Brennen Dorighi came to Iowa with ample experience.

The Iowa baseball transfer spent the first four years of his career at Wofford, where he played in 30 games as a junior and 51 games as a senior — usually as a designated hitter. In his senior year, Dorighi had a .339 batting average with nine home runs — both good for third on the Terriers.

But because Wofford doesn’t have a graduate school program, Dorighi knew all along his plan was to enter the transfer portal following his fourth season. He graduated from Wofford with a degree in finance and accounting in 2022.

“I entered the portal at the end of the year, and I didn’t have a clear-cut plan yet,” Dorighi said. “It wasn’t like I was searching to go to Iowa. But after talking with a bunch of the coaches and players, it just checked too many boxes. It was too good of a fit for me not to come here.”

Dorighi has had a stellar start to the 2023 season, batting .333 with five home runs and 31 RBIs. He’s played in all 34 of the Hawkeyes’ contests this season, with 13 multi-hit games.

The graduate student credits his four years of collegiate experience for his solid start with Iowa.

“Having all the experience and at-bats I’ve had over the last four years, I think the biggest thing that’s kept me going a little bit is my in-game adjustments,” Dorighi said. “If I’m making a mistake in my first at-bat, I’ve been able to correct them quicker than I have in the past, and I think that just comes with experience.”

He also points to Iowa head coach Rick Heller and associate head coach Marty Sutherland for helping him develop with the Hawkeyes.

“It comes down to preparation, with coach Marty and coach Heller,” Dorighi said. “They work hard to get us going and that’s also been huge for me.”

Having four years of experience in the Southern Conference has also allowed Dorighi to become an immediate leader for some of the younger Hawkeyes. Iowa has a young team, and Dorighi is the only graduate student on the roster.

But in his first season with the Hawkeyes, he also recognizes that he’s learning from his teammates.

“I think it’s been equal,” Dorighi said. “I’ve learned just as much from them as they have from me, but just with time and playing as many games as I have out here, there’s been stuff I’ve been able to teach them. Ways to ride the wave and not get too high or too low based on results and just be process oriented.”

Dorighi will play out his final season of eligibility with the Hawkeyes in 2023. Iowa is 25-9 with a 4-5 record so far in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes will host the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who currently have a 7-2 conference record, in a three-game series at Duane Banks Field this weekend.