Iowa freshman Sam Petersen was an infielder for most of his career at Ballard High School in Huxley, Iowa.

But after the No. 4 2021 baseball prospect in the state of Iowa lost the battle for an infield spot during the Hawkeyes’ fall season, head coach Rick Heller had another plan for Petersen.

Heller moved the freshman to the outfield to begin his collegiate career. Although Petersen, who played every infield position in high school, wanted to continue playing in dirt, he had a feeling before the 2022 season that he would be roaming the grassy outfield.

“In high school, I played mostly infield,” Petersen said on March 26. “But I was tossed into the outfield on the travel ball weekends because I kind of had a feeling I was going out there when I got here, and they moved me out there quick. So, I’ve had six months of straight outfield. I’m really starting to feel comfortable out there.”

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Heller’s decision to move Petersen to the outfield has paid off through the beginning of the season. Petersen has started 10 games for the Hawkeyes, including three straight games against Central Michigan last weekend, and has appeared in all 17 of Iowa’s games. Throughout his time in the outfield, Petersen hasn’t committed an error.

In the series against the Chippewas, Petersen went 3-of-9 at the plate with three walks. He drove in six runs — three of which came on a game-winning three-run home run Friday that lifted the Hawkeyes to a 7-4 victory on Friday night.

“He did a really nice job in some tough conditions in left field, which was really good to see,” Heller said of Petersen after the series finale Sunday. “He had the big home run on Friday and then big hits [Sunday]. He’s a super talented kid, and him playing consistently, hopefully, we see him calm down and kind of get into a comfort zone where he can just go out and play.”

Heller also thinks Petersen is overthinking his performance in his first few weeks as a Division I baseball player. But Petersen shouldn’t be worried, Heller said.

“When you’re not playing a lot, I think it’s human nature to think, ‘I have to do really good to keep being put out there,’” Heller continued. “[We’re] trying to get him over the hump with that where he’s just going out and playing because his natural ability is pretty special.”

Petersen had just six hits in 28 plate appearances before the series against the Chippewas. But the two-time high school All-State selection, who batted .471 as a senior, said he was due for better performances at the plate.

“It was good,” Petersen said of his weekend play. “I felt I was kind of due to start playing well, I hadn’t been playing the way I wanted to early on this season. And obviously, it’s baseball so I gotta keep working and continue to get better. But this weekend really felt good, I feel like I can build on that moving forward.”

Petersen will get his first crack at Big Ten play when Iowa travels to Ann Arbor, Michigan, this weekend to take on Michigan in a three-game series.