.

OUTFIELDERS

A.J. Henkle (Illinois-Chicago) — Has played in one game this season. Hit .233 with 1 home run and 7 RBIs last season for the Bees.

Lincoln Riley (Eastern Illinois) — Hitting .288 with 2 home runs and 16 RBIs. Hit .237 with 3 home runs and 26 RBIs for the Bees last season.

Photo: Pitcher Garrett Moltzan is one of six players returning for the Burlington Bees this season. (Steve Cirinna/Burlington Bees)

Brecht Ready For Baseball, In Whatever Role, With Hawkeyes

By John Bohnenkamp

Iowa baseball coach Rick Heller knows what he has in pitcher Brody Brecht.

He’s just not sure how Brecht is going to be used in his freshman season.

The right-hander from Ankeny, at Iowa to play baseball and football, has already impressed Heller, even though he hasn’t taken the mound in a game yet.

“Brody’s stuff,” Heller said at Thursday’s media day, “is stupid-good.”

Brecht has already hit 100 miles per hour with his fastball during preseason workouts. Velocity, though, isn’t enough.

“I was pretty excited,” Brecht said of reaching the 100 mph mark. “But you’ve got to be able to command it, spin the ball a little bit. There’s work to be done.”

There’s work to be done on two fields for Brecht. A thumb injury kept Brecht, a wide receiver, from playing in a game during the football season, and although he did get some good practice time in the preparation for Iowa’s appearance in the Citrus Bowl, he admits he’s “already behind.”

“Bowl prep was good,” said Brecht, who is on scholarship with the football team. “It gave me a lot of opportunities to work with the playbook, run plays.”

For baseball, it’s about seeing where he fits in Iowa’s deep pitching group, and it starts next weekend when the Hawkeyes play in the Swig & Swine Classic in Charleston, S.C.

“I don’t know for sure what Brody’s role is going to end up being,” Heller said. “He’s definitely going to get his feet wet next weekend, and then we’re just going to kind of play it from there. We need to get him out there to see how things shake out, not just with him but with other guys. See where he can help the ball club the most, what can Brody bring to the table that gives us a chance to win games.”

“Starting, relief, closer, whatever they need,” Brecht said. “I just want to be a part (of the team) and be able to help the team win.”

Brecht was a dominant pitcher in high school, going 10-0 in his senior season at Ankeny High School with 126 strikeouts.

But he knows he can’t just overpower hitters at the Division I college level. Brecht wants better movement on his slider and curveball, and he’s working on a changeup.

“The velo is there,” Brecht said. “I just have to be able to locate my corners and everything. It’s gotten better since high school, I’ve been able to put it where I’ve wanted to. Obviously not every pitch is going where I want it to, so I still have to work on that.”

Hitting 100 was a big moment, Brecht said with a smile.

“I threw 98 in high school, and hit 99 here a couple of times,” Brecht said. “Just give me that extra mile an hour. Then we had a live set and the adrenaline was flowing and I finally hit it.”

Juggling two sports is another challenge. Football was the priority in the fall, although Brecht said he did get some throwing work in on the side. Baseball is the priority in the spring.

“Obviously, I’m already behind in football,” Brecht said. “I played (high school baseball) through the summer, and then I had my thumb injury. I’ve been pushed back a lot. I’ve been working hard to get back to be able to compete for the job at the ‘X’ wide receiver. Obviously I wish I could be out there for spring ball, but baseball is the priority right now, and that’s where I have to put most of my focus at.”

Brecht was recently ranked the No. 1 prospect in the Big Ten for the 2024 Major League Baseball draft. That seems a long way away for him.

“It was really cool to see that, it’s an honor,” Brecht said. “But I haven’t thrown a college pitch yet. A lot can change. I’ve got a lot to prove, so I have to keep working hard.”

After a fall of working on football on the practice field, Brecht will finally get to play a game soon as a Hawkeye in baseball.

“I still don’t know what that college athletic experience is like,” he said. “So I’m looking forward to it.”