Adam Mazur voted Daily Iowan 2021-22 Newcomer of the Year
The transfer from South Dakota State was Iowa’s ace this baseball season and earned All-Big Ten and All-America honors.
Iowa starting pitcher Adam Mazur throws a pitch during a baseball game between Iowa and Central Michigan at Duane Banks Field in Iowa City on Friday, March 25, 2022. Mazur went five innings and struck out five batters. The Hawkeyes defeated the Chippewas, 7-4.
June 19, 2022
Iowa baseball’s Adam Mazur added a trophy of the utmost value to his decorated 2021-22 campaign after The Daily Iowan’s sports staff voted Mazur Newcomer of the Year.
The Hawkeye hurler earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and won the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year award this season after he posted conference-leading stats with five conference wins, 55 ⅔ innings pitched, and 2.59 ERA. He is just the second Hawkeye to earn the award after Trenton Wallace in 2021.
Mazur recently added a national distinction to his growing collection of hardware.
Mazur was announced as a Collegiate Baseball Second-Team All-American on June 2. He was one of only two Big Ten players to earn All-America honors this season, and the ninth Hawkeye ever to do so under head coach Rick Heller.
Mazur, a redshirt sophomore from Woodbury, Minn., transferred to Iowa this year after two seasons at South Dakota State (SDSU). He still has two years of eligibility remaining.
During his time in Brookings, Mazur stepped in as SDSU’s Friday night starter as a true freshman, notching four starts before the season was cut short due to the pandemic. He maintained a 5.00 ERA over sixteen career starts as a Jackrabbit, earning a 3-9 record.
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Despite a step up in competition, his transition from the Summit League to the Big Ten was rather seamless on the mound. He immediately stepped in as the Hawkeyes’ ace this season and heavily outperformed his first two collegiate seasons.
Mazur was highlighted as the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year for his success in league play, but his stats were just as impressive outside of the conference. On the year, he went 7-2 in 14 regular season starts, posting a 3.05 ERA in 88 ⅔ innings.
His prowess on the mound coincided with one of the best seasons in recent Hawkeye baseball history.
This season, Iowa finished with a 36-19 record and the squad finished in a tie for second in the conference.
Mazur’s presence on the mound could make the Hawkeyes a dangerous team for 2023 and beyond. However, as an eligible COVID-19 junior, Mazur may be selected in this year’s MLB Draft after his stock skyrocketed this spring.
If Mazur returns to Iowa City next fall rather than entering a pro team’s farm system, he will be a favorite to repeat as Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and earn All-America honors again, and Iowa will have a chance to become a dark horse next season.
