Iowa righthander Brody Brecht unleashed 100 mph fastballs from the Dell Diamond mound on Feb. 25, 2023.
The Hawkeyes had traveled to the Round Rock Classic in Austin, Texas, where the weather was warm, but the crowd of purple-and-yellow LSU fans was not.
Brecht was in a constant battle with the strike zone, walking the first batter, giving up his only hit, then walking a third. Following a mound visit, Brecht struck out the side in order to end the first inning.
The sophomore’s start was short-lived, but he struck out six in 3.1 innings and limited the nation’s No. 1 team and eventual national champion to one hit in the process of handing the Tigers their first loss of the season. It wasn’t perfect—Brecht’s eight walks resulted in two earned runs—but he also didn’t leave early by choice. The football competitor in him took over as he yelled in frustration at a call by the umpire and was ejected.
The spotlight has shone brightly on Brecht during his college career. The
